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new guy, looking for a bike.
- Thread starter Rontopia
- Start date
ok.. thanks.. actaully it has 8k miles and the asking price is 2750. you still think thats to much? it does have a few scratches and it looks like is fell over once. scraps on the right hand bottom edge bag..err case or whatever you guys call it.. also a little damage to the faring near the blinker under the mirror. you wouldnt notice it unless you were looking for it. that blinker is kind of lose if you push on it. .. should I be worried? the only thing im really worried about is.. 8k miles on a 14 year old bike.. not much riding has been done. what kind of things could be or go wrong with it? like gaskets or seals or barrings that have been sitting to long. is that a concern with this engine and drive train? thanks for your input. I live in a bubble a little bit. I rode crusers for 20+ years before I ever looked at a sport bike.. or a sport tour bike. I have a honda pc800 right now and I have to say that its the best riding bike I have ever been on. that being said it does not have enough power for me... other than that its just about perfect. I looked at st's but I im just looking for a change. so.. short story long I guess. I have never really looked at a c10 untill today. seems to fit me size wise. I understand they can be difficult at low speeds but other than that what should I know that I dont know now? thanks for the time.
Ron, If this will be your first Connie maybe getting one that is already scuffed up a bit isn't a bad thing, because you will probably drop in youself anyway. That said, where are you located? I got a 98 that I've been trying to sell. You can read more about it at the following thread. http://www.cog-online.org/clubportal/mboards/viewmessages.cfm?clubID=1328&forum=1124&Topic=12241
Hi Ron If you have not done so already, ready over the "Classic Concours FAQ" and Elvin Rivera's "A Mostly Biased Review of the Concours" that you will find on the Common Question web page >> These are great resources for anyone considering a C10 purchase. As for being a good deal... as PatM wrote, check the book values, check comp pricing in local and online classifieds for your area, and then decide what is a good deal for you. Ultimately, you have to be happy with the conditions of the purchase. I do think you should be able to get the price down a bit more. The small section of fairing between the mirror and signal is a weak point and is prone to breaking if the bike is dropped. IIRC the signal mount posts are behind there and one or more may have broken and that is why the signal is loose. Folks have used different methods to repair fairing damage. Use of JB Weld or similar epoxy have been used with and without some type of reinforcing tape. There are plastic welding kits or do what I did... find a professional plastic welder in your area. This is a very strong, nearly undetectable repair, but it requires repainting of the plastic piece. Others may be able to describe different methods. As for riding ergonomics, the Concours is nothing like a cruiser. The seating position is slightly more sport than standard, but many find it very good for long saddle times. The bike likes to eat up miles, at a spirited pace. It is and can feel VERY top heavy at a stand still and at slow speed riding. The top heavy feeling goes away once you are rolling at speed and the bike is fairly agile and responsive... although not like a true sport bike. BTW - slow speed riding is a skill to be learned, practiced and mastered. 10 years ago at a local COG ride I was completely floored at another rider's slow speed riding skill. He was(is) a MSF instructor and I learned quite a bit from him, and even became an instructor myself. Good luck with your decision. -- Steve Smith, COG #3184 COG Northeast Area Director, AMA, MSF RC (somewhere in south central CT)
If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.
thanks for the advise. I think im going to get this bike I discribed. reason being first I trust the dealer. I have heard nothing but good things about them. 2nd, they are going to go through the bike and repalce all fluids and make all adjustments that need to be made to make sure its in good working order. also.. if its over priced as is, I will barter for a new helmet. I think the price is only off by a couple hundred bucks.. so a new helmet and maybe some roll over bars instialled. where would I find roll over bars?
Hi Rontopia You will find the "Tip Over Bars" along with many other goodies or "Farkles" as we Coggers often call them at Murphs just point your better half friends etc. at his site with a few hints and you'll be set for Christmans LoL The $2750 price is not so bad if its a dealer price and they are offering some form of Warranty. As always there is always a better deal tomorrow. 
A bike this age with such low mileage will have a few minor issues. The thing to be most careful about is the gas tank. Take a flash light along and have a good look inside the tank before you agree the price. If there is any significant rust in there its very important to coat the inside of the tank with POR15 (or similar), if its rusty have them drop the price to cover the work, its about $50 for the materials and 4 -6 hours work over 4 days! Many bikes are left for long periods without the tank being full. Condensation forms inside and rusts the tank, this rust can then causes the float needles on the carbs to stick open and flood the carbs which over flow into cylinders 1, 2 or 3 which then hydro lock and bend the con-rods. Now this does not always happen, but it can! see my webshots page for pictures Once you have the bike, join COG on this website which is the the official site. Once you are a full member you can browse passed editions of our Group Magazine Concourier and Chalkdust that has a wealth of tips and trick for keeping you scoot in tip top condition. But best of all is to come along on the rides next year! We have a motto of "join for the bike, stay for the people" Cheers Colin Colin Prior Cogmos Committee Chairman Lake Forest Park WA COG#7767
A bike this age with such low mileage will have a few minor issues. The thing to be most careful about is the gas tank. Take a flash light along and have a good look inside the tank before you agree the price. If there is any significant rust in there its very important to coat the inside of the tank with POR15 (or similar), if its rusty have them drop the price to cover the work, its about $50 for the materials and 4 -6 hours work over 4 days! Many bikes are left for long periods without the tank being full. Condensation forms inside and rusts the tank, this rust can then causes the float needles on the carbs to stick open and flood the carbs which over flow into cylinders 1, 2 or 3 which then hydro lock and bend the con-rods. Now this does not always happen, but it can! see my webshots page for pictures Once you have the bike, join COG on this website which is the the official site. Once you are a full member you can browse passed editions of our Group Magazine Concourier and Chalkdust that has a wealth of tips and trick for keeping you scoot in tip top condition. But best of all is to come along on the rides next year! We have a motto of "join for the bike, stay for the people" Cheers Colin Colin Prior Cogmos Committee Chairman Lake Forest Park WA COG#7767
Welcome, Sounds like a sweet deal if the dealer really has the bike in shape when you get it. ---------------------------------- I will answer any question. It is up to you to figure out if I should have.
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well thanks for all the input guys. 2 things on my mind right now.. 1 is you all have me scared to death of droping the bike. I have been riding for 22 years and I dont know how many miles.. in all that time I have been down only once and I have never droped a bike. the bike I ride now is a honda pc-800. this is a really easy bike to ride.. infact its the esayest bike I have ever been on.. including scooters. so.. i dont like the idea of droping a bike but it seems that around here that its sort of excepted that your going to drop it. is it really that difficult to contorl? agian Ive been riding something for 20+ years. so im not a new rider. so.. is the bike just a little quarky? or is it really difficult to the point that you have to "re-learn" how to ride. at what speed does it do what? the other thing I am worried about is maintance. I dont want to sing the parises of another bike on this forum but.. the bike I hve has almost no maintance at all. change the oil.. thats about it. this bike seems easyer to get to thiings than a pc. with a pc you just about have to disrobe the bike before you can do anything. so.. it seems there will be more to do and maintain, but it may be easyer to do that. I dont know. the things I like.. as far as I have been able to read.. 1, 6 gears 2 larger tank 3 100+ hp 4 comfort. 5 LOTS of parts 6 cheap. 7 handles well at speed(this is a wash because my bke does this) I could go on i guess. something I really dont like.. actually I dont like it about most bikes today and this is so simple.. no radio. for crying out loud.. bikes are make to commute.. people like to listen when they commute.. its like 50$ worth of electronis at volume and not that difficult to design into a bike. ok... im done ranting. this is something I would have to give up as my pc-800 has a factory am/fm..
. so.. i dont like the idea of droping a bike but it seems that around here that its sort of excepted that your going to drop it. is it really that difficult to contorl? agian Ive been riding something for 20+ years. so im not a new rider. so.. is the bike just a little quarky? or is it really difficult to the point that you have to "re-learn" how to ride. at what speed does it do what? the other thing I am worried about is maintance. I dont want to sing the parises of another bike on this forum but.. the bike I hve has almost no maintance at all. change the oil.. thats about it. this bike seems easyer to get to thiings than a pc. with a pc you just about have to disrobe the bike before you can do anything. so.. it seems there will be more to do and maintain, but it may be easyer to do that. I dont know. the things I like.. as far as I have been able to read.. 1, 6 gears 2 larger tank 3 100+ hp 4 comfort. 5 LOTS of parts 6 cheap. 7 handles well at speed(this is a wash because my bke does this) I could go on i guess. something I really dont like.. actually I dont like it about most bikes today and this is so simple.. no radio. for crying out loud.. bikes are make to commute.. people like to listen when they commute.. its like 50$ worth of electronis at volume and not that difficult to design into a bike. ok... im done ranting. this is something I would have to give up as my pc-800 has a factory am/fm..The Concours does require a little maintenance, but it's no big deal. There's lots of advice and instruction available here. It's one of the best reasons to join IMHO. As for Radio, you can solve that problem on your own. While radio is relatively cheap to install, everybody looks for their own solution to it. I, for example, have a Starcom system for Intercom that also accepts input from my Zumo 550 and my Pioneer Inno. So I get XM Radio, MP3 and Turn by Turn directions through my headset, in addition to normal speech with my pillion when she's back there. Not everybody would want that, so leaving the sound installation to the end user is a good philosophy. I don't have or want AM/FM for example, so a stock system would just be in my way. The reason people drop them is because of the large gas tank that we all admire. It makes the bike feel top heavy so it's important to get a feel for slow speed maneuvering. Dropping is the problem, if it goes down it'll be when you're not moving. Tip over bars from Murph's solve the problem though and they're relatively cheap.
I have rode since 1977 I think. I had never dropped a bike when I got my first Concours. I didn't drop that one either 2y. The second one I owned I did drop. This third one I have dropped once. I don't think there is anything about the bike that makes it drop it is just unforgiving. Once it leans past aaaaa bam that's it. No way to stop it. So in 30y I have only dropped twice. Both times a Connie but both times I was distracted in the last few feet before a stop and turned the handle bars to far for the speed. I have about 100k just on Concoursssessses. ---------------------------------- I will answer any question. It is up to you to figure out if I should have.
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This third one I have dropped once. I don't think there is anything about the bike that makes it drop it is just unforgiving. Once it leans past aaaaa bam that's it. No way to stop it. So in 30y I have only dropped twice. Both times a Connie but both times I was distracted in the last few feet before a stop and turned the handle bars to far for the speed. I have about 100k just on Concoursssessses. ---------------------------------- I will answer any question. It is up to you to figure out if I should have.
thanks agian for the imput. the radio issue is something of a sore spot for me. I ride everyday and spend at a minimum 2 hours on freeways and in traffic.. in texas which does not have friendly drivers I might add... such a simple thing for the factory to do is all im saying. thanks for the input. I have endered negotations for about 3 differt bikes. 2 concours's and one st1100. im sure this time next week I will have a new ride..
thanks for the input. I have endered negotations for about 3 differt bikes. 2 concours's and one st1100. im sure this time next week I will have a new ride..
I'm with you Ron. All this talk about bike dropping had (has) me scared. My first 30-seconds on the bike involved a U-turn on a narrow residential street and if the seller hadn't been watching, I probably would have made it a 3-point walk-around. Luckily, I live in California where lane-splitting is allowed so I can typically wedge the bike between rows of car at most stop lights and then use their car doors and mirrors to keep myself upright ) Seriously, I'm a total noob with the bike, so my 2 cents is over-priced. But the point that I've found the scariest (so far) is coming to a stop with the front wheel turned. I've been caught a couple of times feeling like I really have to muscle the bike to keep it from dropping toward the turn. I've been experimenting with using just the rear brake to scrub off that last 5 mph, and it feels more stable -- but keep the 2-cent value in mind.
) Seriously, I'm a total noob with the bike, so my 2 cents is over-priced. But the point that I've found the scariest (so far) is coming to a stop with the front wheel turned. I've been caught a couple of times feeling like I really have to muscle the bike to keep it from dropping toward the turn. I've been experimenting with using just the rear brake to scrub off that last 5 mph, and it feels more stable -- but keep the 2-cent value in mind.
One of the other good reasons to buy a Connie is the plethora of addons for it. It was intentional on Ma K's account to keep the design the same for a long time so there were and are more accessories you can buy than you mum cooked hot dinners. The low speed handling for for those short in stature can be fixed by fitting one of the lowering kits from one of a couple of vendors. The CFO has an 86, she managers here pretty well now and she is 130lbs and 5' 3 1/2 ! Mind you she did have a couple of mishaps early on. The good news is once she is rolling all is fine, so the vast majority of mishaps are stationary or virtually stationary. CP Colin Prior Cogmos Committee Chairman Lake Forest Park WA COG#7767
Bob waves north to Ron. Yep I see you up there. There are about 8-9 COG members in the area. We are not all that active but we are going to work on that. There is usually a couple spring rides out to Big Bend and to the hill country for some flower peepin. Hope to get some of these on the calendar soon. ---------------------------------- I will answer any question. It is up to you to figure out if I should have.
<p align="left"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20211686@N05/">My Photos<br
