Concours 14, part 2

[Rob Schwartz]

No, Pete, I wasn't defending it because of you but because of the author.  I
appreciate seeing another's viewpoint on things and I'm of course glad that
you posted it!

Yeah, that C14 can is huge!  Same with the new BMW K bikes...  Damned
regulations.  Damned global warming!  The FJR has decent looking stock
pipes, but mine with the titanium 2Bros slip-ons looks th' bizness!  Yeah,
yeah... this thread is worthless w/out pics.  Soon, grasshopper...

-Rob

-----Original Message-----
From: schnowz [mailto:schnowz at localnet.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 8:41 PM
To: gpzlist at micapeak.com
Subject: RE: Concours 14, part 2


    Rob, I wasn't trying to knock the FJR .. They're both great bikes  - to
be honest I can't stand the muffler on the Connie.
Here's a coupla more comments from local riders that just bought the
Connie..
-------------------
"Anyway.........I have almost 800 miles on it as of this writing.  I really
can't wait until I've reached the 1,000 mile mark, get it serviced, and then
REALLY ride it.
 - The most obvious thing is the immense power in every gear. It really is
something. I don't remember right now what the red line is but I will NEVER
come close to that anyway. Not even close. I have yet to go over 5500 rpms
but I've been in 3'rd gear at 80 mph and it cruises in 6'th gear at 90 mph
at about 4250 rpms.  Jesus Christ !!!
    It pulls HARD and smoothly in every gear. Kinda like a Gold Wing but
obviously with much more power. Believe it or not, I Speedo, almost lifted
the front wheel in 3'rd gear getting on the Thruway just messing around a
bit. I have never attempted to lift a wheel in my riding life. ( 19 years )
Never wanted to. It took be by surprise. I could go on and on but suffice to
say, the Beast is extremely powerful.
  - The clutch is just "normal" to me. I don't know what else to say about
it. Feels fine to me.
I have smallish hands ( unlike my family wand ) and pulling the clutch has
never been an issue with me on any bike. But, it is adjustable. I know most
of you like to play with your bikes and your   ..................well, you
know. But that's for another thread.
 - The brakes are just crazy powerful.  I mean super grippy at the very
start of the pull. You barely squeeze and you're stopping. My Beast does not
have ABS.
 - I simply don't know at what speed vibration will occur if at all. I've
been at 110 mph and so far nothing. That was in 6'th gear.  After she's
broken in, I'll test that further at higher speeds in lower gears.  For me,
I look for mirror buzz. My '95 VFR STILL has no mirror buzz at speeds over
100 mph. That's one of the reasons its a keeper. No wiggle/wobble on
deceleration.  Hey, it's a new bike. Ask me again after 50,000 miles.
 - Heat from the bike. I rarely complain about anything.  Having said that,
the bike does give off some heat in the thigh area. Don't feel it at my feet
or above my waist. SOME heat.
I certainly don't think it's bad BUT enuff for me to notice. ( I'll just
have to go faster ) :o) :o)
 - It weighs about 165 lbs. more than my VFR that I've been riding for 12
years now.  I'm fast getting used to, what is for me, the extra weight. I
have had a few small "whoa" moments at the apex of some turns. Nothing major
but enough to grab my attention.  I'll have to be very careful with this in
the beginning. The weight is all over the place. It does not feel top heavy,
bottom heavy, in one particular spot, etc. It is "normal".  A full tank
feels the same as an empty tank.  For me anyway.  I don't try to FEEL things
to that degree.
 - Everything is stiff, stable. I haven't played with the spring pre-load
yet.  I might. I have to ride it much more to see if I want that.
 - The riding position. This is just too personal.  I have NEVER been on a
bike that was uncomfortable. But, I'm small. Shawn may feel differently. I
have always thought these type bikes fit me like a glove.  I always feel
like I'm "in them" not just on them like I do with chrome.
 - Oooh, while I'm thinking about it..........you can reach the oil filter
by just getting underneath the bike and it's right there. Even Philbert
could do it but I know he won't. I'm working on him.  But, I digress.   The
manual says take this and that off but you don't have to, the filter is
right there. That's a nice little benefit.
 - Balance. ALL these type bikes are "balanced" well.  This one is no
different. I think the "balance" bike mags talk about has more to do with
how tall you are than anything else. Yes. I have surprised myself on how
easy I can make a U-turn though. Maybe it's just my superb riding ability.
:o) :o)
 - The windshield has a lot of travel. Electronically adjustable on the fly.
Liberal !!!
The difference in the amount of wind buffeting from the lowest setting to
the highest setting is HUGE.  Here again, obviously depends on how tall you
are, your posture and where you sit in the seat.
 - The cockpit has a lot of stuff to play with. I particularly like the air
pressure check while you're riding.
 - So far I'm getting 42 MPG and I'm positive that will get better after
break-in.
 - Not as much carrying capacity as a Wing but what bike does ??  I'm hoping
GIVI comes up with something really smart looking ( like all their stuff )
for the Beast.
 - On the review CCboy sent me, the guy mentioned no "tip-over" protection
like an ST has for instance.  I can't understand why they DIDN'T integrate
it into this bike. Drop it ONCE in your driveway and.......................
 - The seat is just fine. Once again, I'm small and light and in shape so
that is never an issue with me on any bike.
 - 5.8 gallon gas tank.
 - The key system is like what many cars have today.  Key fob that disables
the bike when you move 5 or 6 feet away..........and some other little
doo-dads. All a matter of getting used to and personal preference.
 - Saddlebags are real EZ to open and close and take off the bike.  They
also appear to be pretty water tight based on the gasket going around the
entire lip of the bag. Obviously won't know that for sure until I get stuck
in the liberal rain.
 -  The shaft drive is not straight. It has some kind of U-bolt in there
that pivots making it handle better. Maybe some of you guys know something
about that. I asked the dealer about it when I bought it because you can
clearly see the bend in the shaft.
 - No helmet lock.  At least I don't think so.
 - The finish is very Honda-like.
 - Huge amounts of light from the ...............the lights.  :o)  :o)
 - The horn is terrible. Redman did not hear me when I was beeping at him on
Rt,84 and
I was right next to him. ( He may have been ignoring me ) Honestly, I can
hardly hear it at speed."


---------------------------
And another riders view
-------------------------
Re: Fw: 06 FJR V C-14

"For the most part, I agree with the comments made in the review on
the C14. I would add the following:

Mirrors: Set lower than I would prefer. I a little over 6' tall
and the mirrors fall below my field of view with the full face
helmet on. To check the mirrors, I need to tilt my head down
slightly. Not so bad to be annoying though but would be nice to
check the mirrors without moving.

Heat: There is some heat after a little while, but it is not enough
to be a problem. A nice feature is that part of the venting shields
can be removed in colder weather to direct some of the heat onto the
legs if needed.

ABS: Work well. I had to use them this morning when a car stopped
suddenly when they got cut off.

Low fuel indicator: Is nice to have, but it overrides anything that
was displayed in that section of the screen. So, if you have the
tire pressure stats or the fuel range stats on the screen and you
drop below whatever threshold you have no way of seeing these again
until you refuel. Definately annoying."