Author Topic: Safe Money - 2005 Kawasaki Concours  (Read 5369 times)

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VersysRider

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Safe Money - 2005 Kawasaki Concours
« on: April 12, 2014, 10:18:00 AM »
By Raymond Cadieux | Québec, Canada

1986-2006. 21 years. That was the period of production for the classic sport-touring Kawasaki ZG1000 Concours, affectionately called the Connie. Kawasaki introduced the Connie in 1986 with a pledge of minimal changes for five years in an effort to stabilize retail and resale prices, as well as the dealers’ replacement-parts inventory. In the end, during the whole 21-year period, no major change was made, just a few mostly cosmetic ones. The biggest change was in 1994, when the front end was revised with a new fork assembly from the ZR1100 Zephyr: the existing 38 mm fork and narrow 110/80-18 front radial tire were replaced by a 41 mm fork, now with mechanical preload instead of air, 3.0-inch wide front wheel (from 2.5 inches) and a wider 120/70VR18 tire. The 5-spoke front wheel from the Zephyr replaced the original 6-spoke design and the rear wheel was restyled to match the Zephyr front wheel. New dual-piston calipers and 300 mm floating discs came from the ZR750 Zephyr. The dashboard was changed to integrate a new instrument
panel from the ZX11 Ninja. The relatively flat seat was replaced with a new stepped, triple-density foam one. After that, little change except for fully chromed mufflers in 2004.



And there was no need to avoid the first year Connie, waiting for the bugs to be ironed out. She was made of proven parts picked from Kawasaki’s parts bins. The basic 997cc, liquid-cooled 16-valve power plant was an effective assemblage of familiar parts from the early eighties ZX900A Ninja and ZX1000R Ninja, converted to a driveshaft and stuffed into a diamond tubular-steel frame, with brakes and other bits from them and other Kawasaki sport bikes of the period. Ninjas, known for their longevity, lasting beyond the tenure of most owners, were the first water cooled inline 4-cylinder sport bikes from Japan, narrower with the cam chain moved from the middle to the end of the camshafts and the alternator moved off the crankshaft end and tucked behind the cylinders, near the starter.

How did I came to be the owner of a 2005 Concours? In March 1991, after 6 years of happy touring on a 1984 Honda Sabre equipped with BMW K100 bags installed on homemade stainless steel brackets, a Plexifairing III and a Honda rack, I was considering trading for either a Connie or a BMW K75. But the Honda ST1100 came on the market and I bought a brand new one: this sport touring bike was perfect for me! Like old Harleys, I thought that I would keep it for 20+ years. But no, after only 10 years and 303,000 km (188,000 miles), a bad water pump bearing and wobbling pump pulley pushed the timing belt off the crankshaft: broken valves and a scrapped engine. So I bought, in June 2001, a new 2000 ST1100, figuring that I would trade it after 5 years, before any catastrophic failure. In 2005, I was ready to trade. But no more brand new ST1100 on the market; it had been replaced by the ST1300 which, for me, wasn’t appealing at all. Maybe I’m too old school? After considering the FJR and the BMWs, I started looking at the Concours again: classic sport-tourer, very similar to the ST1100, except for an inline 4- cylinder engine instead of a V-4, a 6-speed transmission with “Positive Neutral Finder” vs a 5-speed, 25 pounds lighter. I found very good reviews in every motorcycle magazine at that time; however it was considered a bit dated. So what? I liked the appearance. I sat on the lovely Pearl Luster Beige/Metallic Dark Bronze 2005 Connie that was sitting in the dealership showroom. I liked it. Without even test-driving one, I bought it. One deciding factor: the price of the brand new Connie out-of the door from the dealer was something like $5,000 lower than any of the other brand-new sport-tourers on the market.

So, I was the owner of a brand-new Concours. As I said, the Connie was very similar to the ST1100; comfortable for long distance touring, big 28.5 L (7.53 US gal.) fuel tank, rock steady and smooth at 80 plus mph, a joy in fast sweepers, fun in the tight twisties, supremely comfortable seating matched with good wind and rain protection from the top of the helmet to the soles of the boots, fantastic mirrors. Commuting, long distance tours and sporty day rides were all enjoyable. An in-line 4 motor being inherently stronger at low speed than a V-4, some freeway exits and local hills where I had to shift down the ST, I could now negotiate in 6th. The black angular saddlebags (à la BMW) were roomy and easily detachable, mounted low on the bike and O-ring sealed although I had to add strands of string under the O-rings to ensure a perfectly watertight seal. The windshield had a flipped up top edge that directed air, rain and insects above the helmet which with my 6’-0” I found just right. It worked for me. The engine generates 88.4 horsepower at 8 500 rpm and 63.3 ft-lb of torque at 6400 rpm. Bore and stroke are 74.0 x 58.0 mm, a short stroke design that yields a redline of 10,500 rpm. Compression ratio is 10.2:1 and 87 octane regular fuel is recommended. Fully fueled, the Connie weighs 677 lbs. The final drive is by a very long shaft, 20.8 inches from the pivot center of the swing arm to the rear axle and the 61-inch wheelbase gives the long drive shaft ample leverage to eliminate the shaft jacking effect. For the rear suspension, Kawasaki has fitted their single shock Uni-Trak with adjustments for air pressure and rebound damping, adding zerk fittings on the linkage pivots for easy lubrication. A small but clever luggage rack with retractable bungee hooks is concealed in the tail, hidden by a cover that can be stowed between the battery and rear fender, held by a knurled screw. When riding without the saddlebags, the mounts can be removed and covered with molded panels to give a sleek, sporting appearance. Dual trip meters, digital clock, adjustable clutch and brake levers. Air scoops on the lower edge of the middle fairings provide cooling in hot weather and can be reversed for protection from rain and cold.



Sure, the Connie is not the perfect bike; she has good points as well as faults. Most issues have been resolved by resourceful owners. She is a little top heavy, especially with a full 7.5 gallon fuel tank, but nothing that cannot be overcome. So many improvements can easily be made: luggage racks, top boxes, light bars, dual headlights, tip over bars, advanced cam sprockets, taller gearing, handle bars kits, fork braces, different fork springs, cartridge forks with all adjustments, ZZR rear shocks, four and six-piston front calipers, aftermarket seats and windshields, 17-inch wheels, ZRX1200 engine transplant, turbocharging, electronic fuel injection, electronic cruise control, even whole front ends from the ZRX! There is no stopping for the faithful!

Today, the best thing about the Concours is the Concours Owners Group (COG), an incredible network of savvy enthusiasts that share the love of riding, always there for technical support and always ready to lend a hand, even far from home. COG benefits include The Best of Chalkdust, a compendium of technical tips, the yearly Membership Handbook to be carried on the bike at all times, The Concourier, the quarterly journal of COG, and also regional newsletters. Rides are organized at local, regional and national levels. At the yearly National, attendees are mostly Connie owners and it is a sight to see: hundreds of Connies of every year and color, many 1986 and other early models! Area groups are extremely active; everywhere you will find meet and greets, day rides, weekend rides, tech sessions in a member’s garage, local and regional rallies. And the forum: http://forum.cog-online.org/ is fantastic! Supremely active, lots and lots of information there! For every question asked, many experienced Connie owners will answer the same day on any subject: tires, suspension, modifications, maintenance, upgrades, and accessories. Also news, tips, tricks, general chat and tech, safety, tech pages.

Fast forward, Winter 2013-14. The 2005 Connie has now been ridden for eight summers, 111,002 km (68,973 miles) with absolutely no problem, but adequate maintenance: light service at 5,000 km (3,000 mi.), full service at 10,000 km (6,000 mi.). I respect scrupulously those intervals, but they could be extended a lot. Remember, the manuals were first printed in 1986 when hourly rate, lubricants, parts and everything was cheap; revisions of the manuals were few and far between because there was no major change during those 21 years. I do all the maintenance and all (few) repairs; I’ve not seen the dealership’ shop (or any independent shop for that matter) since the last warranty adjustment in 2007. The Connie is very easy to maintain. Valve adjustment is with screws and locknuts. The valve cover is easy to take off after removing the fuel tank and a few plastic panels. The battery? Just remove the seat and four screws holding the tool tray. The 2005 OEM flooded wet cell battery is still in service: eight seasons and no problem. Wet cells batteries have never let me down in the past; I just add distilled water every 5,000 km (3,000 mi.). But no-maintenance batteries have
let me stranded twice on the ST1100. And the air cleaner? Remove left side panel (one screw), unscrew the door and the air cleaner can be pulled out. I’ve replaced the front brake pads with the same OEMs at 68,648 km (42,656 mi.). The rear pads are still going strong. After wearing out the OEM Dunlops, I rode with Avons that I install and balance myself: front 120/70R18 Storm ST2 Ultra (average 39 202 km, 24 359 mi.), rear 150/80R16 Azaro ST AV46 (average 18,050 km, 11,215 mi.). Brakes are non-linked, non-ABS; no big deal for me: much easier for a fluid change. Average MPG (U.S. gallon): 50, for day rides or multi-days rides. No oil consumption, I never add any between 6,000 mi. changes.

And how could I improve an already good and reliable bike? Gas tank inside coating and tip over bars front and rear right out of the dealer, fenda extenda, revised bevel gear case gearing to reduce RPM 10% on the road, carburetor overflow tubes, manual Pingel fuel valve to replace a vacuum OEM prone to leaking, junction/fuse electrical box rebuilt to replace weak relays and to redo weak soldering, 45° tire valve stems, modern stick coils, coolant overflow bottle relocation in progress from an inconvenient place just below the radiator and the oil cooler to a better spot alongside the battery, under the right side body panel, using an ’06 Ninja EX250 thinner bottle.

Sure, I’m now in for the long haul, 20+ years! The Connie may be out of production, but she ain’t dead yet. Great bike with a loyal following. And did I mention that I was old school?

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« Last Edit: May 11, 2014, 10:35:08 PM by VersysRider »

Offline Brick

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Re: Safe Money - 2005 Kawasaki Concours
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2014, 12:21:02 PM »
Ray,
Your selling your Connie???? What's up? Have you found a replacement that you like?



Brick
2020 BMW R1250GS
1999 Suzuki SV-650