alanr1610

Hi All...

I have some experience on a V-Strom. I purchased a 06 in 07 with about 3300 miles on it. After many bikes have come and gone, my Wee is my #1 bike now with almost 50k miles on it. Right about now, it's on a ship heading toward bkk. This is a do everything pretty well bike. Not great for off road, not great for touring, not great for city traffic (U.S. okay but def. not Bangkok) but it's an all around great bike. It's never been to the dealer and the only thing done is chains, tires, brakes, & reg. maintenance stuff. I'm really looking forward to making some great trips in SE Asia!!

Jeff

Hi Jeff, are you importing your bike or just for a tour?

Exhaust and cylinder head guards are now available at sensible prices. Manufactured in Thailand to western standards these guards are laser cut from quality high strength aluminium. CNC folded with high quality TIG welds and anodized finish.

They can be bought as a set or individually and the head guard will fit with SW Motech or Touratech exhaust guards.

Head Gurads 1,600 baht

Exhaust Guards 3,500 baht

Set 5,000 baht

Details can be found on www.facebook.com/ravetechproducts?ref=hl

I am probably about to upset many Versys riders but the Kawasaki Versys remains a compromised bike. The chassis is to short as it was designed for the early 650 Ninja and er6n. As much as Kawasaki have done to make a success of the Versys this will always compromise rider comfort for all day touring and dual sport ability. Considering the sales success of the Versys, I am very surprised and disappointed that they did not give it a dedicated chassis on the 2015 version.

Regarding fancy gear boxes etc, manual all the way for me. Dual sport bikes were designed to give the rider maximum flexibility and fun in all types of situations and terrain. Be tough enough, comfortable enough and sporty enough to allow one bike to fit all your needs. The Honda power and configuration point it more towards an urban commuter rather than a dual sport IMO and at this price I wonder why the BMW GS800 is not on your list?

Another consideration which should be taken into account is where they are built or assembled which can make and does make a difference. So the comment "their are reports that the V-Strom is not put together as well as the Versys" did make me chuckle. Having had both bikes here and many Kawasaki and Suzuki's over the years that is generally not the case now or never has been in my experience. Saying that, I think we all know and will agree that just about all Japanese company generated products will always be good and more often great.

Hi Badrabbit,

Have owned two Versys here previously but moved to the V-Strom as soon as it became available. Both are very strong and capable bikes but for me the Strom is so much better.

The new Versys is another face lift with the chassis & running gear remaining pretty much the same with some added dampening as far as I am aware and although test rides at dealerships still seem to be a no no in Thailand it is possible to rent a V-Strom & Versys in some places which would give you a good comparison. There are also a few comparison reviews on youtube which are worth a watch.

Regarding luggage, OEM may not always the best option and there is plenty of choice available here so you can tailor it to your own requirements. I am using Givi Treker Outback and it works brilliantly for me and is well priced for what you get too.

All of these manufacturers have or are improving dealership coverage through out Thailand but servicing etc might be something you also wish consider.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Looks as though the Thai dealership's are doing a good job these days and well impressed they are serving up English hand books. Not sure I got any book!.

With all that's happening up here with an established big bike community and International Race circuit you would think they would have the sense to open a dealership in Buriram. Ah well.

There are some pretty active Thai forum's for the V Strom but not always easy to follow or contribute.

When were done I will post a report on the Nan trip or rather I will post my mates report as he has a talent for that sort of thing. Nine of us going, 5 x V-Strom 650's, 2 x Multistrada's a CB500X and Er6n. Strange not to have a Versys going this time! Five of us did Nan earlier this year and it is as good as it gets. There was a Versys that trip! Reversing the route this time with a few changes.

Another project I am working on is a Versys skid plate. There is very little choice for the Versys and as the project has developed I can understand why. It's not been an easy one but we have almost cracked it.

I plan to do a Honda CB500X once the Versys is finished and if anybody with a 2014 1000 V-Strom wants to let me model a skid plate on their bike in the near future I would love to hear from you. It will need to be fitted with crash bars and It would be better for somebody local to Buriram as their are normally several fittings required to get everything 100%. We would only require the bike during day times and there is a free skid plate at the end of it.

Based on the silence of this thread these days. Bang for buck, it;s probably the best deal to be had pretty much anywhere especially in Thailand where it suits the mixture of roads we have here.

I am riding to Nan again this month with 8 other farlang's and five of us will be on V-Strom's so I know they are selling really but I am quite surprised more contributions have not being added to the thread for a while.

It would appear no falang's are buying V-Strom's in Thailand.

Skid Plate and Radiator Guards.

Ravetech are now producing laser cut skid plates and radiator grills for the DL650 V-Strom.

www.facebook.com/ravetechproducts?ref=hl

Thought it was time for an update regarding the skid plates and other things. Several Ravetech Skid Plates are now fitted to several V- Strom's with the customers being very happy. Discussions with Suzuki Khon Kaen are very positive with the intendion of visiting the other Suzuki dealerships shortly. Another service Ravetech are now offering a supply and fitment service of quality accessories to kit your bike out how you want it. Either simple protection to full blown touring spec with all work carried out to farang standards. We just took delivery of the bike pictured directly from the dealership for ongoing delivery by us to Khoa Yai with many high spec accessory fitted.

Givi Treker Outback 37 ltr black aluminium side boxes.

Givi Crash Bars

Ravetech Skid Plate

Givi Spot lights

Center Stand

12v & USB dash mounted sockets with ignition energised relay

Fender extender

Ventura Lens Protectors

68,000 baht

Anybody interested in having their V Strom or another bike please contact [email protected]

I had two young Thai guys on a pretty new Honda wave change lane without looking the other day. Unfortunately I was where they wanted to go and we connected. We both stayed on and pulled over where I naturally asked if they were OK as I hit them with quite a thump. The cheeky shit's point to the shattered rear offside tail faring and lights and demanded 2000 baht.

Once I stopped laughing I inspected my V-Strom for damage. I am delighted to report that the quality Givi crash bars I fitted are bullet proof. Not even a mark in the powder coating!

As you can imagine I gave them some friendly advice on road sense and why the bike came fitted with buttons and shinny reflective things on the handle bars and left.....

Unfortunately this maneuver is quite common and even when you blare your horn they quite often continue on their suicide mission without even a twitch. TIT.

So what happened to the fish???? By the way I was riding in open countryside with no U turns and at moderate speed. Mind you no fish were involved!

I am always extra cautious when overtaking other bikes because I have seen all too often how they change lanes without checking their mirrors or doing a lifesaver.

One of my friends rode into the back of a fisherman exactly the same way. We were riding in staggered formation, he was on the outside of the lane and I was on the inside. The fisherman on a Honda wave (iirc) decided to make a right turn (he later said that he saw us as we had driving lights on the bikes as well but he underestimated our speed - we were doing about 80-90 kmh). I think my friend got distracted for a bit and when he saw the other bike, the brake lights came on but it was too late.

Everything happened in slow motion - the Versys crashing into the back of the wave, my friend flying over the top of his bike, the fish from the fisherman's side basket flying into the air and raining back down to earth. Fortunately, no serious injuries - my friend had 3 broken bones in his hand and a broken clavicle, the fisherman, a broken ankle. Insurance covered everything including repairs to the bikes.

As a result of seeing this happen right in front of my eyes and seeing various videos on YouTube, I now ride very slowly through towns, villages and moobans, paying special attention where there are traffic signs for intersections. The only times I open up is on highways, on those stretches with no U turns or junctions and no other motorists within striking distance in front of me.

Is this really the "Bikes in Thailand" forum? 5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555

Watch out for elephants........

265,000 baht!!!!!!!!!!! Why would you give it a second glance? Pretty bike bike but never worth that much surely.....

And it gets worse............. If you guys need a place for a spat its not here!

I love riding curves as I believe its what bikes were made for. Technology has given us better chassis and radial sticky tyres to pursue this end.

An "advisory" sign showing a bendy road ahead gets me sat up in the seat, smiling and looking forward to some fun.

I know my bike is prepared and ready as I have checked it well before I started out and I am constantly feeling what it is telling me........ Once I commit to the curves I am totally focused and enjoying that moment. The feeling and awareness of everything happening at that moment gels me and the bike as one. If thats not the case time to abort!

Years of experience remove some of the fear that less experienced riders should have "but" that fear is always a factor. That fear is balanced by the knowledge of your skills and ability, coupled with the machine your riding and the maintain and the condition and environment you are riding in.

When everything comes together and you nail the curve or curves then its the biggest thrill ever and very hard to explain to somebody that does not get it.

Sure enough as the years have passed me bye I leave plenty in hand these days. That said I have my moments and if everything is in order I will push myself and the bike to "my" limits.

I have to say, if I was so paranoid and concerned with all the safety requirements that some insist upon in this topic, then I see little enjoyment to be had in riding a motorcycle. I drive a car because sometimes I have too. I ride a bike because I can't think of never wanting too!

How about this!!!!!!

Getting wet on a bike in Thailand is refreshing and you soon dry out again. Personally I never bother with waterproof gear over here.

So all us guys riding bikes here in Thailand are crazy and naive in your opinion.............Well done!

image.jpg

International sign for motorcyclists to increase their speed.

for me, that sign means; speeding down, looking the conditions around - surface, corner, traffic, mirrors, any movement etc -, and checking and applying other factors such as speed, gear, line, braking, throttle, body movements etc while keeping the capability of your bike in mind such as condition of your bike, tires, brakes etc. and to make things more complex, everything goes with your state of your mind, emotions, mood so concentration is very important lets say you need a mind like in a meditation state.

that sign means a lot actually.

I think it was a joke! I also think the "likes curves" guys on this thread have some experience and worked out the technical requirements.

I am happy to ride solo or in a group but my preference is riding with some well known friends. That way you understand each other and know what to expect.

We usually ride in a group of 5 when touring these days and that works well. 6 or more and the problems and interruptions start compromising the enjoyment.

Very big groups are fine for a parade or a very organised and usually non technical rides but that's not for me. Fun to watch though.

I tend to ride safer in that group as we have a responsibility to each other. When the road gets twisty I and another usually tear off in front knowing the others will be enjoying their speed in the comfort of companions until we all join up again shortly after. I feel it is always a good idea to stick to at least one other rider as should something happen then you or they have instant assistance.

2007 Versys engine and frame looks pretty much the same as a new Versys so your best bet is to look for a new plate as it may well fit or with very small mods at least.

Having had two Versys due to that was all that was available at the time and enjoyed the tits out of both of them I can truly say that the V Strom is so much more. Handling for a street bike on paper the Versys should be better but in real life I can push the V Strom harder with less effort and much more confidence. The engine is much more usable and the brakes and suspension are chalk and cheese also. Off road the V Strom tracks better and much easier to catch when it tries to let go from under you than the Versy. I paid the extra and it was a money well spent IMO.

I think that this is a perfect "bigger" bike for Thailand. It has decent suspension and as long as the brakes and tyres ok wont need to many mods. I would consider the dealer shortage a concern so my versys will have to do. Not the most beautiful bike but has some good angles.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Most reviews see the Versys as a better street bike and the V-Strom as a better kinda-offroad bike with the 19" front. If you have a Versys I'd think the "upgrade" to a V-Strom would be disappointing. Some things are better, some are worse, and in the end you paid money for nothing. And yeah service would be a concern; Kawasaki is outstanding in that regard.

Oh come on Lust wheres your luster?