Hey everyone, I bought my 2012 Concours a little over a year ago (May 2014) after going 20 years between bikes. My first bike was a Kawasaki EX 500 which I figured out real fast was too small. I went from that to a Kawasaki ZX6 and while owning the ZX6 I bought a Honda Magna which I HATED! It was a great deal so I bought it but rode it a little and sold it because it was a long way from the type of bike I enjoy riding. I sold the ZX6 20 years ago when my wife became pregnant and we bought our house. It took about 5 years before I was bugging my wife for a new bike but she wouldn't budge (gotta love that woman for keeping me grounded)!
Flashback to 2008...I have a friend who was all BMW and was constantly telling me I should buy the RT but then another friend who worked for Kawasaki told me I should check out the newly released Concours. I did and when I first saw the Concours in 2008 I fell in love with it and knew it was the bike I wanted next but between the house and kids I couldn't justify buying one at that time...truth is, I still couldn't convince my wife to let me buy one
.
FINALLY, in May of 2014 I found my Concours on "Cycle Trader" and asked my wife if I could buy it and she said "yes"
! After I picked myself up off the floor from the shock of her giving me the "green light" I called and set up the deal and a week later was riding home on MY Concours! The bike was in San Bernadino which is about 3 hours South of where I live. My wife and 12 year old son drove down with me and our first stop was Chaparral Motorsports to buy my gear (Helmets for my wife and I, SENA Comms for both, pants, jacket, boots and gloves). Many of you live outside of California but if you ever get the chance to go to Chaparral Motorsports...DO IT! That place is awesome!
Bought my gear while surviving "looks of death" from my wife as the amount spent kept increasing
After the shopping we went and bought the bike. I test rode the bike first and I'm going to be honest...I was scared to death, after 20 years, to be on a bike as big as the Concours! It was pretty "sketchy" to say the least
! As scary as it was I loved it and knew I wanted...needed it so I bought it and off we went.
Now, picture this...my wife and son in the car behind me. My son has my wife's helmet on and the comms connected and he's talking to me as I ride and they follow behind. We would stop at lights and people would look at him in the car with a Modular helmet on and laugh...but he didn't care, he thought it was the coolest thing EVER!
Now, I'm going to admit, I was NOT comfortable on the bike for quite some time. I remember being afraid of it's size, how heavy it felt when cornering, and I remember riding down the freeway or through the twisties and squeezing the grips SO tight and being so rigid that rides were uncomfortable...it was terrible! I couldn't get over the thought of this big bike I was on and thinking it was going to fall over every time I tried to push it through any curve. For a long time I had "Maxtog" chicken strips (sorry Maxtog, I still love you but your chicken strips were the only reference I had).
A year into the bike I went on a 5000 mile road trip with my brother and prior to the trip was learning to relax and get more comfortable on the bike but wasn't quite there yet. Keep in mind prior to my road trip that I pretty much commuted back-and-forth to work and did some occasional weekend rides but nothing real long or anything where I pushed it beyond my comfort level with the bike. I still had some doubts on what the bike could do and how hard I could push her.
Day one on my road trip I was riding, about 8 hours in the saddle at this point, and was riding toward Prescott, AZ through the mountains (the twisties) and it wash there that I first scraped pegs...I was shocked and elated at the same time! I had actually pushed the bike to a point I thought it couldn't handle...scraping pegs! Scraping pegs wasn't and still isn't my goal but it was, at that moment, where I realized I didn't have to fear the bike like I did before that. I still respect it but don't fear it. For your info, the twisties going into Prescott are BEAUTIFUL 15-25 mph switchbacks...and lots of them!
I spent the rest of my trip riding through all the twisties on all the passes I could find and had a blast. It was the road trip that allowed me to finally break through and become comfortable on my bike...the big Concours I though was too big and heavy wasn't anymore. It was the perfect bike for me!
I am now comfortable (just added a Baldwin GT seat a month ago and it made a HUGE difference in my comfort level) and confident on my bike BUT I still have full respect for it. I now ride with a very relaxed grip and my body is relaxed and I am cornering faster and with much more confidence than ever before...especially if it's a road I'm familiar with. My "Chicken Strips" are just about to the edge of the tire now. I have my bike setup perfectly for me and love being on it...can't get enough of it! It's AMAZING what a year and time in the saddle can do for someone. I thought for sure that I was sold on buying the Triumph Trophy as my next bike because it handled "lighter" and better and was more comfortable than my bike is. The Trophy is a great bike and is still on the radar but so is a new Concours in about a year. Knowing that I can set the Concours up so it is "all day" comfortable makes choosing the next bike a tough one. I love the Concours and it's power and handling and am completely content on it. Who knows what's next but I am happy with my choice of buying the Concours and could easily move on to another, newer model when the time comes! LOVE the Concours!
