Concours 2010

[royal]

Currently ride an '07 BMW 1200RT. I like almost everything about it, but have come to not trust the reliability. I go on two big trips a year, and I usually find myself in very remote areas. So, reliability is huge for me. Anyway, I've been thinking of switching bikes and the Concours 2010 edition is at the top of the list. However, I do have some concerns. They are:

Heat. From what I've read, Kawasaki has addressed this problem with this latest model. Is it true ? Does it not roast your legs and crotch ? I had an ST1300 and I just couldn't take the heat off of it. I guess I'm heat sensitive.

Stability. How stable is it on the highway at speeds of 70 to 80 mph ?

Comfort. I really like the ergos on the RT. Is it similar or am I going to suffer on long trips (I'm 49 and 5' 11", 230 lbs.)

Buffeting. How good is the windshield ? Do you get a lot of buffeting ?

Reading reviews in the bike mags is totally useless. They don't really get into the things that real riders want to know about, such as heat, stability, comfort and buffeting.

So, does anyone out there in ADV Rider land have a new 2010 Concours ? I'd love to hear a real review from people I trust.

Thanks,

Roy

[ACDNate]

I don't own one but i demo'd one in Daytona last month. That bike is spectacular in a lot of regards. More power than I was able to use on a demo ride. Super comfortable stock seat, at least for the 10-12miles I was on it. The bike had been getting continued use throughout the day and I didn't notice a speck of heat. Would have liked a little bit as it was cold out.

At 6'3" the screen seemed to do a good job with no noticeable buffeting or oddities.

Only thing that bothered me was that the engine was a bit rough in the 400-4500 range. Even more so than my Bandit 1200 which is known for a rough spot a bit higher up around 4500-4750. Not terrible but noticeable.

I would guess a power commander and some tuning could correct that though...

[mpowers]

If you haven't been here www.concours.org I would suggest it.

[kirkkw]

Originally Posted by royal

Currently ride an '07 BMW 1200RT. I like almost everything about it, but have come to not trust the reliability. I go on two big trips a year, and I usually find myself in very remote areas. So, reliability is huge for me. Anyway,
Roy

What about the RT concerns you? Is it the final drive? If so, send it to Tom Cutter for a rebuild. He claims to have never had a failure on a rebuild and he has rebuilt hundreds of BMW final drives. That would be a lot cheaper than a new bike and it seems you are otherwise happy with the RT.

Ken

[GB]

Originally Posted by royal

Currently ride an '07 BMW 1200RT. I like almost everything about it, but have come to not trust the reliability.

Anything you personally experienced, or has forum reading gotten to you? I've owned several BMW's and never had an issue with any of them, but when you read the forums you'd think the sky is falling..

Then I started lurking on the Concours forum and after a while I came to realize that the the C14 could turn into a "K rock" and leave me stranded when the KIPASS system craps out, plus the extremely labor intensive valve adjustments, confirmed by my local dealer, this factor more than anything ended my interest in the Concours14, plus it's relatively small tank and shorter range than other ST. I also realize that forums are a conduit for the small percentage of owners who have problem to air them.

[Jamming]

Originally Posted by Gadget Boy

Anything you personally experienced, or has forum reading gotten to you? I've owned several BMW's and never had an issue with any of them, but when you read the forums you'd think the sky is falling..

Then I started lurking on the Concours forum and after a while I came to realize that the the C14 could turn into a "K rock" and leave me stranded when the KIPASS system craps out, plus the extremely labor intensive valve adjustments, confirmed by my local dealer, this factor more than anything ended my interest in the Concours14, plus it's relatively small tank and shorter range than other ST. I also realize that forums are a conduit for the small percentage of owners who have problem to air them.

Well said GB....

Look,

1. Buy what makes you happy.
2. Ride the piss out of it.
3. Don't worry about breaking it.
4. If it breaks, fix it
5. Repeat 2-4...any questions?

It always seems the unhappy folks are the most vocal in bitching about their bikes. Jeez Louise if you don't like it...sell it! Just quit yer bitching.

Life's short....freaking ride!

[speedwgn]

Originally Posted by Jamming

Well said GB....

Look,

1. Buy what makes you happy.
2. Ride the piss out of it.
3. Don't worry about breaking it.
4. If it breaks, fix it
5. Repeat 2-4...any questions?

It always seems the unhappy folks are the most vocal in bitching about their bikes. Jeez Louise if you don't like it...sell it! Just quit yer bitching.

Life's short....freaking ride!

First off I believe 1 - 5 above is the key to all things.

Having said that, bought the new Connie last month. Here is quick summary. First, there is a lot more wind on my body than either an ST1300 or the RT1200. How do I know this? Owned an ST prior and rented an RT to ride for a day. The wind on the C14 is smooth, little or no buffeting, but the bike does not offer the protection afforded by the ST or the Beemer. I am 6 ft with a 32" inseam and find the bike comfortable. The stock seat is one of the best stock seats available. Heat? Dunno yet, still cool here. This bike does have a monster radiator. I suspect it'll be warm. This does not bother me at all. The bike handles easy and goes like crazy. It is particularly stable in crosswinds... we get a lot of that here on the Southern Plains. The range of the bike, including the use of the 'Eco' high mileage map on the interstate, is going to be a comfortable 200 miles plus a bit.

I bought the bike because I wanted powerful 'smart' brakes with ABS. The system works great. The bike also provides me with traction control, tire pressure monitoring and battery voltage monitoring. All of these safety features are important to me, partly because I am an older rider. Did I mention heated grips?

Given all this I had decided to buy the bike if I could handle it with comfort and a sense of security. A test ride took care of that concern. I am most pleased with this ride.

[speedracertdi]

I own a 2009 Connie. I bought it last October and already have 8000+ miles on it. The factory tires, Battlax 021 sucked, I was lucky and got 6800 miles out of them. The tires changed on the 2010. The stock seat is good for 6 hours, after that my butt feels like it's on fire. I am experimenting with a sheepskin I picked up at Ikea for $30 for longer rides. So far I like the results. I also have a Harley so I am used to the heat. The only time I suffered was a heatwave in November, I was sitting at a very long left turn light in full gear. The 2009 has some heat protection that the 2008 does not. The 2010 supposed to be better. 2009 stock windshield could be a little bigger. I'm 6'7". I could change it but I don't want a huge shield like a Goldwing either. The 2010 comes stock with the larger windshield that's a optional for 08's & 09's. High speed handling and stability is awesome! Brakes are great, ABS saved my a$$ and a stray dog's life. 2010's supposed to have ABS, traction control, and an economy mode for cruising at less than 80mph. Plenty of power, great mileage on the highway, a little thirsty in city traffic though. Smooth motor, really quiet, 6 gear really is an overdrive that's perfect for long distance highway rides. For comparision, I test rode a FJR, it needs a sixth gear. Test rode an RT, just doesn't feel right and I can't figure out what I would do to make it fit me. Test sat a ST1300, since Honda doesn't offer test rides! Too small for my long frame, too bad they stopped short on this bike so as to not compete with a Goldwing. Test rode the Connie 3 times before I finally pulled the trigger.

[mrbreeze]

Originally Posted by Gadget Boy

Anything you personally experienced, or has forum reading gotten to you? I've owned several BMW's and never had an issue with any of them, but when you read the forums you'd think the sky is falling..

Then I started lurking on the Concours forum and after a while I came to realize that the the C14 could turn into a "K rock" and leave me stranded when the KIPASS system craps out, plus the extremely labor intensive valve adjustments, confirmed by my local dealer, this factor more than anything ended my interest in the Concours14, plus it's relatively small tank and shorter range than other ST. I also realize that forums are a conduit for the small percentage of owners who have problem to air them.

Well said. Any forum you go to, the people speaking up are the people having problems. All brands/models have some problems, but probably 97% of any major brand is going to be as reliable as an anvil if you keep the maintenance done.

I don't have any experience with either to RT or C14, but I don't think I would make this trade just on suspicion of problems. Just ride it.

[royal]

Well, first off let me explain that I'm not slamming BMW. I like my RT. However, on the last big trip I took, it broke down and left me stranded twice. First failure was the final drive and the second was the transmission. In both cases, seal failure was the culprit. Regardless, I ended up stranded. And there's not a heck of a lot of BMW dealers around to help in these situations.

My Spring trip is going to be through Michigan and on up into Canada. So, I got to thinking, what happens if I break down up there ? It's a long freakin' walk.

The problem is, I really do like my RT. I've ruled out just about every bike out there but the Concours. So, that is why I was asking if anyone had first hand knowledge of the 2010 Concours.

In the end, I'll, probably, just stay with the RT. But, if it breaks down and strands me again, I'm gonna shoot it.

Roy

[dolomoto]

I have not rode a 2010 C14. There are some great refinements made but I think they are still functionally similar to the 08-09 models.

I rode my 08 C14 23,000 miles in 2008.

Heat was never an issue, not even when I spent Jul-Dec in Las Vegas. I wear a 'stich year round so it offers some insulation. A time or two, I wore just jeans and never felt a heat issue.

Since new, I've averaged about 45mpg. Got as high as 50mpg a tank or two. I'm not sure how folks are managing to get crappy mileage tank after tank after tank. The lowest I ever got on a tank was 40mpg and that was after chasing a Duc848 all around north GA.

Seating position is good and got Great when I added KB bar risers.

I think discussions about stock windscreens are superfluous as it's easily changed. Cee Bailey Euro cut does it for me.

The alternator puts out plenty o' juice. I have heated grips, heated vest and always have something plugged into the stock 12v outlet with nary an issue.

I've a few demo miles on a 12RT. Loved it. Felt lighter than my C14, handled about the same. For me, it came down to the MSRP. It was that close.

Stock, the C14 is a great machine and its a great used value (low mileage 08-09s can be had for 8-10k). I've farkled mine a bit: Fenda Extenda, CB Euro Tour screen, CB headlight protector, Kimpex grip heaters, KB bar risers, $8 beaded seat cover from Wal Mart, aftermarket rack (can't remember the name..he does lots of C14 racks), Givi E460L, PC III, AreaP CF slipon, Flies out (yee-ha!) etc.

I use Michelin PR2s. Get 15k from the rear, 20+k from the front.

YMMV.

[IMG]

From HNBAS tour 2008

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From HNBAS tour 2008

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From HNBAS tour 2008

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Big mileage is easy on this bike..this was 7 days of riding last year...

[IMG]

From Blue Grass Book Bank Rally 2009

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[rdsmith3]

max speed 161 mph?! Is that accurate?

[howard kelly]

i probably won't be much help, but my 09 Concours could be my favorite bike of all time. Stupid fast, comfortable, handles great and good looking....the 10 is supposed to be even better...i say go for it

[speedracertdi]

Why 186mph? What happens at 187mph that theyre not telling us?

[AIrey1507]

Originally Posted by speedracertdi

Why 186mph? What happens at 187mph that theyre not telling us?

186 mph = 300 km/h. Just gives a nice number to set governor's at. Just like how a lot of European sports sedans and the like are limited at 155 mph (250 km/h).