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Hello from Georgia, potential new Concours Owner

S

shanebucher876

Guest
Guest
Stopping by to say hi and introduce myself. I am currently riding a Yamaha Super tenere 1200. I purchased to bike to ride with my father-in-law to a rally this year. I thought I was done riding motorcycles after the birth of my son, but the bug has bit me again.

I have owned a few different bikes. Honda CB 750 four, Rocket 3, Valkyrie, Triumph Tiger, BMW GSA, and the Super Tenere, and have always been intrigued by the Concours.

I am not sure if I am going to bite the bullet and buy new or look for a good deal on a used one. I have never owned a new motorcycle so this might be my first one. That said, I see Kawasaki has updated this bike 3 times with no real big changes since 2015. Are there any model years to avoid if I do decide to go the used route? I would probably try to buy a 2015 and up so I can have the all the updated bits that Kawasaki changed.

I am 6 foot 5, 230 to 240 pounds. Any tallish riders here? How is the comfort for those of you over 6 foot tall? How is the stock suspension for a heavier rider?

That is it for now. Wish I could use the search function as I am sure a lot of these questions have been asked. I will go back to lurking around.

Thanks for having me.
 
Welcome Shane! Living in GA you might want to avoid the 08 and 09's due to heat when riding. Personally, I'd just look for the best deal. I have a 13 and am not longing for a newer one. If you could find one that has just had a valve adjustment, that would be good. Being flashed by Steve in Florida is a big plus. There's 2 in Marietta to look at wow cycles. Fall and winter are great times to buy. Ohleins shocks aren't sold anymore. Another plus if it has one or a Penske. Welcome!

C14 for sale here
 
Thank you for the welcome Bud. I have seen those at WOW and plan to go by this week and at least sit on one. Good point on the valve adjustment. I like to do a lot of my own maintenance but have yet to do a valve adjustment. I have been looking into Steve as well. I have Traxxion Dynamics about 10 minutes from my work that I will be handing the bike off to but would like to get some miles on it before needing to spend a bunch of coin on the suspension mods. Thanks for the links to bikes. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bud
www.ebay.com

2018 Kawasaki CONCOURS 14 ABS | eBay

Engine Type: 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, DOHC, 4-valve <br>Displacement: 1,352cc <br>Bore and Stroke: 84.0 x 61.0mm <br>Cooling: Liquid <br>Compression Ratio: 10.7:1 <br>Fuel System: DFIĀ® with 40mm throttle bodies (4) <br>Ignition: TCBI with digital advance <br>Transmission: 6-speed <br>Final Drive...
www.ebay.com

This one here has a lot of add ons.

Looks like it has a Two brothers pipe, handle bar risers, engine guards, and hwy pegs.
 
Hello Shane.
First suggestion (after you get your Connie) is; Become a COGger and we'll teach you the secret handshake.
Shhhhh. Don't tell Bud what it is though. (We haven't told him yet)

Your best choice is the 2014 RED C-14 as it's the fastest color.
But, (At 240), you might want to look at the later model C-14's. (post 2020 and up) as I think that they added a slight stiffer spring to the suspension, and a slightly lower first gear.
Also later models, (post 2018) they improved the linked brakes.
NOTE: I'm guestimating the years. (Someone can give you the correct years)

Ride safe, Ted
 
Where in georgia are u?

The 2008 and 2009 models were hot, in that owners complained of the engine heat. Kawasaki changed the body work and air routing to eliminate the heat issue. There are folks who have these years who say poppycock, and the heat isnt an issue. If i remember correctly thise years also came with 2 active fobs, while from 2010 and newer u received 1 active and 1 passive fob. If u search the forum you'll soon realize you DO NOTwant to lose ur active fob. Pia....

If u search theres plenty of good low mileage used units still under warranty. And u may be ae.to purchase the extended factory warranty for piece of mind.

At any rate welcome aboard.....

Join for the bike, stay for.the people...
 
Lol, i see you answered the where question while i was typing.

And teds red opinion, is his only Achilles heal...lol. Ted is a well respected member, ahem, (see what i did there ted) and very knowledgable on most things Concours ... but he's colorblind. We havent told him his bike is actually barney purple....so shhh keep it a secret.

Im with bud, go used and look for 1 having alot of the goodies already installed. Our area aad is up ur way, and im certain he'll be reaching out with a welcome come ride with us..
 
I'm over by Rockmart so we're almost neighbors. I was at WOW Saturday and saw the two C-14s. The red 2014 was nicer than the 12. I recall that the 14 also had taller bar risers. I have to admit though, the one that really drew my eye there was the Guzzi Norge :)
 
I have an 08...I like that it DOESN'T have all the tech of the later years, but heck, I'm an old bastard that had to kick start my bikes when i was learning. As far as heat? Compared to my last bike, 2005 HD Electra Glide Classic "Leg Roaster".....the 08 Connie is nothing.
 
Iā€™m 6ā€™4ā€ and about 250. I added bar risers and AST peg lowering brackets. Recently added t-Rex engine guards and highway pegs to stretch my knees. Iā€™m inear Gainesville GA.

Pick your color pretty much and vote your wallet. Most of them are great deals.

Come to the Run With the Wolf rally in Suches GA in about a month and meet some folks.

Ron Simmons
SE AD
 
connie_rider said:
Hello Shane.
First suggestion (after you get your Connie) is; Become a COGger and we'll teach you the secret handshake.
Shhhhh. Don't tell Bud what it is though. (We haven't told him yet)

Your best choice is the 2014 RED C-14 as it's the fastest color.
But, (At 240), you might want to look at the later model C-14's. (post 2020 and up) as I think that they added a slight stiffer spring to the suspension, and a slightly lower first gear.
Also later models, (post 2018) they improved the linked brakes.
NOTE: I'm guestimating the years. (Someone can give you the correct years)

Ride safe, Ted
Click to expand...
I am a firm believer in Red as well, drive a red truck, though my motorcycles tend to be either black or silver. Not sure why, I have always gravitated to those colors. Good tip on the firmer rear spring on the later models. If I do indeed purchase the bike I will become a full fledge COGer and hopefully be passed on the secret handshake. :)
 
Konehead34 said:
Lol, i see you answered the where question while i was typing.

And teds red opinion, is his only Achilles heal...lol. Ted is a well respected member, ahem, (see what i did there ted) and very knowledgable on most things Concours ... but he's colorblind. We havent told him his bike is actually barney purple....so shhh keep it a secret.

Im with bud, go used and look for 1 having alot of the goodies already installed. Our area aad is up ur way, and im certain he'll be reaching out with a welcome come ride with us..
Click to expand...
Thanks for the welcome. Haha about the barney purple. Sounds like it's all good fun in here with Ted and his fast red bike. :) I won't keep up with you guys on my Tenere, it needs suspension work, as well as about another 60 HP, and I am really not wanting to drop the coin on suspension if I am going to trade it out for next Connie I find for a good price.
 
Merle Lowe said:
I'm over by Rockmart so we're almost neighbors. I was at WOW Saturday and saw the two C-14s. The red 2014 was nicer than the 12. I recall that the 14 also had taller bar risers. I have to admit though, the one that really drew my eye there was the Guzzi Norge :)
Click to expand...
Familiar with Rockmart, I have a cousin that lives out that way. I plan to go by Wow tomorrow to sit on the 2014 one and look it over. Can't wait.
usmc77944986 said:
I have an 08...I like that it DOESN'T have all the tech of the later years, but heck, I'm an old bastard that had to kick start my bikes when i was learning. As far as heat? Compared to my last bike, 2005 HD Electra Glide Classic "Leg Roaster".....the 08 Connie is nothing.
Click to expand...
I can understand on the heat issue. My Tenere, the radiator sits right in front on my left leg so the heat issue is something that I am used to as well.
 
Ted is an exchange baby from Mars, hence the RED fetish he speaks of as Mars is known as the RED planet, he simply can't not talk of it as it's in his Martian DNA.
 
ron203 said:
Iā€™m 6ā€™4ā€ and about 250. I added bar risers and AST peg lowering brackets. Recently added t-Rex engine guards and highway pegs to stretch my knees. Iā€™m inear Gainesville GA.

Pick your color pretty much and vote your wallet. Most of them are great deals.

Come to the Run With the Wolf rally in Suches GA in about a month and meet some folks.

Ron Simmons
SE AD
Click to expand...
That is comforting to read. I will have to look into the peg lowering brackets. I was also considering adding height to the seat instead of lowering the pegs but I really haven't looked long enough to see what all is available for ergos yet. I have read that someone wrecked a bike that had engine guards on it because they were touching down.

I might ride up and see you guys on the Tenere. I doubt I will have purchased a connie yet at that point.
 
Best of luck in your bike hunt Shane.

You can Ignore them. (I do)
Their just jealous of my extremely good looks and pleasing personality.

& I can, not talk about it.

Ride safe, Ted
 
Ted, looking up Wiki it says Kawasaki made the last real changes to the bike starting 2015-2017, this included the stiffer rear spring, and the last thing they did was discontinue the bikes around the world in 2018 because of emissions standards.

Per Wiki

"Kawasaki made numerous minor changes in 2015 that include a revised first gear ratio that is shorter to take advantage of the massive torque for smoother starts, revised fuel mapping to match the transmission and catalyzer changes, different steering stem seal for lighter steering at low speed, stiffer rear suspension for enhanced carrying capacity, an adjustable vent in the windshield, revised ABS programming to reduce the linked braking effect, a new rear luggage base, silver bezels on the analog dash meters, elongated mid-pipe heat shield, change of warning lamp color from red to yellow, tank pad, cushions on passenger pegs, and a revised seat that is narrower at the front with a flatter seat area that will allow riders to reach to the ground. There is also an Accessory Touring Seat for even greater comfort. The revised parts should all be backwards compatible with previous model years. Kawasaki also shifted the North American models to use the oxygen sensor that had previously only been used in the other world markets. [10]

It looks like I will be shopping for at least a 2015 and up just to get the most updated bike available.
 
shanebucher876 said:
That is comforting to read. I will have to look into the peg lowering brackets. I was also considering adding height to the seat instead of lowering the pegs but I really haven't looked long enough to see what all is available for ergos yet. I have read that someone wrecked a bike that had engine guards on it because they were touching down.

I might ride up and see you guys on the Tenere. I doubt I will have purchased a connie yet at that point.
Click to expand...

I have a Baldwin seat on it, too.

Re touching down, I guess itā€™s all in how you ride. Do you hang off the seat or lean the bike? I donā€™t ride all that aggressively, but everyone is different.

See you in Suches.
 
ron203 said:
I have a Baldwin seat on it, too.
Click to expand...
Ron shoulda sed;
(Like Ted, I too have a RED 2014 and a Baldwin seat) / (Unlike Ted, I ride like a sissy). šŸ¤£

On the touching down, the T-Rex Engine protector touched down on Robert's Bike.
He was aware it had been doing so, and we had planned to do a mod (so that it didn't) but kept putting it off.
I also have a T-Rex Engine guard that is ready to install on my bike. Haven't installed it yet due to that concern.

Interesting thing is he and I often ride together (including a Track Day in Florida) and he routinely drags his foot pegs and I don't.
Making that fact more interesting is my bike is lowered, his isn't.
ie; He drags but I don't. Clarification: I'm referring to his bike dragging not his lifestyle. šŸ˜œ
In addition to his foot pegs dragging the Engine guard was dragging.

Bottom line, he is leaning the bike far more than me.
So, the issue may not be the guard, it is a combination of the guard and an aggressive riding style.
I know of only 1 person (Kuzin Ted) that has reported the T-Rex dragging, and that was on one occasion recently.
He was err testing the limits of his bike.

forum.concours.org

t-rex crash bars

i bought these crash bars last year. In Arkansas one of our guys crashed his bike and I heard that he was complaining about these crash bars hitting the road. When I looked at mine I just couldn't imagine that I lean that hard. Of course my wife said right up front , those look dangerous. go...
forum.concours.org forum.concours.org

shanebucher876 said:
Ted, looking up Wiki it says Kawasaki made the last real changes to the bike starting 2015-2017, this included the stiffer rear spring, and the last thing they did was discontinue the bikes around the world in 2018 because of emissions standards.

Per Wiki

"Kawasaki made numerous minor changes in 2015 that include a revised first gear ratio that is shorter to take advantage of the massive torque for smoother starts, revised fuel mapping to match the transmission and catalyzer changes, different steering stem seal for lighter steering at low speed, stiffer rear suspension for enhanced carrying capacity, an adjustable vent in the windshield, revised ABS programming to reduce the linked braking effect, a new rear luggage base, silver bezels on the analog dash meters, elongated mid-pipe heat shield, change of warning lamp color from red to yellow, tank pad, cushions on passenger pegs, and a revised seat that is narrower at the front with a flatter seat area that will allow riders to reach to the ground. There is also an Accessory Touring Seat for even greater comfort. The revised parts should all be backwards compatible with previous model years. Kawasaki also shifted the North American models to use the oxygen sensor that had previously only been used in the other world markets. [10]

It looks like I will be shopping for at least a 2015 and up just to get the most updated bike available.
Click to expand...
On your Wiki note; It sez 2015-2017. But it then shows all the changes were done in 2015.
I think a little more research will show everything didn't happen in 2015.
I'm pretty sure that the heavier springs came in 2017.

Ride safe, Ted (No, not Kuzin Ted, the other Ted)
 
Last edited:
Like I said (nearly - Ted has a reading comprehension problem, theyā€™ve added words to the language since he learned itā€¦) šŸ¤£

ā€œ So, the issue may not be the guard, it is the guard and the riding styleā€
 
ron203 said:
I have a Baldwin seat on it, too.

Re touching down, I guess itā€™s all in how you ride. Do you hang off the seat or lean the bike? I donā€™t ride all that aggressively, but everyone is different.

See you in Suches.
Click to expand...
I don't hang off the seat or plan to drag any knees riding this bike so I guess I can be added to the ride like a sissy crew. :ROFLMAO:

Tried to google Baldwin seats. Didn't find much. I will probably end up going RDL on my seat.
 
shanebucher876 said:
I don't hang off the seat or plan to drag any knees riding this bike so I guess I can be added to the ride like a sissy crew. :ROFLMAO:

Tried to google Baldwin seats. Didn't find much. I will probably end up going RDL on my seat.
Click to expand...

I think Baldwin stoped business operations a couple of years ago, but the RDL is very similar. Sometimes these types of saddles come up for sale. If I ever sell my bike, itā€™ll go withe factory seat and the Baldwin will be up for separate sale. This is what it looks like.
 

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I went and sat on one today to get a feel for the ergos. It had a foot peg lowering kit and handlebar risers on it. I also think it has the touring seat but not 100 percent on that. Stock shock in the rear, after market pipe as well and with that I am assuming it has probably been tuned. I think they are asking to much for it though.

www.wowmotorcycles.com

2014 Kawasaki CONCOURS ZG1400 ZG1400 ZG ABS CONCOURSE ZG1400 ABS | WOW Motorcycles

WOW Motorcycles is a powersports dealership located in Marietta, GA. We sell new and pre-owned motorcycles from Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Harley with excellent financing and pricing options. WOW Motorcycles offers service and parts, and proudly serves the areas of Atlanta, Alpharetta...
www.wowmotorcycles.com www.wowmotorcycles.com

I really like the 2 tone silver and black 2019 models. I am sure Ted will say they are not nearly as fast as the one I sat on today is.
 
That's a lot of money for a '14. With 21k miles on it, I would want to know that the valves have been adjusted and have a shim map, not just a "they are all in spec" adjustment šŸ¤Ŗ
Good luck on your search!

Ride safe and stay focused
Dale
 
Pr356 said:
That's a lot of money for a '14. With 21k miles on it, I would want to know that the valves have been adjusted and have a shim map, not just a "they are all in spec" adjustment šŸ¤Ŗ
Good luck on your search!

Ride safe and stay focused
Dale
Click to expand...
I agree. To many miles for the cash. Thanks for the well wishes.
 
Hi Shane and welcome to the site. For perspective, I'm a relatively new COG member. I purchased my 2016 model in March of last year. It was all stock except for the Two Brothers pipe. It had 3800 miles. I paid $10,500. It was slightly more than I wanted to pay but it was immaculate. The owner was meticulous at keeping it clean; you should have seen his garage!

Anyway, so far I've added T-Rex engine and side case tip-over bars, peg lowering brackets, 2 inch risers, Kaoke throttle lock, and a shifter bushing bearing replacement. I haven't had the ECU "massaged" by Steve yet but I am planning to do so, probably this fall.

So my overall impressions. I am "older" but only physically, I still think I'm 30 something in my mind. I'm 6'1'' and 160#. I too have always been curious about this bike which is why I made the purchase. I wanted a more street worthy bike than my current KLR650. I love the bike for it's riding capability, engine smoothness, willingness to accelerate and cruise breathlessly down the road at speed. Because of it's short stroke it can be a little busy when rowing up the gearbox in tighter traffic or other tighter navigating requirements. This is where a longer stroke engine might feel more relaxed. Regardless, it's not a real issue, just an observation.

I feel the suspension is unbalanced. The front is more forgiving than the rear. I've made numerous adjustments to find a good balance. I think I have the front dialed in as close as possible. The rear is just...too stiff for my weight. The spring preload is useless at my weight. There is no way to set proper sag. Compression damping is fine if you were on good, unbroken roads. However, my roads are generally bad so the brokenness makes for a "less than stellar" ride. Rebound damping is also very limited. It's adjustable, just not super effective. I would really like new suspension.

I realize I may be describing things that sound like deal breakers, they are not. Just realistic issues that I think manufactures do to keep price points down. All of these can be addressed. The ONE THING that I really hate is the seat ergonomics. It is just awful for comfort at any real distance (beyond two hours). It's not so much the padding, it's the angle. This is a must replace for me if I'm to keep this wonderful machine. The problem is supply and talent. I don't have an answer for this issue yet.

I hope I haven't scarred you away. Just wanted you to be aware of the pleasures and discomforts of an otherwise wonderful package.
 
Whose seat do u have on it? From my own personal experience/experiment with seats, the stock is ehh.. Sergeant low has very little padding although puts more of my short stubby 30inch inseam on the ground.

Corbin 2 piece nice dish for butt,but mine never broke in to get comfortable, required an air hawk cushion for 500+ mile days.

2008 gel seat was as worse then stock 2010 seat

2016 stock seat was an improvement over the stock seat. Supposedly the padding and forward pitch was improved on.

Kawasaki touring seat is very good..

Butt,(pun intended) the custom seats are the bomb for long distance riding. Russell day long, Baldwin, seth lamb. And a couple others are venturing into the mix.
 
Hi Konehead34, I'm still on the stock seat. The cushioning is probably "OK", but for me, the angle sloping to the tank is extremely tiresome and eventually painful. I've looked into other seat options but haven't decided on anything. I have tried my Airhawk but it only provides a little relief and only for a short period. I've heard of those three you mentioned. I've heard how difficult it is to actually get a product back from Seth Lamb, even though I've heard nothing but praise for his seats.

And again for Shane, it's still a great bike. Most bikes will require modifications in order to "fit" the unique characteristics of each rider. For me, long distance comfort that doesn't sacrifice daily ridability will factor greatly into my decision to keep my bike for a while or passivly start looking at other options.
 
My long distance buddies all swear by their russell. It was on my list, but ive realized that i will probably begin trailering to venues that are more than 400 miles away.. like nationals.
 
Thanks for the Russell vote of confidence. I understand the trailering consideration. If we were honest we might recognize that we arrive a good bit less tired if we drive the truck. It's far more comfortable on those 500-mile days. I rode to Sturgis for the 75th anniversary. It was an experience but definitely tiring. Funny thing though, there is also an ongoing fight between those that rode to Sturgis and those that trailered.
 
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