regarding "second hand" well said Nathan,, yes there is lots of great old bikes out there,,,they might want for something but fixing up can be cheap if you do it yourself...
I live in the Balkans and ride a 2007 f650gs that i bought when back in the UK in 2019, factory low model, 13,000 miles, immaculate. Over 10,000 trouble free miles later this bike takes me around the Balkans just fine all for 2650 quid which i would get back tomorrow if i sold it. Nothing wrong with cheap old bikes. When i bought it i toured North Wales, Snowdonia, then over to France and spent a week in Normandy touring all the war sites camping all the way, down to Italy, ferry to Albania then to Kosovo where the bike now lives. Loved every minute. I took a month doing that, very understanding wife helps, haha, been retired for 8 years, 67 now.
Living the dream mike! Great bike for that journey I bet. I did have one briefly a while back but keen to see how they've held up. Best wishes to your understanding wife!
Just picked up a 2020 Versys 300X in Canada, with just over 3000Km on it. I've had a lot of small and mid sized bikes, done some great long rides on them. I think this may be my "unicorn". Good for everyday use and capable of the long back road touring I want to do. Not much in this market here in North America, sadly.
Great vid! It would be really perfect Nathan with looking out for bike bargains around the £2000 mark. Its more of a price many of us can afford! Cheers!!
I had a Versys 300 for 6 years. It replaced a DR650 as, unlike the DR, it did not encourage me to do dumb things like riding out into the desert by myself. If I kept doing that it was only a matter of time before I either hit something or threw it away big time. Once I got my head around the revs and very light clutch it was fine. The seat is absolutely the worst I've come across in over 55 years of riding. I did nearly 50,000km on it. In that time it had regular services and thats all. It did quite a few long distance tours. Its physical size (big) meant that it could take a lot of luggage. I sold it 12 months ago because it just got too tall for my diminishing strength, balance and ability. I was losing my confidence. They are still available in Australia new. Only change over the years has been colours.
I test rode one of these bikes as I was looking for an economical commuter which soak up the pot holes! I was impressed by the little twin engine it screamed and was fun to ride with a very light clutch. I bought a forza 300 though simply for the weather protection and storage. Great bike for the green landing.
Hi Nathan I am far from a proficient off road rider but i did one of youre postie bike days and loved it. So following the light low and slow mantra and not being able to to afford any of the new bikes. I managed to pick up a 2018 6k mile 411 Himalayan for £2k. I love it and i cant imagine selling it but if i do its not going to lose that much on it. Looking forward to the series on old older bikes. Cheers Dean
Had one for 4 years, toured Scandinavia and Ireland with it. Fantastic little bike, very underrated, nice revvy, smooth engine, low consumption, roomy. Upgrade the seat and you’ll tour for weeks with it…
Great bike Nathan! I have one and all I've done to it is add a 15t front sprocket (+1), SW Motec pegs and a better 60/55w halogen bulb. The 15t sprocket makes the engine feel less frantic and does reveal a decent amount of low end torque, relatively speaking. The wider pegs have helped me at the ABR Festival and at your Sweetlamb Adventure Camp last year 😁. The stock halogen headlight is a joke, so a tenner spent on a better bulb helps the main beam massively on dark roads.
I have a 2018 and run the 15T countershaft sprocket and indeed, pretty tractable chugging along in the lowers gears at moderate revs. “Moderate by 300X Standards”😉 Plan on an out and about on mine today.👍
Nice one Nathan, I look forward to the new path you are going down considering older more affordable adventure bikes. I also look forward to hearing more about the Versys 300X.
Your plan to have a bit of focus on some older bikes is a very welcome addition to your usual good video content. Keep the videos coming Nathan👍🏴
agreed Nathan, it is amazing what can be found for 3k quid , if you look you can find bikes that will do it all and for many tens of thousands of miles - fair play for tackling this sector
I remember that KLE 500. Zoom Lolly meets Honda TransAlp said BIKE magazine. The KLE was a 400 in Japan. I saw quite a few of them when I lived there in the early '90s. Nice bikes. Nick
The Kawasaki KLE500, especially the 1991-1997 version is an interesting thought. Indeed the spec similarities between the CF Moto 450 and the KLE500 are close. From the specs I can find on the web, Dry Weight 178kg, Wet weight 192kg, 44bhp (could be lifted to 60bhp with a set of GPZ500 cams, plus screw & lock nut values) 220mm of suspension travel front and rear, 21” front and 17” rear, 15 litre tank, what is not to like? Never seen any reviews of a KLE500 off road or the adventurer bike role. The engine in GPZ500 trim had to me three personalities. 1500-4000rpm it’s bit a single. 4000-7500rpm it’s like twin. 7500-11000rpm it screams off like a crazed 2 stroke twin in the power band with a pleasant howl but also the feeling is it going explode! I suspect down tuned KLE500 is a bit softer. Would be really interesting to see you compare this 91-97 version of the KLE500 against current day adventure bikes in this class. Maybe it’s a unicorn bike…?
My first bike was a Honda varadero xl 125. It was an absolutely great bike. Very comfortable on long distance and very economical. Even very comfortable riding 2 up. I always thought it was too underpowered for its weight. If you had a severe head wind it could barely reach 60mph. It could do 70mph in a tuck with a tail wind if you were lucky and I’m only 65kg. It was horrendous at over taking anything that was travelling faster than 28mph. You were taking your life into your own hands if you had to overtake a modern tractor even on the slightest on inclines. I always thought Honda did a disservice to themselves for not offering a 250 or a 300. I would have loved a bike like the vstrom 250 or the versys 300 if they existed back in 2010-2011.
Currently own a 2020 here in Australia, they are still sold new here, very good bike, the power or lack of takes a bit of getting used to, but once you start wringing it’s neck everywhere it makes sense, put a decent set of off road tyres on it and you’ll be surprised how capable they are off road
Love the tests of the older stuff, some years ago I had a Honda XL250 S , that was great off road, at the time Honda were playing with 23" front wheels, it would go anywhere
When you want grunt at the low end you need to be in 2nd gear. I swapped out the front sprocket to give it better road manners and it made 1st gear a bit more useful. Overall it's a great bike if you ride in the 80-90 KPH range rather than out on the big highways at 120 KPH.
I love my Versys 300. I'm sure I've taken it in trails it had no business being on but it always did what I asked. Full disclosure - I have a deposit on the Ibex 450, needed just a bit more power. But the 300 is a great bike.
Love the x300. I’ve owned the KTM 390 Adventure and CRF Rally. Then got one of these and it’s an absolute keeper. The high revs are hilarious. Chassis is great fun for corners and surprise me on the trails. Really only for fire trails. You can really upgrade them to be whatever you want out of it… for cheap.
I have a Versys x300, crf300L and a xt660r. The CRF is a belting bike. The only issue is the seat being made of concrete. Mine has the seat concept seat
I actually went to see one in a showroom, I couldnt swing my leg over it from the ground. They also had a VStrom 250, which I could get my leg over and it had a much comfier seat. Despite the lower hp, I would have taken the Vstrom.
This is a really great development in your channel. I was very tempted a few years back by this bike, Ryan F9 did an amazing video on this bike, a masterpiece imho.
Hi Nathan I live in Spain and was looking to get an off road compatible bike back in about 2018. The Versys 300 was one I tried . I was ok on tarmac but I really thought it had very few off road plus points .
I just bought an Aprilia Pegaso Strada for less than £2k, ticked boxes for me just looking for an upright travel bike, lowish seat height, manageable weight (sub 200kg fully fuelled), 50hp, 60nm torque, no off-road pretensions but there's a trail version as well. Minarelli 660 single same as Yam XT, electrics and fuel pump need keeping an eye on but for the money so far so good I'm building some faith in it...
Timing. Perhaps too early, much like the kle500. And now nothing from kawasaki comparable. My Royal Enfield dealer was kind enough to put the touring screen on a Himmy for me, and let me take the missus on the back. It also had nearly 3000 miles on the clock now. What a difference. Buzzy vibes all but gone. Hardly any wind buffeting. And pulled really well with the extra weight. With no CF available until next year and no demos up here, I've ordered a Himmy. Can't wait forever. Ride safe 👍
Yeah good to hear. Mines now on 2300 miles and has smoothed out as well. Haven't completely gelled with it yet but I can't deny it's got some grunt, especially up high. I suspect they'll pick up a fair few sales with CF Moto scarcity.
Maybe if they'd have done the 400 the model would have had more legs and the little bits you noted could have been addresed and a good on/off road adventure bike would have been added to the UK market. I like that you've got an older bike in the lineup.
Good move looking at the older bikes. You'll notice how the EU Regs. have eliminated the big singles, which had it all - they were the Unicorn!!! Look at my XT600e - 160kg, 45 HP, 50 Nm, super-chugability, 230mm ground clearance, what more could you want?
Hi mate! Great idea to look and compare with the old bikes. I like those myself and my favorite one is the Suzuki XF 650 Freewind. Please let me know if you ridden one and what you think. Cheers!
I have a ‘91 KLE 500, it’s been a project bike for a few years now, but reaching the end of the road soon. I’ll bring it over to the Speed Shop once I’m done Nathan, and you’ll be welcome to give it a go. Cheers Rich (on the W800 from France), p.s. the mozzie bite is still a pain in the leg! 😂😂
I think Ryan of Fortnine did some stuff to make it more easy for ADV use like taking out ABS, switching sprocket to get more grunt. Or are you just going to run it "stock"? It's an interesting choice so excited to see how it fares/compares.
Yes I saw that video. The one where he overlooked it for the CRF? I'll probably leave it stock for the use it's going to get. The ABS will be fine on the road - same as latest 310 GS in not being switchable - and the gearing is probably ok for north Devon roads as well. See how she goes
Nice idea Nathan, i know someone who had a Versys 300 and raved about it although didnt keep it long - owner impressions and reviews are often a bit biased as we have ro justify our decision making. Not sure how many subscribers it will encourage though as most like 'shiny new things' ?
I'm new to biking. Currently weighing up issues such as storage, depreciation, useable power, etc. All the while thinking about how much I want to shell out on what, as you say, is likely to be a predominantly leisure item. Really curious to see how this series goes.
Cheers Dave. Yes, I reckon something like the versys would be a good bet for someone starting out (or more experienced) and at these prices you're never going to lose a fortune, or be as precious about it as you would a new bike
I've been watching you as I learned about Adventure bikes and wanted to get one, and liked your channel the most. So I was super confused when you were covering all these wonderful lightweight adventure bikes and never covered the Versys-X. That's crazy it was only sold for 2 years there. I heard it was called the 250cc... maybe in Asia or India? Anyway, that's so awesome, love to hear your opinions/review soon!!!
The CF Moto has the same oil filter as a KLE 500? I saw a French couple that each took X300's across Asia. Probably appropriate for long stretches of gravel highway. Still sold in Canada.
I see a 2Grand Challenge coming up?😀 If so I'm in, dunno what i'd buy though, probably something different like a maxi scooter or Hayabusa/Blackbird!!!
I've had one for over 6 years and 90.000km, i will answer any of your questions 👍🏻. I had written an extensive comment but the server backstabbed me so it didn't post, I'll elaborate on it later.
Decent cheaper bikes are great but, if you live in London or Manchester you have ULEZ schemes which often make them unusable when you get charged £12.50 or £15.00 a day just to touch the road surface.
@@stevencote7951 interesting. It’s obviously never going to be a torquey / grunty unit like the Triumph but stretching it right out to 450 is likely to give a useful ~50% increase in torque. Makes you wonder.
K dropped the ball, could have started here , add 400 motor tuned / geared for more low - midrange torque plus better suspension to put some new bikes looking over their shoulders or at the back end of a Versys 400x up ahead of them…..
kawasaki doesn't want to kill off the klr, and if they made the bike cfmoto did with their 450mt, who would buy a klr over a versys 400/450? Hopefully kawasaki now has no choice, but to be decent and reasonable people and update the versys 300x
@@nathanthepostman spares are problematic but very enthusiastic owners have found work arounds for an awful lot of mechanical bits. They come along with very low miles, mine had done 2k in 13yrs! Aftermarket bits are available if a bit niche. I found an email for a fella in Austria that used to make baseplates for them. He emailed me back a month later and a week after that a beautifully welded alloy bash plate arrived. Luggage is difficult unless you/a mate if excellent at fabricating. H&B still make the luggage racks, not the best design but ok. Roll top bag and a tank bag can do me a couple weeks camping if you a happy dirt bag.
Don't really see the point of this bike next to the voge and 310GS. For £2000 42k miles and rough, what's the point? Get another brand new 411 RE Scam new for £3500. At least you know the history and have warranty for a new bike. I could understand a Transalp 600/650, Africa Twin 750, Cagiva Elefant 750, Old 850 GS, Kawka KLX 250, kmx 300, honda XR 500/600, XT any of them, DR 600/650 collectable, aprillia Pegaso 1995 to 2010, and anything else other than this CAD designed and computer built bike, made for the computer Generation???? Get a 2005 Transalp with 15K miles on mint and is a bike you actually want to keep and a future. The pegaso & Transalp will mostly be in the £2k price range as well as Triumph Tiger 750....
@@nathanthepostman Is it a bike that people want to ride? I just don't get it when you say the bikes you could of brought that are interesting and have a following that represent the good old times. Carbs that work, build & engine quality & character that smashes it. I have a Transalp 650 2003 & cfmoto 300 sr 2024. Completely different bikes, time, tech etc and I wouldn't get rid of either at the moment, but if I had to I would definitely keep the Transalp if I could only have one of them. What the point of buying the bikes which are all alike in engine size??
I've had one for 4 years now and have no intention of ever selling it, it's probably my go to bike much more than my Versys 650 or my Z900 anniversary. It literally does everything I ask of it from commuting to long runs on the motorway to touring round Scotland. I've been riding now for over 40 years so I think I have enough experience to know a good bike when I see one.
Serow 225 , kle 500, ttr 250 far better than what is already out there Buy a cheap secondhand bike and learn how to fix it No gizmos, just great bikes for little money
kawasaki is allergic to sales, they don't want to sale bikes, if they wanted they could use that fing 451cc engine for a KLX/Versys mix (crf300rally type), but nooooo!
I'm one of those American viewers who was hoping you'd get one of these, even though I've never commented before. You're doing a great job!
regarding "second hand" well said Nathan,, yes there is lots of great old bikes out there,,,they might want for something but fixing up can be cheap if you do it yourself...
I had one for 4 years, brilliant bike, a real go anywhere and do most anything on. Super reliable and never had a puncture.
Looking forward to future videos on affordable bikes 😊
Interesting bike to add to the fleet and an excellent idea to test some older bikes. Cheers
Cheers andy
I live in the Balkans and ride a 2007 f650gs that i bought when back in the UK in 2019, factory low model, 13,000 miles, immaculate. Over 10,000 trouble free miles later this bike takes me around the Balkans just fine all for 2650 quid which i would get back tomorrow if i sold it. Nothing wrong with cheap old bikes. When i bought it i toured North Wales, Snowdonia, then over to France and spent a week in Normandy touring all the war sites camping all the way, down to Italy, ferry to Albania then to Kosovo where the bike now lives. Loved every minute. I took a month doing that, very understanding wife helps, haha, been retired for 8 years, 67 now.
Living the dream mike! Great bike for that journey I bet. I did have one briefly a while back but keen to see how they've held up. Best wishes to your understanding wife!
1956 here. Second choice was the F650 but I ended up with a Voge for my trip. Unfortunately that'll have to be 2025 now 😢
Just picked up a 2020 Versys 300X in Canada, with just over 3000Km on it.
I've had a lot of small and mid sized bikes, done some great long rides on them. I think this may be my "unicorn". Good for everyday use and capable of the long back road touring I want to do. Not much in this market here in North America, sadly.
Great vid! It would be really perfect Nathan with looking out for bike bargains around the £2000 mark. Its more of a price many of us can afford! Cheers!!
I had a Versys 300 for 6 years. It replaced a DR650 as, unlike the DR, it did not encourage me to do dumb things like riding out into the desert by myself. If I kept doing that it was only a matter of time before I either hit something or threw it away big time. Once I got my head around the revs and very light clutch it was fine. The seat is absolutely the worst I've come across in over 55 years of riding. I did nearly 50,000km on it. In that time it had regular services and thats all. It did quite a few long distance tours. Its physical size (big) meant that it could take a lot of luggage. I sold it 12 months ago because it just got too tall for my diminishing strength, balance and ability. I was losing my confidence. They are still available in Australia new. Only change over the years has been colours.
I test rode one of these bikes as I was looking for an economical commuter which soak up the pot holes! I was impressed by the little twin engine it screamed and was fun to ride with a very light clutch. I bought a forza 300 though simply for the weather protection and storage. Great bike for the green landing.
Hi Nathan I am far from a proficient off road rider but i did one of youre postie bike days and loved it. So following the light low and slow mantra and not being able to to afford any of the new bikes. I managed to pick up a 2018 6k mile 411 Himalayan for £2k. I love it and i cant imagine selling it but if i do its not going to lose that much on it. Looking forward to the series on old older bikes. Cheers Dean
Cheers Dean. Glad you're enjoying the himi! Can't go wrong at those prices!
Had one for 4 years, toured Scandinavia and Ireland with it. Fantastic little bike, very underrated, nice revvy, smooth engine, low consumption, roomy. Upgrade the seat and you’ll tour for weeks with it…
Great bike Nathan! I have one and all I've done to it is add a 15t front sprocket (+1), SW Motec pegs and a better 60/55w halogen bulb. The 15t sprocket makes the engine feel less frantic and does reveal a decent amount of low end torque, relatively speaking. The wider pegs have helped me at the ABR Festival and at your Sweetlamb Adventure Camp last year 😁. The stock halogen headlight is a joke, so a tenner spent on a better bulb helps the main beam massively on dark roads.
I have a 2018 and run the 15T countershaft sprocket and indeed, pretty tractable chugging along in the lowers gears at moderate revs. “Moderate by 300X Standards”😉 Plan on an out and about on mine today.👍
Cannot wait to see you taking it out on the hills! Simonsbath / Landacre Bridge!! :)
Nice one Nathan, I look forward to the new path you are going down considering older more affordable adventure bikes. I also look forward to hearing more about the Versys 300X.
Your plan to have a bit of focus on some older bikes is a very welcome addition to your usual good video content. Keep the videos coming Nathan👍🏴
My favorite bike!!❤❤👍👍
agreed Nathan, it is amazing what can be found for 3k quid , if you look you can find bikes that will do it all and for many tens of thousands of miles - fair play for tackling this sector
Thanks ogasi
I remember that KLE 500. Zoom Lolly meets Honda TransAlp said BIKE magazine. The KLE was a 400 in Japan. I saw quite a few of them when I lived there in the early '90s. Nice bikes. Nick
The Kawasaki KLE500, especially the 1991-1997 version is an interesting thought. Indeed the spec similarities between the CF Moto 450 and the KLE500 are close. From the specs I can find on the web, Dry Weight 178kg, Wet weight 192kg, 44bhp (could be lifted to 60bhp with a set of GPZ500 cams, plus screw & lock nut values) 220mm of suspension travel front and rear, 21” front and 17” rear, 15 litre tank, what is not to like?
Never seen any reviews of a KLE500 off road or the adventurer bike role.
The engine in GPZ500 trim had to me three personalities. 1500-4000rpm it’s bit a single. 4000-7500rpm it’s like twin. 7500-11000rpm it screams off like a crazed 2 stroke twin in the power band with a pleasant howl but also the feeling is it going explode! I suspect down tuned KLE500 is a bit softer.
Would be really interesting to see you compare this 91-97 version of the KLE500 against current day adventure bikes in this class. Maybe it’s a unicorn bike…?
My first bike was a Honda varadero xl 125. It was an absolutely great bike. Very comfortable on long distance and very economical. Even very comfortable riding 2 up. I always thought it was too underpowered for its weight. If you had a severe head wind it could barely reach 60mph. It could do 70mph in a tuck with a tail wind if you were lucky and I’m only 65kg. It was horrendous at over taking anything that was travelling faster than 28mph. You were taking your life into your own hands if you had to overtake a modern tractor even on the slightest on inclines. I always thought Honda did a disservice to themselves for not offering a 250 or a 300. I would have loved a bike like the vstrom 250 or the versys 300 if they existed back in 2010-2011.
Currently own a 2020 here in Australia, they are still sold new here, very good bike, the power or lack of takes a bit of getting used to, but once you start wringing it’s neck everywhere it makes sense, put a decent set of off road tyres on it and you’ll be surprised how capable they are off road
Love the tests of the older stuff, some years ago I had a Honda XL250 S , that was great off road, at the time Honda were playing with 23" front wheels, it would go anywhere
When you want grunt at the low end you need to be in 2nd gear. I swapped out the front sprocket to give it better road manners and it made 1st gear a bit more useful. Overall it's a great bike if you ride in the 80-90 KPH range rather than out on the big highways at 120 KPH.
I love my Versys 300. I'm sure I've taken it in trails it had no business being on but it always did what I asked. Full disclosure - I have a deposit on the Ibex 450, needed just a bit more power. But the 300 is a great bike.
Love the x300. I’ve owned the KTM 390 Adventure and CRF Rally. Then got one of these and it’s an absolute keeper. The high revs are hilarious. Chassis is great fun for corners and surprise me on the trails. Really only for fire trails. You can really upgrade them to be whatever you want out of it… for cheap.
Always been on my radar this has.
I have a Versys x300, crf300L and a xt660r. The CRF is a belting bike. The only issue is the seat being made of concrete. Mine has the seat concept seat
Look forward to review of second hand examples! cheers
Looking forward to the full review.
I actually went to see one in a showroom, I couldnt swing my leg over it from the ground. They also had a VStrom 250, which I could get my leg over and it had a much comfier seat. Despite the lower hp, I would have taken the Vstrom.
I really fancied a 250 Vstrom, still do, actually.
Yes! Finally an X300!
This is a really great development in your channel. I was very tempted a few years back by this bike, Ryan F9 did an amazing video on this bike, a masterpiece imho.
You are so On Point with what your subs want Nathan. ✌️
I believe these are just about to be released on the Indian market
Hi Nathan I live in Spain and was looking to get an off road compatible bike back in about 2018. The Versys 300 was one I tried . I was ok on tarmac but I really thought it had very few off road plus points .
I just bought an Aprilia Pegaso Strada for less than £2k, ticked boxes for me just looking for an upright travel bike, lowish seat height, manageable weight (sub 200kg fully fuelled), 50hp, 60nm torque, no off-road pretensions but there's a trail version as well. Minarelli 660 single same as Yam XT, electrics and fuel pump need keeping an eye on but for the money so far so good I'm building some faith in it...
Timing.
Perhaps too early, much like the kle500.
And now nothing from kawasaki comparable.
My Royal Enfield dealer was kind enough to put the touring screen on a Himmy for me, and let me take the missus on the back.
It also had nearly 3000 miles on the clock now.
What a difference. Buzzy vibes all but gone. Hardly any wind buffeting. And pulled really well with the extra weight.
With no CF available until next year and no demos up here, I've ordered a Himmy.
Can't wait forever.
Ride safe 👍
Yeah good to hear. Mines now on 2300 miles and has smoothed out as well. Haven't completely gelled with it yet but I can't deny it's got some grunt, especially up high. I suspect they'll pick up a fair few sales with CF Moto scarcity.
@@nathanthepostman If you are buying used, how about trying to find a kle 500 and comparing it with your current fleet?
Be interesting.
@@teneretraveller8980I was trying for a kle but came across the versys. Will look again for a kle further down the line
Maybe if they'd have done the 400 the model would have had more legs and the little bits you noted could have been addresed and a good on/off road adventure bike would have been added to the UK market. I like that you've got an older bike in the lineup.
Good move looking at the older bikes. You'll notice how the EU Regs. have eliminated the big singles, which had it all - they were the Unicorn!!! Look at my XT600e - 160kg, 45 HP, 50 Nm, super-chugability, 230mm ground clearance, what more could you want?
Hi mate!
Great idea to look and compare with the old bikes. I like those myself and my favorite one is the Suzuki XF 650 Freewind. Please let me know if you ridden one and what you think.
Cheers!
Great little bike for rough potholed back roads and gravel tracks. Extra tooth on the front sprocket makes it better on road. Regret selling mine.....
'bout time. 😄👍
this one was long time coming wasn't it!
I have a ‘91 KLE 500, it’s been a project bike for a few years now, but reaching the end of the road soon. I’ll bring it over to the Speed Shop once I’m done Nathan, and you’ll be welcome to give it a go. Cheers Rich (on the W800 from France), p.s. the mozzie bite is still a pain in the leg! 😂😂
Haha. I thought we were going to have to amputate at one point!
@@nathanthepostman me too!! That little sucker got me good and proper.
I think Ryan of Fortnine did some stuff to make it more easy for ADV use like taking out ABS, switching sprocket to get more grunt.
Or are you just going to run it "stock"?
It's an interesting choice so excited to see how it fares/compares.
Yes I saw that video. The one where he overlooked it for the CRF? I'll probably leave it stock for the use it's going to get. The ABS will be fine on the road - same as latest 310 GS in not being switchable - and the gearing is probably ok for north Devon roads as well. See how she goes
I ride an F650GS Dakar, good reliable and cheap. It does the job.
You said it, it's an "adventure bike" that was never ment to go off-road
Really rate these
Nice idea Nathan, i know someone who had a Versys 300 and raved about it although didnt keep it long - owner impressions and reviews are often a bit biased as we have ro justify our decision making.
Not sure how many subscribers it will encourage though as most like 'shiny new things' ?
If I'm completely honest Trevor I don't really give much thought to the subscriber numbers. I'm just interested in trying it
@@nathanthepostman perfect!
I'm new to biking. Currently weighing up issues such as storage, depreciation, useable power, etc. All the while thinking about how much I want to shell out on what, as you say, is likely to be a predominantly leisure item. Really curious to see how this series goes.
Cheers Dave. Yes, I reckon something like the versys would be a good bet for someone starting out (or more experienced) and at these prices you're never going to lose a fortune, or be as precious about it as you would a new bike
I've been watching you as I learned about Adventure bikes and wanted to get one, and liked your channel the most. So I was super confused when you were covering all these wonderful lightweight adventure bikes and never covered the Versys-X. That's crazy it was only sold for 2 years there. I heard it was called the 250cc... maybe in Asia or India? Anyway, that's so awesome, love to hear your opinions/review soon!!!
I’d be interested to see how a WR250R compares to the newer bikes, only 30bhp but very light and reliable apparently.
Yes, was looking at those. Found a tidy one for £3k. One to add to the list for sure.
The CF Moto has the same oil filter as a KLE 500?
I saw a French couple that each took X300's across Asia. Probably appropriate for long stretches of gravel highway. Still sold in Canada.
The Malaysian Versys comes with folding foot pegs.
Got one. A 2017. Gravelriding as much as I can. My brother got the cf450mt. I keep up just fine with it. Just rev the tits of it😂
I see a 2Grand Challenge coming up?😀 If so I'm in, dunno what i'd buy though, probably something different like a maxi scooter or Hayabusa/Blackbird!!!
Is there an update on the Kawasaki Verseys 300X?
I've had one for over 6 years and 90.000km, i will answer any of your questions 👍🏻.
I had written an extensive comment but the server backstabbed me so it didn't post, I'll elaborate on it later.
But long story short, i would only replace this bike with a CFMoto 450 MT without feeling like I'm losing on and off road capabilities.
Seven seas have kle 250 from 93 jdm in stock that would be good test cheers
Decent cheaper bikes are great but, if you live in London or Manchester you have ULEZ schemes which often make them unusable when you get charged £12.50 or £15.00 a day just to touch the road surface.
Yes I can imagine that could soon put you off the older bikes. Bad situation.
Since it has no cush drive it is a no go for long road trips, just like the XR650L.
As you say a damn shame they didn’t ever use the 400 let alone the new ‘500’ in a chassis like this. The biggest challenge would be weight I guess.
The 400 motor weighed less then the 300 by a couple of pounds if I remember right.
@@stevencote7951 interesting. It’s obviously never going to be a torquey / grunty unit like the Triumph but stretching it right out to 450 is likely to give a useful ~50% increase in torque. Makes you wonder.
I wish Kawasaki did with Versys650 what they did with this bike and I don't understand why they didn't do it.
Totally. The morini x cape is as close as you can get to that and it's a good bike. Would be even better with some Japanese polish
Secondhand way to go if taking offroad , l would never consider new.
There's now mt230s used cheap fun bike
Ha. Yeah, I've still got 3 new ones if anyone wants one!
K dropped the ball, could have started here , add 400 motor tuned / geared for more low - midrange torque plus better suspension to put some new bikes looking over their shoulders or at the back end of a Versys 400x up ahead of them…..
Don't power wash. Forces water into bearings
Appreciated but power washing at a distance I've found to be fine.
kawasaki doesn't want to kill off the klr, and if they made the bike cfmoto did with their 450mt, who would buy a klr over a versys 400/450? Hopefully kawasaki now has no choice, but to be decent and reasonable people and update the versys 300x
I recognise t-shirt 🤔…..?
Go back and ride a bmw Xcountry. 150kg, 50hp
Unicorn some would say
Yes I heard good things. Fetch good money. Spares readily available?
@@nathanthepostman spares are problematic but very enthusiastic owners have found work arounds for an awful lot of mechanical bits. They come along with very low miles, mine had done 2k in 13yrs! Aftermarket bits are available if a bit niche. I found an email for a fella in Austria that used to make baseplates for them. He emailed me back a month later and a week after that a beautifully welded alloy bash plate arrived.
Luggage is difficult unless you/a mate if excellent at fabricating. H&B still make the luggage racks, not the best design but ok. Roll top bag and a tank bag can do me a couple weeks camping if you a happy dirt bag.
Don't really see the point of this bike next to the voge and 310GS.
For £2000 42k miles and rough, what's the point?
Get another brand new 411 RE Scam new for £3500.
At least you know the history and have warranty for a new bike.
I could understand a Transalp 600/650, Africa Twin 750, Cagiva Elefant 750, Old 850 GS, Kawka KLX 250, kmx 300, honda XR 500/600, XT any of them, DR 600/650 collectable, aprillia Pegaso 1995 to 2010, and anything else other than this CAD designed and computer built bike, made for the computer Generation???? Get a 2005 Transalp with 15K miles on mint and is a bike you actually want to keep and a future. The pegaso & Transalp will mostly be in the £2k price range as well as Triumph Tiger 750....
One person is glad to see a versys on fleet. One person's not. You can't win.
Deluded opinion
@@nathanthepostman Is it a bike that people want to ride? I just don't get it when you say the bikes you could of brought that are interesting and have a following that represent the good old times. Carbs that work, build & engine quality & character that smashes it. I have a Transalp 650 2003 & cfmoto 300 sr 2024. Completely different bikes, time, tech etc and I wouldn't get rid of either at the moment, but if I had to I would definitely keep the Transalp if I could only have one of them. What the point of buying the bikes which are all alike in engine size??
I'm keen to ride it. @@THECONTROVERSIALCYCLIST
I've had one for 4 years now and have no intention of ever selling it, it's probably my go to bike much more than my Versys 650 or my Z900 anniversary. It literally does everything I ask of it from commuting to long runs on the motorway to touring round Scotland. I've been riding now for over 40 years so I think I have enough experience to know a good bike when I see one.
Serow 225 , kle 500, ttr 250 far better than what is already out there
Buy a cheap secondhand bike and learn how to fix it
No gizmos, just great bikes for little money
kawasaki is allergic to sales, they don't want to sale bikes, if they wanted they could use that fing 451cc engine for a KLX/Versys mix (crf300rally type), but nooooo!
You are so On Point with what your subs want Nathan. ✌️
You are so On Point with what your subs want Nathan. ✌️