REALLY, really tempting (new 2009 Connie's)

[SWB]

I'm working out in Alabama for a while, and paying $600+ a month for a rental car. I've been nosing around for a cheap car, cheap bike, new car for my wife back home in California (i.e. so I can take my truck and maybe even the RT in the back of the truck) out to Alabama, i.e. something other than investing $600 monthly into a rental car company.

 

Will probably go with the latter option (i.e. taking my truck and bike to Alabama, as wifey wants her car back, which we gave to a needy relative a while back; She gets first dibs on the next "vehicle".. lol), but I've seen some awesome looking deals on new 2009 Kawasaki Concours 14 bikes. I saw one for $9,999 - an ABS model to boot, but that deal is gone. There are still some out there for less than $11,000. A dealer told me that Kawasaki is offering a $2K discount to blow these bikes out the door.

 

I've never owned a "new" bike. I know that the 2010 and 2011 Connie's are supposed to be significantly better than the 2009's, but my check-book-trigger-finger is getting real itchy. Something inside me is screaming "BUY, BUY, BUY!!".

 

However, then I see that chain my wife has on the check book. I'm sure I'll enjoy riding my 2005 RT more than the brand-friggin-new Kawasaki.

 

I won't buy anything until mid-February - will check again to see if there are any left.

 

A brand new touring bike w/ ABS for $10,000 - really tempting. What do you folks think?

 

- Scott

[tallman]

Doesn't the RT fit in the truck?

 

If so you just saved $10,000.00 .

 

 

[bentnail]

Yep: What he said ^

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Big and heavy? Yep.

Comfy? Maybe, there are heat issues

Powerful? Yeah but, so was my Blackbird and good, low mileage used examples are going for < 4K.

 

I frankly don't understand the need for these bikes. Too heavy for really sporting duty and heavy + big HP means tires, brakes, fuel and any other consumables are going to deplete at a faster rate.

 

Find a leftover Triumph Sprint and save a couple grand.

[Powers77]

Had an 08 C14. Nice bike but I never "loved" it the way I did my old GS. Just never really spoke to me.

If you like that style of bike look for a good used 08 or 09. I still follow that site and there is a guy over there that has had his low mile 08 FS since Sept. Down to $7000. Its a hell of a lot of bike for $7000 especially when loaded up the way this one is.

I personally never really cared that much for the KIPASS but that is a minor issue. Just make sure you get 2 Fobs when/if you get one. Power does not come on until about 5 grand but, wow when it does.

[cali_beemer]

I considered one quite a bit before buying my 04 RT. I spent some time on the connie forums looking at posts. Overall, the connies are having a fair amount of problems. Warping rotors, side cases coming off, leaking valve covers, melting gauge needles, TPS sensors, KIPASS issues..... in addition, the US models need valves done every 14k miles and it appears to be a very tedious process. Add in all the poor design elements of the 08/09 like the heat, mirrors, windshield......well....I can see why they have had a tough sale.

 

I have owned enough bikes to understand there are certian things that would aggrevate me more than others. Heat is high on my list of aggrevations. I was offered some pretty insane deals on 08 and 09 connies and I still went with the RT. I walked away form the connie with the feeling that if I were to own one it would need to be a 2010+ or no connie at all.

[SWB]

A lot of sensible fellows on this forum. My wife will love the replies and suggestions.

 

Actually, we're in a "capital conservation" mode, which is the #1 reason I won't buy the Concours, even if my credit rating allows. We'll put maybe $13K in a 1-year-used Hyundai Sonata with < 10K miles, and keep that and my paid-off-F150 (and 2005 RT) for the next 5 or 10 years, and just save money for retirement. I've gone 55 years without a "new" motorcycle; I can wait another 15 or 20 years - no problem. Besides, I have a wedding to "buy" this year which will be my most expensive "motorcycle" ever.

 

Yeah, the RT will fit in the back of the F150. All I have to do is pick up a ramp and find some bodies in central Alabama to help pull it off when I get it here.

 

I WILL be riding it throughout the Southeast by the 1st of April. Can't wait.

 

Thanks to all,

 

Scott

[tallman]

Let us know when and where.

 

A trailer works well behind the F-150 and is a lot cheaper than a new bike.

Mush easier to load/unload too.

Just sayin...

[Mister Tee]

A lot of those issues (Kipass, heat, leaking motors, etc..) have been addressed in the 2010 model) and even then they are mostly overrated, just like final drive problems in RT's are. I also saw a lot of leftover 2008 and 2009 models too but I still opted to pony up the extra cash for a 2010 and I don't regret it. If I were faced with a choice between a 2008 C14 and a 2008 RT which would I get? Hard to say but probably the C14. I liked my RT a lot but it did have EWS sensor failures, the motor would randomly stop while it was warming up and sometimes in traffic, the fork seals leaked and were replaced under warranty, and the gas gauge never did work longer than three months, none of which has happened with my C14 (in fact I have had no problems with it so far.)

 

The valve adjustment is indeed intense, but people aren't doing it every 14,000 miles. They are tending to do it once and then let it go. Plug replacement is also intense but they are OEM Iridiums that will in reality go 30K easily. To put things in perspective, a clutch replacement on an RT is a much bigger deal than a valve adjustment on a C14. Other routine maintenance items like oil changes and final drive fluid changes are easier on the C14.

 

Just get the bike you like the best and that fits your mission the best. The quality and reliability are about the same on both bikes. They ride differently. The C14 is a powerful rocket that handles well at high speed, but tight low speed maneuvering is intimidating because it is heavy, and top heavy. The RT is much easier to whip around at low speeds, and it's narrower so lane splitting is easier.

[Quinn]

I would suggest that you start making motorcycle payments to yourself now. In a few years, your bike will be paid for and you just have to go and pick it out. In all fairness, the repairs for your RT should also come out of the motorcycle payment fund.

 

For years, I always put $50 a week into a credit union account and called it my Harley fund. A year before I retired, I cashed it all in on an '04 RT. Now I'm waiting for it to build up enough to start drooling over new bikes, but the farkling and repairs are keeping the level from rising as fast. In the meanwhile, I've got a really nice bike set up for me.

 

----

 

 

[cali_beemer]

The valve adjustment is indeed intense, but people aren't doing it every 14,000 miles. They are tending to do it once and then let it go.

 

Wait until you skip the service interval when the valves are out of adjustment on that bike......Manufactures set those intervals for a reason.

 

To put things in perspective, a clutch replacement on an RT is a much bigger deal than a valve adjustment on a C14.

 

 

I am not sure I see your reasoning in comparing a possible repair to an item that is scheduled by the manufacture to be performed every 14k miles. Comparing the time it takes to perform a job that may come around once every 100k miles compared to a job scheduled by the manufacture to be done at every 14k miles.

[dhanson]

The closest I came was in 07 when I was looking at the Connie and K12GT. 09 and early had heat issues, hard to work on (lots of tupperware). MPG goes down as your enjoyment factor goes up.

 

I could get 40s with the GT, most Connies of the time got 35 or less.

 

I will side with the buy something used crowd if you must buy.

[SWB]

Let us know when and where.

 

A trailer works well behind the F-150 and is a lot cheaper than a new bike.

Mush easier to load/unload too.

Just sayin...

 

I'll watch for rides/gatherings in the area and see if I can join in later in the spring.

 

You're probably right about trailering, but I hate that. Traveling with a trailer is almost like taking the "covered wagon" route, i.e. will add days to the trip. Something to think about, though.

 

Thanks .. Scott

[Dick Rothermel]

Here's what I'd do in your situation. Take a couple days off, fly back home and ride the RT back out to AL. 2000 approx miles makes it an easy three day ride. Then wifey has the truck to drive, you no longer have the huge expense of renting a vehicle and all it costs you is the airfare.

[Mister Tee]

The valve adjustment is indeed intense, but people aren't doing it every 14,000 miles. They are tending to do it once and then let it go.

 

Wait until you skip the service interval when the valves are out of adjustment on that bike......Manufactures set those intervals for a reason.

 

To put things in perspective, a clutch replacement on an RT is a much bigger deal than a valve adjustment on a C14.

 

 

I am not sure I see your reasoning in comparing a possible repair to an item that is scheduled by the manufacture to be performed every 14k miles. Comparing the time it takes to perform a job that may come around once every 100k miles compared to a job scheduled by the manufacture to be done at every 14k miles.

 

If you actually followed that schedule then yes you are right. I'm just comparing the respective most difficult normal maintenance items I can think of on both bikes. Particularly when running with modern synthetic oils, my experience has been once valves wear in, they pretty much stay there. That also seems to be the trend noted by some of the Concours board members that do their own valve adjustments. My experience with clutches is that, while they may last a long time, they do wear, and they normally have to be replaced at least once or twice in the lifetime of a vehicle. I would say you could budget for three dealer performed clutch adjustments in a 100,000 mile period (which is STILL overkill) and still be WELL ahead costwise of an assumed 100,000 mile interval RT clutch replacement. I just pulled the 100,000 number out of my head. I don't know how long these things are actually lasting, but I see people ARE replacing them, whether it's due to wear, leaky seals or leaky clutch slave cylinders.

[JayW]

...I would say you could budget for three dealer performed clutch adjustments in a 100,000 mile period (which is STILL overkill) and still be WELL ahead costwise of an assumed 100,000 mile interval RT clutch replacement. I just pulled the 100,000 number out of my head...

 

. I don't think the RT clutch is adjustable by the dealer or anyone else. I fully expect the clutch in my RT to last well beyond 100K miles. There is at least one RT out there with >200K miles on the original clutch. Just sayin'.

 

Jay

 

'05 RT, 69K miles

[Mister Tee]

...I would say you could budget for three dealer performed clutch adjustments in a 100,000 mile period (which is STILL overkill) and still be WELL ahead costwise of an assumed 100,000 mile interval RT clutch replacement. I just pulled the 100,000 number out of my head...

 

. I don't think the RT clutch is adjustable by the dealer or anyone else. I fully expect the clutch in my RT to last well beyond 100K miles. There is at least one RT out there with >200K miles on the original clutch. Just sayin'.

 

Jay

 

'05 RT, 69K miles

 

Ahh I meant replacement, not adjustment, sorry. By the same token, I expect a valve adjust to last a lot longer than 14,000, at least after the first adjustment.

[SuperG]

I can relate to your scenario. (OP)

 

I get bored with a bike after about a year and want something different.

 

I too was eyeing the new C14 ( the new Tenere and the new tiger 800 XC ) and almost pulled the trigger on a C14.

I decided not to go for the C14 for the following reasons.

 

 

I am past (in age) to desire the rush of an inline 4 anymore.

Connie has no cruise control .

ABS cost a chunk to add on (C14).

Poor gas milage (C14). usually I cruise in the 50-53mpg with my RT (solo)

Smaller gas tank( C14)

More cc = more $$ for insurance.

Cosmetics dislike-- just a personal nitpick---muffler is way too long and sticks out to far.

 

 

[SWB]

Here's what I'd do in your situation. Take a couple days off, fly back home and ride the RT back out to AL. 2000 approx miles makes it an easy three day ride. Then wifey has the truck to drive, you no longer have the huge expense of renting a vehicle and all it costs you is the airfare.

 

Tempting, but I'm not sure that I can drive 600 miles a day (i.e. daily, for 4 days), let alone ride 800 miles a day. Either my back or my brain would go "poof".

[Mister Tee]

>ABS cost a chunk to add on (C14).

 

Not really. A new C14 factory equipped with both ABS and traction control (REALLY nice on wet, slick roads) is still three to four grand cheaper out the door than a similarly equipped RT.

 

>Poor gas milage (C14). usually I cruise in the 50-53mpg with my RT (solo)

 

Not really. I'm noticing a fairly consistent 2 to 3 mpg difference under most riding conditions, except for really long trips, where I get close to 50 mpg, which is about the same as I got with the RT. If I really open up the throttle and power wheelie in 1st and 2nd on starts because I can, then mileage correspondingly goes to hell.

 

>More cc = more $$ for insurance.

 

Generally true but it wasn't for me.

[SuperG]

All right... good explanation, sounds good.

 

I hope we can agree at least on one thing. The C14 is a SPORT-touring( because of the engine configuration and output as well as body styling, were as the RT is more sport-TOURING machine.

I am spoiled as far as comfort on the RT- illumnworks hwy pegs are godsend and corbin backrest are the must for me on the long 500 mile day rides.

I checked the C14 foot peg options and there was only one option, mounted on the outside of the lower fairing. Not sure about the backrest.

And last but not least lets not forget the resale value of the RTs.

 

 

[SuperG]

Here is a "name this picture" contest:

 

1) it is time to check those valves.

 

2) #3 cylinder misfiring.

What U gonna do?

 

3) My honda accord has a smaller radiator

 

4) where do you put the gas in this thing?

 

 

 

(All this in good humor ...of course, it is cold here in Austin, can't ride...what to do? )

 

 

[Mister Tee]

Yes, agreed.

 

Oh, for what it's worth, the stripped C14 in the above picture is a European spec model. You can see the two O2 sensors on the exhaust headers. US models do not have O2 sensors for some odd reason, although they do have the undrilled mounting bungs for them. Mabye cost, I don't know.

[Ponch]

I looked at the C14. The ergos were too tight and it was missing some things that I got with my RT like cruise, the 49L topcase, fuel capacity, and heated seat. The way I looked at it, I'd have to spend $1500 on the C14 to make it on par with the stock RT as far as ergos and features. At that point, the price difference didn't seem worth it.