Kawi C14 Gets Traction Control

[SockMonkey]

As reported in MCN, the 2010 Kawasaki Concours 14 gets a makeover and traction control: Link!

Additional detailed info here: Link!

It appears that Kawi's still married to that butt ugly muffler, though... :glare:

 

[Stephen]

Wow! Owning a ZX-14 gives me an idea of the kind of power that the C-14 has. They've made lots of changes in the positive direction. Mirrors, windscreen with memory, heat, fob, et al.

Nice package.

 

[Khunajawdge]

Overall package looks more interestinglier? <_<

 

[Iris]

Yeah, I'm impressed. Hmmmmm.....

 

[SkooterG]

Wow. I am no huge fan of the C14 but I got to give Kawi props for upping the game. Like Yamaha, they seemed to have addressed most of the complaints from the first gen C14, and even added some cool features.

For instance, gotta love the selectable 'fuel economy' mode. Neat feature. Also the handlebar control for the onboard computer displays.

No cruise control though.

If the improvements (like heat management) actually work, there could be a new sport-touring sheriff in town. Shame on Yamaha for 5 years with no updates, not to mention lame colors.

 

[v65]

Uh oh, traction control is something I could use. <_< Might have to let some other folks sort out the first generation of it though.

 

[MCRIDER007]

Kawasaki's home page has full details, 18 pictures, and the new prices. It looks like a major upgrade which has addressed most of the nits about the C14. The C14 still has the cheap, only partially adjustable suspension, which is strange considering the much cheaper ZX-14 has premium fully adjustable suspension. There appears to be 2 fuel mapping modes, one giving up to 25 percent better fuel economy (10-15% is more likely) but no mention if they changed the mapping for the secondary butterflies.

If Kawasaki has successfully addressed the heat issue and improved fuel economy then its going to be a hard choice between the C14 and the FJR. Its still a big, heavy bike but I think you are going to see in a lot of used 2008-2009 C14s in the classifieds.

 

[LDRydr]

Here's some of the new C-14 features that I personally think Yamaha ought to really be taking a look at:

• Heated grips (standard)
• Mode-select button on the left grip (this just seems like a no-brainer to me). Note that it includes tire pressure, remaining range, and battery voltage in addition to the things the FJR has. All great features for a touring bike and things we end up adding to the FJR (volt meter, TPM)
• Mirrors that can actually be used to see something
• A storage box with a mag-lock instead of a mechanical one that can easily break.
• Hooks for attaching a tankbag

 

[lnewlf]

Still looks like Hillary *******..FJR looks like Amy Smart [Crank]...

 

[Jeff Q]

Mirrors were the biggest problem for me. I will go check it out when they get in. Looking at a second FJR for the woman right now. Could need to wait.

 

[rushes]

I spent a lot a years ridin' Kawasaki's...

Seein' this is kinda like seein' that old girlfriend that just got a **** job...

And I do like blue....

 

[Wicked Webby]

It sounds like Kawasaki really addressed some of the C14's short comings.. And some.

Though, they should have gave it a slightly larger gas tank (along with the fuel economy switch) and

upgraded the front forks while they were at it.

Other than that... Good Job Kawi!! Upping the ante in the sport touring market is always welcomed!!

WW

 

[bmwhd]

I'll be keen to take a test ride just for grins. There's a very good Kawi dealer near my house. It will be interesting to see how much they deal on the two '09s they have on the floor. They were already giving a couple of grand off...

 

[jmarran]

I'm not so sure they did such a super job "fixing" the mirrors.

What can you see in one of the mirrors in one of Kawasaki's pics? SHIFT LEVER

If that's Hilary, Bill's eyes may never wander again!

 

[Spud]

Shame on Yamaha for 5 years with no updates, not to mention lame colors.

Hey, my '08 and the '09's had an awesome color: black. Oh wait, black isn't really considered a color, is it....

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Wow. I am no huge fan of the C14 but I got to give Kawi props for upping the game. Like Yamaha, they seemed to have addressed most of the complaints from the first gen C14, and even added some cool features.
For instance, gotta love the selectable 'fuel economy' mode. Neat feature. Also the handlebar control for the onboard computer displays.

No cruise control though.

If the improvements (like heat management) actually work, there could be a new sport-touring sheriff in town. Shame on Yamaha for 5 years with no updates, not to mention lame colors.

Absolutely! And with my local Yamaha shop shut down, and my new/good mechanic at the Kawi dealer, I may have to switch at some point. Never thought I'd think it.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

I also like this feature for peace of mind:

"Now each Concours 14 comes with one key fob (kept in a pocket) and a small card-type key for emergency/backup use. The new card-type key includes an immobilizer function (but no remote activation) and is highly portable, measuring just 1.2 x 1.6 x 0.25 inch"

The electronic key fob thingy would always make me nervous if I left it somewhere. Good to have a backup.

 

[na1g]

Good on ya, Kawasaki! Only three years in and they have addressed some important issues. The heat control will be a biggie, if it works well. The windshield goes down when the ignition is turned off, but (get this!!) returns to its former postion when the bike is turned on again! (I don't understand this obsession with having the screen retract when the bike is parked, but at least K puts it back where you had it for riding.) Standard grip warmers - yay! BTW, the grip warmer control looks exactly like the FJR's accessory unit and works the same way, too. The FJR fairing pocket lock requires you to turn the bike on to get stuff out (drives me nuts!) but maybe the C14 works better. But what's wrong with a keyed lock? The price looks pretty good: $14,499 / $15,299, only a $700 premium for ABS.

Big K has thrown down the gauntlet. The tuning forks guys must have a new FJR percolating. Honda reportedly has a new ST coming out, maybe a 2011. Who is up to the challenge? Dang, this will be great time to be sport tourer!

:yahoo:

pete

 

[ndivita]

As reported in MCN, the 2010 Kawasaki Concours 14 gets a makeover and traction control: Link!
Additional detailed info here: Link!

It appears that Kawi's still married to that butt ugly muffler, though... :glare:

My 2005 FJR ABS lacks heated grips but has electronic cruise control. It has all the farkles I need or want. It runs like the wind and is stable as a rock. I see nothing in the new C-14 that makes me want to switch other than the never-ending desire for a new this or that. At 32,000 miles, my FJR runs as good or better than the day I took delivery back in July 2005. I will get a new sport tourer some day, but when I do, I would like one that does not require the mechanical equivalent of open heart surgery to do a valve adjustment.