give me a push, guys . . .

[stonewall]

hey folks,

new here to the forum.  glad i found a place to gather more information on the kawasaki versys.  i appreciate the chance to post and possibly contribute something worthwhile.

little history before i ask for some feedback . . .

in september, a buddy of mine convinced me to get into biking.  being adventurous by nature, i'd thought about getting a bike for years but had plenty of other "toys" to occupy my time and money.  but, this time i bit and we went to his father's H-D dealership in albany, GA and i bought a 2005 buell blast that was used in the H-D rider's edge course.  it had 900 miles on it and was very affordable so i figured i'd get something easy, cheap, and not all that bad looking to learn on that didn't break the bank in case i decided riding wasn't for me.  having never ridden streetbikes, i decided to take the MSF course and waited to ride the bike till i took the course about three weeks after buying my bike (i NEVER would have done that in my 20's).  glad i did cause i learned SO much.  anyway, i hopped on the bike the day after finishing the course and i've put about 2k miles on that bike since mid-october!  needless to say, i'm hooked.  i pay $50 a month for that bike.  it costs me $50/tank of gas for my truck.  dang thing's paying for itself AND putting gas money back in my pocket.  now, i'm looking to move on up . . .

i love the ride and feel of sportbikes--especially naked bikes.  however, most my friends have cruisers or touring bikes and i'd like to be able to enjoy trips with them.  i'm a stickler for reading and sifting through any/all info i can find on most anything i buy.  the more i've read online and in forums such as this, the more i think the versys is the bike i'm looking for.

so, for those that have the versys already--and, those who have way more knowledge to share about biking and various bikes than i could begin to know this early in my biking days--i'm looking for some guidance and i guess the "push" to get me over the edge!

first of all, i'm not familiar with buying new bikes from dealers.  is the haggling similar to many car dealerships?  can you talk them down from prices on a bike like this?  what about all the "add ins" i read about?  any info/suggestions/insight that can be shared with regard to negotiating a reasonable "out the door" price for a versys would be great.  where would you draw the line price-wise for this bike?  i'm a school teacher so i'm not wealthy but i'm not broke either.  i'm pretty much on my outer limits of what i'm comfortable paying with the prices i see for this bike at most dealers.  however, the available $69/month financing deal kawasaki has right now would work for me till i get my tax refund early next year and i'm looking to sell a jon boat i don't use much any more.  combined, that should put around $3500-4k in my pocket to pay down what i owe then refinance or find alternative financing for future payments.  i might make a couple of hundred off of selling the buell since i got a great inside deal.  but, i really just want to make enough on it to pay it off and get it gone once i buy something else.  not much for being a used vehicle dealer!

anyone have any insurance info on the bike?  i've seen a few posts on here with regard to costs of insurance.  anything new to share or suggestions on how to insure this bike with full coverage reasonably?

do you think the versys will hold a decent resale value?  i would assume so since it seems to be a niche bike.  any thoughts?

that's all i can think of for this initial post.  thank you for your time and anything you could add to help me in my decision making process is welcomed!

SW

[Sly-one]

Welcome to the forum. If you're wanting info on the Versys, you've landed in the right place. I'm also looking to upgrade bikes, and I've been learning lots of great things here.
In my search for a new bike, I've set several parameters. I want cast rims, I want little or no chrome (man am I tired of polishing the chrome on my cruiser!), a bike that's not too tall or too short, something that's good in traffic but can also handle the open road, I still want a windshield, and even though I'm an above average sized guy, I've always been a fan of the middle-weights, especially the 650 class (I really, REALLY don't need a liter-bike with 150 HP under me, because for me, that would bring waaay too much trouble!).
So, with my guidelines in place, in walks (rolls?) the Versys. It's pretty much everything you could want in a bike, and matches all of my criteria. I have also been looking at the new KLR, but the Versys, well, it's just more of what I want, and even more importantly, what I need in a bike.
Read some of the reports from guys like Marty, Krazo and the others who already have one and you'll be truely impressed.
I've also thought about taking the cheap financing, but after a period of time, the interest really jumps way up there. If you could pay it off before that time, then I'd surely jump on it.
I'm kinda hoping Marty will get tired of having too much fun on his & just give it to me.   

[stonewall]

thanks for the welcome, sly-one.  i agree with you about the middleweight bikes.  650 is plenty of bike--especially when most weigh in around 400lbs. +/-.  i'd rather have the lower/mid-range torque and get up and go than top end power as well.

besides the versys, i'm also seriously considering the suzuki SV650 (tried and proven) and the honda CB599 (hornet--big time popular in europe).  but, i still think the versys is the total package i want.  just wish they'd been around long enough in the states to find a just broken in, pre-owned one.  unfortunately, there just aren't any out there anywhere i've seen.

as for the financing, i don't mind the $69/month plan for a few months till springtime when i sell my boat and get my tax refund checks.  then, i can refinance at my local credit union or online through a number of banks that offer as low a rate as you can find anywhere, and get a regular loan for the balance i owe.  shouldn't be too big a payment at all.

i'm going to make a few phone calls this afternoon to some dealers around where i live.  i'm in statesboro, GA--about an hour inland from savannah, GA.

[gunny]

  stonewall, I'm sure your going to have fun here !

I can't add much as far as buying new from a dealer, but a lot depends on the dealer themselves. Ask your buddies what dealer is the best to deal with. As far as insurance, your going to take a small hit because your a new rider but generally bike insurance is cheap. I pay $112 a year for full coverage thru allstate{ full year policy} Your price for insurance depends largely on where you live, if your in the city, expect to pay more than if you live out in the sticks. Shop around for bike insurance as well, ask if the policy covers you medically as well. Most bike policies do not provide medical coverage for the rider. If you have private insurance no big deal, but ask just the same.

[stonewall]

stonewall, I'm sure your going to have fun here !

hope to enjoy it.  especially if i buy a versys!

As far as insurance, your going to take a small hit because your a new rider but generally bike insurance is cheap. I pay $112 a year for full coverage thru allstate{ full year policy} Your price for insurance depends largely on where you live, if your in the city, expect to pay more than if you live out in the sticks. Shop around for bike insurance as well, ask if the policy covers you medically as well. Most bike policies do not provide medical coverage for the rider. If you have private insurance no big deal, but ask just the same.

i pay about $33/month for full coverage on my current bike.  that's through progressive.  i have an independent auto insurance guy who checked various rates and found that was the best for me.  i checked around online a bit as well and found that to be reasonable.  just wondering if the versys insurance would be comparable?  never asked one question about experience when checking on various rates so that doesn't seem to matter.

[kawman10]

  Stonewall,  I have been looking on line at Cycle Trader.com you can search by area Thur zip. But the prices seem to be a lot diff. from dealer to dealer. I know my dealer charged a prep. fee. on top of the price. Some post No added Fees also. Tax & Tags are always added on.
  The most important thing is to find a dealer who is honest, reputable, and a good following, Repeat customers. Ask people who they have bought from.

The Ins. issue is always diff from state to state. Here in NJ, My Concours was listed as a "sport"/Touring so it cost a lot more for Ins. Than the Versys does. Good Luck in Your Search, and ask away there's a lot of help on this forum.

[Sly-one]

Oh, by the way, Stonewall,
Push, PUSH!!!!!!!

[Marty]

Stonewall,

Hey there pard . . . . if you're getting a 2008 Kawasaki KLE650, aka Versys for an Out the Door price of $6895 and you need someone to tell you to buy it . . . . believe me you don't need a push, you need a heart defribulator!     

Here you have the chance to buy a brand new bike - probably one of the best on the road for a price that is $104 below factory MSRP and that is the total price.  Don't hesitate, your dealer might find the mistake he made!

I've had mine since the middle of October and absolutely love the bike.  The motor has an "attitude" to it.  It thinks it's a whole lot bigger than 649 ccs.  Must think it's a "bully" or something like that.  Kind of has a swagger to it's step, a low growl to it's intake and it does this wonderful imitation of a Japanese 4 cylinder inline motor when it comes to the definition of "Smooooooth"!

You will not regret it!