Any concourse owners here?

[Nightmare]

I was eyeing up a 2012 Concourse that was for sale in the area the other day and after looking up the forums it seems like the forums for that bike are pretty dead (compared to our beloved ST1300 at least). Which got me wondering, was the bike just not very popular (but Kawi kept production until 2022?) or is there not much to fix? or not much to modify? or does no one actually ride them..?

The fact that the Concourse has the "retuned" ZX14 engine is REALLY appealing to me and I think it has even the same base transmission as the ZX14.

So what are your thoughts?

 

[Al st1100]

I was eyeing up a 2012 Concourse that was for sale in the area the other day and after looking up the forums it seems like the forums for that bike are pretty dead (compared to our beloved ST1300 at least). Which got me wondering, was the bike just not very popular (but Kawi kept production until 2022?) or is there not much to fix? or not much to modify? or does no one actually ride them..?

The fact that the Concourse has the "retuned" ZX14 engine is REALLY appealing to me and I think it has even the same base transmission as the ZX14.

So what are your thoughts?

watch..heat, eats tires and brakes

 

[Daboo]

or does no one actually ride them..?

So what are your thoughts?

My thoughts? First, did you expect a serious answer? Or were you just trolling? You asked the question on the ST-Owners forum, not on a Concours forum. Of course the folks here prefer the ST...they plunked their good hard cash down on one at some point in time. In other words, they voted with their wallets.

My next thought is are you trying to buy a bike to ride? Or a forum to talk about riding?

The thought after that is if the bike was not very popular...why did Kawasaki continue making it and Honda quit theirs?

Is there not much to fix? Maybe the owners know how to read and search the forums? But generally, I'd say no.


I'm a member of both forums, though I never owned a ST1100 or ST1300. (I did own an NT years ago though.) And I never owned a Kawasaki. Both forums take the attitude of come for the bike, stay for the friendships.

Here's what I see of both bikes and both forums. The bikes are totally different. The Honda is more relaxed in riding. The C14 is a brute. Many C14 owners have their bikes flashed and I wouldn't be surprised if the resulting horsepower is well over 160. It's a rocket ship. The fastest riders I've ever ridden with had C14s. So both bikes are good, it just depends on what you're looking for, and for me, does it give me joy just in walking up to it and admiring the lines.

The ST-Owners forum is very talkative. The COG forum much less so, but very helpful when you need it. COG is an organization, not just a forum. There are ADs (Area Directors and assistants) for different regions of the country. They have an exchange program with European riders where they send someone deserving across the pond and show them around for a month. Each section of the country has a lot of rides planned. Jesal lives in Calgary and rides his C14 several time a year into the states for rallies. For someone on the west side of the Continental Divide, the ST-Owners are sparse for any organized riding. But for the COG group...what they lack in forum excitement is more than made up for in group rides. We're doing a National Rally in Bremerton, WA next June. Just finished one in Georgia and the one last year was in New Mexico. We're planning for about 140 people or more. I put 23,000 miles on my XR in 13 months...riding with COG members.

Maybe the reason no one is on the COG forum is they are out riding?

Chris

 

[lddave]

I have a 2010 concours 1400 . In 2010 the fairing had some changes that eliminated the heat issues . Only issue in 118,000 miles was steering head bearings and around 60,000 miles fuel pump was replaced. Both of these were covered under the warranty. Depending on your right wrist it can get good mpg, tire life or not . If it had electronic cruise control it would be my favorite bike in my garage.

 

[Nightmare]

My thoughts? First, did you expect a serious answer? Or were you just trolling? You asked the question on the ST-Owners forum, not on a Concours forum. Of course the folks here prefer the ST...they plunked their good hard cash down on one at some point in time. In other words, they voted with their wallets.

My next thought is are you trying to buy a bike to ride? Or a forum to talk about riding?

The thought after that is if the bike was not very popular...why did Kawasaki continue making it and Honda quit theirs?

Is there not much to fix? Maybe the owners know how to read and search the forums? But generally, I'd say no.


I'm a member of both forums, though I never owned a ST1100 or ST1300. (I did own an NT years ago though.) And I never owned a Kawasaki. Both forums take the attitude of come for the bike, stay for the friendships.

Here's what I see of both bikes and both forums. The bikes are totally different. The Honda is more relaxed in riding. The C14 is a brute. Many C14 owners have their bikes flashed and I wouldn't be surprised if the resulting horsepower is well over 160. It's a rocket ship. The fastest riders I've ever ridden with had C14s. So both bikes are good, it just depends on what you're looking for, and for me, does it give me joy just in walking up to it and admiring the lines.

The ST-Owners forum is very talkative. The COG forum much less so, but very helpful when you need it. COG is an organization, not just a forum. There are ADs (Area Directors and assistants) for different regions of the country. They have an exchange program with European riders where they send someone deserving across the pond and show them around for a month. Each section of the country has a lot of rides planned. Jesal lives in Calgary and rides his C14 several time a year into the states for rallies. For someone on the west side of the Continental Divide, the ST-Owners are sparse for any organized riding. But for the COG group...what they lack in forum excitement is more than made up for in group rides. We're doing a National Rally in Bremerton, WA next June. Just finished one in Georgia and the one last year was in New Mexico. We're planning for about 140 people or more. I put 23,000 miles on my XR in 13 months...riding with COG members.

Maybe the reason no one is on the COG forum is they are out riding?

Chris

I was looking for serious answers, posting here as "This site, while focusing primarily on the Honda ST1100 and ST1300 motorcycles, welcomes anyone interested in Sport Touring." so I figured I might as well ask, if for no other reason than some interesting conversation!

I buy bikes to ride them, no Garage Queens over here. When I used to regularly browse the ZX14 forums there was constantly new posts and lots of discussions in each thread, very similar to what I see here so I was pretty shocked to see the Concourse forums all but completely dead.

Back in 2013ish I was really considering getting a Concourse but the price tag kept me away, I got my ZX14 for a steal brand new for $11k out the door while the Concourse's were selling for $28k+tax/freight/etc and it was just too much for me. The ST1300 has affirmed that what I have been looking for all my riding life was a sport tourer, something I can take for full day or all week rides but is also good to whip around in the city.

 

[Nightmare]

I have a 2010 concours 1400 . In 2010 the fairing had some changes that eliminated the heat issues . Only issue in 118,000 miles was steering head bearings and around 60,000 miles fuel pump was replaced. Both of these were covered under the warranty. Depending on your right wrist it can get good mpg, tire life or not . If it had electronic cruise control it would be my favorite bike in my garage.

Thanks for the info! My ZX14 with 140,000km has been solid so far and I somehow get better fuel economy than on the ST1300 (21.2km/L vs 19.1km/L) but I assume a lot of that is due to the 140lbs weight difference between the 2 bikes and I keep the top case on the ST1300 (its SO convenient!)

I think my only REAL complaints about the ST1300 is the heat.

 

[Mykllee]

I was looking for serious answers, posting here as "This site, while focusing primarily on the Honda ST1100 and ST1300 motorcycles, welcomes anyone interested in Sport Touring." so I figured I might as well ask, if for no other reason than some interesting conversation!

I buy bikes to ride them, no Garage Queens over here. When I used to regularly browse the ZX14 forums there was constantly new posts and lots of discussions in each thread, very similar to what I see here so I was pretty shocked to see the Concourse forums all but completely dead.

Back in 2013ish I was really considering getting a Concourse but the price tag kept me away, I got my ZX14 for a steal brand new for $11k out the door while the Concourse's were selling for $28k+tax/freight/etc and it was just too much for me. The ST1300 has affirmed that what I have been looking for all my riding life was a sport tourer, something I can take for full day or all week rides but is also good to whip around in the city.

Seemed like serious questions to me. You did after all, post in the "Other Motorcycles/Kawasaki forum.

I was looking at the Concours myself a few years ago, and the only thing that put me off was they are not very maintenance friendly. But great engine, high reliability, and that shaft drive we all love. A lot of forums are "dead" these days, so I wouldn't read much into that.

My thoughts are go for it!!