Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: dgshaffer on December 05, 2011, 05:28:55 AM
-
Yesterday I planned a ride on my new 14 with a friend since it was supposed to be in the high 50's. I left the house in the low 30's and it peaked to about 50 by mid day but hovered near 40 for most of the ride. This was my third ride but it only had 152 miles on it as of this ride.
I'm coming off of a BMW K1300GT so I'm comparing my experience to that. I'm pretty happy in that my experience putting it through it's paces is very positive. The only critique I had after the first 150 miles was in the cornering. It has the Batlax tires on it and they weren't scrubbed in yet so I assumed that was the issue there. To my delight, it started getting better and better throughout the day to the point where it was handling just as my GT had. I'll be doing another track day this spring on a set of PR2's or 3's that will be the real test.
It's actually more comfortable on the stock seat than the GT was and the riding position is near identical so it fits me very well. The power is as good if not better as I tend to hang out at 6,000 to 7,000 RPM trying to keep in mind that I'm still breaking it in. I can't wait to open it up to see what it really has!
I miss my cruise control as the Connie seems to have a heavier throttle than the GT, another Throttle meister my be ordered soon. I ran those on my RT's and they worked just fine to give my wrist a break.
I'm happy in that out of the sport touring bikes I considered, I made the best choice for me. The new final drive is installed on the GT so now that can be sold in the spring without any regrets.
-
Till you get a Throttle Meister try one of these Throttle Rockers. I have both and the TR works great for giving your wrist a rest.
http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=39&products_id=146 (http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=39&products_id=146)
-
A friend of mine had one on his FJR. It looked to me like it might get in the way. Do you really find it works as well as they say?
-
A friend of mine had one on his FJR. It looked to me like it might get in the way. Do you really find it works as well as they say?
i used mine for 5 minutes and threw it away at the gas station. Just couldn't get with it. felt too unsafe as it kept getting in my way. Prolly just me. Conrad likes so must work for some, and not others.
-
I hated the throttle rocker also so I bought a GO Cruise throttle lock and it gives me enough time to shake out my hand or loosen my grip enough to rest. It isn't nearly as good as a real cruise control, but for $20 I am very happy.
-
I had the same opinion by just looking at it. I doubt I'll go that route but thank anyway for the suggestion. You never know.
-
Personal experience, but I had a Throttle Rocker and the first time it slipped on the grip without me noticing and I entered a corner, let off the throttle and the Throttle Rocker left some throttle on..........I removed it. Actually I removed it within the next mile. I consider it a safety risk.
The Throttlemeister is a nice product, but I personally like being in control of the throttle. I can count on one hand, the number of times per year that I use it. Of course there are more curves than straights in my area of riding. ;)
-
A friend of mine had one on his FJR. It looked to me like it might get in the way. Do you really find it works as well as they say?
Some like it and some don't. I love it actually. I have it mounted on the extreme outside of the grip and I've never had a problem with it. I leave it on the bike all the time.
-
Personal experience, but I had a Throttle Rocker and the first time it slipped on the grip without me noticing and I entered a corner, let off the throttle and the Throttle Rocker left some throttle on..........I removed it. Actually I removed it within the next mile. I consider it a safety risk.
I'm not following, how did the Rocker keep the throttle on? It's not a lock so unless you're hand or wrist is pressing on it, it can't hold the throttle open. Unless you have it installed incorrectly.
-
I currently have a Go Cruise and Throttle Meister on my bike - the Go Cruise makes setting the Throttle Meister easier. I found the Go Cruise to be ineffective by itself. I hardly use either of them. Of my 11.5K miles this year, probably have used them for 50 miles.
I have Throttle Rocker as well, but do not use it because it tends to get in the way
Ride Safe.
-
T Meister all the way, I commute 80 miles a day, I even use it during rush hour, I just dont lock her down. I used the same TM I had on my RT! I didn't mind the rocker, but it didnt meet my needs, I was always fiddling with it to find that magic spot. I have fairly large hands, i couldnt get the rocker far enough away so I always ended up rolling it over, just to begin the hunt all over again. I even use it when we have our twice a year Advanced Street Skills at Pacific Raceways, hand signals are important, the TM frees up both hands, pointing at one shoulder would be confusing, tapping both gives them a clear idea, then of course at the next corner I show them with an exagerated shift. I would say after the Baker Hand Wings my T Meister is my second fav farkle.
-
I currently have a Go Cruise and Throttle Meister on my bike - the Go Cruise makes setting the Throttle Meister easier. I found the Go Cruise to be ineffective by itself. I hardly use either of them. Of my 11.5K miles this year, probably have used them for 50 miles.
I have Throttle Rocker as well, but do not use it because it tends to get in the way
Ride Safe.
good idea....
I use the crampbuster all the time at work as I am on the motor all day. I have a tendinitis in my right thumb and it really helps. I use it on trips along with a Throttle Meister but take it off when riding twisties especially with jackets or sleeves that can catch the ends.
-
A friend of mine had one on his FJR. It looked to me like it might get in the way. Do you really find it works as well as they say?
We have previous threads about it. They do work, and it is even comfortable, but they can also be super-scary at times (from being in the way, especially in a panic). I choose to not have it on the throttle MOST of the time. Thankfully, once I installed Phil's wedges, almost all my hand problems went away and I don't have the need to have grip assistance anymore. :)
-
Count me as another happy user of the Go Cruise, except when I bought it, it was $15, not $20. As long as you use it knowing that it's not a cruise control device, just a throttle hold, it works as advertised and is great for giving your hand and wrist a break.
A comment on your experience with the tires: they are going to give you better performance at 50 degrees than 30 every time. I know some very experienced motorcyclists who avoid riding at temperatures below freezing, due to the poor sticking component of the tires at those temperatures. In fact, my dealer/mechanic won't let his techs test-drive bikes in those conditions. He'll work on bikes all winter long, but the road tests wait until the ambient temperature rises.
-
I'm looking more towards the Throttle Meister since I had one on all of my RT's and used it on almost every ride. Cruise control is nice but not really necessary as I tend to gravitate towards twistier routes and avoid highways like the plague.
Do you have the riser blocks or just the wedges? I'm not sire I would like a higher bar but a little closer would be good.
My comments on the tires were from the first two days of riding where the ambient temperature was above 60 and they were up to temp. Although, they weren't scrubbed in.
I didn't push the bike until later in the day where this post comes from. At that time they had about 250 miles on them and were beginning to hold to a point where I could get a better sense of the handling characteristics of the Connie itself. It was then that I could better compare my new Connie against my GT.
-
I'm looking more towards the Throttle Meister since I had one on all of my RT's and used it on almost every ride.
TM here too! :thumbs:
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=1098.msg10403#msg10403 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=1098.msg10403#msg10403)
-
The new final drive is installed on the GT so now that can be sold in the spring without any regrets.
So these final drive failures on BMW bikes are quite common from what I hear. What exactly happened and at what mileage? What was the cost of repairs? Did warranty pick up the tab?
-
Do you have the riser blocks or just the wedges? I'm not sire I would like a higher bar but a little closer would be good.
I have both risers AND wedges. But you can run the wedges alone to change the angles without a drastic rise. Amazing what a little angle can do. http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=4027 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=4027)
-
I had an RT with cruise control and didn't get much chance of using it for sustained periods, at least not with my driving style (a bit agressive, but not idiot-like agressive... hopefully :o).
Anyway, the Go Cruise on the C14 is just the ticket for me. It keeps the throttle good enough where I want it when I want to rest my hand or do the super slab without much variation. And at 17 dollars it's just fine. It also helps me keeping my license. Case in point: every time I drive to Italy I have to go through Austria, aka you've-been-flashed-give-me-your-wallet-land. Invariably, I have to cough way over 100 euros (130 USD) a year with my 5 or 6 tours to the south. This year I went down to 45, and I've been driving more than ever. :chugbeer:
-
So these final drive failures on BMW bikes are quite common from what I hear. What exactly happened and at what mileage? What was the cost of repairs? Did warranty pick up the tab?
It's about a $2100.00 repair. I caught this one inside of the warranty by 5 months. It had just under 17k on it. My RT had 28k on it but it was outside the warranty so I ate that one.
In both cases the crown bearing (large inside) failed and that takes out everything else. I'm told I ride hard so maybe they can't handle the stress :D
Ask someone that's in love with the brand and they'll tell you it's rare and that they don't know anyone it has happened to (then ask them about the cam chain tensioner). Ask the guys that it's happened to and through their research you see that it's all too common.
-
I'll be doing another track day this spring on a set of PR2's or 3's that will be the real test.
I did two track days this year on my PR3's and loved them. While I'm no seasoned boy racer, they handled very well and although I rode rim to rim I never felt like I lacked traction/feel.
If your interested search for the vid's I posted or I can re-post the links.
-
I watched your video the other day, you handled yourself pretty well I'd say. I'm registering for another day in April to get ready form my annual trip to the Smokey Mountains in May! :D
-
I installed Angel's ST at about 3000 miles and wrote Kawasaki a terse letter about how poor a choice the Brickstones were for this bike. The handling change is amazing. I liked my bike before, I just LOVE the handling now. If the Michelens are half as good as I hear I might try them the set after next, but since I'm getting approx. 12k on a set (and I change early) I really don't see a burning desire to pay more for perhaps a few more miles when these feel so great and look good too!
-
I use the throttle rocker on the interstate on sport bikes whenever I'm going over 40 minute trip. I avoid it like the plague knee dragging in the twisties or track days. So simple to pop on and off.
Throttlemeister on my Connie for >47,000 miles now, that product is AWESOME, thanks to the sport-touring gooroos on this forum for turning me onto it
-
I put a TM on the Connie before my last trip and it works as well now as it did on my RT's
-
I had factory cruise on my RT, and I really miss that. In my mind, a Throttlemeister is the only way I'd go short of a Rostra retrofit.
I think the final drive design of the C14 is far better than the BMW final drive. Even changing the fluid is far easier. I had to unbolt the muffler, remove the rear wheel and partially dismantle the final drive on the RT to change the oil. On the C14 nothing has to be removed, and it's a piece of cake to do while you're already doing an oil change.
One thing about the Beemer though - I'm not sure if the GT's windshield is the same as the RT's, but it did offer better wind and rain protection than the C14 windshield does.