Last month I took the 03 Connie in for an oil Change and major service which should have set me back about $600-700 then they said my cams were pitted and needed to be replaced. After $1500 and having the bike not run because they initially installed the new cams 181 degrees off she runs fine but I'm riding an 09 14 ABS now. I started riding late at 52 because I would have killed myself when I was younger so I I had a really step learning curve on the old Connie riding her with heavy emphasis on the "Sport" side and finding out a lot about my and the bikes limits. After couple of years staying upright I decided it was time to upgrade to the Concours 14 ABS I had been lusting for since they started appearing in the mags. My 09 had 2000 miles when I got in August and now she has almost 10,000 after a trip across the top of the country out to the Great Lakes and Chicago and back through Colorado and the Rockies to Seattle. I have some questions and some comments if you have read this far. First I absolutely love the bike. I can't imagine a more fun way to get across a few thousand miles of empty secondary roads. The acceleration is breathtaking and fully loaded with my 200 pounds in the seat she will stop in less than 2 seconds from 60 MPH. That being said, what about the downside issues that I am determined to correct because this bike is too much fun to ride, so unless my wife is on the back I'm not going back the the old Connie no matter how comfortable she is. I've got a Kawasaki gel seat which killed my butt the first time I rode for more than an hour but it got better with riding so I took it on the 3 week ride. I can't say that it was bad but I'm a marathon run and don't have much padding back their so I was really longing for my old seat that I could sit on for 3 hours or more between fill ups. The 14 won't go over 200 miles even if I'm riding near the speed limit so 2 hours in the saddle is bearable, but the cheeks want a break with every premium fuel stop. I put a Cee Baileys Euro-tour windscreen on to replace the tall Kawasaki screen but I chickened out on ordering it the extra 2" taller I figured I needed from doing cardboard mock ups because I was concerned that I wouldn't get enough air flow to cool off with it all the way down when it got hot. I'm 6-2 and sit taller so the bugs hit right at the middle of my glasses but the buffeting disappears with the visor down. I will sell the Euro and order a new taller screen but I want to install some Heli risers first to see where I sit. While the bike is a gas to ride she also uses a lot of it. The computer said 35.8 for the whole 6,167 miles where my 03 was good for 40 minimum on the open road and had to be pushed really hard to get less than 35 even in the twisties. Is there any help here? When my tires wore out and I couldn't find replacements for 1,000 miles I spent some time riding around 65 and barely got over 40 so I don't think the solution is to ride a monster bike slower! Last, I didn't have any choice when the tires, worn flat from the straight roads between eastern Montana and Chicago and back to the Rockies had to be replaced, and ended up on Dunlops purchased separately, rear in Idaho Falls and the front in Baker City. I would love to hear tire opinions so when these wear out I can make an informed decision on the next set. I have logged all of my 31,000 miles over the past 3 years riding alone and I am really looking forward to riding with other Concours believers and hearing your stories. Thanks for providing such a great forum. I look forward to meeting some of you. Shane Carlson
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