Concours or FJR

I know this has been debated and I did search the archives.  I am looking at 2013-2015 Concours or FJR's.  I am sure you made that comparison when you bought your FJR's.  Why did you choose the FJR over the Concours?  From what I can tell, the Concours outsold the FJR's about 4-1, which is interesting because they were about the same price  new.  That's the ratio of Concours to FJR's for sale now anyway.   Appreciate the help.

The Concours may give you a small edge in power.  In every way I can think of, the FJR has it beat.  Fit and finish, maintenance interval (valves), ease of maintenance, reliability, longevity, and appearance (IMHO).

Like was posted above, in our opinion there isn't much to compare but if you ask the same question on the Concours forum you will get their opinion. Kinda like belly buttons, we all got one.I did test ride the C14 when it first came out but it didn't work for me and they are a bit of a maintenance nightmare. 

The small edge in power that the Concourse has is massively overridden by its size and weight. That bike is a pig and handles like it. It was riddled with problems, some of which have been fixed and others, I don't know.

I have only ever seen a few Concourses on the road. The few I have seen on good roads, I passed and never saw again. They do not accelerate as fast and do not brake as fast. They also do not handle as well. The engine is supposed to be very smooth, and I think they have that Key-pass system which has locked s few riders out of their bikes. 

Of course I have a bias, but I'd pick an FJR 10 out of 10 times over a Concourse. 

Never considered the Kaw.  Too damn ugly.

I came to the FJR  after having owned both a 1998 and 2004 Kawasaki Concours. That was the Concours 1000 (ZG1000). That bike had it's shortcomings, but it was the most ergonomically comfortable sport tourer that I ever rode. The weather protection from those fairings was fantastic. I tried the 2008 Concours 1400 and immediately hated it. The first C14 had terrible oem tires that made it jittery on the road. That was sufficient for me. I bought a used 2005 fjr and proceeded to put 39,000 miles on over 5 years. Thereafter I sold the 05 for a 2014 FJR. Man I loved that bike, so smooth it was a pleasure to ride. The creature comforts like cruise control, on-board computer, heated grips, and gobs of power on demand made it a keeper for me. I've been riding an FJR since 2008 (I've owned 4 of them 2x 2004, 1x 2005, 1x 2006, 1x 2014). In 12 years I have yet to ride a bike I like better. Although the tracer 900 gt was a ton of fun,  it was only a demo ride. I'd need a lot more miles before I trade in the FJR. I too heard that the valve check on the C14 was a nightmare. If the C10 had graduated to fuel injection and some additional creature comforts, I'd probably still be riding it. 

If for no other reason (and several have been enumerated above)... cruise control. If you've never had it, you can't appreciate how much you'll use it. (I really miss it, having stepped down from the FJR's height, width and weight to a Kawasaki Z900.)

^^^^^As FJRBound said. "cruise control". A friend went for the C14 and we have swapped bikes. He likes the FJR over the C14 as do I. The C14 is big and heavy. It goes nice at speed but low speed maneuvering is more difficult. Did I say "cruise control"?

FJR - 26, 000 mile valve adjustments vs. Concours - 17,000 mile adjustments for variable valve timing (VVT).  The name alone just sounds difficult.

I have heard, but don't know for a fact, that the pillion is much more comfortable on the FJR but that may not even matter to Jdcowboy.

Jdcowboy states that there's 4 times more Concours for sale than FJR's.  Maybe that says something right there because based on my observations there isn't 4 times more of them on the road.

The Concours doesn't have cruise control?  I've had a 2012 FJR without cruise and I have a 2014 FJR with cruise.  I'll take the cruise every time.

Yamaha just seems to have a better reputation as a quality product than Kawasaki.

I'm pig piling on this topic as I sold my 98' Connie, gave up COG dues, and never looked back.  Even your question, JDCowboy, rev's unrequited misgivings on my relationship with that bike, which was in vain.  All taking and still needing more..... thanks for reminding me

On the plus side for the FJR:

The Connie is heavier than the FJR, and it rides that way - top heavy at low speeds, IMO.

The Connie does not have cruise control (this cannot be understated)

The Connie does not have heated grips

The Connie gets worse gas mileage, and it holds less fuel - range is considerably shorter.

The Connie does not offer electronic suspension ('14 and newer FJR does).

On the plus side for the Connie (based on my personal observations):

The saddle bags are slightly smaller (30 liters v/s 31 IIRC), but surprisingly, their geometry appears to be more efficient and hold more.

The OEM rear rack for the Connie is stoutly made - ready for the REAL load of a top box

Other notes:

The Connie feels like it rides a bit more hands forward than the FJR, perhaps a smidge more on the sport side, and a smidge less on the touring side.

The Connie turns on a dime, but it is shorter and for larger (taller) riders, I think it would be more uncomfortable on longer rides.  The Connie's highway manners are not nearly as good as the FJR.

The Connie's ninja inspired motor is fast - it revs higher.  The FJR's motor is more torque'y - it pulls harder in the lower rpm range.

I do hear that the preventative maintenance on the Connie is more rigid than the FJR.  You'd have to search high and low to find a more reliable bike than the FJR.  If you are a rider (big miles), the FJR is proven tough.

Bottom line - the FJR was/is right for me.  It's a better sport touring bike - especially on the touring side.  It's a better all weather bike.  Not all riding is sunny, windless, and 60 degrees with dry twisty roads, and only 75 miles to go.

Good luck in your endeavor.

   First, and this matters not one whit, because it's subjective, but I like the looks of the FJR better. It's no beauty queen, but to my eye, better looking that the Connie.  Remember, that is in the eye of the rider.  If you ride one, and like it better than the FJR, then that's the bike for you.

   Regarding the motor, I remember seeing comparable FJR and Connie dyno pulls overlaid on each other.  I don't remember what year it was, but it was a few years ago.  The Kawasaki had a few more horsepower WAY up at the top end, a few hundred to maybe a thousand RPM before fuel shutoff.  The FJR curve all the way up to that final spike was higher than the Connie, the whole way.  I like to cane the FJR a bit when I'm out for a road rip, and I let the big girl eat, but I'm not getting up near the rev limiter on most shifts. Powering out of a nice curve and winding her up to 6, 7, or 8 grand on the tach is great fun on the FJR. And regarding which model sold more, I see considerably more FJRs out on the road than C-14s, not that it matters.

   All that being said, buy what you like, and what you want.  That way, YOU will be happy.  Good luck with whatever you end up with.

Go sit on both.  Go test ride both.

If you choose the Concours you must not have had much of a mother.  JS....

Pretty much the same as what's already been said.  Didn't ride a Connie, just sat on it at the dealer and at shows.  Too big.  Bad mirror placement.  Bad maintenance factors.  KPASS was sort of an unknown for reliability.  Just didn't fit or 'feel right'.

I never owned a C14 but took one for a test ride about 4 years ago. I'm 5'9" tall and could not get a good footing at rest. That was a no for starters. The other negatives have been stated. Not having cruise control will eliminate any future bike considerations for me!!  If the Concours14 out sold the FJR 4 to1 why do we not see that ratio on the road?? I suppose the BMW R1200RT out sells the FJR by some multiple but that does not make it a more practical or superior to the FJR. Just my 2 pennies. 

I see 4 Feejeer's to every 1.5 Connies on the road.

One and a half Connies??  So trikes?  Sidecars?  (Not even Friday right?)  :tonguesmiley:

I've owned both.  2 FJR's ('05 and my current '13) along  with an '08 Concours in- between.  Other than factory cruise on the FJR. they are pretty close. Buy the one that fits you best.

When I first decided to upgrade I thought a used Connie was going to be it!!! Coming from a 2002 Ninja 500 I thought it would be a perfect fit. In my budget and based off of the platform that I am use to wrenching on. Went to check out a 2003 1000gt with 30,000 miles for $1800 in decent shape but I didn't like it at all. I honestly felt the bike was worth $1000 and I probably would of grabbed it if the guy was willing. I had never even heard of FJR's @ that point but started researching when I realized the Connie wasn't what I expected. Anyways, ran across the 2003 FJR I just picked up and fell in love immediately. Absolutely terrified by the speed and size but was confident I would get use to her. So that's what I went with. Definitely a learning curve for me as I am use to high revving engines and you had better be prepared to go warp speed when you hit the FJR's throttle regardless of what gear your in at anything past 3ooo RPM'S!!! Way easier to take the bags on and off than the Connie and better handling at slow speed in my opinion. Fully adjustable suspension, easy maintenance...only complaint so far is the heat she gives off aimed right at your shins!! Not really a issue if I ride like I should with gear on but I do have Squid tendencies. Shorts really are not a option on her in the summer. 

But ultimately it is up to you feel the best on. I'm just giving you my experience thus far. Good luck!!!