Buying the 2009 Concours

[M]

Iam 42 years old & have been riding dirt bikes & crotch rockets since   1977.I have recently had cortisone injections deep into the joints in my   elbows on both arms & iam tired of that kind of pain to ride a fast bike!    Today i went to a dealer to see the 08 Concours & told the salesman if   he starts it up for me i would buy a 09 Black Concours with some add   ons like the gel seat & risers for the handlebars . When he started this   beast up it was quiet & purred like a kitten, but when i twisted the   throttle to hear it, OMG does this bike sound wicked & responsive I was   sold instantly... I was aiming for a Harley for 09 , but after hearing this   baby & sitting on it , it made me think iam not ready for the two   wheeled tractor yet ...So basically iam a bike fanatic & always been one   & if anyone can tell me how they like the C-14 I would like to hear   some comments , also ive heard about the heat to the legs & that is my   biggest concern. I would like to know if that the heat is as bad as some   people say it is , i would like to know, hope to hear from you soon

[Animal6814]

I guess that heat is somewhat relative.....in Sacramento when the temp is over 105....yeah the right side can get warm! Mesh gear over Levis provides some help. I have lived with it (going fast seems to help:p) and may look at doing some further insulation. I think Fred Harmon has done a write up on this.  

[Charles W. (Chuck)_Hoefflin_IN]

M,    +1 on the heat issue.  If I get caught in heavy, stop/go traffic on a hot day, I can feel some heat when the fans kick on.  I think that's normal and I accept it as part of riding.  However, when I'm moving, even with my Roadcrafter riding suit and riding boots, I really don't feel any significant heat.    Hope this helps.  

[Brett0769]

I have an '06 Concours not a 14, but the heat issue is talked about on it too. If you're in stop and go traffic, it gets warm around your legs, but if you're wearing the proper gear it's not bad. If you're just in jeans it feels like someone's blowing on your shin with a hair dryer. If you're moving at highway speeds you'll barely notice it if at all, if it's under 60 degrees but more than 45 your legs will feel nice and toasty in comparison to your upper arms and chest.     I have baker air wings on mine that can direct wind onto my legs at speed to counter the heat or alternately direct the wind away from my legs to take advantage of the heat when it's cool. I think it's just a characteristic of the bike but it's not the evil it's made out to be. Opinions vary on such things though, you have a lot of experience with them, especially dirt bikes which are known for getting hot, so I think you'll discover it's really a non-issue.     I have to throw this in, both Concours are built off of a sport bike. The C-14 is a beefy framed ZX1400. I was looking at a pair of ZX1400s at the dealership with their wicked spider eyes and admiring them when the salesman said, 'The insurance companies classify it as a sport tourer'. I broke out laughing when he said that. The C-14 is a sport tourer to be sure, it's beefed up for carrying a load, the seating position is more upright, etc., but the ZX1400 is a rocket and 'touring' was nowhere near anybody's mind when it was being developed. What he said may be true, in that insurance companies don't call it what it is, but calling it one doesn't make it a tourer. I'd hate to have to do 1000 miles on it, unless maybe I was doing them at 130+mph.      

[MAN OF BLUES]

I owned an 86 Conni for 4 years prior to now, been on my C14 for over a year now, and will say that if you ride in jeans, low top boots, or mesh pants with shorts under, heat may be an issue, but no more than any other S/T machine today. I wear a 2 piece roadcrafter, shin high riding boots, and really don't feel or have issue with heat, even in slow or stopped traffic, as I am putting my feet down frequently. On the road, it is nonexistant to me.  It is truely an amazing machine, glad I bought it.    Rich Riczinger  COG 5977  Tech Editor,The Concourier  

[Mighty Joe Young]

I agree that with proper riding apparel the heat is not an issue . The C-14 is a great Bike . Sweet ride .  

[Northwest10]

I had a 2000 Concours for seven years before switching to my '08 C14.  About the only thing I wish I could change on the C14 is the convective heat coming off the engine and radiator straight into the rider's legs.     When I saw the new C14's larger faring design I thought they must have listened to all the Conny engine heat complaints.  Unfortunately, the faring looks nice, but I think still falls short as far as directing heat away from the rider.  I've been hoping to see some kind of aftermarket product to help extend or deflect the heat but nothing so far.  I'm considering making my own Lexan deflectors to augment the existing faring.      When my brother and I take our annual 2,500 mile fun ride, his Suzuki VStrom's 1,000cc V-2 engine always runs more comfortably cooler than my C14 especially in the warmer southern Idaho, Montana, and Oregon Columbia valley areas.      But would I consider changing bikes for something else with less convective heat?  Nope.  There's no way I can give up my Kawasaki reliability, ABS braking, tire pressure sensors and alarms, adjustable windshield, Keypass system, excellent handling, and break neck acceleration.     Basically, "When I turn on my C14 - it returns the favor."  

[M]

Nice write up & very informative ty, I recently took the 08 14 out for a   test drive & thought i had to see for myself what it is like , & being a   highly experienced rider , iam 42 years old & been driving dirt bikes &   gsx-r's for 30 years . My plan was to open this bike up to the red line   & see for myself what she can do.. I first did a couple slow turns in the   lot to notice any bad handling at low speed & found that this bike was   nothing like most say , like hard to handle , I found it was great &   almost exactly what i expected for a heavy bike , basically easy to   manoevour.Then i took her right to the highway & did not hesitate to   see what she can do. From 5000 RPM to red line in 4th gear , let me   tell you i had to lower the windshield cuz i was afraid of it blowing off   & hitting me , this bike is very fast. She pulled hard right to red line but   around 9 thousand rpm its time to hang on tight ! Anyway it exceeded   my expectations for power , shifting was smooth & great , when i came   to a stop to see about the heat problem , to me i cant understand what   all these people are complaining about . I had biker boots on & jeans &   that little bit of heat that it throws , the bike itself makes up for that ,   so no worries there about heat for me! My only major complaint about   this bike is that my right hand was killing me after i stopped because i   was hanging on so tight when going full throttle!  I will be on a 2009   Black model with the bigger windshield , gel-seat & Oyeah that ugly   baffle has to go , so my bike will have a slip-on , not sure which one   yet but thats about it , maybe matching trunk cuz iam taking off   summer of July 09 to tour Canada & US . I hope by then to hook up with   some of you riders for a coffee along the way , always ride safe & alert..