2008 kawasaki concours

motorsycho8989

Joined
Dec 6, 2007
Messages
4
Location
columbia south carolina
What do you guys think about the 2008 kawasaki concours. Has anybody took one for a test drive yet? I saw one pass me today on my way to work and it looked real good going down the road.
 
It doesn't sound like the Kaw Con is getting the best of reviews, if you take the magazine editors to heart.
 
I didn't ride the Concours, but I sat on one at the dealership. Right next to it was a new ST1300, just sitting on them sold me on the ST. Tip toes on the Kaw, and bags are way high I'm sure dragging the boot getting on and off will mark them up alot.
 
My son has one. It is a real nice bike in my opinion. It does have a taller seat height than the ST. If something happened to my ST I would look hard at one. I think the ST is better layed out but I really like the motor on the Kawi.
 
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I bought a brand new one and sold it a month later. To make a long story short....to much sport and not enough tour. The engine was awesome but way to much heat. I bought it in May of this year. It would make a good winter bike. Comes with a heater!
 
I went to the dealership to look it over. There are many things about it I could go on and on about, but long story short, I felt so good walking back out to the parking lot to my ST1300. I already loved my ST, but after seeing the Connie first hand, it just reassured me how really nice the ST is.

JMHO,

Texas
 
Steve H said:
The engine was awesome but way to much heat. I bought it in May of this year. It would make a good winter bike. Comes with a heater!
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Now there's a topic we haven't seen before,, :rolleyes:
 
I test rode one. Personal preferences really. It definitely is more sport than touring. Great handling, brakes and engine power. If you thought you needed a bit more of a sportier sport tourer than the FJR, you should look at the GTR.
 
I sat on one for a long time at a dealership, just to get a feel for the geometry and seat properties. Seat was pretty hard compared to my ST. Living in the South, heat issues are going to be a problem. A 1400cc in-line four is going to get hot, no matter what your friends tell you.
 
motorsycho8989 said:
What do you guys think about the 2008 kawasaki concours. Has anybody took one for a test drive yet? I saw one pass me today on my way to work and it looked real good going down the road.
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I like the looks of it. The things against it for me are:

1. Brand new model--wait for bugs to be worked out.
2. Reports of engine heat ala FJR and ST--refer to #1.
3. MCN had issue with suspension and handling--also #1
4. Don't like KIPASS. Just one more thing to strand me (see BMW EWS problems with antenna immobilizer problems)--no thanks on this. To me it falls into the category of "What were they thinking."
5. For a touring or Sport touring bike, fuel tank is woefully inadequate. Once again "What were they thinnking."
6. Even with more HP, torque down low is better on ST.

I think Kawa can sort it out in time unless like other manufacturers who decide to leave it alone.

JDP
 
Rode one...

Thought of buying one...

Priced one even...

Bought my used ST instead...

The smaller fuel tank,,, that goofy "Pass Key" which being an IDIOT,,, I would loose for sure,,, :rolleyes: Mirrors blocked by the Bags being to high,,, and it being a new bike with unknown issues??? I just could not see me buying it...

Also,,, no one really dealing on them yet... 2 years down the road they will be discounting them,,, have a few things tweaked on them,,, have Lasers added and I will look at them then... ;)
 
Well, maybe you won't get the most objective opinions on this forum but on the other hand, I really trust what most say here.

Here's my take on it (can't say if it's objective or not): I spent some time with one at the dealership but he wouldn't let me test ride it.

I like the way it looks a lot but total fit and finish wasn't quite up to Honda standards.

It felt a little tall sitting in the saddle (5'-10" with 30" inseam here). The ergos of riding position were more sport than touring and since I'm more touring than sport, I wasn't impressed. The magazine review that praised the connie was clearly written by more sport oriented riders.

The k-pass deal left me totally cold. I really don't need another thing on the DO NOT LOSE list while touring hundreds of miles from home. Even though I find it a PITA to get to my ignition key with the heavy gloves on, I'd rather not risk being stranded by a lost or non-functioning electronic key. It's easy to keep a spare key on the bike but a spare k-pass fob would totally defeat it's purpose.

I think I'd probably be fairly happy on the Connie if I had bought one instead of an ST. It's certainly not a bad bike.
 
I really like some aspects of the new Connie. The little worthless tank compartment and no fairing pockets certainly aren't on my list of likes.

I don't see this bike as working at all in California. It's 6" wider than a Goldwing! Lanesplitting is out of the question. What were they thinking?

Ray
 
I sat on one (next to an FJR) in a dealership. Not for me. It looks H U G E next to the Yamaha. Styling is kind of Batmobile on two wheels to my eye. The bags are clearly a tacked-on afterthought...integrated they aren't. Riding position seems to raked forward for my taste and the seat is too tall for my 5'7" frame and 30" inseam. I wonder what else Kawasaki could have done with the money they invested in KIPASS...perhaps provide appropriate sport touring fuel capacity? A good with friend with a Gen1 Connie checked out a Gen2 and decided to pass. He seems to have narrowed his choice to an FJR and an ST.
 
Alamo Cycleplex had a FJR, ST, and Concours sitting next to each other in the showroom so I did a little comparison.

I like the looks of the Concours best-I'm not fond of the scooteresque look of the ST. An observation: There are a lot of scooters in my neighborhood because there are two colleges within two miles of my house. I wave at all of them, but for the most part they only wave back when I'm on the ST. I believe they think I'm on a scooter when I'm on the ST.

The Kawasaki is taller, but that's so it can have more cornering clearance and it has a more powerful engine so its definitely more toward the sport side.

Its hot, but so's my ST in that regard.

The seat is hard, but I can't imagine it's any more uncomfortable than the stock ST seat after an hour or so.

The keypass thing is a gimmick for sure, HD does a better job with their alarm system.

Fit and finish of the Honda is first rate and I don't think the Kawasaki compares as well.

I'm not sure which I would have purchased if both had been available in their current configuration. I like Hondas but I also like that big motor and sportier suspension.
 
If I'm goin the more sport route, I'd prolly get the FJR. I really like the BMW GT with ALL the touring amentiess, but can't get pass the sticker shock.
 
Like I have stated I have owned a C14. I hear you guys talking about the ST's engine heat, there is much more engine heat than the ST. The little compartment on the tank will fry an egg. I put my cell phone it it once and I felt that it would damage it. So it is of no use at all.
 
I like the BMW GT also but the price is just toooo out of line with the other makes. The Connie looks good but I don't see any real advancement in it over the ST. I'll stick with the ST until Honda changes it.:biker:
 
Steve H said:
Like I have stated I have owned a C14. I hear you guys talking about the ST's engine heat, there is much more engine heat than the ST. The little compartment on the tank will fry an egg. I put my cell phone it it once and I felt that it would damage it. So it is of no use at all.
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Actually, there are threads here or at the MSN ST-1300 group about cell phones being fried in the fairing pocket of a ST-1300.
 
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