Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C10, aka Kawasaki Concours - The Original => The Bike - C10 => Topic started by: mcman56 on April 29, 2016, 05:15:09 PM
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Can anyone compare the two? I'm 155 lbs with a 28 inch inseam so size is important. The GSX seems physically a little smaller and should be maybe 100 lbs lighter.
I like the C10s big tank, comfortable seat and big bags. It is also very warm in winter which is great for commuting. However that also makes it too hot in summer. It is heavier and slower steering than I would like, I have emulators and stiffer springs in the forks but they do not instill confidence. How do thee compare to the GSX?
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I had a FZ1 (something similar to the suzuki)great bike light and fast but if you want great weather protection then ZG is the way to go, I too am vertically challenged the ZG is a pig at slow speed but is ok but it gets much better as the speed hits 5 mph but its top heavy till then. MY FZ1 was on the other hand easy to handle at low speed but its wind noise is huge and the wether knocks the crap out of you.
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Not obvious, but you own a Connie?
C10 is nice, but it's based on an 80's era ZX-10 (with bags, a barn door fairing, cush seat, ...), so it's a bit dated.
I'm 5'8" on a good day, 31? inseam. Stock bike since new, but I added emulators and a Progressive shock 10 years back. Connie is a handful at parking lot speeds, and *real* tight curves; but it'll perform with, or better than, any bike out there. The rider is the key though, but you know that.
Bought my bike in Aridzona, rode it there for ?? years. Any perceived heat isn't an issue once rolling. Connie isn't a 'bop down to the store for a smash-pack of suds' bike (other than you can haul 4-6 smash-packs in the bags, with 2-3 on the seat), it excels if the ride is more than 10 miles. (my opinion)
Not sure this is much help in your analysis,
Rick
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I own a 99 Concours and you are right in that once moving at speed it is fine. Two situations make me a bit uncomfortable.
1. Going off pavement - like a bumpy dirt parking lot or on the dirt pull over of a mountain. With the uneven surface, footing gets farther away while the chance of a slip requiring a quick dab to stay up increases.
2. A rush hour freeway panic stop from high speed - not that I have had to try but it seems like a lot of bike to get stopped quickly
In the heat, tried running with the lower fairing pieces off but I'm not sure it helped much
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Can't compare to a GSX but I do have a suggestion for the heat. I use a taller windshield for a long, cool trip in the fall, and a shorter shield for July jaunts.
http://web.ncf.ca/ag136/windshield.htm (http://web.ncf.ca/ag136/windshield.htm)
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I have a 2006 C10, bought used a bunch of years ago and the bike was already lowered. I am 5'9" with a 29/30 inseam and can flatfoot so slow speed and parking is not a big deal. I agree about the heat...once moving, not an issue.
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Just a quick note. The 'wings' which attach to the side fairings, for those of us that run in cooler weather, we often reverse these to channel air away, instead of towards the engine (helps keep the feet warmer). Some people just remove these entirely, for smoother aerodynamics...
If yours are channeling air away from your feet instead of towards them, this might contribute to how warm your feet get when traveling on hot days.
I agree with the above comments. Once moving, yeah heat really isn't an issue. My main issue is how fast I can unzip my riding jacket once I park on warm days (the sun warms it up real quick when I'm not moving). I'm a firm believer in A.T.G.A.T.T.!
Draft protection in cold weather is exceptional. With a pair of grip heaters and appropriate clothing, yeah you are in very good shape. I think you'd have to look to a Goldwing or similar for better cold weather protection. That being said, I now have a 'bike stays parked if temps fall below 40 degrees' rule, thanks to that tiny patch of ice I found the hard way under a bridge one day... The Connie actually does pretty well in sub-freezing temps, once you get it started, but yeah with only two wheels ice can be a real issue.
As for how top heavy Connies are, yeah this can be an issue, and there are times I wish I had a lighter bike. The things are just so damn dependable though, once you sort out the carb and j-box issues!
The side cases are just so roomy to boot - I use my Connie for grocery shopping on a regular basis, and you can get a lot of groceries into those two sidebags (if you are buying for one, at least). Plus, slap the bag of cat/dog food or cereal on the seat behind you, with a couple of bungees to hold it in place, and yeah that about covers my weekly grocery shopping. My 17" laptop (in the backpack I use to carry it) also fits in these cases, so yeah I just LOVE the C-10 side cases. There is a discussion somewhere in this forum about how many cans of beer you can fit into a C-10 side case...
The more 'stylish' cases on the C-14 don't look like they'd carry as much as the C-10 bags, plus with their angular design I don't think my 17" laptop would fit, but I haven't actually popped one open to see.