The mighty Wolfe Bonham did a Moonbeam run this year as a part of one of his mega well-beyond an Iron Butt long distance rides. I just popped it into Google maps and it happens to be a perfect first Iron Butt distance from home, and all in the province. The starting Iron Butt is the Saddlesore 1000, 1000 miles in 24 hours. They have a metric equivalent Saddlesore 1600 kilometre ride too. The suggestion is to do a distance that can't be short cutted for credibility's sake. Riding from Elora to Moonbeam and back is always going to be over 1600kms, no matter how you do it. Another benefit is that by going up on Highway 11 through North Bay and back through Sudbury and on the 400, I won't be riding the same route twice.
The Tiger has become fragile, so I'm jonesing for a long distance weapon, not that the vibey and exposed Tiger was ideal for that, but it's what I had. A few years ago Max and I rented a Kawasaki Concours14 for a ride in the Superstition Mountains near Phoenix, Arizona, and it was a glorious thing. That Connie was a first gen C14, the newer ones have one of the highest load carrying capacities of a modern bike - so big that they could carry Max and I two-up again. Another thing about getting back into Connie ownership (I used to own a C10), is that I'd have an excuse to frequent the Concours Owners Group again.
There is a low mileage (31k) 2010 current generation C14 for sale in Toronto with some cosmetic damage and a dodgy windshield. I can sort out the niggles, and then this thing would eat miles like nothing I've had before. There is a strange lack of Kawasaki Heavy Industries motorbikes on the Iron Butt finisher's list (Honda has six times more bikes, BMW over eight times more). I want to represent! I've owned more Kawis than any other brand to this point, so it'd also be coming home to team green. This particular one is blue instead of tedious grey (Concourses tend to be very conservatively coloured), which appeals, I prefer a colourful bike. The C14 has a number of optional touring pieces, including a variety of windshields, which is good because the slab on that Concours ain't comely.
Love the Milano from Guardians of the Galaxy. The C14 would be getting similar higher visibility trim, especially around those Testarosa strakes!
Fortnine has the National Cycle Vstream windshield for the C14, which would give me a smaller but more functional, better made and swoopier look. The bike comes with a top box and panniers, so there isn't too much it'd need, other than sorting out the windshield and doing some touch up. Seeing a blue bike, I immediately want to liven it up with some orange trim, Milano style. Other than a full service and a few fixes, this bike is ready to do 100k. The stock seat is already a comfortable thing, though I've enjoyed the Corbin on the Tiger so much I'd consider tapping them again for another custom saddle eventually. The C14 Concours would be the biggest bike I've owned and could do something nothing in the garage can do right now, carry my son and I two-up while operating within the bike's weight capacity. It would also be just what I need to make a run to Moonbeam and back in 24 hours as the summer winds up.
Video breakdown of how to get into the windshield motor on a C14 Concours:
"There are two relays (up and down) that are identical. They're on the bracket that blocks the air filter removal. Looking at them with the fairing off on the left side. They are the first two that look alike. I rather doubt that both of them are bad as you said it wouldn't work at all. If only one direction worked then you could swap relays to see if you could narrow down the problem to one relay."
There is a connector to the motor. Disconnect it and check the following:
+ - switch position standard voltage
green red Free 0
green red Up battery voltage
red green Free 0
red green Down battery voltage
"30 amp fuse for the windshield motor: I would start at the connector to the motor and work backwards if the voltages aren't there or right. Older model," but: http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=10532.0
***
The long and the short of this is that I need to test the wiring and then jump the motor to see if it works. If it doesn't, taking it out looks like a pretty major operation, but then everything on the C14 looks like it's over engineered, which isn't a bad thing.
I can't believe how over-engineered the battery holder was! Heavy and much more complicated than it needs to be, but that's kinda the vibe of the bike.
Pneumatic Clutch Cover
The former owner thinks it's leaking, but it seems pretty happy (no drips under the bike). I'm going to torque it on properly to begin with and then keep an eye on it.
This have gotten fragile on this 11 year old C14 that's enjoyed 11 freezing Canadian winters followed by 11 boiling Canadian summers.
This kit from Amazon is automotive clips, but there are 50 in it that are a very close match to the Kawasaki part. The OEM clips are hard to find. For what that kit costs, I'm going to give it a shot and see if they work with it. If not, I have some handy clip removing tools and a pile of optional sizes for the future for not much money. The Kwak parts are $4US each. 50 of those (if I could find them) would be over 200 bucks, so I'll give the generics a shot.
Some of the louvred electronics pins have also broken (like I said, the plastics are starting to get fragile on this thing), so having a multi-pack is handy in other ways.
***
I'm just going to keep chucking GTR1400/C14 Concours/ZG1400 windshield details on here as I find them online.
The windshields on these seem to run into problems, especially if they're stressed while fully extended while operating at high speeds. I hope something on here gives you what you need to figure out the problem. COG members tell me the windshield motor assembly costs north of a thousand bucks, so this is a DIY situation (unless you've got thousands to chuck and an older bike).
The solution came in the 2015 model when the windshield came with a vent that reduces back pressure and stress on the unit. Putting in an aftermarket or updated stock windshield will probably help you avoid windshield motor headaches. It's on my to-do list for this bike.
•Shifting into first gear from neutral whilst stopped can illicit a 'clunk'. This is normal, but check your idle speed. It may have been set too high from the factory. Mine was set to 1800rpm.
•Do not overtighten the oil filter. You'll regret it when you try to remove it. Hand tight is fine.
•The 08-10 US models do NOT have oxygen sensors.
•When it's warm outside, bike on the side stand, tank nearly full or full, expansion may force gas/oily mixture out near the stand. Nothing to be concerned with.
•Check your battery installation. Some have been installed incorrectly. The + terminal should be on the outside.
•Periodically check the tightness of the battery terminals. They have a tendency to work loose.
•Headlight aim may be maladjusted. Mine were pointed straight down.
•The right hand mirror assembly may not be correctly mounted on the fairing. The mirror mounts within a recess in the right fairing. There have been reports of the mirror assembly being tightened down while not correctly seated causing cracks in the fairing (dealer issue if so).
•Flash to Pass (FTP) switch will cause the highbeams to come on during rain events. Dielectric grease slathered on the switch solder blobs will prevent this from happening.
•Check your exhaust header to manifold nuts. They have a tendency to loosen up over time. They may require tightening a few times before they stay tight. 13ft/lbs torque
•Check all your fasteners for tightness. Unless you have an exceptional dealer, this is typically overlooked.
•Check your oil level before accepting the bike from the dealer. The oil is checked with a sight gauge on the right side. If there isn't any oil showing in the glass with the bike level it needs to be topped off. Check your tire air pressures as well (42/42)
•Do not over-tighten the rear drive oil plug drain bolt. It strips out easily. It doesn't take a lot of force. Do not over tighten the fill plug either. You'll regret it.
•If you disconnect the battery, tire pressure indicator on screen will be blank until you ride it again
•If you are lucky enough to get your second FOB in a plastic baggy, you need to either write down the number on it or keep the baggy somewhere safe for reference purposes in case you lose it. Applies to the 08-09 models. Not sure if it applies to the '10s.
•Bike on center stand and rotating rear wheel. If you hear clicking, get it to the dealer to check it. We've been finding several issues: front spline dry; missing cir-clip on a joint: loose caps. http://forum.concours.org/index.php?topic=71444.0
christine@aeroflowscreens.com for an accurate shipping quote and ordering assistance
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=18400 suggests the Aeroflow is exceptional, but they don't ship easily to Canada (add $50US to the price) and cost $220US for the average size one. $331 for a windshield is steep. It's hinted that you can get small and tall screens but I don't want a sail on the front of the bike, just a smart windshield that doesn't overly stress the mechanism, provides reasonable protection and looks good doing it. That Aeroflow's webpage isn't secure and looks very amateur isn't convincing me to move in that direction. No pic because they don't have one on their site.
California Scientific seem to have it together. They give details on how to select the right size screen and their site is both informative and works. It's also HTTPS secure. The CalSci screen is nicely shape and comes in regular or super wide. It also has a back pressure relief hole in it. They're at $200US per screen. I'm in between a large and an XL on their chart but I think I'd go with the large as I don't want a sail in front of me, nor do I want it stressing the mechanics.
The National Cycle V-Stream seems quite common. FortNine has them too: https://fortnine.ca/en/national-cycle-vstream-windshield The details on it seem to suggest it's a quality thing. From FortNine I avoid all the trying-to-buy-from-a-small-US-business headaches and shipping is included. At $247CAD and with no customs or shipping surprises, it's also significantly cheaper than the other two. No venting for back pressure but it's a pretty thing that claims much improved wind protection without being a sail.
If you like watching someone hit things, this'll do it for you:
An MRA screen came with the Tiger and I'm a fan. They aren't cheap but they work well while keeping a low profile that wouldn't stress the motor. Good back pressure management too.
Twisted Throttle used to do Canadian orders without and faff, but now they're in USD and I'm worried about surprise costs for shipping and customs. They're already at $325CAD before any other surprises come into play.
Inside Dimensions: 9'6" x 5'7" x 4'8" (LxWxH) (will fit C14 easily) Back Door Opening: 5'1-1/2" x 4'1-1/2" (WxH) Bike might be a touch too tall (windshield removal?, angle it?) Deck Height from Ground: 2'5"
The Tiger is healed. I wasn't sure of going off piste with the engineering when I first did it, but trying to keep to Triumph's design demands when they themselves won't support them with parts pushed me over the edge, and I'm glad it did. The how-to is here.
It now starts on the button, idles steadily at 1200RPM (I set it with a spacer nut on the throttle idle bolt on the intake manifold), and has become my go-to ride again. Take out the it-never-worked-right idle control plunger and you've got a functional Triumph 955i motorbike.
The end result? I'm putting miles on the bike again this summer and hope to have it within 5k of the 100k goal before the snows fall. Next year I'll go over the top.
Many miles in many weathers on and off road. The Tiger's solid... which prompted me to put the Concours 14 up for sale. I got a couple of nibbles but wasn't feeling it so I took it down again. Why sell the Connie? It costs twice what the Tiger does in insurance each year and is half as comfortable (I've never been able to make it fit me right). My better half and I went out to Stratford for a play and it was rock solid.
When you have the hardware, you can show up in Stratford for a play dressed like a biker and turn into a well dressed theatre goer in moments!
... and yet we both got off it after a couple of hours of riding limping. It's a younger person's machine and I think it's time to let it go. Considering I stepped from a Fireblade to the C14, the next step is likely to be a (frickin?) Gold Wing, but that's me aging gracefully. The combo in the garage is more likely to be the Tiger and some godforsaken recovery project I'm neck deep into figure out rather than the Tiger and a cruiser.
While in Stratford we stopped by Perth County Moto's Bike Night. The new location has piles of parking and the new store is enormous! Well worth a trip out, and we've proven that you can rock up to a play and transform into theatre goers when you've got a top box and two panniers.
A brilliant trip to Stratford has left the C14 is hanging by a thread. Being a competent sports tourer with hyper-ballistic skills isn't enough anymore.
PCM's new (to us) digs impressed.
When I look in the garage, this is the one that still gets my attention. Sell the C14 and find the guy selling the 955i Tiger in Windsor last year for parts and see if he still has it?
Fortnine is at $16 - save yourself a pile of $ if you're in Canada and use Fortnine! (Free shipping over $49 so the Amazon Prime shipping trap doesn't apply)
Air Cleaner Removal How-To:
Air Filter:
Kawasaki Part # 11013-0014
K&N # KA-1406
Now that I know where to look, yep, it's in there. The existing one might be the original (the bike only has 30k on it). It's dirty and a paper filter one so a K&N is on the way.
Engine Oil:
Engine Oil:Type: API SG, SH, SJ, SL or SM with JASO MA, MA1 or MA2 Viscosity: SAE 10W-40 Capacity 4.7 L (5.0 US qt) Coolant Capacity 3.4 L (3.6 US qt)
Oil Filter:
KN-303 K&N OIL FILTER
Final Drive Oil:
Parts ordered from Fortnine after Amazon ended up racking up a bill that was almost twice as much! Don't fall for the habitual Amazon ordering that you've developed during the pandemic. It looks like Amazon sellers have been slowly raising prices to the point that they aren't even close to representative of what the market is offering. In some cases their prices are even higher than dealers!
I would have gone with Royal Distributing but they seem to be having trouble with stock and didn't have most of these parts on hand, whereas FortNine did.
$315 isn't cheap but this is everything I need to 'zero' the maintenance schedule so I know what went in and when. Based on what I'm seeing in the bike (spider nexts and cobwebs everywhere) this bike has been sitting for a long time without any regular maintenance.
The former owner was anxious about a coolant leak but I'm not seeing anything. The reservoir was low but the bike did get tipped over so it might have lost some fluid then. No leaks I can find. Same with the clutch and brakes. Fluid in both reservoirs was a bit low, but no evidence of any leaks, so I topped everything up and I'll keep an eye on things.
I also found the Candy Neptune Blue Kawasaki correct paint for the 2010 Concours from ColorRite. The beautiful, deep blue paint on the Concours C14 requires a base before putting the blue on top and then a clear coat to match the existing finish. The marks on the bike aren't particularly noticeable but this should cure them almost completely.
If you're looking for a 2010 on 'latest' model C14 manual, this'll work:
The mighty Wolfe Bonham did a Moonbeam run this year as a part of one of his mega well-beyond an Iron Butt long distance rides. I just popped it into Google maps and it happens to be a perfect first Iron Butt distance from home, and all in the province.
-EDIT.jpg)
