Kawasaki Concours Forum

The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: Conair on December 14, 2015, 05:06:11 PM

Title: Traction Control
Post by: Conair on December 14, 2015, 05:06:11 PM
New Owner Question,Will traction control affect gas mileage ?
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: harry76 on December 14, 2015, 06:35:43 PM
I do not believe it would affect mileage unless you were spinning your tires a lot on takeoff.
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: Conair on December 14, 2015, 07:34:06 PM
Seems like it would not be necessary to use it all the time except in rain and curves. Seems like it comes on automatically every time you start down the road and if you dont want it on you turn it off,if I understand the owners manual correctly.   
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: zarticus on December 14, 2015, 07:47:37 PM
No reason to shut it off, It will work when you need it !
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: Conair on December 14, 2015, 07:54:53 PM
So it automatically is on when you take off? and you have to manually disable it? Sorry this is my first high tech bike,  ::)
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: Conair on December 14, 2015, 08:01:47 PM
Seems like theirs so much info on the dash,owners manual seems a little intimidating!
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: zarticus on December 14, 2015, 08:30:18 PM
It is automatically on when you turn on the ignition, You deactivate with the switch/button. The yellow light will stay on when it is manually turned off.
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: tonedeaf1 on December 14, 2015, 08:37:33 PM
On is the default. You need to press one of the orange buttons to disable it. It will revert to engaged every time you start.

If you want to get a feel for what it does in a relatively safe situation, go for a ride on a gravel road -- it can be a pretty good gravel road. Carefully try to spin the rear wheel as you accelerate from a stop (you won't be able to do it). Once you get used to that, try giving it a little more gas that you ordinarily would on a shallow turn, again you will be very unlikely to get any kind of slip or wheel spin. I suspect you will be impressed.
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: maxtog on December 14, 2015, 09:20:32 PM
There is little reason to ever turn it off unless you WANT to lose traction/have wheel spin for some reason.  I, for one, don't ever want that :)  This is why it defaults to being "on" every time you start the bike.
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: bob h on December 14, 2015, 09:28:15 PM
Once upon a time, "real" photographers looked down on those "new fangled" automatic exposure cameras.  At least till the really good ones realized that those built in aids freed them to focus on the more important aspects of photography.  I think electronic rider aids are at that same point now.
JMO!
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: Conair on December 15, 2015, 03:15:48 AM
There is little reason to ever turn it off unless you WANT to lose traction/have wheel spin for some reason.  I, for one, don't ever want that :)  This is why it defaults to being "on" every time you start the bike.
Thanks max,hear in Kentucky weathers going to provide fewer riding times,but Ill get it down,whole new monkey from the Electra Glide for sure, love it though!! :)
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: jimmymac on December 15, 2015, 07:15:21 AM
I love sliding my Connie around. On the gas, and the brakes. I'm really comfy on that thing.
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: KevinRLi on December 15, 2015, 10:57:20 AM
There is another reason to turn the traction control off. While approaching a red light a few weeks back the light turned green, I got back on the throttle, my front end started to rise just a bit and bam! Traction control kicked in and robbed me of that little 3 inch wheelie! Yeah I turn it off on nice clear dry days. It senses traction on BOTH wheels not just the back. So for you guys that ride the SPORTtouring bike keep that in mind. For the sportTOURING riders out there keep it on :)
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: Rhino on December 15, 2015, 12:36:32 PM
So it automatically is on when you take off? and you have to manually disable it? Sorry this is my first high tech bike,  ::)

It's automatically on but doesn't kick in unless the rear tire is spinning faster than your front tire. On good dry pavement you have to launch pretty aggressively to make this happen either by tire spin or pulling the front up. Of course on wet/sandy/gravel/dirt roads this can happen easily. But the solution is to go easier on the throttle. Or turn it off when you want to launch hard.
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: elp_jc on December 18, 2015, 05:51:30 PM
For those newbies, just don't confuse the rudimentary TC on this bike with the much more sophisticated 'cornering' stability control/ABS BOSCH systems available in some newer bikes that can save your bacon in a curve. This bike can't. Oh, and it doesn't have wheelie control either... although TC can work as such on this heavy, long bike.
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: T Cro ® on December 18, 2015, 06:22:18 PM
... much more sophisticated 'cornering' stability control/ABS BOSCH systems available in some newer bikes that can save your bacon in a curve...

Good lord I had no idea bikes had advanced to that degree!
Which bikes are running such wizardry?
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: VirginiaJim on December 19, 2015, 06:07:40 AM
Darnit, T!  You took the words right out of my mouth!
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: T Cro ® on December 19, 2015, 06:15:26 AM
Darnit, T!  You took the words right out of my mouth!

Could have been worse... I could have taken your martini....
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: Sgt Mac on December 19, 2015, 06:56:08 AM
Good lord I had no idea bikes had advanced to that degree!
Which bikes are running such wizardry?

http://www.sportrider.com/sportbike-news/bosch-introduces-motorcycle-stability-control (http://www.sportrider.com/sportbike-news/bosch-introduces-motorcycle-stability-control)

http://youtu.be/2h9MVbkpLZQ (http://youtu.be/2h9MVbkpLZQ)
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: VirginiaJim on December 19, 2015, 08:50:54 AM
No such thing as an 'uncrashable bike'.

Could have been worse... I could have taken your martini....

I would gladly give it to you in an emergency.
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: Conair on December 22, 2015, 04:28:58 PM
Could have used that when I did 12,000 worth of damage,old bag crossed double yellow ran me and wife off road at about 50mph no damage to us.She got failure to yeild to oncoming traffic,wanted to kick her wrinkly ars..... >:(
Title: Re: Traction Control
Post by: elp_jc on December 25, 2015, 02:07:11 AM
Which bikes are running such wizardry?
As far as sport-tourers, seems like only the adventure-type bikes, like KTM 1290 super duke GT, BMW S1000XR, and Ducati Multistrada. Surprisingly, BMW 'normal' sport-tourers (K1600GT and R1200RT) still don't have it, at least to my knowledge. The clip above only shows its braking advantage. You can literally hold the throtle wide open on a curve, and the bike will accelerate the hardest possible without crashing you, just like a motoGP bike. You also have multiple wheelie levels, like 1" off the ground, of more if you like, while still being safe. And stoppie control too. It has several very sophisticated sensors, that know exactly what the bike is doing. Practically all top-line sport bikes have it now. Hopefully the new Connie will at least offer it as an option.