2005 Kawasaki Concours

Four carburetors bad at altitude changes.
I do not like the way they corner but know some people who like them.
I guess there is a bike for everyone, the concourse is about polar opposite of the bike for me. Please remember you are not me and your results may vary. 5,000 miles is a bit high for a 05 Concourse

Concours were/are great bikes...
These bikes are tall in the saddle (I couldn't put both feet on the ground) and had a high center of gravity (in part due to the 7 gal gas tank). The technology on those bikes really hasn't changed in almost 20 years of production. The motors were basically the same as the Kawi police bikes.
Not for everybody but they do have almost a cult following...
Cruise some of the concours forums... They are chock full of information.

Re: 2005 KAWASAKI CONCOURS

halfcent said:

I know this is a Shadow site, but it is also a great site for gathering information.
I have the chance of maybe picking up a 2005 Kawasaki Concours and am wondering if anyone can tell me the 'Good, The Bad, and the Ughly on this particular ride. It appears to be in good shape with under 5000 miles on it, but I have yet to see it in person.
Any info would be helpful.
Thanks.

Click to expand...

I had pretty much every problem you could have with one... a mirror fell off, two valve adjusters stripped, blew the rear drive (the factory never filled it and the dealer let it leave dry), clunking in front suspension, the gas tank had leaks in it, the front end wobbled like a belly dancer, the brakes were inadequate, the bike buzzed from front to back and put my hands into a near-necrotic state on every ride, and it's a heavy beast which carries all of its weight pretty high. However, I had a lemon. I know I did, because thousands upon thousands of Concours owners told me over and over again just how wrong I was about the bike, and how bad a rider I must have been. I dumped mine off on a trade in at a little over 6000 miles and 3 months of ownership. There's a reason you're finding used pieces with such low miles.

I'm just saying...

how much is the seller asking for?

if you plan on doing long-distance touring, fuel injection is the way to go (IMHO). i will never go back to a carb'd bike.

mountain bike mike said:

how much is the seller asking for?

if you plan on doing long-distance touring, fuel injection is the way to go (IMHO). i will never go back to a carb'd bike.

Click to expand...

Why?
I'd like to know the difference. :?:

AngryHatter said:

mountain bike mike said:

how much is the seller asking for?

if you plan on doing long-distance touring, fuel injection is the way to go (IMHO). i will never go back to a carb'd bike.

Click to expand...

Why?
I'd like to know the difference. :?:

Click to expand...

A computer controlled fuel injected bike gives you a unbelievable power band and predictability. I can be on top of a mountain in Colorado or in the pits of death valley and the bike will preform predictably in both instances. No slowing while climbing a hill fast response at any speed.

Hawaii 600 said:

AngryHatter said:

mountain bike mike said:

how much is the seller asking for?

if you plan on doing long-distance touring, fuel injection is the way to go (IMHO). i will never go back to a carb'd bike.

Click to expand...

Why?
I'd like to know the difference. :?:

Click to expand...

A computer controlled fuel injected bike gives you a unbelievable power band and predictability. I can be on top of a mountain in Colorado or in the pits of death valley and the bike will preform predictably in both instances. No slowing while climbing a hill fast response at any speed.

Click to expand...

that is precisely the reason why.

and you can add to that the niceties like: no choke; no sputtering if you don't warm up the bike before you take off; and instant throttle response.

I would like to thank all of you for the responses, I think based on what you folks have brought up, plus the fact that I have a fairly short inseam for this type of bike I will stick with my Shadow for the time being. I am going through that spring time itch that I always get at this time of the year thinking a change is needed. If I can just get through the next few weeks my bank account will thank me.

you have an awesome looking bike as it is

I second that.. I love the look of your bike!

halfcent said:

I would like to thank all of you for the responses, I think based on what you folks have brought up, plus the fact that I have a fairly short inseam for this type of bike I will stick with my Shadow for the time being. I am going through that spring time itch that I always get at this time of the year thinking a change is needed. If I can just get through the next few weeks my bank account will thank me.

Click to expand...

The bikes are built for entirely different things. A Shadow, IMO, isn't very good for long-distance touring. For that, I'll use my ST1100 (the equivalent of a Concours). Much more comfortable configuration than a cruiser for touring, and faster. For tooling around town, I'll use the Shadow--much lighter, both feet can touch the ground.

strider said:

For that, I'll use my ST1100 (the equivalent of a Concours).

Click to expand...

Except for the not sucking part. The ST1100 is a far, far better bike in *every* way. It was designed from the ground up for what it is, not hacked together from left-over and under-engineered parts from the parts bins.

Just thought I would chime in with my 2 cents...

I've known 2 people now who USED to own the Concours, and both were unhappy with it. One now owns a Yamaha FJR, and the other owns an ST1300. Both are well-designed sport-tourers, and both owners are extremely pleased with their respective bikes.

That being said, I look forward to seeing some reviews in the not to distant future of Kawasaki's redesign, in the form of the 2008 Concours 14. They are supposed to be in dealerships this summer. The new bike is supposed to be more in line with the ST and the FJR in terms of performance, reliability, etc. However, I'll reserve judgement until the bike actually comes out and has some real-world reviews.

For those interested, here's the link to Kawasaki's propaganda page:
http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Detail.aspx?id=220&content=introduction

It's a good machine

I've put several thousand miles on one. Stone axe reliable. It's a little tall but makes up for that having a huge 7 gal fuel tank. Range is everything. Keep in mind that it is a 20 year old design and does not have today's refinement. That said, if used like it was designed (long distance touring) it is a very solid comfortable machine.

cmhdiamond said:

That being said, I look forward to seeing some reviews in the not to distant future of Kawasaki's redesign, in the form of the 2008 Concours 14. They are supposed to be in dealerships this summer. The new bike is supposed to be more in line with the ST and the FJR in terms of performance, reliability, etc. However, I'll reserve judgement until the bike actually comes out and has some real-world reviews.

Click to expand...

i've been keeping up with the new Connie, and i'm very impressed. it will be my next bike.