almost bought a concours14

[jride]

I've never understood the comments about not enough lean angle. I ride pretty hard in the curves, and I have taken off about 1/2" of the feelers on the pegs - yet I've never felt like it needed to lean over any more.

+1

I've never really understood it either. I do have a custom suspension which gives me a little more clearance, but I only touch a peg every great once in a while. And I have no chicken strips on my rear tire.

Maybe if the FJR is really heavily loaded with the stock suspension it might touch down a bit early, otherwise, well.....it seems to have plenty of cornering clearance.

And if you want more, just hang off the side!

could it be because of your custom suspension ?

even though the lean angle is of concern to me ( not as much now that i find dog bones will raise it up alittle) it is not as much so as the vibration i felt through the bars. On a 30 min demo ride i found myself shaking my hands more than once due to it . I don't even have to do that on my cruiser after an hour of riding. Still i know the fjr is a great bike and it is still on my short list but not at the top yet anyway

 

[dbx]

I've never understood the comments about not enough lean angle. I ride pretty hard in the curves, and I have taken off about 1/2" of the feelers on the pegs - yet I've never felt like it needed to lean over any more.

+1

I've never really understood it either. I do have a custom suspension which gives me a little more clearance, but I only touch a peg every great once in a while. And I have no chicken strips on my rear tire.

Maybe if the FJR is really heavily loaded with the stock suspension it might touch down a bit early, otherwise, well.....it seems to have plenty of cornering clearance.

And if you want more, just hang off the side!

Speaking theoretically, I suppose a person could very quickly eat up the available lean angle by hanging off in the wrong direction - toward the OUTSIDE of the curve...

 

[jimefjr]

sounds like you should get the C14...just to get it out of your system...then when you sell that and end up on an FJR you will be soooooooooooooooooooo happy : )

 

[topsyt]

I'm in the same situation. If I could get a FJR at about the same price as the C14, I'd be a lot more interested in the FJR. The C14 3 year warranty is very nice too.

 

[preacherman]

I sat on a C-14 and that was all it took. I will be honest when I heard all the hipe about the top speed and the smooth shifting I wanted one. I went to the local dealer to take a look but the bike had not been made available yet. He told me to come back in March but still no bike so I took a look at the FJR and traded the V-max. Again I will be honest if it had been available I would have bought it but I am sure glad that it wasn't available.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

Connies are "Butt Ugly" motorcycles! and they don't seem to handel well in corners, I raced one for about 35 miles on a hwy to Cuba NM and he just couldn't hang in the corners, and his 6th speed didn't help in the straights either. I could have dusted him early, but wanted to play with him before I ate him! :assassin:

 

[wfooshee]

^^^ Maybe rider, not bike? I know I'm lousy in corners, but it's not like I get a lot of practice down here. One encounter is not a good statistical sample . . . .

Regardless, between the 8000-mile spark plug change, which takes nearly as long to do as it does to ride those 8000 miles, and the mirrors under the handgrips so I can see that the bags are still there, I just wouldn't have it.

 

[Vermonta]

Haven't ridden one but looked at the local shop and sat on it. Didn't like the big shit can for a pipe and it felt kinda top heavy just sitting on it but could be a different animal out on the road. Did have some lines to it though and I do think the gas milage makes a diff. Kinda a PITA when you have to stop every couple hundred when your trying to put on some distance. JM2+

 

[stevec677]

I've ridden both and they are both great bikes. You can get a new exhaust for the C14 that will help with looks and also possibly heat. The sixth gear is not really a riding gear, but an overdrive. On highways it should really help your MPG, but don't use that gear anywhere else. Are you sure you are feeling vibration in the FJR's bars? My wrists hurt from the angle of the bars (on the FJR). I feel like I want to push the bars out farther and straighten out the grip. The C14 does have a little more pop, but not enough to run away from an FJR. Someone stated earlier that they ran away from a C14. It was rider skill and not HP. One of the guys I ride with runs away from me whether I'm on my bike or his bike. He's just better and it sucks!!!!

If you look at it financially they are the same $ to buy new, but you don't have to do anything to the FJR as opposed to buying a new exhaust, etc. for the C14.

I place my vote for the FJR, but you might want to look at a C14 website to see what they like and don't like about the FJR vs. C14.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

NMRoadRunner': I raced one for about 35 miles ...and he just couldn't hang in the corners, and his 6th speed didn't help in the straights either. I could have dusted him early, but wanted to play with him before I ate him!

^^^ Maybe rider, not bike? I know I'm lousy in corners, but it's not like I get a lot of practice down here. One encounter is not a good statistical sample . . . .

+ 1 -- I concur ^^^. Could be....?: It's the Indian -- not the Arrow.

I once followed a C-10 through the mountains and just kept-up with him (me on FJR). I thought..., "WTF", am I that poor a rider? (well, probably -- yes) But anyway I, later, told that story to someone and he said: "Oh, that guy -- he's an old flat-track racer..." I eventually met the guy and, sure enough, long racing history -- fast for him and fast for me are two different things.

 

[happyPuppy]

There is a lot to like about the C-14. I like the instrument console, Smooth acceleration. In '08 when I got mine the C-14 was 4k less and used the great ZX-14 engine, but it was they were really new and hard to find and the dealer really wanted to move it, which made me wary too. What it came down to was asking a mechanic I trust and he said save the headaches and get an FJR. I see a lot of FJR's on the road which helps vs a rare newer C-14.

 

[ahchiu]

I rode the C-14, one of the things I did not like and it could not be fixed with any aftermarket stuff is the position of the side bags, they block the rear view mirrors, I'm glad I got the FJR, and all the minor stuff was fixed with after market parts. also I like the FJR maintnance and the interval for valves check.

 

[FJR-Voltron]

C-14 also has a slipper-clutch... This is usually something that's only found on high-performance bikes.

 

[roger dodger]

I rode the C-14 @ the COG National in W Virginia. They brought the whole truck full of bikes (12 C14's, KLR, 1-2 cruisers) plus staff to educate, lead and follow rides, and some techs. The bikes were BRAND NEW to the market and very well received. During the test-ride I found good power (not great under 4k), super smooth engine and tranny/clutch, nice ergos (a little tall), and bad tires (bridges 021). The biggest complaint was the mirrors. They may be USELESS. They give a perfect view of your elbow and/or the top of the bags. Almost no clear view rearward, even to the side. Anyway, I bought an '03 FJR for all the reasons mentioned, and loved my C-10. The C-14 is a great power-plant waiting for improved plastic.

 

[Bulldog9]

Lean Angle???? Seriously, if you have the ability (road and skill) where the difference in maximum lean/cornering angle is an issue between the FJR & C-14, why are you even looking at a big sport tourer? :dribble: Go for the VFR, or Sprint, or a 1+liter sport bike. I'm guessing you are NOT in the 3% of guys with riding the skills where this will make a real workd difference. So I'm gussing you, like me,and most of us will never push the FJR or C-14 to a point where this 'specification/measurement' will matter.

Both are great bike, with enough distinctions between them to matter, it all depends on what you like/want.

 

[jride]

Lean Angle???? Seriously, if you have the ability (road and skill) where the difference in maximum lean/cornering angle is an issue between the FJR & C-14, why are you even looking at a big sport tourer? :dribble: Go for the VFR, or Sprint, or a 1+liter sport bike. I'm guessing you are NOT in the 3% of guys with riding the skills where this will make a real workd difference. So I'm gussing you, like me,and most of us will never push the FJR or C-14 to a point where this 'specification/measurement' will matter.
Both are great bike, with enough distinctions between them to matter, it all depends on what you like/want.

You may be right i may never use all the lean angle if it were more than the fjr is capable of but i might and i would like to be able to if i desire to.

My present bike i believe has the same size tires as the fjr (120zr70 17 front 180zr55 17 rear) and i leave chicken stripes of about 1/2 to 3/8" on either side as that is all i can use because i'm dragging pegs folded up nearly all the way at that point.

So while i may not use more than that I want the option should i so desire or need to.

Having said that I have just about albeit not totally eliminated the fjr due to the threads i have read about the vibration it seems from what i have read on this forum that many are unhappy with the vibration and unable to rid the bars of it. so while it is still under consideration it has slipped some

 

[VTFJR13]

Well I wouldn't rule out the FJR just because of a few opinions about vibration. I added the salamander bar end weights and this helped move the vibration up in the rpm range so it didn't bother me and just recently I installed the helibar triple to bring the bars closer to me (I'm short with short legs and arms) plus they claim less vibration and it's true. So bottom line I have no vibration now until 5-6k rpm which is way above the normal rpm range when just cruising. The FJR runs at about 3-3500 rpm at 65-70 mph and just purrs along. Before I did these two mods the vibs did make my hands get tingly but luckily the aftermarket parts are out there to make the FJR work for you. Just my 2 cents worth.

Eric

 

[topsyt]

jride,

What kind of pricing are you getting on the FJR and Concours 14 ABS? I'm getting much better pricing on the Concours.

 

[jride]

jride,
What kind of pricing are you getting on the FJR and Concours 14 ABS? I'm getting much better pricing on the Concours.

12299.00 on the c14 + tax no dealer prep charged at this dealer, & 14950.00 prep included + tax for the fjr.

 

[wfooshee]

jride,
What kind of pricing are you getting on the FJR and Concours 14 ABS? I'm getting much better pricing on the Concours.

12299.00 on the c14 + tax no dealer prep charged at this dealer, & 14950.00 prep included + tax for the fjr.

First valve check almost makes that up!!!

Counting the spark plug changes up till then, it's probably even at that point.

And I bet there's better prices on the feej out there. Maybe both, actually.