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New member. General questions.

ss1179852

ss1179852

Woody in BC
Member
Picked up a red 2009 C14 yesterday. One owner with 8000 kms in lovely shape. My first bike was a 99 C10 and I missed it for the last 10 years I rode a K 1200 GT. Loved it but cost of repairs and a lousy dealer nearby got me thinking about the return to a Connie. Really excited.
Appreciate all the knowledge out there!
I‘m a big guy and fit great on the 1400. Canyon cage and pegs,risers and a lovely Butler seat came on it.

Have A couple of questions and would love to hear back.
I live in Southern BC. Retired. Decent rider and do not carry a passenger much I weigh about 235 lbs. any suggestions on a starting point for the rear shock? Front preload?
Some feedback on your preference on tires. The US seems to get better prices and selection. I would like a longer mileage tire over a super high performance as I tend to take long ride
i need tires for this spring. Any pressure suggestions to keep the front from cupping would be appreciated. Its nice to be back with COG!
Thanks. Steve
 
Congrats! For suspension, there is a really good post on this forum that details setting your bike properly:
forum.concours.org

Setting the suspension on the C14

When I picked up my 2011 C14 last month, I wasn't sure how best to set up the suspension. I read as much as I could and used a nice write-up to write specific instructions for the C-14. I figured it may help out others in a similar situation. Feedback welcome! Adjusting Suspension on a...
forum.concours.org forum.concours.org
 
ss1179852 said:
Picked up a red 2009 C14 yesterday. ...
I live in Southern BC. Retired. Decent rider and do not carry a passenger much I weigh about 235 lbs. ...
i need tires for this spring. Any pressure suggestions to keep the front from cupping would be appreciated.
Thanks. Steve
Click to expand...
Welcome to the C-14 and COG worlds; I'm in SE Washington state.

I've found that I have enough grip on my ST type dual compound tires to scrape pegs (on a particularly grippy favored asphalt road I sometimes ride) even with front tire being 2 - 3 psi above sidewall rated max. And this pressure seems to avoid front tire cupping pretty well. So 44 - 45 psi cold.
 
I prefer the Michelin PR4 GT and like to keep the stock size on the rear. Some prefer to switch to the slightly taller 190/55 ZR17 from the stock 190/50 ZR17 and claim that it dramatically enhances the handling. But I've used both and the difference is not noticeable. As far as I'm concerned, these are interchangeable.

The PR5 are newer but don't seem to last as long.

I run 42 psi front and back and that seems to be a good pressure for most riding.
 
ss1179852 said:
Picked up a red 2009 C14 yesterday. One owner with 8000 kms in lovely shape. My first bike was a 99 C10 and I missed it for the last 10 years I rode a K 1200 GT. Loved it but cost of repairs and a lousy dealer nearby got me thinking about the return to a Connie. Really excited.
Appreciate all the knowledge out there!
I‘m a big guy and fit great on the 1400. Canyon cage and pegs,risers and a lovely Butler seat came on it.

Have A couple of questions and would love to hear back.
I live in Southern BC. Retired. Decent rider and do not carry a passenger much I weigh about 235 lbs. any suggestions on a starting point for the rear shock? Front preload?
Some feedback on your preference on tires. The US seems to get better prices and selection. I would like a longer mileage tire over a super high performance as I tend to take long ride
i need tires for this spring. Any pressure suggestions to keep the front from cupping would be appreciated. Its nice to be back with COG!
Thanks. Steve
Click to expand...
Welcome home Steve!

Congrats on the new to you machine. I believe Ted will tell you Red is the best color…

Decent amount of recent conversation on tires within the C14 tire section. We ride 95% 2-up and a spirited style, see below some personal experience / comments on some tires we’ve tried recently on the C-14.

Recommend:
  1. Michelin - Both stick great
    • R5 GT (Short life, feathering starts quickly)
    • PR4 GT (lasts longer than R5, still feathering starts soon and that soft plush smoothness goes away)
  2. Dunlop
    • SM RSIII - Sticks good, lasted better than Michelins above
    • SM RSIV (my favorite - sticks like glue / best mileage of entire group of tires here for our heavy load and spirited style)
Not recommended
  1. Pirelli
    1. Angel GT II A-Spec (Sticks good but tracking and longevity not good for us, siping and open bridges uncomfortable)
Hope these comments help some.
 
Welcome Steve!

"Congrats on the new to you machine. I believe Ted will tell you Red is the best color…"

Just be sure to tell Ted that 09 RED is faster than 14 red. 🤣🤣🤣

Dale

PS sorry I didn't have any suggestions to your questions.
 
Welcome indeed! Like you, I rode a C10 for 9 years and 98,000 miles, (a 2002), then this July I acquired a 2009 C14, a BLACK one. Below is a photo of my C10, which I sold, next to my "new" C14. Two terrific motorcycles. :D (y)

On my C10 I ran Avon Spirit STs both front and rear. They're matching radials and worked great on the C10 for years and thousands of miles. Before the Spirit STs I ran the Avon Storm 3D-XM at both ends. Based of past success with the Avons, I ordered a matching pair for my C14, and they also work quite well on the C14. On my C10 I always got 6,000 to 7,000 US miles from the rear ST and 7,000 to 8,000 out of the front ST. So far on my C14 I have 3,300 miles on each of them, and they're wearing nicely. They work great in the rain, last a reasonable number of miles, and handle quite well, wet or dry.

I run 42 psi cold on both, which is what the handbook recommends. I see no reason to change. Two
 

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Hey Steve, I see our COG members have already provided you great feedback, tips, so I will simply WELCOME YOU.

If you will, consider joining us as a member if the information you receive herein is of value to you.
 
Welcome Steve. If you are at all considering it I would upgrade the suspension. The difference is night and day. I overhauled the existing front and back suspension with valving (doing it on a budget) and the performance is night and day.

Either way you will enjoy the bike and I wish you many happy safe miles.

Dan
 
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