Getting the fairing back on required some fiddling as the previous owner's drop had bent the metal piece it attaches to and I'd fixed the cracks in the fairing so they all lined up true now. I ended up heating it up and bending it back to its usual position and it all went together. The bike's now ready for a safety but I'm having trouble getting a response from Lloyd, my usual go-to local mechanic. Hopefully I can get the paperwork in order and get it on the road next week.
Sunday 16 May 2021
Chasing down a clutch slave cylinder leak in a 2010 Kawasaki Concours C14
Getting the fairing back on required some fiddling as the previous owner's drop had bent the metal piece it attaches to and I'd fixed the cracks in the fairing so they all lined up true now. I ended up heating it up and bending it back to its usual position and it all went together. The bike's now ready for a safety but I'm having trouble getting a response from Lloyd, my usual go-to local mechanic. Hopefully I can get the paperwork in order and get it on the road next week.
Tuesday 27 April 2021
Kawasaki Concours C14 Suspension Setup
https://forum.concours.org/index.php?threads/setting-the-suspension-on-the-c14.11199/
https://forum.concours.org/index.php?threads/c14-shock-conversion.48702/
From ADVrider: https://advrider.com/f/threads/setting-up-suspension-on-a-concours-14.514158/
I am 6'-3 and about 245-250 Lbs. My settings are as follow:Forks: 10mm and 4 clicks out (rebound)
Shock: 24 (?) clicks in and 1 click out (rebound)
These settings are a bit stiff but...I like them that way for spirited riding. For 2up, I will just adjust further the shock preload.
Friday 7 May 2021
Kawasaki Concours C14/GTR1400 TPMS (tire pressure measurement sensor)
Now that I've gotten this sidelined C14 closer to road-ready I'm seeing a tire pressure warning from the front tire. Both tires are fairly new with good tread and they hold pressure well (both were still right on 42psi after 2 stationary weeks in wildly swinging spring Canadian temperatures), so this isn't a low tire pressure issue, it's a sensor battery issue.
COG has a very handy thread on it here. The key take-aways here are: TPMS appears to be very temperature sensitive and can get crusty when not used for some time as this spider nest covered bike has. Once warmed up, TPMS can come back to life. I only went around the block on the bike yesterday and it was only 8°C at the time, so not exactly 'warm'. As one poster mentions, he's ridden for decades without TPMS so if it's not working it isn't the end of the world. For me, the best advice here is how to turn off the panicky dash warnings that prevent you from seeing anything else:
"a simple push and hold of the top button along with a push and release of the bottom button will light up a red warning light, and return the display function to normal when your TPMS battery is low. Also, BDF offers a simple plug in device which restores the range function and eliminates that annoying "LOW FUEL" flashing message."
It appears there are some UI (user interface) issues with how Kawasaki designed the C14 dashboard. Having only ever owned bikes with analogue dash boards I'm finding this digital fussing kinda funny. They may not be all fancy with multiple levels of information, but a well designed analogue set of clocks lasts forever, is easy to read and doesn't spaz out and distract you from riding. Kawasaki really should have thought this through better.
TPMS in the Concours works through a radio sensor inside the tire that monitors tire pressure in real time. I'd (foolishly) assumed this was somehow mounted in an accessible way around the air valve on the outside of the wheel but of course it isn't.
This handy home-mechanic goes through the process of getting into the tire in a gen-1 '08 Concours, finding the sensor and looking at the battery. Kawasaki appears to have soldered the battery in (at least on '08s), which makes replacing the battery without replacing the whole unit tricky, but this guy gives it a go anyway. Soldering onto a lithium batter is brave! They like to explode when heated.
The rear tire pressure sensor is identical:
Kawasaki SENSOR,TPMS 315MHZ Part # 21176-0748
When someone asked how expensive they are to replace in that COG thread, someone else replied, "very." They're out of stock on Amazon. New ones are going for $300CAD a pop on eBay, so yes, very.
Sunday 30 May 2021
Kawasaki Concours C14 Farkles
(Lightly) Tinted headlight covers: $40
The big googly eyes on the front of the Connie aren't my favourite styling aspect of the bike. These tinted covers claim to offer a less obvious googly-eye without making the lights useless at night. They also provide some protection from debris.
Corbin (heated!) seat for a C14: $711US ($864CAD)
NOTES & RESEARCH
Sunday 9 January 2022
Brake System Maintenance on a C14 Kawasaki Concours
I'm busy in the garage these days with the on-going 50 year old Triumph Bonneville restoration project. It's a big project that will take some time to sort out, but it's -20°C outside with snow squall warnings of 20cm of snow coming, which means it's also regular maintenance time on the two running bikes in the stable.
Tiger's back in hibernation after last week's sprockets & chain maintenance, waiting for a break in another never-ending winter of COVID for a chance to ride. |
If you're looking for torque settings for the brakes on a Kawasaki GTR1400/Concours C14, here they are. |
Wednesday 13 March 2024
Going Aftermarket with Kawasaki GTR1400/C14 Tire Pressure Sensors
I love a good hack, and Big Red walks you through one here on how to take aftermarket tire pressure sensors, program them to your stock Kawasaki and then use them instead of expensive stock items. The coding unit is $230, but works on anything, meaning I'm not beholden to a dealer for tire pressure sensors on the cars in the future either. A pack of 2 sensors is $95, so all together a full sensor replacement on the bike including the tool needed to program them was $325. The stock sensors are $258 each, so an eye watering $516 for the pair. $200 cheaper and I have the tool that's usable across a wide range of vehicles. That's my kind of hack!
How did it go? After all the frustrations with the Tiger and Triumph, the C14 reminded me how nice it is to work on a bike that's supported by its manufacturer, riders and the aftermarket.. When I compare the thriving online communities at COG and other online forums that support Kawasaki ownership, I can only think, 'way to go team green.' By comparison I read a post on one of the Triumph forums that said, 'these forums are dead. Everyone is giving up on these old bikes..." Except the bikes in question are not that old.Links
Big Red's how to: https://zggtr.org/index.php?topic=25416.0
The parts you need: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07YYDDXXH?smid=A2S0RW9CKA3NU3&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp&th=1
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09QC4T48J?psc=1&smid=A3AMY38QRT4FIZ&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp
What not to do...
$258 each for stock: https://www.blackfootonline.ca/sensor-tpms-315mhz-21176-1179
$175 US + shipping + customs on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/175070359610
It is actually nuclear powered - the plutonium goes in under than panel, like on Doc Brown's DeLorean... |
Sunday 2 May 2021
Sense of Achievement! Concours C14 Windshield Fixed
The three bolts at the top that connect the instrument bezel and two lower bolts hold the whole assembly in. You need to take the bolts out of the instrument bezel too, but you don't need to completely remove it or take the front body work off either. With bolts removed and the binnacle loose, you can slide the whole unit partially out, remove the power plug in the back and slide it the rest of the way.
With it out on the bench I cleaned all the connectors and also loosed the motor out of its housing and cleaned it all out as well. With the assembly out I could check the power coming and and both up and down were at battery voltage, so the relays, switch and back end of the circuit were all good.
Motor's on the left next to the big round thing. With the contacts cleaned and the motor reseated I gave it a go and off it went...
While it was out I greased all the components - it's very quiet when it runs. Nice, smooth action too.
Thursday 19 August 2021
Kawasaki Concours14/GTR1400 Kawasaki Foot Peg Ergonomics
But none of this has helped my passenger feel comfortable on the bike, which was a major reason I pitched the Fireblade for a sports tourer. WIth the panniers on the Connie leaves no room for passengers with big western feet. The passenger pegs are also set very high, so high you'd have to be seriously into yoga to look comfortable on them.
Monday 3 January 2022
Love It When They Do This
This popped up on my Facebook feed. I actually contacted the local dealer about this one last year and asked if he'd consider $6500 - he couldn't be bothered to email me back even to barter; love that arrogance.
This is a first gen Concours C14 with almost 60,000 kms on it. I ended up picking up a second gen C14 that was two years newer with half the kilometers on it for $5500. I had to put a bit of time in on it sorting out the electric windscreen, a clutch gasket and picking it up and safetying it. $5500 for the bike, $120 for the rental van to get it, $20 in parts (from Two Wheel!) and $90 to get it safetied with a $715 tax bill still had it all costing me less than $6500 on the road. Thanks to that price they'll be looking at over $300 more just in taxes for the lucky new owner.
Even with my fancy German windshield and American saddle I'm still coming out ahead. Prefer the colour on mine too.
Sunday 13 June 2021
Sail Away: First Long Ride on The Kawasaki Concours 14
First long ride with Big Blue/Nami-Chan (not sure what its name is yet) today up to Georgian Bay to listen to the water. For a kid who grew up by the sea living in landlocked Southern Ontario wears on me so sitting by the shore listening to the water lapping on the rocks calms my permanent sense of dislocation.
Thornbury Harbour, Geogian Bay, Ontario - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA
The Tiger (when it works perfectly which isn't often recently) is a capable off roader on trails and fire roads and lets the wind pass through you since it's practically naked, which is both exhausting and exhilarating. After the long ride today the abilities of the Kawasaki are much more clear. The only nagging issue is that my backside has gotten used to Corbin seat engineering and the Kawasaki stock saddle just isn't up to the job, but otherwise the bike is a revelation. Effortlessly quick, smooth and surprisingly agile in the corners, though you can still feel the weight carries but it carries it low.
Windshield down, lots of airflow, a great view and the bike feels more likes sports-bike. |
Ergonomically, the windscreen also does something smart for airflow. If it gets hot you can lower it to the point where it almost vanishes. This pushes a lot of air through your upper body and supports your chest from leaning on your wrists. I hadn't put much stock in an adjustable windshield but it not only changes the look of the bike, it also changes its functionality too. On long rides changes in airflow keep you comfortable and focused.
Windshield up while you're making tracks on less demanding roads and you're in a quiet bubble of air that lets you go for miles. |