Danny c
Novice Class
Posts: 36
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posted September 10, 2009 08:54 AM
Just got back from a 5 day Colarado trip. Road all secondary roads with lots of twisties and some rain. I have owned a few bikes and the C14 is a fantastic ride. Puts a smile on face everytime I wack the throttle open.
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danny c
  
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FastestBusaAround
Needs a life
I eat Fish...
Posts: 7889
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posted September 11, 2009 02:32 PM
quote:
quote:
I always liked the way the Connie carved, over the ZX...including my ex 2005 10R...go figger...LOL
I like the way the ZX10 wheelies out of 100mph + corners and dances around when you are hard on it.
But I just love the C14 in the twisties. It just isn't fast enough. And the flies won't help me because I ride at over 7k when I dial it up. I need more top end to make it really fun.
Maybe you need a T/C on this puppy..
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FYYFF!!!
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SteveWFL
Moderator
Posts: 27920
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posted September 20, 2009 10:51 AM
FBA, to bait some of these non-riding hero's into this thread to expose themselves as such I have to commend you. Keep up the good work and keep enjoying that awesome handling Connie.
I'm in the western NC mountains for the summer, and some of these Connie riders are proof that the bike handles. But many are cvcksuckers that hold up even the slowest of bikes on the Parkway and twisties. You know the ones at the gas station crying "the bike doesn't handle"
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2010 Concours14
'08 R1 YAMAHA
ZX14 gone!
CBR600RR track bike
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FastestBusaAround
Needs a life
I eat Fish...
Posts: 7889
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posted October 23, 2009 08:20 PM
 Edited By: FastestBusaAround on 24 Oct 2009 04:20
All about the rider Steve - huh? 
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FYYFF!!!
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Laserjock
Parking Attendant
Posts: 1
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posted October 31, 2009 07:52 PM
FastestBusaAround's post
Wow, I just joined this forum and unfortunately the first post I read was FastestBusaAround's poorly worded and self indulgent diatribe. What a disappointment, this will be the first time I've ever used the "ignore" feature of a forum.
-Laserjock-
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2000redrocket
Pro
Posts: 1662
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posted October 31, 2009 08:51 PM
first thing i know is no one will ever win with a person with the BMW love. one can make any point and the bmw will always be worth it to them. kawasaki made a great bike for most people. if it would handle so bad that people think it both falls into turns while at the same time turning hard then the mags would of hated it and not loved it. just let them go.they will not get it or buy one even if you pass them on a turn loaded.
i my self still think it is great to have a shaft and no shaft feel smooth solid bike that i am getting mid to upper 40s for mpg when it is above 70 deg F. for less than 18,000 to 22,000 bucks.
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Tundra Tom
Novice Class
Posts: 68
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posted November 01, 2009 06:49 AM
Most of the "handling issues" are attributed to the stock tires that have an odd wear pattern that appears quickly. Kawasaki did pay attention to this and have an improved version of the Bridgestone tire as stock on the 2010. Kudos to them for paying attention to the surveys we completed.
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"When my time has come, I prefer to be in the Saddle rather than the Recliner"
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FastestBusaAround
Needs a life
I eat Fish...
Posts: 7889
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posted November 05, 2009 03:44 PM
quote:
Wow, I just joined this forum and unfortunately the first post I read was FastestBusaAround's poorly worded and self indulgent diatribe. What a disappointment, this will be the first time I've ever used the "ignore" feature of a forum.
-Laserjock-
Good for you - blow it our you ass...
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FYYFF!!!
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nabrxx
Needs a job
Posts: 2853
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posted November 11, 2009 12:53 PM
I haven't been over in this section for awhile....busy riding, fishing and writing papers for school...I miss this shit...I'll be popping in more often....hey guys dont drop your laptops jumping up to cheer...  ...
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What we don't understand, we can
make mean anything...
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Kumander
Parking Attendant
Posts: 3
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posted May 07, 2012 09:13 PM
This is only my third motorcycle. My other two were cruisers. I lack the experience or expertise of most you, being only a fairly new rider with about four years' experience. I traded in my 1500 cc "touring" cruiser for a 2008 C14 with 11,700 miles on it. I was bored. I needed something better for the highway, as I ride it long distances for work, and I wanted to ride a motorcycle the way they are designed to be ridden. Getting on it for the test ride was a little imposing. I had never ridden a sport bike before. I was sold in the first mile. I can honestly say that it is easier, not harder, to ride than either of my previous cruisers. It is more stable in wind, at slower speeds, at higher speeds, in bad weather, under any condition. Yes, it is heavy, and I have short legs and had to compensate by buying hideous Harley boots because they had thick soles. But, oh what joy it is to ride. I never thought I could love a motorcycle like this. I go in my garage just to look at it when I'm home. I find myself daydreaming about riding it all the time. It is like a religion to me now. Joy, pure joy.
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KumaKahn
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garvin6
Novice Class
us citizen
Posts: 35
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posted May 08, 2012 09:09 AM
I have an '08 concours with 32,000 miles and it rides like a dream, anything passed 3 mph and it handles like a dream. I can confidently take corners at twice the posted speed and know that she will stay exactly on track. I have a timing retard eliminator and blow away my son's hyabusa from 50 to 80 where it really matters, he has to downshift to keep up with my varible timing engine, would not ride anything else especially when two up with my beautiful wife on board.
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Kevin F. Garvin
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Danny c
Novice Class
Posts: 36
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posted May 14, 2012 01:24 PM
Ridden my 08 all around the country and been riding for 40 years. Best overall bike I've ever had. Sorry Motoguzzi sp1000.
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danny c
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Auron
Parking Attendant
Posts: 4
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posted June 20, 2012 03:34 PM
FBA- Boy am I glad I came across your post! I have been agonizing over what to replace my blackbird with. It has been between a highly modified for comfort 14R, or a C14. First off, I have no interest in 100-180 mph runs. Not even full throttle runs. I like to tour and when I do, I hunt down corners like a madman. I enter corners as quickly as I can and powers out nice and easy. My Dad's ST1300 has all the power I'd need. More would be great, but the ST was enough.
The only thing holding me back are these friggin guys that say it's a pig! And it may very well be, but if this bike falls into the corners and holds its line with the front all loaded up nice and sweet, my decision is made. Everything about this bike looks incredible in paper, plus I would be doing a Traxxion job front and rear, ECU reflash etc...can't imagine how good it would be then!
Thank you for tell it like it is. A little blunt, but I don't see anyone arguing with what you are says, just the way you are saying.
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Kumander
Parking Attendant
Posts: 3
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posted June 20, 2012 05:20 PM
Okay, now I have a few miles on my '08 Connie. I just got back from a trip from Boise to Spokane and back in a weekend, about 900 miles. On the way there, I took the mountain roads, not the freeway. The stock seat is pretty good, but my ass still hurts. She was loaded up with camping gear, about 50 pounds worth in the side bags and a dry bag on top. You have to be a little careful where you put her in a campground, but it is not that hard. Just plan ahead. I have never had so much fun. If you have ever gone up the Whitebird grade, you know what I mean when I say that this was the first time I ever had fun going up that grade. Even loaded up, and with a 220 lb rider, she never even breathed hard, and she turned those mountain roads into a funland. Coming home, I was running late, so I took the highway through the Tri-Cities and the Columbia Gorge area. Big mistake in a 45 mph wind storm. I thought the wind was going to just lift me off the road or tear the bars out of my hands at times. I did see another bike blown clear off the road. I would have stopped to help, but there was already a lot of help there. But, now I am more experienced in wind and more confident in my Connie. She never let me down, even when I had to lean hard into the wind and gas it just to stay going straight. After getting out of the Columbia Gorge area, I was able to do a stable 85-90 all the way home, and it was like she was just getting comfortable at that speed. When we got home, it was like we had gone to grocery store, she was just fine, like I had barely tested her. This kind of riding is what she was meant for.
By the way, don't let short legs scare you away from a Connie, or the "heat" issue. The heat bothers me less than on my old cruiser. Honestly, I don't understand what everyone is whining about. Just get some decent boots with sewn soles, and you barely notice it. And, if you have short legs, have a good cobler put a midsole in those boots with a rocker in the toe area so you don't ride your brake. That's what I did to my Alpinestars Scouts, and it works like a dream. Shifting is just as easy from the side as from underneath. I don't ride my brake, and I can confidently reach the ground with a 30 inch inseam. So glad I didn't let my short legs deprive me of the greatest motorcycle I have ever ridden. And take her someplace far away where you can spend some time together on a mountain road. She'll make it worth your while.
I did run into some BMW riders - snobs who had to justify their overly expensive machines by acting superior. Superior to what? Everyone else was pretty cool. Even cops waive to me on my Connie. I also just put a Corbin seat on her - hard as a rock. I think I'll have a local seat guru put some gel in it, but at least then I'll be spending money on a quality seat. Now, it's time for the first valve adjustment. Not so much fun. But, she is so worth it. The only negative is that I can't seem to get my dog to ride in back.
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KumaKahn
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Auron
Parking Attendant
Posts: 4
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posted June 21, 2012 02:54 PM
I was at a BMW dealer test riding an R1200RT. First time I ever rode a BMW but it's didn't take long to notice everyone in there was wearing an aerostitch suite or that overpriced BMW apperal crap. Most of them are snobs. Glad the bike's telelever front end and torque steer was all I needed to leave after the test ride and never go back.
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Kumander
Parking Attendant
Posts: 3
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posted June 21, 2012 05:38 PM
That brings up a question I have been wondering about. I've never actually seen an Aerostich outfit. Are they worth all that money? I know they are made in America and all that, and I like that. I am so tired of buying junk made in China under questionable working conditions because that's all there seems to be out there anymore, at least that I can afford. Are Aerostich jackets, etc. that much better? What makes them so special? Is it just the image, like riding most BMWs? Although I have to admit that I'd like to look at and ride the k1600 someday. I mean, my Olympia jacket and pants seem to work just fine. How much better is the Aerostich stuff, since it costs about three times as much?
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KumaKahn
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Auron
Parking Attendant
Posts: 4
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posted June 21, 2012 07:18 PM
I haven't looking into it too much but the suits are expensive and to me, extremely impractical it hot weather.
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C-14 Boy
Parking Attendant
Have Bike, Will Ride
Posts: 1
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posted October 22, 2012 07:55 PM
I bought a 2009 ABS C-14 in May with 2,100 miles on it from a guy who, after he sold it to me, said that the bike scared the shit out of him at low speeds. I didn't pay any attention to him as I got a new bike for half the price of a new 2012. Well, this thing steered like a Mack truck, and I was regretting my purchase when a guy at the dealer told me that the Bridgestone Battlax 021(OEM) tires were dangerous at low speeds on this bike, and showed me the weird wear pattern on the front tire. This dual compound tire (soft sides and hard middle) makes the bike want to "fall into" a low speed corner and act real spooky on crowned roads. He said Kawasaki was aware of complaints, and people had trashed their bikes when manuvering at slow speeds with these tires. Several police dept's had tested and rejected the C-14 in 2008 and 2009 when they determined the low speed handling was dangerous. Kawasaki started using Bridgestone 023's in 2010 because of so many complaints. I immediately had a pair of Michelin PR2's installed. In my 30 years of riding, I have never had a tire transform a motorcycle like these tires. I took out the flies, and ditched the bazooka exhaust, and now it likes to boogy with the Busa's, FJR's and Porsches I encounter along the way, and acts like a proper Sport-Tourer. If I hadn't met that guy, I was going to sell it, too. Now it's my favorite ride of all the bikes I have owned.
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Silver Hawk
Zone Head
addition to riding no rehab4me
Posts: 725
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posted October 29, 2012 11:12 PM
"Now it's my favorite ride of all the bikes I have owned."
test ride a 2012 model...and I bet you trade the 09 in ...
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2008 Concours ABS 23k miles in a yr Sold
2009 R1 16k miles in a yr Sold
2005 Honda Goldwing..6k miles in 2 months ..Sold
2012 Concours ABS 5k in 1 month..Sold
2011 ZX 10r 2k in 1 month...Sold..
2012 ZX 10R ABS black and red 144 miles as of 4-23-2013 sold.
2013 F6B deluxe sold
Back to the 2012 Connie present
2014 Green and Black ZX14r ..Beast mode!! present.
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