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schwarz748449

schwarz748449

Member
Member
I’m getting back into riding. Haven’t been on a bike since high school and my Dad gave me his Suzuki Burgman 650 last year. I forgot how much fun it was to ride and am looking to get into a concours. I’m not in a rush and trying to learn as much as I can before I buy. However, a 2005 concours with mid 30s mileage has popped up close to me for just under $3000.

I was thinking of a little bit newer for fuel injection and ABS but really like this 05.

Looking for some advise about if I should get it or not.

How hard are parts to get?
Does it sound like a reasonable price?
If I look at it is there anything special I should be looking for?

Thanks for the help.
 
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Maybe a little high but cash talks. Really easy to get parts for this motorcycle. See Murph's on this site he has a lot of great parts & ship's really fast. Lots of help on this site if you have a issue with your bike. The ZG 1000 is no slough on power 100 hp or so. If you have a issue with the carbs Steve on this site can fix you up quickly. A safety course might be good a lot of things have changed since high school. You could not go wrong with buying the Concours. I have a 2000 that is showroom and I love it.
Look at tire dates
oil leaks
broken plastic
bottom of engine cases to be sure he did not run over anything
make sure all instruments work properly
make sure fan is coming on properly
check for rust in tank
check clutch
check brakes
research this site / you will find plenty of help online and it will answer a lot of your questions
and last but not least / Buy the Concours. Great bike, lots of power, You will love it
Welcome to COG.

One thing I forgot, When you go to put the ZG 1000 up on it's center stand get some help the first few times, It can be a little awkward and we would not like you to join CDA to quickly. Research CDA asap
Just so we will know / What is your name

Dean
 
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I found an 09’ C14 last year with only 9,000 miles last spring and love it! There is something to say for the ease of fuel injection. Not so sold on ABS actually. Be sure to thoroughly check the inside of the gas tank with a pen light. If gasohol was sitting in it over time, you may have a bunch of corrosion in there. Good luck with your quest for a Concours. Best bike on the road.
 
We like our C-10 Concours so much that my wife made me get a 2nd one. So now we have 2. A 1999 and a 2005. Both of them were purchased used. With an older bike you will find that you will have to do the maintenance yourself. This forum, Youtube and Ebay will be your friend. Some of the challenges of an older bike are the mods and maintenance that the P/O did.

We take at least one week long ride every year and ride between 6,000 and 10,000 miles every year. The C-10 is a very capable bike and the C-14 expands on that. We did test ride a C-14 in 2008 but ended up finding the 1999 C-10 with 25,000 miles in 2010. That bike now has over 80,000 miles. Most of them 2 up. At around 150lbs each and with my riding style we didn't need the extra performance that the C-14 comes with. Performance comes with added costs.
 
Schwarz I'm not sure where your located?
The C-10 is a heck of a bike but $3000 is a bit on the high end if you compare it with an early C-14.
Here is a nicely farkled C-14 in Georgia for another $750. Lots more bike for another $750.
It's COG Member owned, Flashed (y) , fuel injected, aftermarket seat, and is ready for the road.
You could go get it and ride it home.

forum.concours.org

2008 C14 For Sale

Kawasaki C14, 67,000 miles; Includes; Sargent seat; 2” bar risers ; Motorcycle Enterprises front and rear guards; 3 windshields, short, medium and large; almost new tires; Delvec exhaust; Shoodabeen Flash; factory workshop manual. Located Southeast Georgia. $3,750.00
forum.concours.org forum.concours.org
 
connie_rider said:
Schwarz I'm not sure where your located?
The C-10 is a heck of a bike but $3000 is a bit on the high end if you compare it with an early C-14.
Here is a nicely farkled C-14 in Georgia for another $750. Lots more bike for another $750.
It's COG Member owned, Flashed (y) , fuel injected, aftermarket seat, and is ready for the road.
You could go get it and ride it home.

forum.concours.org

2008 C14 For Sale

Kawasaki C14, 67,000 miles; Includes; Sargent seat; 2” bar risers ; Motorcycle Enterprises front and rear guards; 3 windshields, short, medium and large; almost new tires; Delvec exhaust; Shoodabeen Flash; factory workshop manual. Located Southeast Georgia. $3,750.00
forum.concours.org forum.concours.org
Click to expand...

The Farkles are worth half of that.
 
connie_rider said:
Schwarz I'm not sure where your located?
The C-10 is a heck of a bike but $3000 is a bit on the high end if you compare it with an early C-14.
Here is a nicely farkled C-14 in Georgia for another $750. Lots more bike for another $750.
It's COG Member owned, Flashed (y) , fuel injected, aftermarket seat, and is ready for the road.
You could go get it and ride it home.

forum.concours.org

2008 C14 For Sale

Kawasaki C14, 67,000 miles; Includes; Sargent seat; 2” bar risers ; Motorcycle Enterprises front and rear guards; 3 windshields, short, medium and large; almost new tires; Delvec exhaust; Shoodabeen Flash; factory workshop manual. Located Southeast Georgia. $3,750.00
forum.concours.org forum.concours.org
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I wish. She’s a beauty but too steep for me this year. If it’s still available next spring, I’ll be very interested.
 
I can understand that. Wasn't trying to sale it. Just offering a comparison in $$ for the C-14 vs the C-10 you mentioned. Just sayin' a C-14 is more bike for almost the same money.

Also, I'm not knocking a C-10. I've had 4 and still have one of them. Great bikes.
Where's home?

Ride safe, Ted
 
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connie_rider said:
I can understand that. Wasn't trying to ale it. Just offering a comparison in $$ for the C-14 vs the C-10 you mentioned. Just sayin' a C-14 is more bike for the money.
Also, I'm not knocking a C-10. I've had 4 and still have one of them. Great bikes.
Where's home?

Ride safe, Ted
Click to expand...
Chelsea Michigan. Just west of Ann Arbor.
Lots of nice roads to ride around me.

The Burgman has been great so far but I’m looking for something a bit bigger and more comfortable for longer rides. Not into all the electronics of an older Goldwing or big touring bike or the expense of getting into a Harley.
 
Konehead34 said:
How good of a m.c. mechanic are you? Reason being as many of the cog.family have discovered, many shops won't take in 20 year old bikes for repair.
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I’m an ok mechanic especially if I have a good place to seek advice. Love getting my hands dirty and leaning how to care for the things I own.
 
We're all going to assume that ur aware of some of the areas of concern about the c10.

I would suggest you check out all the YouTube videos by Steve of shoodaben engineering. The man wrote the book on maintaining and improving the c10. Hence the name of his company. Should have been. The big killer in my opinion is hydrolock. Caused by carb.float sticking and fuel flowing into.the cylinder(s). Steve has a remedy for.that by installing overflow tubes. Many a carb bank.has been sent to him for help. As was mentioned check for rust in the tank along with on the tank. Particularly the lower rear. Some tanks have developed pin holes and leak.

The c10 is fairly simple.to.work on. Even valve adjustments are simple screw and lockout. Once u take off all the Tupperware. She holds alot of fuel, 7.5 gallons, and carries it up high, so she can be a little top heavy.

Good hunting.....!!
 
Konehead34 said:
We're all going to assume that ur aware of some of the areas of concern about the c10.

I would suggest you check out all the YouTube videos by Steve of shoodaben engineering. The man wrote the book on maintaining and improving the c10. Hence the name of his company. Should have been. The big killer in my opinion is hydrolock. Caused by carb.float sticking and fuel flowing into.the cylinder(s). Steve has a remedy for.that by installing overflow tubes. Many a carb bank.has been sent to him for help. As was mentioned check for rust in the tank along with on the tank. Particularly the lower rear. Some tanks have developed pin holes and leak.

The c10 is fairly simple.to.work on. Even valve adjustments are simple screw and lockout. Once u take off all the Tupperware. She holds alot of fuel, 7.5 gallons, and carries it up high, so she can be a little top heavy.

Good hunting.....!!
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I’ve been reading about the hydrolock issue. Is there a way to tell if a C10 has had it other than the height test? Does it still run and seem normal after a hydrolock event?
 
If it wasn't a major event, a C-10 can run fine after a hydrolock event.
Just down on power slightly. In a minor event compression could indicate a problem, but less informative.
If you have the plugs out anyway for a compression check, a height measurment is EZ to do.
 
connie_rider said:
If it wasn't a major event, a C-10 can run fine after a hydrolock event.
Just down on power slightly. In a minor event compression could indicate a problem, but less informative.
If you have the plugs out anyway for a compression check, a height measurment is EZ to do.
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That’s good to know. Plugs, fluids and filters are always the first things I do when I buy a used car anyway. So I’ll do a height measurement at the same time.

What are the indications of a major hydrolock? Will it be apparent? Don’t want to find a bike I really like only to get it home and have it down for awhile with an engine rebuild.
 
It won't turn over if the rod is bent badly enough. It will hit the crankcase and stop.
 
schwarz748449 said:
I’ve been reading about the hydrolock issue. Is there a way to tell if a C10 has had it other than the height test? Does it still run and seem normal after a hydrolock event?
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Not all bikes that hydrolock bend rods, so the answer to #1 is no. The answer to #2 is yes, it can.

I worked on a bike with a bent rod that was only down 15# compression. I've worked on bikes with leaky valves that needed adjusting but straight rods that were down 120# compression. Some say the bent rod should vibrate. WHY? the weight for reciprocating assy hasn't changed. What if the rod is hitting the block, or the engine is locked up? You still need diagnostic time to determine it's a bent rod causing the issue. The only way you have an absolute on a bent rod is if it has busted a window out the front of the block or the hydrolock rod test.

Steve
 
Great price!! Highway pegs, fork brace, fender extender, and givi truck with back pad. K+n nice, but u gotta check the airbox, sometimes they don't go in well and can crack the airbix which will lead to poor running/gas mileage issues...
 
schwarz748449 said:
Chelsea Michigan. Just west of Ann Arbor.
Lots of nice roads to ride around me.

The Burgman has been great so far but I’m looking for something a bit bigger and more comfortable for longer rides. Not into all the electronics of an older Goldwing or big touring bike or the expense of getting into a Harley.
Click to expand...
Ha, Chelsea MI! Home of Chelsea Milling and Jiffy Mix! I saw the current CEO, Howdy Holmes, race an Indy car back in the days of CART. He was pretty good behind the wheel of the Jiffy sponsored car. He didn't have the deep pockets of the Penske and Patrick teams but held his own nicely. And a humble and gracious guy, too.

Sorry for the off-topic comments, so I'll just say...get the bike! C10 or C14, you'll be a happy camper!
 
TRM-KS said:
Ha, Chelsea MI! Home of Chelsea Milling and Jiffy Mix! I saw the current CEO, Howdy Holmes, race an Indy car back in the days of CART. He was pretty good behind the wheel of the Jiffy sponsored car. He didn't have the deep pockets of the Penske and Patrick teams but held his own nicely. And a humble and gracious guy, too.

Sorry for the off-topic comments, so I'll just say...get the bike! C10 or C14, you'll be a happy camper!
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Thanks for the welcome. The Holmes are awesome people.

Going to keep my eye on the 05 C10. With what I’ve learned here and if it’s still available in the fall I might get a great deal on it.

I think I’ve decided to keep looking and pick up a nice C14 in the spring. Newer bike, ABS and maybe a few less worries.
 
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