01 concours opinions

[caslaw]

Connie is a great do almost everything year rounder.  Forgiving, reliable, and a little sporty, it is an ideal distance sport tourer.  Tire selection, brakes, and summer heat are some issues.  If you enjoy mc camping you would be hard pressed to find a better street machine.  Best value in motorcycling IMO.  Can be flogged too.

I would ask yourself what you are going to use the bike for.  If you are going to be touring 70 percent and riding locally 30 percent this is a great choice.  In my case it is the opposite so I changed to a ZZR.  But after modding the ZZR for touring I was in for twice as much bacon as with Connie.  

In short sportTOUR = Connie SPORTtour = ZZR or similar.  

[2WheelPilot]

In my case it is the opposite so I changed to a ZZR.  But after modding the ZZR for touring I was in for twice as much bacon as with Connie.  

With the current prices on ZZR12's, I don't think this is the case any more.  I have a ZZR12, and after some rides, I feel a bit sore and think, maybe I'd be better off with a C10.  Then I do the research, and decide that I need to either: farkle my ZZR for more comfort and storage, or... get a C10 and farkle it to improve the handling, brakes, suspension, and headlights.  I conclude that I'm probably better off with the ZZR.  It handles better, stops better, and has normal sized tires.  Oh, and the headlights beat anything I've ever ridden or driven without HID's.  It's hard to make a C10 handle as well as a ZZR.  But... it's also hard to put shaft drive on a ZZR, so if that's important to you....

[caslaw]

With the current prices on ZZR12's, I don't think this is the case any more.  I have a ZZR12, and after some rides, I feel a bit sore and think, maybe I'd be better off with a C10.  Then I do the research, and decide that I need to either: farkle my ZZR for more comfort and storage, or... get a C10 and farkle it to improve the handling, brakes, suspension, and headlights.  I conclude that I'm probably better off with the ZZR.  It handles better, stops better, and has normal sized tires.  Oh, and the headlights beat anything I've ever ridden or driven without HID's.  It's hard to make a C10 handle as well as a ZZR.  But... it's also hard to put shaft drive on a ZZR, so if that's important to you....

Exactly.  You can get a good condition C10 for about 2-3k.  4k for a ZZR.  Add Corbin seat and/or Russell Daylong (I got both), rack (SW Motech) hard bags (Givi or Shad), touring shield (I got Gufstaffson Super-G + MA spoiler), and bar risers, and you are in for about $5500.  Now, for another 1-2k you could get a good condition FJR.  But again, it depends on what you want.  I can run the Corbin, sport shield, and tail and tank bags for a true heavyweight sport bike that will frankly shred a C10 (which is no slouch BTW).  Switch to the Russell Daylong, touring shield, and hard bags (I got a truck to) and you have a GT bike that is almost as comfortable as a C10.  I almost got an FJR but again, this is basically a more modern C10 with the same compromises.  I feel that I have made a choice without compromises (well maybe chain drive but that is a fair trade IMO for power/maintenance).  Of course, the ZZR I got has Madaz racing pipes and was dyno jetted to 150HP (add ram air induction to that for real output) and sound like a buzzsaw at open throttle - so I got that going . . .

Having said that, if you are looking for value, at $3k for a real sports tourer, hard to beat a C10 in the value department.

[JSharp]

It's been mentioned before in the thread but I'll mention it again. The Connie has really good fairing protection. You can ride in 40 degree weather with no problem without heated clothing or heavy gear. The downside is they're hot in the summer. If you do a lot of low speed riding in hot weather you'll suffer for it.

[Motocentaur]

When I got my Connie, it literally added a month on each end of my riding season due to the excellent fairing. It can get pretty hot behind there in the summer though. It will do it all except for dirt.

[KBSimNL]

Yeesh, I'm definitely in the wrong province. I paid $6,000 for my '01 last July. Admittedly it was in showroom condition, w/ 42,000 km and the bag mount cover panels wrapped in bubble wrap. Still, it looks great and runs great and I wouldn't have anything else right now. What the others are saying about the soft fork, numb hands and freakin' tires is correct. Think I might look into the rear wheel and fork spring swaps. Any links out there, forum?

[KBSimNL]

Come on, it looks GREAT!  

[stealth1]

Come on, it looks GREAT!  

Your info says 2001 Concours.
I had a 2000 model in that color.
Still have the antler covers in the shed.
I thought the color changed in 2001?

[KBSimNL]

Heh, I had this discussion over at the COG; Canada got the Candy Persimmon for 2001, a year after the U.S. market. As I said there, the colour sold me before I even sat on the thing, and I'm glad it did.  

"Antler covers"?

[Gary B.]

"Antler covers"?

Yup, remove the bags and antlers, and replace with two color-keyed covers that you should have gotten with the bike.

[KBSimNL]

Got those, safely encased in bubble wrap. PO was a stickler, God love him.