Just another title...
Showing posts with label Kawasaki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kawasaki. Show all posts
Monday, September 04, 2023
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Water
Somebody told me I shouldn't wash the Tenere - it might shrink...
So yeah, Chillertek, I'm working on the N + 1 thing...
And now there's an odd number to boot...
So yeah, Chillertek, I'm working on the N + 1 thing...
And now there's an odd number to boot...
Wednesday, August 09, 2017
10th Birthday Ride - Part 2
As is pretty usual for me when I'm "on tour" I awoke far too early (5am) but rather than hit the road early I lazed around waiting for the sun to come up and show me what sort of day was in the offing. Of course, I also was wondering about frosty roads too.
In the end I hit the road just before 8am and crossed up over the hill to Ohope Beach. The roads were a little suspiciously damp so some care was exercised and then when I accidentally caught up to a cop even more care was exercised...
I ended up stuck behind him for over 30km until he finally leaped into action, all flashing lights and aggressive U-turn to go after a car going in the other direction. I have no idea what they'd done as to me they didn't appear to have been speeding - maybe they were doing a dangerous 105 or something while the Connie was idling at 98...
Arriving in Opotiki it was time for brekkie at the cafe before topping up the tank for the trip around East Cape.
The ride around East Cape is a favourite of mine with corners aplenty and some great scenery. Leaving Opotiki you stick close to the coast for most of the way and there are some really nice spots to stop at for photos.
When I stopped for the piccys above I also started fiddling with the GoPro to get it going. Unbeknownst to me (oblivious with music blaring inside my helmet) a local had noticed me stopped and fiddling with the bike (camera actually) and was seeing if I was ok. When I finally noticed him and worked out what was going on I gave him a big thumbs up and he carried on along on his way. I have to say that this is not the first time the locals have shown to be a great bunch - I have been helped out twice with punctures. Fantastic stuff.
The rest of the ride around the cape was uneventful except for the bouncing off all the usual massive pot holes and bumps that the road is known for - you really need to keep your wits about ya. There were also some damp roads to deal with but all in all, a great ride. The video below is really just a series of snippets from the 2 hours or so that the GoPro captured.
Leaving Te Puia Springs I checked out the sign showing the distances to Tokomaru Bay, Tolaga Bay and Gisborne while also checking my fuel status. It's 330km from Opotiki to Gisborne and this is generally easy within the range of the Connie but with all those corners, lack of traffic and the amount of ummmm, exuberance expended then economy can suffer. Anyway, maths was deployed and this along with close monitoring of the fuel gauge saw me ignoring all the gas stations and rolling into Gisborne for my fuel.
Bike gassed up and a cold drink down my gullet it was time to make for Wairoa. This part of SH2 is a gem with the best bit being the climb up and over the hills South of Gisborne. I had a great run with very little traffic and no goats all over the road until just before Wairoa...
On the road South of Wairoa there are some other great hills to climb and corners to ummm, corner and I even had some excitement when I got in behind a group of about 10 Porches. They were getting along in places and I think enjoyed playing with a bike for a bit - I wonder how many of them had 142,000km on the clock?
The roads continued to stay dry into Napier and across to Hastings where for a change I took SH2 and sat in some quite heavy traffic all the way South. As I crossed the Takapau Plains the view of the ranges changed from nice snow capped hills to no view at all as they disappeared under some dark looking clouds...
By Dannevirke it was time for one last gas stop and while there the first few spits of rain started to fall. I really didn't like the look of the big black clouds so even changed into my waterproof gloves for the last leg.
Arriving in Woodville, the rain was falling and it was looking like a wet ride over the Saddle to finish the trip. Across the top of the Saddle it was raining fairly heavily and the road surface was like oil in places. A few little slides woke me up a bit so I just idled along down the hill and into Ashhurst. Twenty minutes or so later I was pulling into my drive after a 766km day.
So, with another 1,400km on the odo the birthday ride was over and the old girl definitely still has plenty of life left in her! There is some TLC planned in the near future but still no plans to move the old girl on - what will the next 10 years bring?
In the end I hit the road just before 8am and crossed up over the hill to Ohope Beach. The roads were a little suspiciously damp so some care was exercised and then when I accidentally caught up to a cop even more care was exercised...
I ended up stuck behind him for over 30km until he finally leaped into action, all flashing lights and aggressive U-turn to go after a car going in the other direction. I have no idea what they'd done as to me they didn't appear to have been speeding - maybe they were doing a dangerous 105 or something while the Connie was idling at 98...
Arriving in Opotiki it was time for brekkie at the cafe before topping up the tank for the trip around East Cape.
The ride around East Cape is a favourite of mine with corners aplenty and some great scenery. Leaving Opotiki you stick close to the coast for most of the way and there are some really nice spots to stop at for photos.
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| Damn winter! |
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| East! |
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| Sunday morning, a bike, a road... |
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| West |
The rest of the ride around the cape was uneventful except for the bouncing off all the usual massive pot holes and bumps that the road is known for - you really need to keep your wits about ya. There were also some damp roads to deal with but all in all, a great ride. The video below is really just a series of snippets from the 2 hours or so that the GoPro captured.
Leaving Te Puia Springs I checked out the sign showing the distances to Tokomaru Bay, Tolaga Bay and Gisborne while also checking my fuel status. It's 330km from Opotiki to Gisborne and this is generally easy within the range of the Connie but with all those corners, lack of traffic and the amount of ummmm, exuberance expended then economy can suffer. Anyway, maths was deployed and this along with close monitoring of the fuel gauge saw me ignoring all the gas stations and rolling into Gisborne for my fuel.
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| Nice place for a drinks break |
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| Looking out towards South America... |
Bike gassed up and a cold drink down my gullet it was time to make for Wairoa. This part of SH2 is a gem with the best bit being the climb up and over the hills South of Gisborne. I had a great run with very little traffic and no goats all over the road until just before Wairoa...
On the road South of Wairoa there are some other great hills to climb and corners to ummm, corner and I even had some excitement when I got in behind a group of about 10 Porches. They were getting along in places and I think enjoyed playing with a bike for a bit - I wonder how many of them had 142,000km on the clock?
The roads continued to stay dry into Napier and across to Hastings where for a change I took SH2 and sat in some quite heavy traffic all the way South. As I crossed the Takapau Plains the view of the ranges changed from nice snow capped hills to no view at all as they disappeared under some dark looking clouds...
By Dannevirke it was time for one last gas stop and while there the first few spits of rain started to fall. I really didn't like the look of the big black clouds so even changed into my waterproof gloves for the last leg.
Arriving in Woodville, the rain was falling and it was looking like a wet ride over the Saddle to finish the trip. Across the top of the Saddle it was raining fairly heavily and the road surface was like oil in places. A few little slides woke me up a bit so I just idled along down the hill and into Ashhurst. Twenty minutes or so later I was pulling into my drive after a 766km day.
So, with another 1,400km on the odo the birthday ride was over and the old girl definitely still has plenty of life left in her! There is some TLC planned in the near future but still no plans to move the old girl on - what will the next 10 years bring?
Tuesday, August 08, 2017
10th Birthday Ride - Part 1
So the Connie's big birthday kind of snuck up on me. The first reminder I got was the bill for its registration - yay! But I had to do more than just affix an expensive piece of paper to it. There were some E-bay purchases (still to be blogged about), but the important thing to do was to get out there and prove that she still has it - not that I doubted her for a second.
With the anniversary occurring during winter it was always going to be a bit of a lottery on just how carried away I could get with the celebratory ride. I ended up booking Monday (the actual big day) off as annual leave as I figured even if it rained all weekend and on Monday I would still have to do something. Then I just kept an eye on the weather with a small poorly formed plan rattling around in my skull...
On Thursday I needed to make my decision as I had to book the hairy one into some luxury accommodation or not. The weather forecast that night suggested fine on the West Coast on Saturday and then again on the East Coast on Sunday. Well, that looked ok and also firmed up my plan by giving me a clockwise direction for a quick blat around the island. Friday night saw me dropping the pooch off and packing my bags.
As predicted (accurately for a change), Saturday turned out to be a bit of a cracker and after filling the bike up I was pointing North West just before 9am (not a sleep in, just giving the frost some time to thaw).
The ride up through the 'naki was not terribly exciting but from very early on the perfect day was giving me a sensational view of Mount Taranaki, I just hoped it stayed that way so I could find a good spot for a photo. As I rode along I rejected several possible locations for various reasons but finally just North of Opunake I seized my opportunity and ducked up a side road.
Piccys taken and Facebook updated it was time to carry on North. By now I was getting hungry so kinda kept my eye out for a reasonable looking cafe. I managed to pootle all the way across New Plymouth without spotting one (I ignored one I'd been to before just 'cos) and ended up out on the open road again. I also passed Waitara without stopping but by Urenui I had to stop because I wasn't the only one feeling hungry...
After a nice and reasonably priced lunch I filled up with some not so nicely priced gas and carried on along my way. I had meant to start the GoPro for the ride over Mount Messenger but forgot how soon you hit it so no pics or video of that smashing wee ride.
A little annoyed with myself I pulled into a rest area just before Mokau to kick it into life and grab a few more snaps.
The next sweet bit of tar on my route was the Awakino Gorge - more lovely curves, a tunnel and not much traffic.
By now I was wondering "where to next?" I had Rotorua in the back of my mind as some sort of destination for the night, but the big question "was which was to go?" Nearing 8 mile junction I decided that I didn't want to go into Te Kuiti and decided to head across to SH30 and the neat ride through to Bennydale, Whakamaru, Atiamuri and eventually Rotorua.
Once again it was a lovely ride in great conditions with only the odd section where the road was damp (it'll be dry by summer). Very little traffic too.
I eventually hit Rotorua at just after 3pm and decided that it was far too early to call it a day and that I'd carry on through to at least Whakatane and take it from there. Before then however I need some...
Clambering up over the hill towards Rotoma the road was "winter damp" again but still a lovely ride offering nice corners and then some good views of the lake. Once again I somehow managed to find a suitable spot for a few pics.
The rest of the day's ride was just a very quiet pootle into Whakatane where things were cooling off and I decided to park the bike for the day after a most enjoyable 643km. Some greasies and Sky movies finished off a pretty decent sort of a day...
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| Brand spanker's with zero farkles... |
On Thursday I needed to make my decision as I had to book the hairy one into some luxury accommodation or not. The weather forecast that night suggested fine on the West Coast on Saturday and then again on the East Coast on Sunday. Well, that looked ok and also firmed up my plan by giving me a clockwise direction for a quick blat around the island. Friday night saw me dropping the pooch off and packing my bags.
As predicted (accurately for a change), Saturday turned out to be a bit of a cracker and after filling the bike up I was pointing North West just before 9am (not a sleep in, just giving the frost some time to thaw).
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| Time to put a few more on there... |
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| Busy road with no parking spaces... |
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| Yep, dangerously busy... |
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| "Go straight until you hit the volcano..." |
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| Count the farkles now... |
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| Who's hungriest? I win... |
After a nice and reasonably priced lunch I filled up with some not so nicely priced gas and carried on along my way. I had meant to start the GoPro for the ride over Mount Messenger but forgot how soon you hit it so no pics or video of that smashing wee ride.
A little annoyed with myself I pulled into a rest area just before Mokau to kick it into life and grab a few more snaps.
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| That's right, park in the shade - doh! |
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| Land of the Long White ???? |
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| That mountain is still there... |
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| Where are all the corners? |
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| Oh, that's better! |
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| Hole in the rock. |
By now I was wondering "where to next?" I had Rotorua in the back of my mind as some sort of destination for the night, but the big question "was which was to go?" Nearing 8 mile junction I decided that I didn't want to go into Te Kuiti and decided to head across to SH30 and the neat ride through to Bennydale, Whakamaru, Atiamuri and eventually Rotorua.
Once again it was a lovely ride in great conditions with only the odd section where the road was damp (it'll be dry by summer). Very little traffic too.
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| SH30 |
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| Follow that straight ole line... |
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| Go East young man |
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| Whakamaru |
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| Cheap fuel is the best kind! |
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| Sun, water, The Bike |
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| Winter sucks! |
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| Yeah, Lake would look better with a Connie parked in front of it... |
Friday, April 24, 2015
Monday, November 26, 2012
Getting the bug
Before I start - I may have posted these pics before but a great post by Fuzzy gave me a little inspiration.
I'm fairly certain (like 100% certain) that my old man is the cause of my addiction to motorcycles as like Fuzzy, I started young.
The little bike above was obviously my first and the little plastic fantastic served both myself and my sisters well. It was even on occasion ridden two-up down the sloping section we had growing up in Nelson (pic is probably in Masterton where I was born and we lived prior to the move South). The little bike was entirely plastic except for the shafts the pedals fitted to. It was (wait for it) Kawasaki green and I believe it had orange or red handle bars and perhaps seat (must see if I can find a colour pic one day).
As I got older I sometimes ended up like Fuzzy - sitting on the tank of one of Dad's bikes wearing a funny old white helmet with leather flaps that formed the fastening. I was even on occasion dropped off at kindy on one of the bikes.
One of the more memorable trips was a ride on the tank of a trail bike up into the snow one winter. There were at least two other bikes with us and I can remember a snow fight and wearing a chunk of ice/snow from my Uncle...
Later on I moved to the rear of the bike and can still remember being scared first time out. Then Dad got out of bikes for a while (and into boats) and it wasn't until we moved to Napier that he got back into them and I ended up with bike number one.
And so began the addiction...
I'm fairly certain (like 100% certain) that my old man is the cause of my addiction to motorcycles as like Fuzzy, I started young.
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| First Kwaka? |
As I got older I sometimes ended up like Fuzzy - sitting on the tank of one of Dad's bikes wearing a funny old white helmet with leather flaps that formed the fastening. I was even on occasion dropped off at kindy on one of the bikes.
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| Yes, the cat survived this photo... |
Later on I moved to the rear of the bike and can still remember being scared first time out. Then Dad got out of bikes for a while (and into boats) and it wasn't until we moved to Napier that he got back into them and I ended up with bike number one.
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| The $120 TS185 |
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Some Green
Today I had to spend some green on the Connie so it seemed only fair that they provide me with some green to get to work and back.
I have to say that this little bike is a lot nicer than the Volty 250 I sometimes have been forced to ride...
The motor is a version of the ZX-10 superbike and in the Z1000 puts out 138 horses and in my quick ride I'd have to say that it is not underpowered! The engine was very user friendly in that I found it would pull pretty cleanly from low revs and at the open road speed limit (just over 4,000rpm from memory) you did not need to change down to get respectable acceleration for passing. But if you did give it to it in the lower gears the bike really took off on a mission to lose your licence.
The motor also sounded very sweet and the standard mufflers while a tad on the ugly side sounded nice - in fact I reckon I would not consider aftermarket muffles as there was plenty of the right sort of noise when giving the bike a few revs. One thing I didn't like was the cable actuated clutch but I think this was just that it felt "different" to the hydraulic clutches I'm used to - the clutch was actually easy to use and didn't require the grip of a rock climber. Overall I really liked the engine and it's performance.
Comfort-wise the bike also felt fine. Obviously I only had a couple of short rides on it but the riding position was quite nice, although I was a little surprised with the reach to the bars. I thought that the handle-bar position might have been a little higher - instead it was somewhere between say a Bandit and a sports bike. Not uncomfortable by any means.
The narrow seat and sculptured tank also made it easy to sit on (or is that in?) the bike and get your feet on the ground. The screen is very low and probably doesn't do a lot for the rider in terms of protection but in saying that on by very short squirt at open road speeds I didn't notice any nasty buffeting. However on my ride back to the shop the wind had really picked up (we're expecting gale force winds tonight and tomorrow) and the bike was blown silly when ridden at 50km/h - not sure what it would have been like at higher speeds (possibly better). The Connie on the other hand did not get blown around as much when I got back on her - there is something to be said for a bit of weight in a bike (50kg difference in weights).
The brakes were not as fierce as I was expecting but worked very well and felt nice and progressively - I'll take progressive over fierce any day. I didn't really get to really sample the bike's handling and to be honest it was wearing a really worn Bridgestone (yuck!) which was certainly affecting the handling (making the bike tip into turns very quickly). The service manager at the bike shop says that they do handle very well with good rubber but do indeed turn pretty quickly. An owner would soon come to grips with this.
One last thing - the looks. The consensus at work was that it is a very good looking machine - sure those mufflers are a bit much but the styling is definitely modern and the paint very nice. I particularly liked how the frame was a sort of bronze colour which worked well with both the black and the stunning green - very nice!
So who would buy one? Well, I'm not sure how good they would be touring (I doubt that they're very pillion friendly) but Monie (a VFR800 pilot) did the Capital 1000K Cruise on one last year and raved about it so they can't be too bad. I think that they'd probably suit a more "sensible" sport bike rider (if there is such a thing?). The bike has more than enough power for most people and is undoubtedly more comfortable than a "proper" sports bike. Dunno if it'd be much chop as an adv bike though...
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| Kawasaki Z1000SX |
The motor is a version of the ZX-10 superbike and in the Z1000 puts out 138 horses and in my quick ride I'd have to say that it is not underpowered! The engine was very user friendly in that I found it would pull pretty cleanly from low revs and at the open road speed limit (just over 4,000rpm from memory) you did not need to change down to get respectable acceleration for passing. But if you did give it to it in the lower gears the bike really took off on a mission to lose your licence.
The motor also sounded very sweet and the standard mufflers while a tad on the ugly side sounded nice - in fact I reckon I would not consider aftermarket muffles as there was plenty of the right sort of noise when giving the bike a few revs. One thing I didn't like was the cable actuated clutch but I think this was just that it felt "different" to the hydraulic clutches I'm used to - the clutch was actually easy to use and didn't require the grip of a rock climber. Overall I really liked the engine and it's performance.
Comfort-wise the bike also felt fine. Obviously I only had a couple of short rides on it but the riding position was quite nice, although I was a little surprised with the reach to the bars. I thought that the handle-bar position might have been a little higher - instead it was somewhere between say a Bandit and a sports bike. Not uncomfortable by any means.
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| Those mufflers! |
The brakes were not as fierce as I was expecting but worked very well and felt nice and progressively - I'll take progressive over fierce any day. I didn't really get to really sample the bike's handling and to be honest it was wearing a really worn Bridgestone (yuck!) which was certainly affecting the handling (making the bike tip into turns very quickly). The service manager at the bike shop says that they do handle very well with good rubber but do indeed turn pretty quickly. An owner would soon come to grips with this.
 |
| Digital speed with analogue tach |
So who would buy one? Well, I'm not sure how good they would be touring (I doubt that they're very pillion friendly) but Monie (a VFR800 pilot) did the Capital 1000K Cruise on one last year and raved about it so they can't be too bad. I think that they'd probably suit a more "sensible" sport bike rider (if there is such a thing?). The bike has more than enough power for most people and is undoubtedly more comfortable than a "proper" sports bike. Dunno if it'd be much chop as an adv bike though...
Friday, June 04, 2010
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
ER-6n
Well the Connie is in the shop getting a service prior to all the great summer's riding that's just on the horizon and they kindly loaned me this little number to get home on.
It's a second hand bike with about 5,000km on it but has an aftermarket muffler which gives it a nice little growl and some trick carbon (or carbon-look) goodies. I've only pottered around town on it and it is definitely great for this - very small and narrow, great for getting into tight places. It also gets up and goes quite well.
The riding position is a little weird - a slightly racy position for your legs and then low but wide handle bars. These wide handle bars and the total lack of weight (I'd just gotten off the Connie after all) make it a piece of cake to chuck around. The clutch is very light but the gear lever felt like it had quite a longish throw (stuffed up a couple of up-changes by being a bit gentle on it) but otherwise the little motor is quite nice. Didn't think much of the brakes as they needed a bit of squeeze - though once again I'm used to some pretty serious stoppers on the Connie and pretty reasonable brakes on the VTR.
All in all though it's quite a nice little bike and would be a great commuter - especially in larger cities where motorway riding is required. Probably pretty economical too with it being a small injected twin. Nice...better give it back tomorrow...
It's a second hand bike with about 5,000km on it but has an aftermarket muffler which gives it a nice little growl and some trick carbon (or carbon-look) goodies. I've only pottered around town on it and it is definitely great for this - very small and narrow, great for getting into tight places. It also gets up and goes quite well.
The riding position is a little weird - a slightly racy position for your legs and then low but wide handle bars. These wide handle bars and the total lack of weight (I'd just gotten off the Connie after all) make it a piece of cake to chuck around. The clutch is very light but the gear lever felt like it had quite a longish throw (stuffed up a couple of up-changes by being a bit gentle on it) but otherwise the little motor is quite nice. Didn't think much of the brakes as they needed a bit of squeeze - though once again I'm used to some pretty serious stoppers on the Connie and pretty reasonable brakes on the VTR.
All in all though it's quite a nice little bike and would be a great commuter - especially in larger cities where motorway riding is required. Probably pretty economical too with it being a small injected twin. Nice...better give it back tomorrow...
Monday, August 13, 2007
Concours in Two Wheels
I've just picked up the August copy of Two Wheels and they've got an article on the launch of the Concours. I won't go into any detail here but they seem to think pretty good things about it.
They've also got a comparison test of the new Bandit vs the Yamaha XJR1300 with the Bandit coming out on top.
They've also got a comparison test of the new Bandit vs the Yamaha XJR1300 with the Bandit coming out on top.Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Unexpected Test Ride
Called into one of the local bike shops the other day. I was chewing the fat with one of the sales guys I know quite well. When out of nowhere he mentions they still have there ZX14 demo bike in the shop, he then asks if I would like a ride. Not wanting to dissapoint him I said I would definately be keen.
This type of bike is not really what I would go for but when someone asks if you would like a ride on one of the fastest production bikes around it would be rude not to accept. I only had about 20 minutes to spare so off I go up the road. As I'm trundling through town I starting to wonder what all the fuss is about this thing is bloody uncomfortable at 50kph. But once I was out of town things changed anything over 100kph and all the weight comes off the wrists and things get more comfortable.
Fast Jesus Hell yes!!
Too much for this kid but I can understand how it would appeal to others.
This type of bike is not really what I would go for but when someone asks if you would like a ride on one of the fastest production bikes around it would be rude not to accept. I only had about 20 minutes to spare so off I go up the road. As I'm trundling through town I starting to wonder what all the fuss is about this thing is bloody uncomfortable at 50kph. But once I was out of town things changed anything over 100kph and all the weight comes off the wrists and things get more comfortable.
Fast Jesus Hell yes!!
Too much for this kid but I can understand how it would appeal to others.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Time for a change...
Well it’s finally happened – I’m not a Bandit Rider anymore. After 44,555 km on my K2 and 20,468 on the K6 (and 18 years on Suzuki’s) I’ve changed for something different – more on that later.
Firstly, what I think of the Bandit. It is a simple, reliable bike that will do everything. Plenty of grunt to run with more powerful bikes and a great relaxed riding position. Carries rider, pillion and gear no worries and is easy on gas – 300km to a tank no problem. It is also a very easy bike to ride: strong, smooth power delivery and wide handlebars make throwing it around a piece of cake. Even good on gravel. A great, cheap, reliable all-rounder that puts a big smile on the dial after every ride.
So why change? Well after about five & a half years and 65,000kms on Bandits I thought that it was time for a change to something a bit more modern. A few years ago before I bought the K6, I rode a Blackbird and was impressed with the engine – not just the grunt but the smoothness etc and for a while one of these was possibly on the cards. The fairing protection was also something that impressed me. I guess ultimately I was looking for a more “modern” bike – engine, comfort, performance etc.
A while ago I stuck a poll (see results on right) on the blog with a list of what I thought were potential contenders for a space in my shed. Naturally the new Bandit was on there and I’m sure it’s a great bike (chased one around the Wairarapa on Saturday). You still cannot beat it for price - $14k gets a lot of bike, even ABS. Also on there was the Blackbird, Hayabusa, ZX-14 and the new Concours 14.
I guess ever since I saw the first pictures of the Concours I was interested – it really looked like the business for what I want to do on a bike: ride big miles in comfort. And of course I’ve been posting info on it on this blog for a while.
So, last Wednesday I took one for a quick test ride – in the rain. Yep, you still get wet on them! It impressed me straight away – it’s a big heavy bike but once under way the weight just isn’t an issue. And of course the weight helps it feel absolutely planted on the road. As I quietly pottered up the road I tossed her from side to side and it felt great.
And then once out on the open road the engine came rushing into the equation – silky smooth acceleration through the gears with no fuss whatsoever. A couple of top gear roll-ons from 90km/h or so showed that there was heaps of grunt there to get you past the traffic and off into the distance.
And then it was time to stop – it does! Gave myself a little fright when I braked so hard in the wet, but ABS (though it probably never kicked in) and no issues. So, soaking wet I took the bike back, went home to change and then back to work.
Ever since then it was a case of thinking shall I or shant I? I was very keen but was also nervous about the size of the bike and of course the dollars involved. In the end by Friday I had pretty much decided and was looking for insurance. Come Saturday I was off on the Bandit riding with some of the local Kiwi Biker crew and there was a Concours in the group. It was great to talk to Meanie about his bike and watch it in action. Shame he got a puncture on the day but at least the bike told him about it before it could get him into trouble.
And so we get to today. Another great Manawatu day – bucketing down most of the day. At least it fined up for me at lunch time so I could go and pick the bike up and take a quick ride out to Ashhurst and back. Yep, I like it all right! Come time to head home and it was bucketing down again – I really hope that the sound of it starting up isn’t some kind of rain dance soundtrack…
Really looking forward to getting out on it and getting it run in. Unfortunately that’s not this weekend – something else on. But that just gives the weather another week to come right – lemme think, Napier-Taupo-Ohakune-Wanganui-Palmy?
I’ll post more as the bike & I get better aquainted…
More pics of a wet Concours:
http://picasaweb.google.com/andrew.l.thomson/TheConcours
Firstly, what I think of the Bandit. It is a simple, reliable bike that will do everything. Plenty of grunt to run with more powerful bikes and a great relaxed riding position. Carries rider, pillion and gear no worries and is easy on gas – 300km to a tank no problem. It is also a very easy bike to ride: strong, smooth power delivery and wide handlebars make throwing it around a piece of cake. Even good on gravel. A great, cheap, reliable all-rounder that puts a big smile on the dial after every ride.
So why change? Well after about five & a half years and 65,000kms on Bandits I thought that it was time for a change to something a bit more modern. A few years ago before I bought the K6, I rode a Blackbird and was impressed with the engine – not just the grunt but the smoothness etc and for a while one of these was possibly on the cards. The fairing protection was also something that impressed me. I guess ultimately I was looking for a more “modern” bike – engine, comfort, performance etc.
A while ago I stuck a poll (see results on right) on the blog with a list of what I thought were potential contenders for a space in my shed. Naturally the new Bandit was on there and I’m sure it’s a great bike (chased one around the Wairarapa on Saturday). You still cannot beat it for price - $14k gets a lot of bike, even ABS. Also on there was the Blackbird, Hayabusa, ZX-14 and the new Concours 14.
I guess ever since I saw the first pictures of the Concours I was interested – it really looked like the business for what I want to do on a bike: ride big miles in comfort. And of course I’ve been posting info on it on this blog for a while.
So, last Wednesday I took one for a quick test ride – in the rain. Yep, you still get wet on them! It impressed me straight away – it’s a big heavy bike but once under way the weight just isn’t an issue. And of course the weight helps it feel absolutely planted on the road. As I quietly pottered up the road I tossed her from side to side and it felt great.
And then once out on the open road the engine came rushing into the equation – silky smooth acceleration through the gears with no fuss whatsoever. A couple of top gear roll-ons from 90km/h or so showed that there was heaps of grunt there to get you past the traffic and off into the distance.And then it was time to stop – it does! Gave myself a little fright when I braked so hard in the wet, but ABS (though it probably never kicked in) and no issues. So, soaking wet I took the bike back, went home to change and then back to work.
Ever since then it was a case of thinking shall I or shant I? I was very keen but was also nervous about the size of the bike and of course the dollars involved. In the end by Friday I had pretty much decided and was looking for insurance. Come Saturday I was off on the Bandit riding with some of the local Kiwi Biker crew and there was a Concours in the group. It was great to talk to Meanie about his bike and watch it in action. Shame he got a puncture on the day but at least the bike told him about it before it could get him into trouble.
And so we get to today. Another great Manawatu day – bucketing down most of the day. At least it fined up for me at lunch time so I could go and pick the bike up and take a quick ride out to Ashhurst and back. Yep, I like it all right! Come time to head home and it was bucketing down again – I really hope that the sound of it starting up isn’t some kind of rain dance soundtrack…
Really looking forward to getting out on it and getting it run in. Unfortunately that’s not this weekend – something else on. But that just gives the weather another week to come right – lemme think, Napier-Taupo-Ohakune-Wanganui-Palmy?
I’ll post more as the bike & I get better aquainted…
More pics of a wet Concours:
http://picasaweb.google.com/andrew.l.thomson/TheConcours
Sunday, July 29, 2007
More on The Concours
Stumbled on this review on the web:
and this picture Gallery:
and there's one in the Kawasaki showroom in town...
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Kawasaki Concours
Well, they're definitely here - apparently there's one in town. Must go and have a dribble on it. After seeing my first one on the road last weekend there's also been some chat on the Kiwi Biker website and I found the following link to a road test there.
http://www.bikeland.org/misc/articles/c14test.pdf
Some great pics too (knee down & wheelie!) but not that great a test. Shame they didn't but some serious miles on it and have an FJR & ST along for comparison. Hopefully Two Wheels or someone will do this soon...
Still not sure if I'm ready to spend that sort of money though...
http://www.bikeland.org/misc/articles/c14test.pdf
Some great pics too (knee down & wheelie!) but not that great a test. Shame they didn't but some serious miles on it and have an FJR & ST along for comparison. Hopefully Two Wheels or someone will do this soon...
Still not sure if I'm ready to spend that sort of money though...
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Kawasaki Concours 1400
New on the Kneeslider - a video of the New GTR1400 being put thru it's paces. Looks great carving up some delicious looking bends!
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/02/05/kawasaki-concours-14-video/
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/02/05/kawasaki-concours-14-video/
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Kawasaki Concours 1400
Afraid that I may be falling in love again - and it's not a Suzuki! There's starting to be a bit more info around the place on the new Kawasaki Concours 1400 and I've heard a rumour that you may be able to order one of these towards the middle of the year. Might have to start a letter to Santa now...
http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/detail.aspx?id=220
http://www.motorsports-network.com/kawasaki/07street/Kaw2007.htm#CONCOURS
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