Englishman

Nice review. I took the 1200STouring out for a test ride yesterday. This is one impressive bike. The riding modes may sound like a gimmick but they really work and are noticeably different in the way the bike delivers the power and how much of it to give. The skyhook semi active suspension is terrific. The bike just stays level and planted whatever it's doing down there on the road surface. I started in urban mode with a gentle throttle response and reduced to 100HP with traction control and ABS on their highest settings. Very composed when going through town or in stop start traffic. At the petrol station I changed it to Sport mode and nearly ripped my arms out of their sockets on launching back onto the road. 150HP, lightning throttle response and reduced TRC and ABS makes this thing into an 1198 Panigale. Fantastic. The bike steers and corners wonderfully and I felt so confident in it that I was taking corners far more quickly than on the bike I've been riding for the last two years. Motorway miles were perfect in Touring mode. Full 150HP and gentle throttle response and softer suspension settings made those junctions just fly past. The wind protection is very good and the screen can be adjusted with one hand while on the move. This bike can do everything. And boy does it do them well. the engine is a rocketship and brakes well good enough to bring it all under control. The electronics are very clever and work really well. I was so impressed that a 60 minute test ride became 2.5 hours. Then I ordered one when I got back to the dealers. I can't wait to pick it up.

Well, I suppose I ought to update this review as two years have passed. I still have this bike, and I still absolutely love it. With a couple of years experience now, I'm finally riding this like it should be ridden and it never lets me down in terms of what I want to do with it. The bike is all day comfortable, is fantastic for seeing over traffic and planning manoeuvres. As a commuter bike it's probably one of the best as it's nimble and slender enough to easily filter, it's plenty fast enough to get you away and up the road before the drivers have tapped "send" on their text. They say that if you park your bike up and don't turn around to look at it as you walk away, then you've bought the wrong one. I never fail to turn back. Some think it's fugly, but I think it's got a charm all of its own. My mate who rides a GSXF600 says that he wants a Versys for the simple reason that people always come up and talk to me when we're out, totally ignoring him and his blue teapot. Two up, the bike feels a bit more planted at the back wheel and if your pillion is a slip of a girl then the handling and performance aren't adversely affected one bit. The Versys is comfy for the passenger too, especially if you use a pillion-buddy belt with handles. Going over the Snake Pass with a passenger is a great experience. In fact, the Versys has got some of my family thinking about getting a bike as they have enjoyed coming out on it and also seeing how much fun I have on it. I arrive with a great big smile on my face whenever I use the bike. All on all, I couldn't have picked a better bike to have as my first. I've even had it immortalised in ink on my right arm. That's how much I love it.

I've got the Shoei GT Air in bright yellow. I have it one good authority when out on the road that I'm "unmissable" which can be taken either way, really. At £399 it's not at the low end of the market, but it does fog up quite quickly when stopped at lights etc with the visor fully closed.

I go to their Oakmere place regularly. It's a nice ride out and they do a cracking breakfast at the Legends Cafe. They have a good selection of gear, decent prices and are a really pleasant bunch of blokes. I had my 7.5K service done there and they replaced my crappy, problem-causing alarm with the latest datatool for the cost price (to them) of the alarm only. Brilliant place. In fact, I'm thinking of going up tomorrow to see if the new Shoei is in stock in the colour I want.

Why bother wearing a helmet - after all, you've paid national insurance and have access to the NHS.

The Duchinni D916 (or D619?) integrated blue tooth flip-up is £150 at J and S Accessories, Oakmere or online. Runs a little larger than stated size, but the next size down might be too small. It's an OK helmet, but not the highest quality though it passes the safety standards.

I've got a Duchinni flip-front with built in bluetooth and speakers/mic. I got it from J and S in Oakmere, but it's on their website. £150 or so. Fits larger than the regular L too, so it should go on your ginormous noggin in XL.

It's a brilliant feeling when you think that you've crapped the Mod 2, to be told "congratulations, I'm pleased to tell you that you've passed". I babbled my cock-ups like a coke-fiend at that point! Well done!

I did my Mod 2 in St Helens. I had Annette as my examiner. If you go right, right out of the test centre, to the traffic lights. Go straight on up that little hill. Turn left and she then had me do the independent ride portion, following signs to the M62. Up a dual carriageway and through the town. Watch out for one left turn onto a dual, as the left hand lane is a bus lane from 7am-7pm. There's a 20mph signed section up there somewhere, but I didn't see the end-of restriction sign, so just went back to 30 once there were no speed bumps any more. Annette is keen on following distance, so observe the 2 sec rule at all times - including when pulling away from lights in traffic - I got a minor for catching the car in front when we all pulled off in a line. One roundabout she said to "take the second exit, but the first exit is very close to it" - I indicated before the roundabout and took the second exit, gaining myself a minor in the process, but it could judt have easily been classed as a driving error and failed me right there. I thought I had blown it at that point and relaxed the rest of the test. On the Mod 2, traffic signs tell you everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, you need to know when out riding your test. Look for them all the time Anyway, original question - yes, go over speed bumps gently and in control of the bike. What they don't want to see is you swerving to go through the gaps and possibly putting yourself in danger of on-coming traffic. Plus, drivers coming towards you might shit a little bit when a bike is too close to their lane. The last thing you want to do on your test is to make another road user have to react to your presence, such as you pulling into a gap that oncoming cars think is too small, and braking accordingly. On the plus side, my Mod 2 was a very ragged ride (detailed in the Mod 2 experiences section) but I passed with 6 minors. Show you're in control and that you take riding a motorbike seriously, and you'll have no problems. All the best, and practice the routes if you can. I'd never been that way up through those first lights before the Mod 2, so it was all brand new to me despite riding that area for 4 solid days beforehand.

The jacket has CE approved armour at shoulders, elbows and back. The trousers have knee and hip armour. I'm well chuffed with them, except that people who ride think I have a Harley due to orange/black. I do not have a Harley, I have a Versys which is a much better choice!

You're right - a bit of a dick-move post of mine earlier one. Sorry. Take the test on your 125 after a couple of lessons to iron out any faults developed since your CBT, then book the Modules yourself online and give them a go. The Mod 1 is £15, so get that out of the way before booking your Mod 2. I presume you've passed your theory test, which is valid for 2 years, otherwise you can't take the Mod 1. Good luck!

Can it be moved to a little section called "Search the effing forum for things that have been asked a million times before?" It's not like the internet is no help at all when wondering about how to get a motorbike license for whatever age someone is on whatever size bike they have or want.

Have a look on Amazon for the seller Bikers Gear. They sell Aussie Biker stuff, and it's great quality and price. I've just bought the Harley Style jacket along with a pair of leather trousers with knee sliders (search for those terms and you'll find them). The jacket was £78 and the trousers £72. They zip together nicely and look like a proper matched set. All in black, except the jacket has a wide orange stripe up each sleeve and across the chest. I'll insert the photos from Amazon if I can figure this out. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41kVrn10MaL.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519FC4LLNpL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Very well done. What an awesome feeling to hear "I'm pleased to tell you that you've passed". Also, congratulations on the other news. Just don't tell your other half which news made you happier!

C for me. Cost about £850 after I cocked up Mod 1 on day 4 of the course. I had to do two extra sessions to pass Mod 1 and then Mod 2 first time. I'd already spent a grand on gear and £4K on the bike sitting in the garage. Loving every minute of it. Horses for courses really - if you feel confident and have respect for the machine and the learning process, why not go straight for a bigger bike? On the other hand, I can see the value of pootling around on a 125 for a bit- but get your license, don't repeat CBT forever.

Good Man. Best of luck with it all and see you out on the road.

I've just wasted ten minutes reading this thread. Jeez, Spacedeck. If it's your dream, and it can come above snowboarding and battlefield 3, then book your theory test and nail it. Do your CBT and pass it. You then have two years to further faff about by which time you should have saved about £20K and can afford whatever you want. Get your theory and CBT in the bag first, as these are the very basics that you need to have. Then cough up and do a 5 day DAS course. Pass your tests and you can ride anything you want and can afford, or you can ride nothing and just look at the lovely A classification on your license. Carpe the fecking Diem.

Mod 1 is the most nerve-wracking i thought. Because you are right under the examiners nose, and there is nothing you mess up that isn't seen. I failed mod 1 first time with a dabbed foot down on the slalom/figure 8 and really felt that I just wouldn't be able to do it under test conditions. Second time, I took a deep relaxing breath before every manoevre, gave more throttle and passed with no minors. Watch Captaincrashidaho youtube videos for slow riding tips (and lots of other good stuff), particularly the U-turn. Relax if you can, and concentrate on your ability - you CAN do it. You WILL do it!

My first bike, a 2010 Kawasaki Versys ABS. I love it.

Ok, as a brand new rider and this is my first bike, this review is not going to be very intensive or technical. I hope that it will give my impressions of this machine, and more experienced owners can follow it up so anyone thinkin gof getting one of these is a bit better informed. I passed my DAS in December, and had a 2010 Versys ABS in yellow sitting in the garage for a month before I passed. I couldn't wait to get out on it, but the icy weather stopped me for a week after my Mod 2 pass. Eventually, I had to get on it, and my first ever ride was in the rain and dark to get to work on it. The bike is extremely comfortable for someone who is 6' 2" with a 34" inside leg. I can easily get both feet flat when behind the pegs, and toes down next to them. The riding position is not at all crouched over the tank, and the bars are wide and natural feeling. The dash is clear and the analogue tacho combined with digital speedo and fuel gauge is great. It clunks into first gear a bit when just started up, but subsequent gear changes are smooth, when you get them right with the throttle blip. The bike pulls really nicely in any gear and there is plenty of power when you need it for overtakes, or just to gun it when you can. Steering is sharp and once I really get confident it will flick in and out of corners with ease. I've seen youtube videos of a Versys on a track, and ridden well it will keep up with most sport bikes. My only disappointment with the bike might only be down to me being new to this and not really having the confidence to get low lean angles: the factory fitted tyres are Dunlops and I really don't like them. In the wet, I just don't feel that they are going to stick to the road on bends and tight fast corners but as I say, this could just be down to me riding like a little girl for the time being. I'm sure that they are actually much better than I think they are, but until I really get some miles in and my ability improves, I don't want to push them to the edge. They have done 5.2K miles, but look in such good shape that they might be the second set, the original owner swapping like for like for warranty reasons. In the dry, they feel OK - I just haven't been able to ride many dry miles on them yet. So, I think I'll update this post as I get more used to the bike and get better at riding but so far I can say that I LOVE this machine. It's quick, it's fun and it's very comfortable. It really is a do everything bike and it could take me to Southern Spain at the drop of a hat, or it could take me into the nearest tree at a rate of knots if I mess up more than the bike is capable of getting me out of. But, I reckon the bike is alot more able to get me out of things than I am in getting into them. If you're in the market for a fun, do-it-all bike, the Versys has got to be worth a test ride. Also, you don't see many about and when you do, you will both be excited to see someone else with as good taste as you have.

I think that the Mod 1 is the hardest one. You are right under the eye of the examiner, and there is nowhere to disguise mistakes or slight losses of control. The cones don't lie, and the examiner will not fail to see any foot dabs. Mod 2 is much more lenient, and the examiner has more leeway to ignore/miss slight errors. Mod 2 is about roadsense and riding safely with correct obs and care for other road users. Mod 1 is under the microscope. This is from someone who failed the mod 1 for a foot dab on the slalom, but passed on the re-test. Mod 2 was a really ragged ride with a stall, a bus lane entered (then safely exited) during bus time, wobbles and poor positioning on turns at lights etc. Passed with 6 minors at the first attempt.

I had my Mods 1 and 2 booked on the fourth day of my DAS, in November. Stupidly put a foot down on the Slalom/figure 8 so blew those two tests right there. It took ages to get a re-test slot for Mod 1 but passed it with no minors. Mod 2 test booked for Dec 13th. It was raining on the way out from Warrington, but dry in St Helens though windy and getting stronger. I had Annette as my examiner and she had been really nice the previous week on the successful Mod 1. Radios on, fumble for keys before getting the gloves on, then out for the eyesight and quiz. No problem. Out of the test centre, turn right and right. Straight on at the lights. Hmm, not ever been that way before. Ragged take off from the junction and then waited for ages to get a gap in traffic that wasn't going to cause someone to brake. Angled start from behind a parked car (look into it to see if anyone is inside!) then immediately into the independant ride portion, following signs to the M62. I thought I was in the wrong lane approaching a roundabout, then traffic moved and I saw the painted directions that I was OK. Turned left onto a dual (?) and I was in the right-hand lane. Aah, left hand lane is a bus lane. Where's the sign? Ok, bus lane from 7am to 7pm. It's 1:30 in the afternoon and I somehow think that I can use it. Ob, signal, ob, move. 50 yards on it dawns on me that it's a bus lane and Annette is still in the right lane behind me. Sig, Ob, move back. Shit, I've failed my test. Few more ragged wobbles on pulling away, then told to take the second left at the roundabout, but watch it because the first left is right next to the second. Indicate left, enter roundabout, take second left. Shit, I've just indicated and not gone down the first left. Onto the dual carriageway and a good overtake of a container wagon cheered me up a bit. Finally start to relax now that it's been blown and riding better when getting back to the test centre (but manage to stall it for good measure on another pull-away). Reaching the MPTC, I can't turn into the car park because a girl is on her driving test and coming out on the wrong side of the road. Stop and wait for her to move rather than go around her and be on the wrong side myself. Back inside and give Stuart (My instructor) a shake of the head and "I think I failed it". Into the little room, take off the radio and Annette says "I'm pleased to tell you that you passed". Huge relief followed by a babble about bus lanes, second left on roundabouts. I don't think Annette had seen me check the bus lane times before I moved in, and seeing as I got out at the repeater safely, she counted it as a minor. Five more minors for following distance in traffic away from lights when I caught up the 2 sec gap as the cars moved, couple for ragged turns. Anyway, a pass with 6 minors is still a pass. Home to my 2010 Versys in Polar yellow, insure it that night just as the weather turns to ice and I can't ride it for a week. Been on it lots since, and I love it.