FJR comparison to Kawi Concours 14

[Mackeroni]

Have any of you guys tried the Concour before purchasing the FJR? I know some the mags reviews favor the Kawi. I know the Concour has a bigger engine but I thought that was about it.

Funny. A guy at work bought his C14 a few weeks before I got my FJR. He was very proud in a casual "I-have-the-coolest-bike" kind of way. Then... a few days after I started riding the FJR to work, he stops by to chat... asking questions about the handling...the ergos...the engine. After a week of this, he suddenly blurts out, "Geeze, your FJR is really cool. I should have looked harder at them before I bought the Kawi."

Music to my ears.

 

[Khunajawdge]

Have any of you guys tried the Concour before purchasing the FJR? I know some the mags reviews favor the Kawi. I know the Concour has a bigger engine but I thought that was about it.

No, I bought an '05 FJR1300 in 2004, there was NO Concours 14 available then. Sold my ZG 1000 Concours to buy the Feejer. I have learned to enjoy my Yamaha, and to date it is by far, the "BEST" bike I have ever owned.

However, yesterday I rode a C 14 and there are some things that Kawasaki includes in the C 14 that I miss on the Feejer. The Engine (I guess I just like the high revving torque curve on the Kawasaki's), The 6 speed tranny is smooth, and the thing cooks at 6,000 to 9,000 rpm. My hair was streamed back inside my helmet. The weather protection seems better on the C 14. The Mirrors on the C 14 are definitely better than my (upgraded) FZ1 mirrors on my Feejer.

Furthermore, I am one of those guys that likes to take the fairing pieces off every month or so to perform some maintenance/farkling beneath. I have never quite understood the manner in which the Yamaha was skinned, and why is the battery inside the right fairing? That heavy piece should be centered somewhere else on the bike?

Lastly, I will keep my FJR for a few more years because that's how I do things, but I'll be keeping my eye on the C 14. There are already many after market accessories out there for the C 14 and there may be some Kawasaki factory upgrades in the next few years, I'll be keeping my eye out. Yamaha has stepped up with upgrades in the Gen II FJR 1300 models that address the market questions with the Gen I's, like addressing the heat issues. Kawasaki may be considering something similar .

2005 FJR1300a (Gen I) = 40,646 miles

 

[dirk]

Long story short I bought a 2008 Concours 14 ABS and a 2008 FJR 1300 AXB (I think). My impressions follow. I'm 6'0" and weigh 195 lbs.

BUY THE FJR! I sold the Connie (too damn hot to ride)!

I hope I've not been too ambiguous.

 

[CRMH Eagle]

The sales guy knew I wanted an FJR. After looking at the fjr he took me to the connie. I didn't like the seat position, it's bigger outline, the bags, and the way the fairings looked. This made me want the fjr even more. The sale guy took me back to the fjr. Smart dude.... knew what he was doing.

 

[Flylooper]

I've ridden both. Not a lot of time spent on the C14 but enough to know that it has one feature I wish were on my Gen I Feej: I'd love a 6-speed tranny (My old C10 Connie had one. Lovely!) but that isn't to say that the FJR tranny is a POS. It isn't. It's a bit noisy and claks like crazy when it's really hot and the oil is like water, but so what? Last summer I rode the Feej all the way from the West to the East Coast and back in HUGE July-August heat/humidity (I should of had my head examined!) and it was noisy but performed just perfect on a >6,000 trip.

I just wish they had used one friggin' fastener on the FJR's skin rather than 29 different kinds. That's nuts, what they did! But at 40K problem free miles, I'm happy as a lark with my '04. No ticking, no headaches, no brains.

No changes even being considered.