Versys 300x - First Ride Impressions

Having brought the Versys 300x home last Saturday April 8th, my first opportunity for a ride was the next day.  The forecast called for rains to start late afternoon, but we wanted the temperatures to warm up a little since I wouldn't have heated grips.  

It was close to noon when we set off.  I'd been fighting a cold so thought it best to keep it to a short shake down ride. While it was sunny, it was rather chilly.  

We decided on a familiar route south of Corvallis.  South on Bellfountain Rd to the parking lot of the Muddy Creek Charter School.  Six years ago my first ride on Max was to the same location. We were a little later in the year this time and the blooms were mostly gone from the plum tree.

(First ride on my 2017 Kawasaki Versys 300x)

(It was chilly and I couldn't be bothered to take my helmet off)

(Trobairitz on a Versys - I had my gloves off from taking pictures)

(A Kawasaki Versys 300x and a Triumph Tiger 955)

We got back on the bikes and continued further south on Bellfountain Rd to Alpine.  We stopped at what once was the Alpine Community Center, but is now Queen Bee Honey. This also used to be a meeting place for group rides when folks were coming up from Eugene to do the Alsea Falls twisties (South Fork Rd).

(Stopped for a break at Queen Bee Honey)

(Front view of the Versys 300x)

(And one more shot of the bikes)

As Troubadour was taking pictures I noticed a honey bee land on my helmet, and then another one.  What else would one expect when stopped at a honey company?

(This helmet is the bees knees)

(No bees were harmed in the making of this blog post)

From Alpine we back tracked to Muddy Creek Charter School and turned west on Decker Road. We then turned right onto Ervin Road to see how the Versys would handle its first bit of gravel and to scrub in the new tires a little quicker.  It handled the gravel just fine and I think I went a little faster than I would have on the Gladius.  This looped us back to Bellfountain Road where we turned north and then onto another short stretch of gravel before arriving home.  We arrived home with 85 total miles on the odometer.  I'd officially ridden 45 miles (72 km) which is longer than the 40 miles Troubadour did when riding it home from the dealer.  Not bad since I was just going a wee distance with the way I was feeling.

With no heated grips and the cold air whipping up through my dirt bike helmet, I was happy to be home where it was warm.  

While I love my Gladius, and I will be sad to see it go, I know that it isn't the proper tool for the job anymore. The Versys 300x handled the gravel very well. 

I liken it to a pair of shoes.  While your favorite pair of flashy dress shoes may fit well and you love them, they aren't the proper shoes to go for a hike.  Max is my flashy pair of shoes, he just doesn't do well hiking after Triumph Tigers in the woods.

So far we have a Givi rack on order so that I can put my Givi Monokey top case (aka 'trunk monkey') on the bike and are debating what kind of heated grips to get.  Whether to get grip heaters like I have on Max and the TW 200 or Oxford heated grips.  Troubadour also offered to put the hyper-lites on the bike so that is coming at some point as well. And..... we are still waiting for a call from the dealer to tell us the hand guards and center stand are in.

I am already looking forward to the next ride.

- Au Revoir

"What do you suppose?  
A bee sat on my nose.  
Then what do you think?  
He gave me a wink.  
And said, "I beg your pardon,
I thought you were the garden." - English Nursery Rhyme
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