Ergo-cycling: Concours 14 vs Tiger 955i for 6'3" Me

 Cycle-Ergo, the motorcycle ergonomics simulator, is a great online resource for getting a sense of what you'll look like and how you'll fit on a bike.  Unlike cars, your options with bikes aren't as easy as sliding your seat back or adjusting the steering wheel.  To make ergonomic changes on a motorbike you need to change hardware and mechanically adjust it to make it fit.

The other day I was out on my trusty 2003 Triumph Tiger 955i.  I came off a Kawasaki Concours 10 to the Tiger and while the Connie was comfortable, it made my knees ache on long rides.  The first time I sat on the Tiger it felt like a bike built by people the same shape and size as me because it is.  I can go for hours without putting a foot down without a cramp on the Triumph.  This got me thinking about the differences between the big Kawasaki that sits next to the Tiger in the garage these days.

Cycle-Ergo gives me a quick way to check out the differences.  Forward lean is much more pronounced on the Concours 14 (12° vs an almost vertical 4° on the Tiger).  Knee angle is the same and my knees aren't bothering me on the Connie but hip angle is 6° tighter on the Kawasaki which explains the cramps I was feeling after today.

I sold a Honda Fireblade to bring the 1400GTR in and that bike had an extreme 'sports' riding position which was basically like doing a push-up on the bike (you lay on it) - it ain't easy on the wrists.  There are advantages to this aggressive riding position.  When you want to get down to business in corners a forward lean gives you a more intimate relationship with the front end, which is why sports focused bikes tend to sit a rider the way they do.  If I lived somewhere where roads were dancing with the landscape instead of cutting straight lines across it I'd have happily kept the Fireblade, but in tedious Southwestern Ontario it didn't make much sense.

Today I did a 200km loop on the Kawasaki and the constant lean does make it tiresome on the arrow straight roads around here (I have to ride 40 minutes to find 10 minutes of curves).  In the twisties the Concours is much more composed than the taller, bigger wheeled Tiger.  The Concours is a 50+ kg heavier bike but you can see in the animation that it holds its weight much lower than the Tiger.  In the bends today the Connie was fine but the SW Ontario-tedium I have to deal with most of the time has me thinking about ways to ease that lean.

There are solutions to this in the form of 'bar risers' which are blocks of machined metal that you slip in under the handlebars to bring them taller and closer to you so you're not stooped.  For me the lean also means I'm putting a lot of weight on my, um, man-parts, which end up pressed against the tank due to the lean.

Here's the difference between a stock
Concours 14 and the Murph's Kit bar
riser modification.

I had a look around at bar-risers.  There are number of people who put them together including some cheaper Chinese options but I ended up going with Murph's Kits C14 bar risers.  Murph is well known in the Concours Owners Group and has been producing Concours specific parts for decades.  His risers aren't quite as tall as some of the others and look to solve the problem without over-solving it by giving too-tall handlebars that spoil the lines and the purpose of the bike.

The biggest ergo-thing I did on the otherwise well-fitting Tiger was getting a Corbin seat for it which makes it a long distance weapon.  I'll eventually do the same thing for the Connie but I think I can make do with the stock seat this year and then do the Corbin over the winter.  That doesn't stop me from mucking around with the Corbin seat simulator though:

By next spring I'll have a C14 that fits but it isn't as easy as sliding the seat back in a car.  In the meantime we've got the Lobo Loco Comical Rally coming up at the end of the month.  That requires a minimum of 400kms travelled in 12 hours and will need more than that if we're going to be competitive.  I'm hoping my bar risers will be installed and I'll bring the good ole Airhawk out of semi-retirement to keep me limber over a long day in the saddle.

If you're thinking, "oh, a long distance motorcycle rally, that sounds like fun, you're out of luck on the Comical Rally, it sold out!  Lobo Loco is doing other rallies later in the summer though.

Kawasaki Concours 14 GTR1400 ZG1400 Tires & Suspension Setup

I finally got around to adjusting the Concours' suspension.  It was pretty unsettled on uneven pavement so I went with the list shared online and aimed everything at 'right on the money' which works out to front spring preload of 14mm and rebound dampening of 3 clicks out from all the way in.  The rear got set to 20 clicks in on spring preload and 1 and 1/4 turns out on rebound dampening. 

It's a significant improvement over what the bike was set at before.  On uneven pavement it feels much less likely to bounce and wander.  On smooth pavement it now tracks much better and isn't such a struggle to hold a line with, though it still feels heavy.  That might be my own fault coming off a Honda Fireblade to the Kawasaki though.

The existing tires on the bike are Michelin Pilot Road 4s which people in the know swear transforms the bike's handling.  I had a look around and the rear tire's 2715 stamp means it was built in the 27th month of 2015.  My best guess on the front is that it was 1918 or 2019 in the 18th month.  If that was the case then Declan, the guy I purchased the bike from, put these tires on it in or around 2019 so they're not only lightly used but also recent!

They passed the safety easily and aren't flat spottted or low on tread so a couple of very low mileage years is likely, which means I'm not in any rush to replace them.  That didn't stop me from having a look at what new tires for it would cost anyway just so I'm ready (end of 2022 riding season?) to replace them.

Going to a 190/55/R17 rear tire (stock is 190/50 ZR17) raises the back end a bit with a marginally thicker sidewall and stops the bike from feeling so vague.  Bike Magazine describes the handling of the GTR1400 as 'not good' and I think this dropin vagueness is what they're referring to.

Another nice surprise on this used bike purchase is that the former owner put new tires on only a couple of years ago and then barely used them, but now I've got some ideas about where to go next.

Road 5s are a newer,
top-of-the-line tire that are
$70 more expensive than
Road Pilots but don't
come in 55 rears.

Concours 14 Tire Opinions:

https://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,67614.0.htmls

http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=9338.0

Michelin Road 5 GT 

https://www.zxforums.com/threads/bt21-tyres.9145/

https://forum.concours.org/index.php?threads/re-so-whats-the-best-brand-model-tires-for-the-c14.51460/

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

What's the Concours 14 like to ride over distance?  It's a very comfortable long distance machine. Compared to the Tiger it's smoother, significantly less vibey and quieter.  This isn't necessarily a good think because riding a motorbike isn't always about comfort - sometimes you want it to beat the shit out of you.  What is good is that the 1400GTR is a significantly different bike to ride than the old Triumph Tiger, so both fill a different need in the bike stable.

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.

For the first time I adjusted the X-screen modular MCA Windshield to its maximum length and it did an astonishing job of protecting me at highway speeds.  So much so that I barely closed the Roof helmet on the ride.  The pocket of air it creates is stable and the wind noise so much less that it's just another aspect of this bike that'll let you do long miles without exhausting yourself.

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.

The bike itself seems to manage heat well which the old ZG1000 previous generation Concours 10 I had did not (it used to get stupid hot!).  If stuck in traffic, even over 30°C pavement, the temperature gauge never went above half way and the fans haven't needed to come on yet.  The lack of wind-flow over my legs on hot summer rides may yet be an issue though, the fairings are too good.

The other complexity piece of the C14 that I wasn't sure I was interested in was the digital dash but that too is proving valuable.  I'm no longer guessing what gear I'm in based on revs and road speed so I'm no longer trying to shift into a non-existent 7th gear, which happens often on the Tiger.  Though the 1400GTR revs so low while in 6th/overdrive (3200rpm @ 110kms/hr) that you wouldn't be looking for another gear anyway.

Mileage has been a concern on this smaller-tank/worse mileage than the Tiger bike.  The Kawasaki's 22 litre tank is 2 litres smaller than the Tiger's which also gets 10+ more miles to the gallon.  I'm going to fill up a spare 2 litre gas canister and run the Kawasaki for maximum range a few times to see what this C14 can actually do.  When I fill it up it cheerfully states it'll do 360km to a 22 litre tank which works out to 38.5mpg or 6.1 litres per 100 kms.  The display shows when you're maximizing mileage so a long ride without wringing its neck to see what mileage it can achieve is in order.  If I can get 400kms out of a tank that'll put me up into the mid-40s miles per gallon, which would be a good return on such a heavy, powerful machine.  The range indicator jumps around to the point of being meaningless and then cuts out when the bike gets low and you need it most - not the best user interface there, Kawasaki, but I've heard there may be a wiring hack to stop that from happening.

So, after a 290ish km run up to Georgian Bay and back I'm very happy with the bike's power, which is otherworldly, it's comfort is good but I'm looking at seat improvements.  I've heard other larger riders put peg extenders on so there is a bit less flex in the legs, which might eventually happen.  Many people also put bar risers on them so the bars come towards you a bit more, but I'm finding that I'm able to move myself on the seat to get a more vertical or more sporty riding position depending on what I'm doing, so bar risers aren't on the radar.

I did pick up a spare fuel bottle that fits nicely in the panniers (which take a bit of getting used to for all the keying in and out but are huge and don't affect the bike at speed at all).  Next time I'm on a long ride I'll top the spare bottle up when I top up the bike and then see how far I can push the range.

It was an uneventful ride except for one incident.  Leaving Thornbury harbour the 360 camera fell out of my pocket onto the road.  I pulled over quickly and safely and then ran back to scoop it up off the road.  There was traffic back at the lights in town just starting to move and 3 cyclists riding on the side of the road coming towards me but still some way away.  I ran out to the camera, scooped it up and ran back to the curb and almost took out one of the cyclists who had elected to accelerate towards me rather than giving me space to get off the road.

She yelled, "bike!" and I made a dexterity check that had me dodging around her rather than taking her off the bike.  They kept going but I was left standing there wondering what the thinking was.  You see a guy duck out into the road to pick something up so surely you would ease up a bit and let him do what he needs to do to get out of the way - but not in this case.  From what I've seen of cyclist's approach to sharing the road, I imagine that I'm entirely at fault for that.  It left me shaking my head at their thought processes.

Kawasaki Concours C14 Farkles

Some Concours farkle shopping...

(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)

This is the fanciest bike I've ever owned - this'd be the fanciest seat... with heat!  The Corbin on the Tiger makes it all day comfortable.

They're awesome seats, but they ain't cheap, especially if you get the back rests with them, but if you want to do high miles, they're the tool for the job.

MRA X-creen Windshield:  $265US ($322CAD)

Another Tiger cross-over.  The MRA that came with it has been bullet proof and the transformable.  The flip up spoiler all but disappears when you fold it down but does a great job of deflecting wind when up.  On the Connie's F-14 style swing-wing windshield it would cover all possible combinations of windshield required and all but disappear when folded down in the lowest position.    The smoked look doesn't look like the acres of clear plastic the stock one does either.  These are sharp, well designed bits of German engineering.

Got this one done already, no regrets, it's a fantastic bit of engineering.

Speed Bleeders for clutch & brakes  $38.68 ($46.56CAD)

Having wrestled with bleeding the hydraulic clutch, I can totally see the value in the Murph's Kits set of speed bleeders for clutch and brakes.  Typical bleed nipples open when turned and can let air back into the system.  Speed Bleeders have a valve in them that only allows fluid in but then prevent back pressure out so you have less headaches with air sneaking in.

If these lead to quick and easy regular maintenance of brake and clutch fluid systems then you end up with less headaches from contaminated fluid and internal damage to the system.

I've got them on order now - Murph only charges $15 for USPS shipping to Canada - I haven't received them yet but when I do I'll update with any additional costs.

NOTES & RESEARCH

http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=288.0;wap2

https://forum.concours.org/index.php?forums/accessories-c14.78/

Ebay Concours farkle link

MRA X-Screen Windshield Installation on a Kawasaki Concours 14

No regrets aesthetically with this windshield choice and they make a point of talking about how the windshield stops back pressure and noise which means it should work well with my rejuvenated windshield raising motor.

I'm a fan of MRA windshields since one came attached to the Tiger, so the Concours is getting one, but this is my first time doing an installation.  If you're installing an MRA windshield you can expect detailed instructions and all the parts provided in clearly marked bags.

Assembly is straightforward with clearly presented directions and useful diagrams.  It took me about 20 minutes to put it together.  The parts are quality and go together like you'd expect a finely engineered German windshield to.

There is an option to have a simple single pivot or a more adjustable but complex double pivot - I went with more complicated because I'm like that.  The mechanism releases and locks in a wide variety of positions.

I'm curious to see how all the different positions work as I get to know this more complicated MRA windshield.  With the extender set high at the top of the windshield the thing is about as big as the big slab of plastic Kawasaki put on it, except this one is also adjustable to go even higher and at a wide variety of angles.  Set highest it'll be much more effective than the stock windshield.

When it's all the way down the MRA windshield looks almost like a sports windshield and offers a solid windblast to the chest or lots of ventilation on a hot day.

Here is before an after.  You can see how much taller the old stock windshield is:

The old windshield was going opaque with age and was quite pitted and rough.  It also produced an astonishing amount of back pressure at speed which might have had something to do with the motor having problems.  The new windshield is lighter, more aerodynamic, more adjustable, quieter at speed and seems to have no back pressure issues at all.  I took it for a run up and down the river today and I'm very happy with this choice.  Even at lowest setting, when I F-14 swing-wing the windshield up it still provides good wind protection and noise reduction at 100kms/hr.

It looks sharp too...

I picked this windshield up at Twisted Throttle:  https://twistedthrottle.com/shop/ergonomics/windshields-accessories/windshields/mra-x-creen-tour-windshield-for-kawasaki-concours-gtr1400-08-14-clear/?attribute_pa_color=smoke-gray

They used to have a Canadian warehouse but don't any more, though they've worked out a system with Fed-Ex so you don't get any customs headaches or surprise costs when you order (though you do have to order in USD).

Concours Arts & Crafts

It's arts and crafts weekend with the new bike (and a bit of light maintenance changing the gear oil in the final drive.  Here is the list of things to do in the get-it-back-on-the-road plan for the Kawasaki Concours 14:

Solve the top-box situation

I've never had a fancy, colour matched top box before.  The one that came with the Connie is a Givi-based device and I have another Givi box that would slot right in there, but I want the fancy back.

How to get the fancy back?  The stock one broke off when the former owner tipped over a in a parking lot and snapped it off.  It broke one of the bars that hooks into the base and cracked the other.

To solve the breaks and restore the bike to normal removable top-box function I'd need to replace the broken tab.  The former owner threw a couple of bolts through the bottom into the frame mount, but this leaves two bolts poking out if the top box is removed and means the top box is basically permanently attached to the bike, which isn't ideal if you're heading into a hotel for the night when on the road.

The solution was to take  some steel frame and bolt it to the bottom of the top-box while poking it through the hole so it would act as the broken off tab.  The Dremel helped me clean up the holes and the steel frame fit snugly through the break.  I bolted it to the bottom of the case with low profile stove-style heads so they won't interfere with the base and then used Gorilla construction glue to seal it all.  Once it's dry I'll sand it down and paint it flat black and then it should be back to regular service.

I'm very happy with the final results.  I used the Dremel to round the metal tab I made so it matches the stock one and the box slides on and off like stock.  The Gorilla construction glue sealed very strong and securely.  Painting it all flat black makes it all but invisible, not that anyone would see it on the bike anyway.

Solve the paint scratches from the drop

The ColorRite package arrived this week with the suggested touch-up paints for this particular Neptune Candy Blue version of the C14.  It's a beautiful paint job and so the touch-up requires a base coat, the Neptune Candy Blue and then a clear coat on top.

I also picked up some 'Flat Super Black' that should cover the ding on the bottom body panel.

With some steady hands I should be able to minimize the scratches and then buff it into the regular paint work.  It won't be perfect but I think I can cover the worst of it to the point where it's not immediately noticeable.

None of the damage cracked any of the plastic body panels which is incredible considering the weight of the bike.  A bit of touch up and it'll be barely noticeable, especially as it is only at the bottom of the side panels.  All the higher up/more obvious panels look brand new.

If I end up hanging onto this one for a long time I'll eventually get the panels repainted but this was never meant to be an on--a-pedestal bike so I wasn't so worried about some scratches on the body work.

UPDATE

I dremelled down the rough edges from the bike's slow speed drop by the previous owner.  I then ran some fine grit sandpaper over it to flat it.  It isn't perfect but it's much better than it was.  The base coat from ColorRite is designed to darken the naturally light colours plastic so when the Candy Neptune Blue goes on over top it's not also trying to cover up white plastic.

I didn't go for the spay cans from ColorRite because the cost of shipping them was staggeringly expensive (pressurized containers make shippers nervous).  If I'd have ordered the spray bombs the cost of shipping would have been more than the paint itself.  Rather than dropping a couple of hundred dollars on a patchy fix I think I'm going to get these to the point where they aren't obviously damaged and then at some point in the future pull the panels, clean them up and send them out for a professional paint job.

Painting is one of those things that works best with the right kit, and in my tiny garage the opportunity to set up a paint booth simply doesn't exist.  While doing these touch-ups, spring is in full bloom outside and in a matter of minutes everything was covered in pollen.  Things like that make painting very difficult.

In retrospect I should have just cleaned up the damage and painted it flat black for now.  The pens ordered from ColorRite are great for filling in a scratch but damage of this scale isn't what they're designed for.

On the upside, the damage is much less noticeable now.  The other paint I ordered was the 'super flat black' that goes on the lower panels.  After cleaning up that lower panel I discovered a couple of cracks from the drop.  I've sealed them with Goop Automotive Adhesive, which I've used before.  This stuff dries black, is incredibly strong and bonds to everything.  Any time I've done fairing repairs this adhesive hasn't just repaired the break but made the fairing stronger in the process, I highly recommend it.

I wish the paint pens had worked better but I'm not surprised that they didn't, it isn't what they're designed for.  With the body worked neatened up I'm more focused on getting the mechanical repairs (the damned clutch!) sorted and getting the bike on the road with all the maintenance .  Making it pretty can come over next winter.

Kawasaki Concours 14 Project Updates: Easy Fob Battery Swaps and clutch gaskets

The battery in the fob for the C14 Concours is an easy DIY thing to do.  Pop open the fob (there is a hole at the front that you can slip a flat headed screwdriver into and then pop it apart.

It takes a 2025 lithium battery which you can find anywhere, I found this one hanging up in a Shoppers Drug Mart.  Pop out the battery, pop the new one in the slot (make sure the negative side is up), and snap it all back together again.  It took all of two minutes.  No reason to send that job to the dealership.

Meanwhile, having finally gotten the clutch bled and working properly, it promptly started leaking.  I think it wasn't before because it had run almost dry (the rubber cover in the fluid reservoir was sucked right down).

I've ordered a replacement gasket from my local dealer.  It was $14 including taxes and I should be able to pick it up in a couple of days in a curbside pickup.  There are benefits to having the dealer for this bike only fifteen minutes down the road.

You can see the drip lower right in that photo.  It should be any easy install but then I get to bleed the damned system again.  I'm hoping that the process I worked out last time produces quicker results this time.

You can see the rubber gasket on the back of the clutch cover in this photo.  It's three bolts and the whole thing should slide off.  The fluid was so contaminated last time that maybe this is a good thing - a chance to clean it all up inside and out.

I'm hoping to have the clutch sorted by the weekend and then sort out the safety and plates next week (assuming that's possible in COVID-riddled Ontario).

I'm looking forward to getting the Connie in motion again, it's been stationary too long.  Bikes are like sharks, if they don't keep moving they die.  Once this barely broken in (only 31k kms) Concours is in motion again I imagine it'll stay in motion for a long time.

Kawasaki Concours C14 Pneumatic Clutch Bleeding

Following that helpful advice on the ZGGTR.org site below, I gave the clutch bleeding another go yesterday.  I should have assumed there were multiple bleed nipples on this very complex and over engineered motorbike.

That poster suggests using a powered bleeding tool instead of the handpump kind.  My handpump one has been heavily used over the past five years.  The glass on the gauge fell off and the rubber hoses have gotten brittle and don't connect well.  On top of that the pump has started locking up on me so I just happened to get an air-line vacuum bleeding tool only a few weeks ago and it's a revaluation.  If you do bleeding in your own garage and have an air compressor, this thing isn't very expensive, seems well built and holy cow does it bleed!

For about thirty bucks (CAD) this thing makes bleeding a much less fraught experience.  The rubber tubing it comes with is flexible and grippy and makes a secure connection with the bleed nipples.  The vacuum control (the red lever) produces even, strong suction that makes bleeding much easier.

Terrible pic, but I'm pointing at the lower bleed
nipple for the clutch down by the gear change.

Bleeding the complex clutch pneumatic system on the C14 is described at "quite difficult" and the hand pump made that the truth.  The air compressor powered bleeder made producing even, consistent pressure much easier, but I was still unable to get the clutch to firm up until I read that piece below and realized there is a second bleed nipple up by the reservoir on the handlebars.  The GTR1400 is a complex beast, but once you start to get your head around how they engineered it, it all starts to make Connie-sense.

Make sure you're keeping the reservoir topped up with DOT4 brake fluid and bleed the top nipple.  When you're getting consistent fluid out of that one do it all up tight and then do the bottom nipple down by the gear shift.  You have to remove fairing to get to the bottom one.  Strangely, the top nipple is 8mm and the bottom 10mm, so you'll need two wrenches to do the job.

Once you've got the bottom one producing bubble free fluid you can lock it up and the clutch comes back immediately, or at least it did for me.

With the clutch flushed and filled with new DOT4 synthetic, I'm looking for wiring diagrams for the windshield.  The mechanism seems to be in good shape but there is a relay click from somewhere near the ignition module when I press the windshield rising button, so I suspect a bad connection or something electrical is at fault, but I need a wiring diagram to hunt that down.

I was worried that the C14 would be too much of a technical handful to DIY, but it's a beautifully crafted thing engineered to within an inch of its life.  As long as you can get your head around that it's not a particularly overwhelming thing to work on, but then I haven't had to put it all back together yet (keep your fasteners for the complex body-work in order!).

Thanks to ZGGTR.org for this helpful advice:

http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=14429.0

"There are two bleeders; the first one is on the clutch master cylinder, pointing straight up.  The second one is on the slave cylinder which is on the left side of the engine. I believe on Gen. 2 C-14's you are going to have to remove the left fairing to get at that slave cylinder.

Bleed the top bleeder first and continue until the fluid is perfectly clear (no air bubbles or foam in the fluid). Then move onto the second bleeder and continue the same way.

Note that these bikes can be quite difficult to bleed at all, and also to finish bleeding (soft clutch or brakes that are nearly impossible to get the last of the air out of). I ended up buying an air- powered vacuum bleeder in 'self defense' just for this bike but they are expensive. The traditional way of pumping the system and then holding pressure on the lever while cracking the bleeder often just does not work as the system will not pump up in the first place."

https://forum.concours.org/index.php?threads/bleeding-clutch-fluid.4122/

Followup: 

When I finally took the bike out the clutch isn't disengaging drive properly and event though there is some feel at the lever it isn't enough to engage the clutch.  I've run an entire bottle of DOT4 through it and still can't get it clear.  Time for some alternative tricks:

http://zggtr.org/index.php?topic=18451.0

"Ended up holding the mityvac hose right on top of the fluid hole over the piston and pumped the lever while sucking. Seem to clear the problem and got lever pressure back. must have got a particle of dirt in the mechanism."

Another option might be to gravity feed fluid into the bottom bleeder and then draw the fluid (and bubbles) up from the bottom and out of the reservoir.

Speed Bleeders for the C14:

https://murphskits.com/speed-bleeders-for-c14/

Speed bleeder how to:  https://youtu.be/QVjPVhoPHow  

https://forum.concours.org/index.php?threads/speed-bleeder-install-help.46199/

Positive pressure bleeding is an alternative.  Perth County Moto has a hand pump:  https://perthcountymoto.com/products/eze-brake-bleeder  I wonder if they have any more German police leathers...

Followup Followup:

Finally got the clutch sorted today.  I got a fluid pump with a one way valve in it and pressurized the lower bleed valve and then drew fluid (and bubbles) backwards (bubbles like to go up) out of the reservoir using the vacuum pump.  Lotsa bubble, then less and less, then none.

The initial fluid had a lot of debris in it (little black dots).  Once I got them out there was a little black tornado of very fine debris which I also vacuumed out.  I suspect this system has never been changed (the bike is 11 years old but low miles and minimally maintained).  With all the debris finally out and the fluid clear, more bubble came out (moving the steering side to side seemed to really do the trick).  When no more bubbles came out the clutch feel immediately returned.

I took the bike around the block - great clutch feel and engagement.  That clutch is a f#*@er to bleed!  Next winter the Connie gets a set of Murph's speed bleeders and I'm doing the brakes (which have also probably not been done any time recently).