Kawasaki GTR1400 - Son of Concours

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There's a reason I kept my ZX11, and I look forward to trying one of the new Kawasaki's on for size.
I love my FJR, no doubt. I also like burgers, fries, a cold brew and of course bewbies. But I'll wait until they sell a few and see what people really think.

It's highly possible they've castrated that thing with the shaft drive, and the milder VVT and all the other BS. Who knows. We'll see.
Can I have your ZX 11?

 
There's a reason I kept my ZX11, and I look forward to trying one of the new Kawasaki's on for size.

I love my FJR, no doubt. I also like burgers, fries, a cold brew and of course bewbies. But I'll wait until they sell a few and see what people really think.

It's highly possible they've castrated that thing with the shaft drive, and the milder VVT and all the other BS. Who knows. We'll see.
Can I have your ZX 11?
NO!

The rumor mill from those who have some connections within Kawasaki tell me they *plan* on a MSRP price for the GTR1400A to be "noticeably less" than the FJR1300A, and of course, the non-ABS version will be approx $1K-ish below that.
If this proves true...
:blink: That would be the wisest of moves for Team Green. Given that it's a first model year and all. I'm loving the competition, and the only reason Yamaha has been able to start moving the pricing upwards is because the only near competition has been from the BMW camp and we all know where they sit in terms of pricing.

Perhaps this will bring the Herman in line at some point (one could only hope).

 
Just MHO, but I think the C-14 will be priced very competitively with the FJR.

 
I don't care but C-14 sounds like moist a** feels. Why not go with GTR 1400 worldwide? Because the Connie owners might get mad. This is not a Connie and does not remotely resemble a Connie in any way except that it has bags and a windshield. If I were Kawisaki I would remove the whole Concours thing.

 
..what's a "monocoque"? Some kind of STD
personally, I'd hate to have a chancre on my fork.
If this is how it is going to look, I'll pass. I am not thrilled with the look, especially after buying my '06 FJR. A much cleaner look. But, as a past Kaw. dealer , I'll wait to see the bike in person.

 
I think it's going to melt tires!

I can barely keep a rear tire on my FJR!

"If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist,

it's another nonconformist who doesn't conform to the prevailing

standard of nonconformity."

- Bill Vaughn

 
So, Jawdge, where should we meet up in San Mateo so we can all say, "ooh and ahh!", and take pictures while you do your test sit? :rolleyes:

 
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The show is coming up. Lets set up some days and times to get the group together so we can google over the new Kawi , critique, slam or praise the new beast.

 
The show is coming up. Lets set up some days and times to get the group together so we can google over the new Kawi , critique, slam or praise the new beast.
Madmike see: https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=12791

BTW, I'm currently (to this day) a South West Associate Area Director of the Concours Owner's Group (Central Cal Coast).

I'd love to see and discuss how the new Connie sits, see you there!

'05 Yamaha FJR 1300a (26,600+ miles of smiles :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

 
Wow. So much BS in a forum. You guys are almost making me wish I never joined. Just kidding. I still love the FJR, and it's a contender along with a Connie. I have seen one here, and I like it. The Kawa Shop in Ramstein Germany gets one (read: SOLD) 10 Aug. I just hope I can pay the owner to let me take it for a cruise.

First things first: STOP YOUR WINING. You guys bought outstanding bikes, and they will still out perform most other bikes. You have what has been the top bike since 2003. Breathe a little!!! Giveing crap for someone looking at the bike...Slow down. It would be an idiot for someone to not look at it, touch it, and recognize that there is more than BLUE bike or a PURPLE bike out there. I am clapping for Kawasaki. They hit what appears to be a homerun out of the box. Congrats, and it will make a better ST world. Look what the BMW GT did for Yamaha. they started listening to customers on the heat issues. Would they have before??? I don't know. Now, Yamaha dealer better straighten their sales and service up, or they might have more jump ship. It's great, and it's almost an American fairytail. I think we should all pause and recognize what Kawasaki did for everyone. Better, better, better or close the doors! However, if Kawasaki doesn't address the complaints already found...Hrmmm. The C14 - II will be a better bike! I just hope they don't shelf the enginnering and ignore it for 20 years again. They have a superb start, and I hope they do more, make better, and damn it...Be a motorcycle manufacturer again!

If you are kidding yourself that because of the 20 pounds different that the FJR has a light to light chance...Don't bet pink slips. The C14 will put the FJR down...Plain and simple. If that hurts your feelings, sell the old slow bike and jump the fence...But wait. It has some heat problems, and if you have a 07 FJR, you are covered. If you ride an older FJR...Jump ship...You won't be able to tell a heat difference. There are also problems with no heated grips...Neither does the FJR, but at least they have an option...And finally RANGE. If you have 1400cc on tap, you will twist the throttle harder, and with 37 MPG average on flogging and 5.8 gallons, you might better make sure that gas stations are close all the time. See there are benefits to the FJR. Just look at your exhaust pipes...You have it made.

BTW, the comment on copying the FJR...Why not, and they would be foolish to not to. If they copied BMW, they would be foolish not to. I think they did reverse engineer a bit, but they are Japanese - They historically do this anyway. The comment on the rear suspension being a BMW copy. You need to go talk to a few engineers. IT IS NOT CLOSE. You don't want a BMW final drive...It's seriously crappy (read:smooth like butter)! It doesn't even look close. There is a single sided swing arm on an BMW, but I see a trellis type of configuration on the Kawa...OK, sharp comment because you are now inadequate. OK, I understand.

This Kawa is a sharp looking bike, and same price as the FJR with ABS on it...No, I mean the KAWA. The stupid Yamaha businessmen did away with the non-abs...Stupid, and Kawa will reap the benefits. I know this bike will lay down a serious black mark on the non-abs...Sweet! GTR name versus Concours - Dude, you need to travel. There are tons of vehicles that are dual named. The US likes name, hence Concours. The Euro like number and letter, hence GTR. The old concours was the SAME way - I think it was GTR1000. I almost hate to tell you that there are car companies that aren't imported to the US - EPA and CARB testing costs money. DOT versus the E3 designation costs money. I would almost tell you that there are 2 stroke bikes on the street over here and they ARE legal. There are more standard bikes that you potentially NEVER seen. There are race bikes on the street and are legal. 4 wheelers with signals, street tires, and plates are LEGAL. I love their attitude over here.

Oh, some of you folks comment on the how much is too much, yada, yada, yada speed limits, yada, yada, yada, I need diapers because the power scares me, yada, yada, yada. I live in Germany where I can drive as fast as I want, and I do so fairly regularly on the BMW. Don't forget that there are countries that do allow you to drive as fast as you want - Let’s not be ugly Americans and only think about ourselves. If you didn't know that, then let me educate you. Germany built the AUTOBAHN under the Hitler regime. There are speed limits in areas, and there is a "recommended" speed of 130KPH on the autobahn. OK, take the KPH lets say 100KPH, drop a zero, and multiply it by 6 = 10* 6 = 60 MPH. OK, so it's 62, but it's close enough, and your speedometer is off more than that due to factory fiddling. Also, Italy has something called the AUTOSTRASSE, and I hope I don't have to break that down for you. Anyway, when a Porsche rips by at 200mph...WOW!

Don't say the next thing they'll have is a 2000cc...There already is, and it makes less horsepower than the same manufacturer's 1800cc. Figure that one out...

Oh, for the record, I had a 1990 Kawasaki ZX-6, and I put 20,000 miles on it the first year I had it. I don't think I did anything to it. I know I had the valves CHECKED, but not adjusted. 28,000 miles on it before it was totalled. Kawasaki has motors, they have quality, and they waiver from time to time on fit and finish. Don't bash the Kow, it will bite, and it hurts!!! They have bitten.

 
Dude. You stop YOUR whining.

You just HAD to resurrect a thread that was almost 9 months old when there has been a plethora of current threads on the C14?

Gimme a break.

 
It gets old when self righteous bubble heads post sh#$ on this forum thinking they have the last say on opinions which we know what they are like and everyone has one. Go ride your wanna be FJR.

 
Dude. You stop YOUR whining.
You just HAD to resurrect a thread that was almost 9 months old when there has been a plethora of current threads on the C14?

Gimme a break.
+10. This dude from Germany is the best laugh I've had all day. Come on man, get a grip. Don't even think about puting America down here on this board. I could expound on your ugly mug all day. Now you still want to tell us how great you are Fritz? PM. <>< :D

 
I just got back from a 6 hour ride on the new 08 Kawasaki Concours and if you guys want I could do a little write up and start a new thread?

 
I will be riding it all day again on Sunday and it is a great bike. Still too hot on the right side for my taste.

 
I will be riding it all day again on Sunday and it is a great bike. Still too hot on the right side for my taste.
Do you not understand that "Guest__curve2curve" has ressurected a thread that is over 1 year old. Most of this discussion was done BEFORE any of us had even seen a (now called) C-14 at the Int'l Bike Shows.

There has been endless discussion about the C-14 which you could participate in if you'd at least look under the "Other Bikes" page. This one is 8 pages. This one. This one. 5 more pages in this thread. Heck, go here and read them all! Don't miss this one that gets heated in the middle.

Assuming you read all 16 pages of this threadm you should have found that there are many members of this forum who do not major in defending the FJR and realize, as former Connie owners, that Kawi was far past due in revising their Sport-Touring bike and had been waiting. Most of us gave up the wait (I had an '87) and bought FJRs. At heart, a good portion of us are motorcyclists first and have lauded Kawasaki for finally offering an updated version of the Connie. The competition will be good for all sport touring riders as the manufacturers begin to compete. Its healthy for what has been this small niche segment of motorcycling in North America.

Now, I'd like to hear more about the heat that has also been reported by Cycle World. I live and ride in the Central Valley of CA and it gets HOT here. A bike that is hotter than an FJR won't do for me. My OldGen FJR is cooler than my old COnnie.

 
This afternoon, upon returning home from some errands, there was a guy leaving my neighborhood on a C-14. It was about the third one I've seen, and he's somewhere very near, unless he was just visiting.

It's gonna be like an Easter Egg hunt....

I'm sure not gonna hear him riding by, much unlike my other asshat noise-polluting fellow riding brother. His house was easy to find.

ph-EMS-Structure-fire-a-420x300.jpg


:lol:

 
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