You and your bike share a symbiotic relationship. Any modification to your riding posture will change your body's relationship to the rest of the bike. For example higher bars will raise your head with respect to the windshield which changes the amount of turbulence to your head. The best I can tell you is live with the stock bike and after a thousand or so miles she will tell you what needs changing. When that time comes here's what's available.
HANDLEBARS:See Handlebars FAQ
FOOT PEGS: Over the years owners have adapted pegs from other bikes looking for a better fit such as pegs from the ZX9, Goldwing, and Buell Ulysses. These place your feet higher and a little further back than stock. They can also be adapted for use with the common lowering kits. They are discussed in the forum regularly. A forum search will reveal detailed info.
PEG LOWERING KITS: I have a pair of GenMar Peg Lowering Blocks on my Connie. After installing them, I could double my range. They also relieved some cramping at the hips. It doesn't seem that an inch or so extra would make that much difference but it's the change in the angles of your knees and hips. There is a downside. The kit not only lowers the pegs but moves them out as well. The peg feelers may touch down at moderate lean angles but still pivot. The kit also changes the clearance between the peg and the shift lever pad. Murph offers his Kneesavers which work with Goldwing pegs to lower the feet but keep them further back in a sporty position versus the stock pegs which place the feet forward in a more tour friendly position.
http://www.murpskits.comhttp://www.zianet.com/GenMarhttp://www.bucksporttouring.com http://www.amotostuff.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=K204&Category_Code=zg1000 http://motorcyclelarry.com/concours_footpeg.aspREARSET FOOTPEGS & CONTROLS:If you find the foot pegs are too far forward there are a few ways to go. One is to replace the foot pegs with Ninja pegs. They move the feet up and back (semi-rearsets). Thank Steve Scully for doing the "legwork".
http://www.pbase.com/elvin315/concours_10&page=4 If you want them further back but lower than the Ninja pegs you can accomplish this with Murph's KneeSavers.
http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/images/Peg%20Lowerers.JPGNow, moving the left peg back pulls it away from the shift lever. Good if you have Sasquatch feet but bad for us normal humans. The fix is a longer shift lever.
Credit goes to George R. Young for this one. He also found a shorter brake pedal that brings its footpad closer to the now rearset right peg.
http://web.ncf.ca/ag136/rearsets.htm Kawasaki never answered our pleas for adjustable foot pegs & controls. Thanks to inventive owners like Steve, Murph, and George, we now have options.
Control AdjustmentsShift LeverTo adjust the shift lever use a wrench to loosen the 2 locknuts on the connecting rod (one is reverse threaded). Twist the rod until the lever height meets your needs, then tighten everything up. If that isn't enough you can rotate the shift shaft clamp one spline but no more than that. That changes the relationship between the shift lever and the shift detent. It can lead to missed shifts and false neutrals.
Brake PedalPull the cotter pin off the clevis pin in the brake cylinder push rod and remove the clevis pin. Loosen the locknut, unscrew the clevis from the master cylinder pushrod, and remove the locknut. Replace the clevis without the locknut. Adjust the pushrod by screwing it all the way into the clevis and replace the clevis pin. Reinsert the cotter pin. The locknut isn't necessary.
Brake Light SwitchAll that's left is to adjust the rear brake light switch. Up on the frame, above the rear brakelight switch, are 2 bullet connectors. Snip the cable tie and disconnect them. Hold the plastic nut and screw the light switch in. Reconnect the bullets and test the brake pedal. Repeat until the brake light operates properly.
HIGHWAY PEGS: Highway pegs allow you to stretch the legs and flex the knee and hip joints. They have no forward controls and aren't meant for sustained riding. They will however extend your saddle time between stops. You'd be surprised how just a little leg movement will promote blood circulation and refresh you. If you've ever taken your feet off the pegs and dangled or wiggled them in mid-air then you need highway pegs. They bolt on using one of the radiator mounting bosses since the Concours has no lower frame. This threaded boss doesn't align with any convenient fairing openings so most Highway Peg kits are designed to use the bottom rearmost fairing vent as the peg's location to avoid drilling through the plastic. The last variation comes from Murph and his Tipover Bars with optional pegs. The tip bars use the same threaded boss as the Highway Peg kits so if you want pegs you'll have to attach them there.
http://www.murphskits.com/pegs/pegs.htm (KB Highway Pegs)
http://www.murphskits.com/tipoverbars.htm (Murph's Tipbars w/pegs)
http://www.millerized.com (Millerized)
WINDSHIELDS: See the Windshields & Shorty Shield FAQs.
SEATS: See "Cushy for your Tushy" FAQ".
