This week, I'll be looking at a 2008 Concours with about 43,000 miles on it. It's about a 2.5 hour drive to see it, so I'm probably going to look at it and either buy it or not without a follow up visit. The bike is really cheap, so I'm not expecting it to be perfect, but I'm wondering if there are any common C-14 issues I should look for beyond the normal motorcycle stuff. Thanks in advance for any input.
Question for Concours 14 Owners
- Thread starter Gamecock
- Start date
Whooshka
Fairly faST old guy
You could do some research here ---> http://cog-online.org/ClubPortal/ClubStatic.cfm?clubID=1328&pubmenuoptID=13528
Sorry, never owned a C14 but had a couple (2002/2005) C10's. Great bikes, very durable. The C14 is a very capable sport tourer and very fast. Had I not found the "right" ST at the right time, I would have bought a C14. They are generally very reasonably priced used and don't have a huge market presence.
Concours Owner's Group (COG) Forum member SISF (Steve In Sunny Florida) is the resident guru and markets a reflash that smoothens out and increases the power.
I still frequent the COG forum regularly. Old habits die hard.
Concours Owner's Group (COG) Forum member SISF (Steve In Sunny Florida) is the resident guru and markets a reflash that smoothens out and increases the power.
I still frequent the COG forum regularly. Old habits die hard.
bdalameda
PaleoCyclist
The only thing I have heard about the 08 Concourse is that they give off a lot of heat and make hot days really uncomfortable. Kawasaki made improvements in 09 to rectify this being that they had so many complaints about this from 08 owners.
Dan
Dan
Thanks for the information, guys. Yes, I've heard about the heat issue. As a former C-10 owner who eventually graduated to the ST, I remember the anticipation among Concours owners when Kawasaki rolled out the C14 in 2008. I remember the heat issue being the first major complaint from buyers. Living in Montana now, I'm not overly concerned about the heat - I figure, if anything, that will extend my riding season. haha. According to a little research, it appears some common issues among the 2008 models were oil leaking around the valve gaskets and rear brake pedals that stick (the subject of a recall). Hopefully, an oil leak would be pretty self evident and the tell tale signs of the brake pedal sticking would be bluing of the rear disc from excess heat as well as excessive "play" in the pedal. The bike has just over 40,000 miles, so obviously, somebody was happy enough with the bike at some point to put some miles on it.
It's not that I've decided the C14 is "the bike" for me. I've put enough miles on post 2010 C14s and FJRs to know that I can probably be as happy with them as another ST1300. As far as I'm concerned, it just comes down to which used one I can get for the best price. With a short (but spectacular) riding season here in Montana, being able to get one of those three for a small investment is appealing.
It's not that I've decided the C14 is "the bike" for me. I've put enough miles on post 2010 C14s and FJRs to know that I can probably be as happy with them as another ST1300. As far as I'm concerned, it just comes down to which used one I can get for the best price. With a short (but spectacular) riding season here in Montana, being able to get one of those three for a small investment is appealing.
okckeith
Site Supporter
You should go ride it first. I found a killer deal on a almost new one close to me. I rode it and did not like it at all. I didn't like the way it handled at all. It felt great going straight. But it was terrible cornering compared to my 92,000 mile ST 1300. But that is just my opinion. It might work for you.
Oh, will definitely ride it first. I haven't ridden an '08 C14, so I want to see if the heat is as bad as they say. I know a lot of folks complain about the heat from the ST, but it was never an issue for me on either one of my '05s. As for the handling, I'm hoping it is similar to the later model C14s I've ridden. We'll see. I'll let y'all know how it goes.
My son and I both have ‘08 Connie’s. He has 60k and I have 55k on mine. I sold my ‘04 ST because I liked the Connie better, it just felt lighter riding it and moving it around. Both have been pretty bulletproof. We have been in all the lower 48 states on them, yep even Montana, Glacier NP. Down in Houston in the summer in traffic they do get hot but moving they’re not that bad. Bought my son the Fred Harmon dvds on the Concours and he even did a valve adjustment on our bikes at around 16k, changing shims. If the new model would have come out with a cruise I may have bought another but bought a ‘16 Goldwing F6B instead. Still going to keep the old girl a little longer though.
I have two friends who have them. Both are on their 2nd bikes. Very reliable, very fast, very high mileage.
The only problem other than the heat issue w/ the early one was an ABS light issue. The problem was the magnesium chloride used in the winter...& spring here in Colorado. The mag chloride is sometimes applied before the snow occurs. It can remain moist on the road after application. The mag chloride coated the ABS sensors & disabled the system. He had the sensors cleaned at the dealer & this solved the problem.
The only problem other than the heat issue w/ the early one was an ABS light issue. The problem was the magnesium chloride used in the winter...& spring here in Colorado. The mag chloride is sometimes applied before the snow occurs. It can remain moist on the road after application. The mag chloride coated the ABS sensors & disabled the system. He had the sensors cleaned at the dealer & this solved the problem.
Well, I went and looked at the bike, test rode it, and found it to be sound. It was a pretty good price, but ultimately, I didn't buy it. The bike is at a delearship and I offered them a little less than they were asking and they didn't even bother countering my cash offer to ride it home that night, even though they had the bike in their inventory for at least 5 months. lol. Anyway, no hard feelings and I won't talk bad about dealership on here because the price they are asking isn't a bad price. But they have no knowledge of the service history of the bike or if a valve adjustment has ever been done - and they aren't in the business of servicing metric bikes at this dealership. So, I said I would have to think about it at their price and think about it I did. But in the meantime, I took a look at a 2006 FJRA that an individual had for sale. Absolutely meticulous bike with meticulous service records. Mileage was similar to the C14, but the condition of this bike was significantly better. It also has ABS, heated grips, Russell day-long seat (and a Corbin seat), Garmin motorcycle GPS, larger windscreen, and some other nice accessories. So, to make a long story short, I now have a 2006 FJRA in the garage. Thanks everyone for your input about the C14.