Kawasaki Concours Forum
Mish mash => Open Forum => Topic started by: wahrsuul on June 14, 2013, 05:26:32 AM
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Ok, I've been riding the Concours over 7 months now, and it's juts getting worse. Not the bike, that runs great. But the elbow/shoulder pain and the butt numbness. The bike already has peg lowerers, and bar risers. The only way to get higher bars now would be to get a tubular bar adaptor, ne bars, which might also mean new cables and hoses. Also, a new seat mgith help with more and better foam, but that would raise me up pretty much ensuring I'd need new hoses/cables for bars to reach me.
Now I got the bike prett cheap, so I'm not averse to putiing some $ into it. But I'm wondering how much before I've crossed the line of diminishing returns and the bike still might not fit.
On the other hand, I test rode a ZG1200 Voyager this weekend. And while I'm not in love with the bike, it's certainly a nice ride. it needs some work as well; mostly maintenance things - cleaning, fluids change, tune up and maybe a front tire. It's a VERY smooth ride and has a ;ot of standard features. Form what I've read, it's pretty reliabe and is likley to get better mileage than my Conc. The price is OK, but there's negotiating room.
I ride my Conc about 40-45 miles one way on my commute, and by the time I get home, my butt's sore or numb and my elbows hurt and sometimes my right hand is going numb. So something has to be done. I realize I'm supposed to be holding myself up and not leaning on my arms and wrists, but unconsciously I relax into that position all the time. My previous Conc - some 6+ years ago - was one of the comfiest bikes I'd ever been on. Not sure if it's my age or the bike, but this doesn't seem to be working.
I'm not really asking for advice or decisions, so much as a different viewpoint.
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If the glove don't fit, you must quit...
Sounds like this bike was a wrong choice from the beginning, it's time to move on and start enjoying motorcycling once more! Good luck to you!
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Like Tom said.....and give the VStrom a look. ;)
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Voyager is a nice bike for an old man...at least that's what my wife kept saying to me while I owned one. Ride is pretty comfortable and the bike is reliable. No performance at all, unfortunately, with it.
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That's pretty much what I came up with on it. A nice smooth ride with nice smooth power. Not the kick-in-the-pants I get when twisting the throttle on the Conc. Although I have to say, it would have been nice to have this weekend. The wife can't ride on the Conc (back issues) and the weather was great. Thats one more reason the Voyager would work, but I'm still not feeling the love I guess.
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If the glove don't fit, you must quit...
Sounds like this bike was a wrong choice from the beginning, it's time to move on and start enjoying motorcycling once more! Good luck to you!
uh-huh but the saying was "If it (the glove) doesn't fit, you must acquit"
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GL1800... real nice smooth ride, throne for the Queen... with a bit more kick in the pants. 8)
If that's out of the budget, see if you can find a Valk. ;)
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The only way to get higher bars now would be to get a tubular bar adaptor, ne bars, which might also mean new cables and hoses.
In case that's still an option you are considering, you really only need to get a longer brake line unless you have some super long / high miniape bars. I've done 2 different Storz with 7/8" bar conversions and only really needed a longer brake line down to the splitter.
You can reroute all electrical, choke and throttle calbes to gain a lot of additional slack. The hydraulic clutch line can be bent (carefully) to provide a lot of slack as well.
This worked great for me, as my initial thoughts on changing bars meant hundres of dollars for longer cables and lines. I did it for $115 for Storz adapter (used), $60 for a dual braided line kit for front brakes, and $20 for 4 different 7/8" bars from a salvage yard. Not cheap but not hundreds of dollars either. It made my C10 a serious long distance option for me. Before, not so much.
Of course there was the seat, lowered pegs and windshield change as well to go with it.
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I have a possible solution. Post up a Ride To Eat, both here and over on COG-online forum. Throw out the incentive of a free lunch to the person that has the most comfortable bike, you being the judge. Most of us are frugal enough to think about riding 500 miles for a free lunch.
Aside from that, do some reading on vibration attenuation, loose motor mounts? It's surprising how much one or two irritants can make things really ugly in different areas of the rider. A 45 mile commute shouldn't be killing you, obviously.
I use an "homemade"(a one-off from SiSF) adapter to mount a set of Yamaha ATV bars. Most folks that sit on my bike really like the new ergos. New brake and choke lines/cable. Throttle, electrical and clutch were tight, but it worked.
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uh-huh but the saying was "If it (the glove) doesn't fit, you must acquit"
Sorry, I must have sneezed while typing... 8)
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Yeah, and 1800 would be the solution, but it is out of the budget at the moment. I've owned a Valk before, and it's a great bike, but I'd need to find an Interstate model for the wife's comfort.
Good to know most of the cables can be re-routed, for the moment that looks like the way to go. Thanks for the info.
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I have a possible solution. Post up a Ride To Eat, both here and over on COG-online forum. Throw out the incentive of a free lunch to the person that has the most comfortable bike, you being the judge. Most of us are frugal enough to think about riding 500 miles for a free lunch.
I'd do that for a beer and a free lunch and that's with using premium fuel as well. Which reminds me, I think I need to throw a ZG/GTR barbeque this summer at some point.