2012 Kawasaki Concours Review

[Warren]

Motorcyclist just did a comparison report on the 4 big sport touring bikes (BMW, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Triumph) no Honda. Interesting results. They felt the BMW and the Triumph were more on the touring side and the Kawasaki and Yamaha were more on the sport side. In general they were most impressed with the BMW but all had their strong and week points. No conclusive winner.

 

[vacanefan]

I am now pushing 9000 miles on the C14 and just completed a 4800+ mile, 8 day tour of the west. The C14 is fantastic for covering vast amounts of land with ease and comfort. It is also great when you find yourself on a twisty mountain road with no traffic . The standard features on the LCD readout are very useful on long trips: tire pressures, ambient temperature, etc. I returned home still feeling like I could have ridden another week or two with no problem.
I did a 2400 mile tour last summer on the NT and it performed with no complaints. The NT certainly is a capable tourer and I enjoyed my time with that bike. But, for me at the current time, I wouldn't trade the C14 for anything on the market. The NT will always remain one of my all-time favorite bikes for perfectly being what it claimed to be: an ultra-reliable bike that would do anything that I would ask of it in an unspectacular, yet very satisfying manner. I will always wish I had the means and time to have kept the NT along with the C14.
Since there are seven days in a week, it only makes since that I should figure out how to own seven different bikes. Hmmm...probably couldn't get away with that, but maybe one day.

--Jeff

 

[RedNigel]

I agree. I miss my '86 Intruder sometimes. In my opinion, absolutely the best Japanese effort at cruisers ever. I haven't seen any Japanese cruiser anywhere close to its beauty. I miss the various sportbikes I have owned. I wish I could have a whole stable of bikes