On the way home from the TT races at Peoria, IL lastnight, I had the opportunity to ride a 2009 C14 for 80 miles. It had an aftermarket Corbin seat on it, a shortened oem muffler and that was it for mods. First off, the thing is astonishingly fast, quick, powerful, etc. It is unbelievable how much more powerful it is. I won't make this a book so I will sum it up rather quickly. The (probably) $400 seat felt like a slab of wood, was not soft at all. I have a first gen. Concours seat on my '01 and it's like a pillow- soft enough while being firm enough not to smash. I weigh 150lbs. fwiw. Another thing, I like the analog (still) gauges on the C14 but the fuel and temp gauges being digital were harder to read than the analog C10's. The fuel-injection was instantaneous and perfectly crisp vs. my not bad carb which needs a min to warm up. The C10 mirrors I think are better placed and are not blocked by the bags. The LED taillight on the C14 is not bright. The C14 falls into corners vs. the C10, obviously because of the lower profile tires. This is something I don't care about since I use the bike to tour and not race. I felt like my rear brake was more powerful but the fronts (non abs model btw) were much more powerful. The suspension on the C14 was more taut and the bike of course was just more refined. Would I trade my rare blue '01 in mint condition that is paid for and can cruise (so far on this tank) 240 miles before needing reserve? Not hardly, but it is a tough decision. It is tempting but I just cannot justify the probably $4000 or more it would take to sell mine and buy a used '08 C14. My C10 is plush, adequate enough in power, is easy to work on, parts are easy to get, blah blah blah. Maybe in a few years I can find it rational to have two Concours in the garage. Did I mention the C14 has a killer electric windscreen?
forgot to mention that the C14 put my right hand to sleep as well- even with a throttle rocker. the hydraulic fluid containers mounted on the bars were plastic on the C14 vs. the metal ones on the C10. And, finally- the bags on the C14 are smaller and painted. You can't just accidentally bump one and touch it up with a sharpie or something. their beautiful finish is just as fragile as the paint on the tank. This is how I analogize my old C10 if you call a ten year old bike old, but it is from the '80s essentially, so.......anyways, it's like a really hot 45 year old milf where the C14 is a really busy, athletic, tight bodied and overly motivated 25-year old.
