2000 Kawasaki Concours Motorcycle reviews

I ride daily, but my first time on her I thought my hands were going to fall asleep, but after a week or so of riding the buzzing no longer affected me. Before making my purchase, I rode a variety of touring bikes, but was drawn back to the Connie. It's a VERY dependable bike and one of the best buys for sports touring. It's low maintenance for those who do the work themselves. The only draw back I can see are the tires. They're an odd size and hard to find when you need them right away! Other then that, it's a bike you'll love to ride.

I purchased the bike in June of 2001 to use as a business vehicle. Since then I have logged over 100,000 miles with no mechanical trouble at all. I am able to do the normal maintenance myself because of the simplicity of design. Initially the engine was a bit buzzy, but with adjustment of the balance shaft and carb synchronizing it is acceptably smooth. Stock front brakes are adequate but really should be upgraded. All things considered, this is the most bike you can buy for the price.

Just bought my connie yesterday and really love the comfort factor. Road 50 miles home with no buttal discomfort at all. Plenty of power and good wind protection - although at 6'1" I could use a stock + 4" windshield. The much maligned connie buzz is there, but not bothersome. Will add highway pegs for the road, but as a chiropractor - I love what the high foot position does for the low back - very strong riding position and promotes good riding posture. She's a little cumbersome at low speeds, but more than makes up for it on the road. All in all - I'm very happy.

good bike, comfortable for taller people, plenty of power. great for weekend trips.

I had a 95 Connie, sold it in '98 and bought a '98 Valkyrie. In 2000 I sold the Honda and bought a 2000 Connie. I will not get rid of this one. I regularly do 600-1000 mile days. miles per tank is great. I hate to get off for any reason. It runs great at any speed (triple digits inc.). Power is close to great, handling is good. It vibrates a little but I can live with that.

First off, this is a 1997 Concours A-12 model which I noticed in internet ads for $4,000. Wow that's a good price, I thought and pondered how to scrape up the cash. Turns out that it was a salvaged title vehicle, the unlucky first owner having caused an ungodly amount of cosmetic damage in some sort of crash. It had been professionally repainted and appeared very nice when I went to see it. I sold my "outdated" XS1100H in late April and got a small loan - and all of a sudden found myself with the latest technology - well 1986 anyway for a mere $3500. In 1994 they did some nice front end, wider tire and wheel changes and updated the dashboard. My impressions after 2,000 miles and 2 months (I feel I can comment competently 'cause I've been riding for 20+ years): Engine/Power - Vey smooth in most situations. And -It's really fast. Over 5K RPM (esp 2/3 gears) your eyes will open wide. I don't find much purpose in exceeding 8000 RPM - lots of buzz/stress. Keep in mind this was the engine off the ZX-10 slightly detuned - did I mention it's fast. For me - excellent power, more than your sane sport tourer will need. Handling - I am very pleased and surprised for the weight you would be carrying +600 lbs.- this bike loves to turn. Transitions from corner to corner can be made rapidly with a firm push on the bars. Very stable at high speeds. Comfort - Here's where I lost a star. Everyone says these are buzzy. Well yes they are. With the original handgrips - on the freeway my hand would fall asleep within 7 miles. Foam grips helped. A cruise control will be a must - I'm thinking the Throttlemeister which although expensive would complement the already good workmanship. The seat is very comfortable. Passenger (sweetest wife in the world) is very comfy and secure with the good quality Kawi backrest available. The distance to the pegs could be better - I'm 6 ft and my legs will get cramped on longer distance rides. Love the gauges they look great - however the gas guage is incredibly pessimistic, after 4 gallons it shows completely empty. Utility - The saddlebags are great - a must for everyday utility. Easy to take off/put on. Economy - Usually more than 40 MPG - but I don't beat it up. 60 MPH = 3400 RPM - easy going with the 6 speed tranny. Maintainence - I have performed the oil/filter, air filter, spark plug, final drive maintenence and while somewhat of a pain, it really wasn't that bad. A lot of plastic removal and allen wrench turning. I see good engineering here. A troubling point is that the owners manual calls for 6000 mile valve adjustment intervals. This will be expensive if you bring it to a dealership (I haven't learned valves yet). But the bike sounds pretty good as it is now and I'll hold off. Overall opinion - Well obviously with the way it looks and runs I got a steal for $3500. The mild discomforts can be dealt with, and the power and handling are excellent. It might be considered "old tech" but it is a fine value for the $$.

April of 2001 I purchased a new hold over 2000 concours. I have to admit it is one of the best buys on the market today. Coming from a ZX-11 ninja there was a bit of an adjustment, but didn't take long to fall into the comfort of this sport touring motorcycle. 99 percent of my riding is double up and wife enjoys the comfort as well. We were able to end our season with 9500 miles and so far have been trouble free. If you guys or gals are looking for an inexpensive sport tour, jump on board, the concours truly is a good buy!!

Has been a good bike. Now has 3300 miles. Please Email me if you had a problem with the mirror braking while driving down the road it suddenly started dropping then hung loose.I took it to a dealer that was close by. They told me that it has happened before and they don't understand why Kawasaki doesn't have a recall. They told me its covered under warranty. So I took it to the dealer I bought it from and they gave me a hard time about it being under warranty then they told me they would order one. I'll let you know if they cover the whole bill.

I bought a 2000 leftover in Feb. 2001. I paid 7700$ dollars out the door. This bike is wicked awesome. I'm very happy with it, but I did give it 4 out of 5. The reason is, with the stock windshield there is a fair amount of helmet buffeting. An aftermarket screen should fix it. Other than that EVERYTHING is just fine.

Now I'm no spring chicken (39 years old), but I ran a marathon in Oct2000, ejoy working out, tae kwon do, computers, and riding! In other words I can deal with any bike but this one is my pick. Acceleration, handling, braking and extremely comfortable. I commute 126 miles a day to work and back and only drove my car five times from mid June (when I got my Concours until October (when it snowed). My wife loves to go along on runs to Chicago and back 150mile one way 300 round trip. The saddle bags hold huge amounts of clothing, shoes and/or shopping bags. I can put a bag of groceries and a 20lb bag of kitty litter in each side for trips to the supermarket. I pulled the saddle bags off and my 24yr old nephew thought his 750 Ninja finally had an uncle it could be proud of (the Concours that is). Last thing he said while riding on a short 200 mile day trip was,"Now I know why you bought that bike. It goes like crazy for a touring bike, and it's sooo comfortable! My bike (Ninja) is'nt nearly as nice for going long distance on it." (He's a smart young man, and I like his bike too) On one ride he asked could I do a wheelie. I said the bikes' to big. He then told me he say a picture of a guy doing a wheelie on a Gold Wing. Now that I've done a few, this bike seems to do everything well. I owned a cruiser (of sorts 1985 Elinator 900) a few years back and I must say to get the cruiser comfort on this bike is incredible. I also highly recommend the shaft drive as it's virtually maintenance free (as has been the whole motorcycle to date). When I went to purchase a motorcycle I thought I might spend 14-15K. I looked at lots of stuff and with the help of my style consultant [she wanted a Ninja, but it had to be comfortable for two] decided to give this bike a closer look. I'm happy, thrilled, elated and over whelmed at how much fun can be had carving up curves alone, or riding along with a few curves on the back seat, touring the back roads and interstates... If you don't get a Concours, get something close, this thing is great!!!