Motorcycle Diaries

After getting the Versys I spent a few days researching different options for hard luggage. One of the things that had annoyed me about touring on the SV650 was the inability to lock anything on the bike. Soft panniers and a Ventura bag made it difficult to keep anything secure, but I did not want to fork out for hard luggage on a bike I knew I wouldn't keep in the long run...

At first I was tempted to go with the Givi range (easily available), but while the racks were cheap, the luggage was amazingly expensive. And then I heard that the top case rack had a weak point that frequently failed, so that threw that idea out... I liked the look of the OEM rack (made by SW-Motech), but the design allowed the top plate to be removed easily even while the box was bolted down to it. Out the window too. Next on the list? Hepco & Becker, from Germany. Expensive but well designed racks, relatively cheap boxes. Hardly cheap actually, but cheaper than the Givi alternatives.

Couldn't find a cheap OEM lowered seat, and didn't see the logic of paying $800 for a new one, so decided to get my seat butchered. Asked around, got pretty much unanimous recommendations - John Moorhouse Ergo Seats

Called John, eventually got through, arranged to go see him. Rode over there and he took a few photos and made an appointment the following weekend to "do the deed". What a long week it was...

So bright and early Saturday morning I rode to his workshop, and thus it began:

Cut out the old foam, fill in the gaps in the seat pan...

Replace the soft stock foam with a firmer higher grade foam, and start to layer and shape...

And eventually you end up with this:

It's about 2 inches lower than standard, and narrower too. I think this is about as low as possible without sitting directly on the plastic pan...

After more than a year of umming and aaring (you might remember my post from January last year), I'm finally the owner of an almost new Versys. It is a 2008 demo model, with just under 9000k's on the clock. Built date in 2007...

Have only ridden it from the shop to work, and then back home, so far am quite impressed. I had an SV650 before this, and seat of pants the Versys seems quicker and happier to tip into corners. I'm rather vertically challenged (167cm) and don't weigh much (55kg) so I've got the suspension set on softest all round, and the front triple clamps dropped as far as they will go. Not ideal, but it'll have to do till I either find an OEM lowered seat (anyone have one to sell???) or I get my seat butchered lower. As it stands I can barely tiptoe both feet on perfectly flat ground, almost dropped the bike on the way home at the traffic lights! Another option is to lower the bike using Speedy's lowering kit, but I'd rather not if I can help it.