I stepped out of a Vulcan 1500 that I rode for 10 years and dove into the Concours 14. The Vulcan was awsome - fit like a glove. Responsibilities limited the ride time but when we could break for a weekend, 10 - 12 hour days were not a problem. Not an iron butt kind of guy, just spent alot of time looking for the roads worth the ride. The bike rode well and was a strong performer. Loved it and had no regrets.
The jump to the GTR was a bit of "growing up" and getting a bit serious. The growing up part relates to personal choices. I ditched the beenie and T shirt for Armor and a full lid. Fortunately, none of my saftey gear has ever been tested but I wear it none the less. As for getting a bit serious, I decided the ride was more important than the look.
So here are my perceptions on the jump -
It is a radical difference in the feel. The Vulcan was low and laid back where as the Concours feels a mile high and leaning forward. I spent a great deal of time in parking lots running exercises to get the feel of the bike. Frankly, the lean angles scared me because the Vulcan was never ridden as a sporty bike. 15 -20 minutes of some drills and off for a ride. Time well spent. The Concours is outstanding - powerful and sure footed - bike capabilities exceed rider ability. A few months of short hauls before the weekend getaway helped immensely with the confidence factor. The big question now was how would it be on long rides. I will admit that I was concerned. The Vulcan was a rolling Berk-o-lounger that had been custom fitted over the years. The Concours - a great surprise. It is very comfortable even in the stock config. Make no mistake, a little cutom fitting will only increase the comfot but it is fine off the show room floor (about 30 hours of ride time over 3 days). We swapped bikes during the ride and I got back on a cruser. Found myself grinding the floor pans and running the bike hard to keep up. My bud found it hard not to want to crack the throttle and dive into turns. When the rain hit hard, the Concours sealed the deal. It tracked true, stopped well, and protection was great. the Concours is a great riding machine.
So IMHO, the jump was great and I have no regrets - big change - no regrets. If you make the change, spend some time getting used to the new bike. Sure the HD crowd doesn't think I am very cool but netiher do my teenagers. They just don't see the constant smile under the full face lid.