You can never have enough of a good thing, and in the case of the Kawasaki Concours 14, that’s exactly what you’re going to get.
Expertly mixing high performance and long-distance functionality, the Concours 14 is the kind of touring bike that inspires riders to pull out their big maps and set out for the open road. It’s no wonder the Concours has been around for this long; it offers plenty of style, power, and functionality.
The Concours 14 comes with several features that enhance comfort, convenience, and safety, solidifying its position atop the sport touring heap. The bike’s dynamic bodywork increases comfort by routing heat away from the rider and passenger while a tall, electrically adjustable windscreen creates a calm cockpit experience with help from ducts above the instrument panel, balancing pressure areas inside and outside the screen. The bike also has handgrip heaters that come as standard, providing comfort even when outside temperatures become unbearable.
Complimenting the dynamic design of the Concours 14 is an engine that packs a wallop. The amazing and thoroughly modern 1,352cc DOHC inline-four engine sourced from the legendary ZX-14 sports bike generates excellent low- and mid-range power, all followed by a top-end rush that would turn most open-class sportbikes green with envy. An advanced fuel injection, ram-air induction, and variable valve timing all add up to an exhilarating ride.
On top of all that, the Concours also comes with technological features that enhance the riding experience. The bike’s K-ACT (Kawasaki Advanced Coactive-braking Technology) braking system offers two modes of linked, anti-lock braking and great overall performance. Likewise, a high-tech traction control system not only reduces wheelspin on slick surfaces, offering riders more confidence-inspiring feedback, but it can be easily switched off at the rider’s discretion.
Overall, the Concours 14 ABS is as action-packed as any touring bike on the market. Just goes to show what 26 years of experience does in honing a perfectly well-tuned machine.
Find out more about the Kawasaki Concours 14 after the jump.
Take a look at the Kawasaki Concours 14 and it’ll only take a few seconds before you have to pick your jaws off of the floor. The bike’s all-new bodywork gives the new Concours 14 an even more aggressive demeanor, highlighted by an electric-adjustable windscreen that creates a bigger still-air pocket for the rider and passenger. New ducts above the instrument panel relieve the low pressure area behind the windscreen while standard grip heaters lets you keep your hands warm in cold conditions.
In terms of performance, the Concours 14 doesn’t lack in power, thanks to a 1,352cc four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC engine that produces the kind of power that riders weep over. A big part of the Concours 14’s wide powerband can be attributed to its variable valve timing (VVT) system that alters camshaft profiles to boost low-end and mid-range torque without sacrificing top-end power. The bike also has advanced fuel injection, sub-throttle valves, ram-air induction, and decades of experience building the world’s most potent motorcycle engines add up to an amazing powerplant, a huge force to be reckoned with in the performance sport-touring segment.
The bike also has a monocoque frame that provides massive structural integrity along with excellent handling characteristics. The compact structure of the frame allows optimum packaging of the bike’s vital systems. There’s also a Tetra-Lever shaft drive that sends all that power rearward through a four-link design to offset the lifting and squatting tendencies when the throttle is opened and closed, resulting in true sportbike handling that the Kawasaki Concours has made name on.
Find out more about the Kawasaki Concours 14’s specs after the jump.
Kawasaki’s been a force to be reckoned with in the sport touring category for a quarter of a century now so it’s no secret that they’ve always been considered as one of the pre-eminent bike manufacturers in the world.
One model that has spurned a cult following of its own amongst the Kawasaki family of bikes is the Concours, which made its debut in early 1986 and ushered in a new era of motorcycles that featured experienced performance and long-distance functionality blended so successfully in a single motorcycle.
Fast forward 25 years and the Concours is still standing strong, taking all the elements that turned it into a classic and translating them with a 2011 model that still features the ideal mix of function and performance. The 2011 Concours 14 ABS is a sport-oriented tourer that can pile on the highway miles with the best world-class touring rigs yet still negotiate the twists and turns of America’s backroads in fine, Ninja-inspired tradition.
Find out more about the 2011 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS after the jump.
Kawasaki found itself in the situation of needing to seriously improve what has in the past few years become one very notorious high-performance touring motorcycle, the Concours 14. So while the bike doesn’t drift away from its ZX-14 DNA, it should offer a much safer, more economical and comfortable riding experience. Full story
