Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: 84Sabre on March 15, 2016, 06:28:38 AM
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Hi everyone. I've been a cruiser rider since I started riding. About a year and a half ago, I had an ST1100. I totalled it due to brake failure (only owned it for a few days and the previous owner must have botched the front brakes.) After a few months, I bought a Royal Star 1300.
Recently, I started scraping more and more around turns. It's mostly footpegs, but I'm starting to scrape the crash bars as well. Time to return to Sport-Touring.
I test drove a 2010 Kawasaki Concours14. Didn't want to bring it back to the dealer and just keep riding it. I found my motorcycle.
What I need from you all is to know what to look for. The bike is clean with 9k miles, side bag has a small leak, but everything else looks nice. What's a normal sound for these engines? I'm used to V-Twins and my 4 cyl on my Royal Star, but I'm not used to the sounds of the Concours.
Is it also normal for the engine to make clicking noises? I just want to be sure. My luck with buying used motorcycles is rather poor, so if I'm putting 8k into a motorcycle, I would like to kinda know what to look for.
Thanks in advance for any help. Regardless of whether I get this Connie or a different 2010+, I'm getting a Connie regardless.
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Welcome to the forum!
A little noisey at start up, till the oil pressure gets to the timing chain tensioner. Normal stuff.
You're gonna LOVE it!
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You're gonna LOVE it!
After riding it for 15 minutes, I definitely will. I may be wrong, but I think it has 10k miles, not 17k. Waiting for my Royal Star to get out of the shop so I can sell it or trade it. Hoping to own a Concours by the end of the week.
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Welcome! Yup, noisy rattle on cold start up is normal. Bought my 2010 6 years and 63,000+ miles ago and still love it. Whenever I get on a cruiser now it feels like I'm driving a bus.
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They rock. 8)
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Welcome to the forum. I found out the limit of cornering clearance is when the front crash bar lifts the front wheel. Just FYI, if you're paying 10k for a 2010 model you may be paying to much.
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Ageed, Have seen a lot in that year and newer on Cycle Trader and here in the 7,000-8500 range.
Wayne
Welcome to the forum. I found out the limit of cornering clearance is when the front crash bar lifts the front wheel. Just FYI, if you're paying 10k for a 2010 model you may be paying to much.
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1) Find a C14 owner you trust and have him look and listen. Pay a few buck if you must
2) use Searchtempest.com ( a CraigsList search tool) and get a handle on prices. 10k for price sounds high to me too.
They made big changes in 2010, 2010 is way better than 2009 and before.
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Thanks for all the info. I guess I got it mixed up a bit with another Concours. Here's what it is. 2010, 8,500 miles, for $8,000. Has crash bars, highway pegs, and a trunk with lights.
Any Concours owners in McHenry County that want to help me out for a six pack of beer or a full tank of gas?
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Illinois or North Dakota?
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Illinois or North Dakota?
Illinois. Probably should have added that earlier, but I guess it's one of those days.
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Mama said there'd be days like this...
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Mama said there'd be days like this...
But she never said there would be so many in a row
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FWIW Sabre84 IMO the Gen 1 (08-09) bikes are worth looking at unless you have your heart set on a Gen 2. I have a 08 and have no idea what they are talking about when they say heat issues. I actually prefer the (lines) of the body work and while no one will ever accuse a C-14 of being easy to work on, the body work is easier to disassemble when you have to take it apart. I have started a dozen time to go look at a newer C-14 and this one keeps talking me out of it. I love it and you will too regardless of what year you buy. Also there is a new 2013 (Blue) in Madison WI that they are selling for $10500 so 10K is way too much for a used 10 with 17K miles but the milage is really irrelevant , there are several owners on the forum with well over 100K and no engine issues.
As far as engine sound when I put my head out of the wind near the tank, and with the stock exhaust the C-14 reminds me of a sewing machine. Now this is a sewing machine that can sew 1/2 thick leather at 20 inches a second but smooth like a sewing machine. If you are hearing a rattle at start up, that is the cam chain tensioner. Search for it and read ad nauseam.
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As far as engine sound when I put my head out of the wind near the tank, and with the stock exhaust the C-14 reminds me of a sewing machine. Now this is a sewing machine that can sew 1/2 thick leather at 20 inches a second but smooth like a sewing machine. If you are hearing a rattle at start up, that is the cam chain tensioner. Search for it and read ad nauseam.
That's kind of what I heard. I don't recall whether it was still there after everything reached operating temperature, but I'll definitely take it out again before I buy it.
I fixed my original post. I would have done it earlier, but I figured that it was like most forums and you couldn't edit it after someone replies. It's $8,000 with 9,000 miles. I've been looking at too many Concourses.
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The side bag with a small leak would concern me.
If it's from a dealer I would have them replace it or at least fix it if they could do it without screwing it up.
The guys that have a gen I (2008 or 2009) almost always say they like it better then a Gen II (2010 and later).
I 'm the other way and like a Gen II MUCH better then the Gen I's. There's a reason they only made them for 2 years.
It's just personal preference IMO.
The Gen II have heated grips, a toggle switch to scroll the DIC screen, the storage box locks, a better stock seat and windscreen to name a few things.
Buying from a dealer is usually more $$$$ so unless you have to use your older bike as a trade-in I would keep looking.
Craigslist and Ebay are places to start and you might find one close enough to go get for a better deal, with even more options etc.
The 2010 came in ABS and non-ABS models - 2011 and up the ABS and traction Control is standard.
Good luck on finding a good deal. They are out there - Do you really have to have a bike this week? A few weeks of searching might
very well be worth a delay in getting a great deal.
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My 2010 is for sale.....Just sayin. Comes with a lot of goodies and priced to move.
Jim
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Any Concours owners in McHenry County that want to help me out for a six pack of beer or a full tank of gas?
I live in the Peoria area but am generally slammed, so a trip to Chicagoland is a no go but if you come down here to look at one, hit me up.
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My 2010 is for sale.....Just sayin. Comes with a lot of goodies and priced to move.
Jim
I'd be interested in details, but unless you're willing to straight up trade for a Royal Star 1300 and 2k cash, I have to finance the bike. Or a payment plan.
I went back to the dealer and test rode it. When I go to brake, the front brakes sound like what I could only compare to a cicada, and then as I start getting to lower speeds it starts to squeak. Normal? Easy to fix?
Second thing I noticed is that on both crash bars on both sides, there are signs of a low speed dump. Slight scrape on fairing, slight scrape on front crash guard, and the rear crash guard is a little worse. Leak is still there, with rains the water collection was a little more.
Final thing is noises up front. When it's windy, is it normal for noises be coming from the bottom of the windshield? When I lower the windshield while riding, the noise is still there. When in neutral and bike is at idle, the engine has a ticking sound. I cant pinpoint which side is louder, so I can't help there. It is slightly more audible on the right. Very slightly.
Besides the scrapes and leak, are the noises relatively normal?
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My bike does none of that. Run away.
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You're about to spend a handful of $ that you had to bust your hump for. Take your time. Shop around. There are other dealers with other C14s that are more than willing to sell you a bike. Don't short change yourself by rushing in to things.
I would probably pass on the one you are currently considering.
Just my .02
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My bike does none of that. Run away.
Way ahead of you there. Stopped by another dealer. Has a nice looking Concours three years newer with about 1.4k less miles. His out the door price is only $100 more than the one I'm looking at even though his tag price is $1,000 more. Might just dish out the extra money per month and get a new 2015 C14 for $12,700.
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My bike does none of that. Run away.
Mine neither. No clicking, no windshield noises, no ticking
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Just a thought from someone who looked at a 2014 new old stock against a 2011 with 20 k miles .
The delta between the new one without add ons ( cages front/back,risers , rear sets , laam seat , throttle master etc ) and a the older one ( warranty STILL to 2021) was not,sufficient to justify the purchase of the new vice the older well farkled.
When the ECU gets back from Steve on Monday it will be even better.
You WILL find the right ride for you !
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Way ahead of you there. Stopped by another dealer. Has a nice looking Concours three years newer with about 1.4k less miles. His out the door price is only $100 more than the one I'm looking at even though his tag price is $1,000 more. Might just dish out the extra money per month and get a new 2015 C14 for $12,700.
Is that an out the door price? That would be awesome. Doesn't even sound terrible for a baseline price. My 2012 in January of 2013 was $12k, $13,370 OTD, I was very happy with that.
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Just a thought from someone who looked at a 2014 new old stock against a 2011 with 20 k miles .
The delta between the new one without add ons ( cages front/back,risers , rear sets , laam seat , throttle master etc ) and a the older one ( warranty STILL to 2021) was not,sufficient to justify the purchase of the new vice the older well farkled.
That's a lot of stuff but at the same time, 20k is a fair amount of miles, not close to new. I have 36k on mine and it's still like new, so I'm not saying it's worn out at all. I AM saying there is something to be said about buying NEW and knowing how well it's been taken care of. As far as cars, I would NEVER buy new. I don't feel that way about bikes and honestly, I am not even sure if that makes sense? I just LOVE my bikes and cars are just something I use.
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Good advise. The 2010 you mentioned sounds iffy for sure. The newer one sounds like a great deal. Good luck.
Jim
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Mine neither. No clicking, no windshield noises, no ticking
+1
Keep shopping around, 84Sabre.