plkaak@hotmail.com
Big Wheel
By way of introduction my name is Paul King and I live in Palm Bay, Florida, about twenty miles south of Cape Canaveral, where the Space Shuttle is launched.
I guess I’ll start by telling you how I came about getting a Concours instead of a KLR which was what I had planned on buying that day. It all started with the Kawasaki Dealer in Cocoa putting an internet special on the new 2011 KLR 650. I had been looking for a deal for a couple of months because after weighing the time and money it would take to get my 1999 KLR back in shape the writing was on the wall: it was not worth it. So off to Cocoa I headed first thing Saturday morning and, as luck would have it, the place was busy. Just so I do not confuse anyone, I like it when motorcycle dealers are busy for two reasons. One, it’s a good sign that they will keep their doors open. Two, unlike sitting on a bench at the mall wondering how much longer my wife is going to be, there is a lot to look at. So I started wandering around waiting for the salesman I had talked to on the phone to get free and I sat down on a used 2000 Concours with 51,000 miles on it. Wow, what a confortable seat and BIG gas tank. The next thing I knew, I had a flashlight in hand trying to see behind all the plastic, and wishing that the guys in the service department would come by and say it would be OK to go ahead and get an allen wrench and get some of the plastic off so I could get a better look. The salesman found me on my side checking out the drive shaft. After getting an out-the-door price and putting a deposit to hold the bike, or one that I could use toward the KLR, off home I went to do some research. First stop was eBay to check out prices on parts. What a surprise to find that you can get a complete final drive for less money than what a good chain and sprocket set would cost. Also, complete motors and lots of them. Next stop, reviews and known problems. I liked what I was seeing more all the time. Long story short, been the owner of a Concours for two weeks now and I am one happy camper.
Many more happy miles,
Paul
I guess I’ll start by telling you how I came about getting a Concours instead of a KLR which was what I had planned on buying that day. It all started with the Kawasaki Dealer in Cocoa putting an internet special on the new 2011 KLR 650. I had been looking for a deal for a couple of months because after weighing the time and money it would take to get my 1999 KLR back in shape the writing was on the wall: it was not worth it. So off to Cocoa I headed first thing Saturday morning and, as luck would have it, the place was busy. Just so I do not confuse anyone, I like it when motorcycle dealers are busy for two reasons. One, it’s a good sign that they will keep their doors open. Two, unlike sitting on a bench at the mall wondering how much longer my wife is going to be, there is a lot to look at. So I started wandering around waiting for the salesman I had talked to on the phone to get free and I sat down on a used 2000 Concours with 51,000 miles on it. Wow, what a confortable seat and BIG gas tank. The next thing I knew, I had a flashlight in hand trying to see behind all the plastic, and wishing that the guys in the service department would come by and say it would be OK to go ahead and get an allen wrench and get some of the plastic off so I could get a better look. The salesman found me on my side checking out the drive shaft. After getting an out-the-door price and putting a deposit to hold the bike, or one that I could use toward the KLR, off home I went to do some research. First stop was eBay to check out prices on parts. What a surprise to find that you can get a complete final drive for less money than what a good chain and sprocket set would cost. Also, complete motors and lots of them. Next stop, reviews and known problems. I liked what I was seeing more all the time. Long story short, been the owner of a Concours for two weeks now and I am one happy camper.
Many more happy miles,
Paul
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