Why is the C14 so wonderful?

[jorge_]

^-^, I'm Jorge. I live in Mexico, and currently own a 2005 R1200RT, approaching 200,000 miles.

I realize that there's a good chance in the next year or so, it may no longer be economically feasible to keep my R1200RT on the road. It's going to need shocks, and possibly some driveline and motor work. All in, I am probably talking $7,000 to do the work properly, and the bike would likely only sell for $3,500 or $4,000.

I do not want this to be a BMW vs Kawasaki thread, but instead, a "What makes the C14" so wonderful thread? Granted, the C14 is $6,000 less than a new BMW R1200RT, but I read time and time again that it is every bit the bike that the R1200RT is, and then some. So, why is this, and what makes that so?

My typical use of the bike is 200-500 mile days, about 40,000 miles per year. The 3 year, unlimited mileage warranty is very attractive to me. Something very  8) about having a three year old motorcycle, with 120,000 miles on it just be coming out of warranty. Do the C14 riders on here detect any problem using the motorcycle for these kinds of trips? And lastly, is there any indication of the 2013 model having cruise control? I would sure like that!

Thank you and Merry Christmas.

Jorge

 

[3greens]

its just plain and simple, its the best bike out  there for price and the riding experience, ok it has its small problems  but mine is  just  a joy to ride

 

[Cap'n Bob]

The C14, like a lot of the sport tours are all pretty much excellent bikes. They all have there pluses and minuses. But what works for one person, may not work for the next person. I suggest trying one out if you can. You may love it, or hate it. The fact is that it's definitely more aggressive than an RT. But if you are comfortable on it. The C14 is an excellent bike. Sure it could have a problem now and then. But you can say that about every bike.
The C14 does have the one big advantage of a three year unlimited warranty. And that can be extended if you buy the extended warranty before the original factory warranty runs out. Which is nice to have when you ride 40,000 miles a year. All in all the C14 is a great bike worth checking out. If it fits you, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

 

[BJ_CT]

It's the folks that ride them. :beerchug:

 

[mnofpeace]

Being new to the Connie 14 myself...i have found that this is a 'best of both worlds' bike...my previous street bike was an R6.

with the C14:
from the tank down, its a sport bike, able to take anything twisty or speedy that you can throw at it.  As an aging sportbike guy, i love this.  The suspension is ready for whatever, and it wont throw jolts of pavement imperfections up your spine.

from the tank up, its a comfortable tourer/commuter/daily driver/everyday bike.  It covers all of these tasks with relative ease.

With the adjustable windscreen, and aftermarket farkles, it can take you thru any weather that isnt warm & sunny and shield you from the discomfort very well.

With the silky smooth power of a ZX14, it can handle any freeway-long haul-passing-two up-bike hauling duties without any performance loss at all.

unless you are shorter than 5-8 or so, it will fit most riders from that size up through 6-5 or more...add a few aftermarket adjustments, and it can go beyond.

With said farkles, you can personalize and tailor the bike to your comfort level, for your own amusement, for your own tastes, and for your own needs.

Finally, IMHO, it just looks better than the competition...it looks sporty to give you cred from the sportbikers, with the panniers off it looks fast without looking like a wanna-be, with the panniers on it looks touristy to give you cred from the BMW sect, and with the wonderful colors given, it looks like a true adult motorcycle.

As said by my esteemed colleague previously, does it have a few 'flaws', sure.  Do the 08-09s have the heat issue on the ankles, yes...but thats a cheap fix.  Are the stock seat and windscreens a little too "insert your adjective here", sure...those are one purchase-fix away from making the bike perfect for you.  Personally, i havnt found any of these to be a problem for me.

Watching the motorcyclistonline.com review of the Connie vs. the new BMW K16...they made a great point.  is the BMW better, yes, it surely is.  But is it 10-12K better, not at all.  The Connie is a wonderful bike, and for the price of admission, you can buy whatever you want to make it more personal to you, and you can give it whatever amenity that you think it needs that the competition already has, and still keep thousands in your pocket.  I didnt buy mine for that reason, but i truely understand.

Go ahead, try and find a way to ride one, and measure that to what you already know about the other bikes that you are considering.  And you may find yourself in with the rest of us.  C14 addicts.

 

[norm9688]

^-^, I'm Jorge. I live in Mexico, and currently own a 2005 R1200RT, approaching 200,000 miles.

"What makes the C14" so wonderful thread?

COG !!!! 

 

[razorsedge]

Re: Why is the C14 so wonderful? . .  I want to clarify and reword my statement about Harley's. I don't have anything personally against Harley's or their owners. Each to his own. If it makes you happy, than that's all that matters. MY experience with Harley was less than desirable . In all honesty, I alone chose the WRONG bike for me. Im VERY happy with the C14 . So no offence to anyone that owns a Harley.
I just wouldn't own one myself.

 

[Kawcon14rider]

KIPASS

 

[Gypsy JR]

I rode several 2012 Harley touring models, a BMW K-1600 GTL, and a couple other not worth mentioning. All in the process of deciding what bike to buy.

Then I rode the 2011 C14, and realized it felt a lot like my ZX14, just a bit heavier. But every bit as stable, and with almost as much handling ability.

For the money, you cannot buy a better Sport Touring motorcycle.

Those that have seen my ZX14 know it is a very competent sport touring machine, but it cost me over $12,000 extra to get it to that point.

I should have purchased a C14 to begin with. Hopefully in January I can fix that mistake.

 

[Bourne2Ride]

Since I don't' have the space for multiple bikes. The Super Sport Touring category fits my needs perfectly. I get to have fun in the twisties, I can tour long distances in comfort, and the bike has the balls to pass anything on the interstate with ease (even two up). In a perfect world, I'd have a sport bike, cruiser, and a tourer. The Super Sport Touring category combines most of the properties I desire, and the Kawasaki Concours 14 was the class of the field when I purchased mine.

That, to me, is why the Concours 14 is so wonderful.

 

[jagman]

I rode several 2012 Harley touring models, a BMW K-1600 GTL, and a couple other not worth mentioning. All in the process of deciding what bike to buy.

Then I rode the 2011 C14, and realized it felt a lot like my ZX14, just a bit heavier. But every bit as stable, and with almost as much handling ability.

For the money, you cannot buy a better Sport Touring motorcycle.

Those that have seen my ZX14 know it is a very competent sport touring machine, but it cost me over $12,000 extra to get it to that point.

I should have purchased a C14 to begin with. Hopefully in January I can fix that mistake.

I loved my C14 and it delivered on almost everything I was looking for except handling.  Even with Mich PR3's I would never go so far as to say that is has "amost as much handling ability" as a ZX-14.  Granted I now have a another brand for my sport touring needs, but I did also purchase a 12 ZX-14R and after a 120 mile backroad ride today, I really would say that the Connie has 50% of the handling capabilities mostly due to the very heavy steering and turn in.  It's a great touring bike and does have some sport bike DNA and is not a bad handler by any means, but for me it always felt VERY heavy regarding steering and handling to keep it from ever making it the kind of handler I was looking for.

 

[Jdmitchell]

$339 will ensure that you can ride worry free for six years (or 240,000+ miles).  ;D

My dad has ridden a R1200 and he said there was no comparision between the two bikes.  In the BMW's defense it was stock compared to my C14 that has a PCV and the flies pulled with a full Muzzy exhaust and a Penske shock.  He said the BMW was slightly more touring oriented due to the position of the pegs and controls, but the sport area was dominated by the smooth power of the C14. 

The reason I went with a C14 was because it is the best value for my money.  Sure there are bikes out there that can tour better OR sport better.  But the list of bikes that can tour AND sport better than the C14 is pretty thin and IMO there isn't a single bike on the market that can do it for even close to the price of a C14.  just my two cents.

 

[Gypsy JR]

I rode several 2012 Harley touring models, a BMW K-1600 GTL, and a couple other not worth mentioning. All in the process of deciding what bike to buy.

Then I rode the 2011 C14, and realized it felt a lot like my ZX14, just a bit heavier. But every bit as stable, and with almost as much handling ability.

For the money, you cannot buy a better Sport Touring motorcycle.

Those that have seen my ZX14 know it is a very competent sport touring machine, but it cost me over $12,000 extra to get it to that point.

I should have purchased a C14 to begin with. Hopefully in January I can fix that mistake.

I loved my C14 and it delivered on almost everything I was looking for except handling.  Even with Mich PR3's I would never go so far as to say that is has "amost as much handling ability" as a ZX-14.  Granted I now have a another brand for my sport touring needs, but I did also purchase a 12 ZX-14R and after a 120 mile backroad ride today, I really would say that the Connie has 50% of the handling capabilities mostly due to the very heavy steering and turn in.  It's a great touring bike and does have some sport bike DNA and is not a bad handler by any means, but for me it always felt VERY heavy regarding steering and handling to keep it from ever making it the kind of handler I was looking for.

I don't know, I didn't notice it all that much ("heavy") when I rode the 2011 C14.

Sure it is not as nimble as my ZX14 (which btw has more horsepower and is lighter than your 2012 ZX14 -  ) but if you have ever ridden a Street Glide or the K-1600 they aren't lightweights, either, especially on price tags.

 

[rcannon409]

I went in the shop for a zx14 or a zx10 and left with my c14 abs.  The c14 is a good balance of comfort and performance.  It does steer more heavily than a dedicated sport bike, but delivers much more comfort.

It took a few thousand miles to adapt, but the other bikes rarely leave the garage now.  They steer lighter, but dont have the brakes or wind protection the c14 has.  Obviously, I would like to find the original designed of the bike and beat him with the stock windshield, though.

 

[jagman]

I rode several 2012 Harley touring models, a BMW K-1600 GTL, and a couple other not worth mentioning. All in the process of deciding what bike to buy.

Then I rode the 2011 C14, and realized it felt a lot like my ZX14, just a bit heavier. But every bit as stable, and with almost as much handling ability.

For the money, you cannot buy a better Sport Touring motorcycle.

Those that have seen my ZX14 know it is a very competent sport touring machine, but it cost me over $12,000 extra to get it to that point.

I should have purchased a C14 to begin with. Hopefully in January I can fix that mistake.

I loved my C14 and it delivered on almost everything I was looking for except handling.  Even with Mich PR3's I would never go so far as to say that is has "amost as much handling ability" as a ZX-14.  Granted I now have a another brand for my sport touring needs, but I did also purchase a 12 ZX-14R and after a 120 mile backroad ride today, I really would say that the Connie has 50% of the handling capabilities mostly due to the very heavy steering and turn in.  It's a great touring bike and does have some sport bike DNA and is not a bad handler by any means, but for me it always felt VERY heavy regarding steering and handling to keep it from ever making it the kind of handler I was looking for.

I don't know, I didn't notice it all that much ("heavy") when I rode the 2011 C14.

Sure it is not as nimble as my ZX14 (which btw has more horsepower and is lighter than your 2012 ZX14 -  ) but if you have ever ridden a Street Glide or the K-1600 they aren't lightweights, either, especially on price tags.

You must have some serious mods to your pre 2012 zx14 to out brute  a 90 cc increase in motors (1352/1441), cause every test I've seen to date is smoking the non 2012 R ZX bikes but thats another story I suppose.  Both are faster than they need to be :truce:
BTW I've ridden both the Street Glide and currently also own a BMW K1600 GT, (it possibly has the lightest and most neutral steering AND handling of all of them.)

 

[Gypsy JR]

Yes, the low speed steering on the K-1600 is beautiful, I agree. But she is no lightweight. I almost bought one too, all I had to do was sign the purchase agreement and loan agreement and I would have ridden away with it.

Until I realized I could buy a C14 and spend the price difference on cool farkles and be a lot happier.

My ZX14 is all carbon fiber (ALL) cowling with cf hugger and ZX10 cf fender on front, all stainless braided hoses (2-line fronts too). It has, of course, Brock's CT-Duals and a piggy with the accelerator pump enabled and tuned. Mid-range velocity stacks. Dynojet ignition module with tuned map. With 89 octane pump gas (what it is tuned for) it makes at least as much horsepower as a stock 2012 ZX14 and is lighter. QED faster. 

The 1/4 mile numbers for the stock 2012 are not particularly impressive, either.

But I do very much agree, both pre-2012 and 2012 are more motorcycle than we can operate at 100% capability. Heck, so is a Ninja 650R.

I will say this, for a stock bike, if you get rid of that ugly exhaust system, the 2012 ZX14 is beautiful and word from the ZX14 forum is they run fantastic.