Kawasaki Concours reviews

I bought this 2003 Concours for my first bike at the urging of several people. The bike was a little top heavy and challenging in low speed turns but I quickly overcame that. I used it for commuting to/from work which was 110 miles round trip. It's a nice comfortable ride with adequate power on tap. I averaged 40 mpg. at 80 mph. The only real problem I had was even with the fuel valve in reserve mode, the bike would occasionally die after riding 170 to 200 miles. I finally attributed this to fuel starvation after visiting several forums and eliminating all other causes. I put a fuel pump in line with the carbs and tank and the problem went away. Show less

I bought it new in North Carolina, all black. I rode it back home to Canada via The Tail. I did rent an '08 in Colorado and loved that but the '12 is better. Stock seat is comfortable for 600 miles. I'm going to add a 1/2" handle bar risers. I also need lowering links for my height just for flat footing at stops. It handles like a 600cc bike even though it weighs 2X. I'd recommend it highly to anyone looking for a sport tourer. Show less

This is my second Concours, first one was a 1991, red. I now have a 2000 repainted in blazing flame blue, (Ford F150 colour). I have enjoyed both bikes. It has a great touring range. I have gotten between 500 and 600 km. per tank. I would recommend this bike to anyone over 5' 10. It is a tall bike and top heavy. Show less

I have had two street bikes so far a 1983 Honda 650 Nighthawk and a 2001 Kawasaki Concourse. I put 172k on the Honda when I bought the Kawasaki. It now has 86,335 miles on it and have loved every mile. I put bar risers on it and F1 exhaust pipes. I have even run it down the drag strip/eight miles only. It ran 7.80's and beat a few 600's. I have taken it cross country 600 plus miles a day. Other than a few oil leaks and the clutch slave leaking and the cams wearing out all under warranty, it's a great bike. Show less

I like everything about this bike, although I have added some accessories. No hiccups at all so far. It has gobs of power, it's easy to handle/agile and on top of all that, it looks great. It is fast, hard to hold down. I have found the seat to be uncomfortable after about 100 miles or one hour of riding. Show less

I just bought the 2011 model I don`t think it is different than the 2010 model. For a bike this size and weight, it handles well. I can't comment much on the power because I`m still breaking it in under 4,000 rpm. The storage is great. The only con I have is too much vibration through the handle bars. Show less

I've ridden a lot of bikes over the years, and I must say in the years I've been riding, this is by far the best bike I have owned. The power and torque of the 1400cc engine is sneaky fast, and for a bike that weighs almost 700 lbs., it handles very well. ABS, traction control, STD heated grips, adjustable windscreen, this bike has all the features you want in a sport tourer. If you've been in the market for a sport tourer type bike, don't hesitate for a second to get the Concours 14, you won't be disappointed. Kawasaki did a great job with this bike! Show less

I'm just about to take my Concours 14 ABS in for its first service. So far, it has been 450 miles of awesome, grinning fun. This bike does everything well - power, performance and handling. I chose very carefully among the sport touring bikes, and I picked a winner! Show less

Overall, I am very happy with the C-14. It is comfortable, reliable, powerful and smooth as silk. The forums reveal that some owners have had issues with the KI-PASS system, heat, bad OEM tires, leaks, loose header bolts ,etc. but mine has been trouble free so far. However, I did replace the tires at 3000 miles due to excess wear on the Bridgestone BT-021s, which were a poor choice for this bike. The engine heat can be rough on a hot day but welcomed on a cold one. The engine performance is excellent, with good fueling, tremendous power over 5000 RPM and no flat spots. The transmission and clutch are super smooth. The handling is very good for a big bike like this one. The weight and top heaviness disappear when flying along a winding road and the brakes are strong. I considered Yamaha FJR 1300 and Honda ST 1300 but the Kawi motor sold me. I got the non-ABS version but if I had it to do over again I would opt for ABS, just because a bike of this size is hard to handle during a panic stop on a less than perfect road or in the rain. Show less

I've been trying for 30 years to build a bike that is a fabulous sports tourer, could run in the twisties, drone out the highway miles and be easy for the quick ride into town to run errands. The 2010 Concours 14 does it all. With the new eco mode, the Concours also gets in the mid 40's for fuel mileage whether you're riding around town or blasting the interstate. One of my other bikes is a TZ 250 which I club race, so I have a pretty good sense of what a great handling bike should feel like. I didn't opt for the traction control or ABS and don't miss it as the "standard" Concours 14 has superb linear brakes and a torque curve more like a big V-Twin than an inline 4. The hard bags gobble up all my gear and the revised fairing has addressed the issue on the 2008 and 2009 model of excessive heat coming off the engine. I've owned over 20 motorcycles over the course of the past 40 years of riding and still own nine. The Concours 14 has quickly become my all-time favorite. Show less