2014 Kawasaki Concours 14 - First Ride and Review

[@cmustard599]

Just bought a new 2014. Truly magnificent bike. The 'sport' AND 'touring' dials are both turnt to 11. Its heavy in terms of comfort and power, its light in terms of speed and flickability. I'm 6'0" so its the perfect height for me in terms of saddle and windscreen. It carves up twisties like a sportbike, but makes 500 mile days feel like a ride across town. Plus it looks like sex. The panniers are refridgerator-sized but somehow look tucked-in. The traction control saved my ass on a washed-out road, and the integrated brakes stop TIME. Plus, the feature can be turned off for old school technical riding. Worth the money!

[@19t0nycxz98]

My dad had one of these a few years ago, Had to sell it because of bills and what not, but still to this day says that it is the best bike that he has ever owned. Lane splitting. Fine Drag races. Fine Handling. Fine Comfort. 420/10 Overall. Great bike.

[@sgtmarkins]

Just some tips... Never put the Key FOB in the compartment.. If you are short Dont lean the bike at red lights or stop signs, It weighs 680lbs. In ECO mode I have gotten 52mpg.. I have also only done 1600 mile weekends on mine ;-)

[@FlashBro-r4w]

How many gallons in tank?

[@firedroneman-yj8fm]

Yea I dropped mine a few times leaning. Abit to far, I'm 5.5

[@danielmelcher5310]

You can get in the storage compartment even if the battery is dead trust me I've done it not that hard

[@jamesmcguire9155]

When I want to know how it “feels” to ride a bike and have a good time learning I come here. Your personality makes these first rides fun.

[@nomadicraven8500]

Bought my GTR 1400 (UK) in Mar 2023, after selling Fazer 1000. I loved my Fazer. It was a powerful bike with a lot of drama. GTR on the other hand, is sheer power without any of that drama. Gosh, this machine is something. Comfortable, powerful, stable and oh boy, it can stop when you just think of stopping. Again, without waking up the entire neighbourhood.

[@nicholasjohnson6724]

Got a 2008 Concours, here in Australia. Powerful, forgiving and very comfortable. Nicely designed bike all round.

[@kawboy14]

I have the same. Lose the 20 lb fugly exhaust and get the ECU professionally flashed. The stock can weighs 20 lbs. I bought a Two Brothers carbon which weighs 7 lbs. and looks and sounds great. Not too loud either. You're welcome. 😉

[@dman117zx6]

I'm glad you're seeing the light of the Kawasaki brand Chase. I think they make great bikes that often get overlooked

[@harryrex68]

Shaft drive so it is super smooth. The bags come off easily and you can use them like suitcases. The key is magnetically locked without the fob. The windscreen position can be stored. The brakes are linked. I've seen reviews that didn't like the mirror position but I think they are perfect. The Connie has VVT to tone down the power for touring. Bike is a land missile in it's stock form. Perfect for two up riding all day. Especially if you add Sena communication to both helmets. I love mine!

[@willbest1547]

It's a fantastic bike. The first Concours was great in it's day, and they hit another home run with this one.

[@pcracer2]

Love how you had no clue what any of the buttons do. I'm 24 and own one! One of the best bikes I have ever owned. That bike will pull a lot harder than you tried to. I know it was new and you had to take it easy but it will lift the front wheel with out a problem. Next time you are at the Marrietta location, walk over to the Service Department and say Hi. I am a service advisor. I'll let you take mine out so you can see what it can really do.

[@chuckwagon1892]

Got a real kick out of your surprise over how nimble it is.. Wanted one for a long time and just purchased my 2013 just over a month ago with 11k, mint. Yep, she's very nimble and quick and smooth comfortable and fun! The only thing that disappointed me (after hearing time and again how great they are) was the mirrors. They give a good view of the hand grips and levers. Other than that, let's go....anywhere!

[@wisdon6693]

"obviously I'm not gonna tap it out or anything" u kept your word on that one homboy.. I do appreciate time and effort u took in making other vids for us tho

[@W4ffl3Games]

This is the kind of bike I want to get. With nice cargo room, and is very comfortable. I love it!

[@ROrneli]

I bought this bike a bit sad because I wanted the ninja 1000 instead (I got tired of the SS ergos) my wife got on the back of that one and she frowned , she got on the back of the concours 14 and she approved,I was a bit sad but happy wife happy life. After 17 thousand miles on it (in one year ) I feel like I got the right bike , (listen to your wife guys lol) not only does this bike blow the ninja 1000 out of the water in power,but the features and ergos will win you over, this bike is lane splittable , after a month or so on it you will learn to handle it and it will feel natural , I have taken this bike to a 155 mph and it gets there quick! it felt like it wanted to go even more but I chickened out, I have beaten Aprillia 1000s BMW Rs andother sport bikes in straight line, the only one that destroyed me was my brother's hayabusa , but in reality who cares? who buys a bike that can go 10% faster than you when it does everything else 100% better than they do for the kind of riding you will be doing 90% of the time. I am 40 years old and I have taken this bike from Miami to New orleans, Miami-athens Georgia,Miami Savannah, Miami St Augustine and I still use it to get around town,funny how all the other sport bikes look and feel small now. If you put a racing exhaust this thing can be loud but .. why? I like it that it is a sleeper, cops do not pay attention to you , to them you look like a serious tourer not a punk kid on a sport bike, , install a loud exhaust and now you are one of them.. no way ,keep it quiet ! This bike is greatly under appreciated , nothing beats destroying a kid on a sport bike and watching them pass them as they yell "Mooonniiicaa" in their heads as well as the humiliation of getting passed by "an old persons bike" Another thing is that girls love this thing, I had have girls ask me to take a picture of them on it and although sport bikes look cooler, girls love the ergos of the back sit more on this bike, they want to be comfortable and this bike is comfortable. Trust me, get a Concours 14 and never look back,.

[@gymbob79]

The Olympic Rings are for brake bias, it has a linked braking system, pulling the front lever applies both front and rear brakes. Same if you just press the brake peddle it applies rear and front brake. At first I hated it, but in combination with abs it has saved my life twice, and I've learned to live with it. I have a couple boring vids riding it in the mountains of Wyoming.

[@paulmilne8736]

Just bought the 2015 in the classic green five weeks ago. This is my 7th bike. By far the nicest and most fun to ride. This review was very helpful. The Yamaha is nice but this one fits me. Awesome bike.

[@lukee49]

"Lets use heated grips cause its warm today"

[@martinmartinmartinnmartin1380]

Why do you even need heated grips in the US? Here in England you'll actually need them haha

[@TheFishStick303]

MartinnMartin believe it or not.... there are actually places in America that get cold!

[@martinmartinmartinnmartin1380]

Dammmn, but your streets are so weird, all there is is intersections and straight roads mostly

[@thecalii9280]

"Pretty cool LITTLE bike man and for as BIG as it is"

[@RenoNuski]

MartinnMartin Marietta sux for traffic and roads.

[@reggier2343]

this is like a kid with a christmas toy...i appreciate the honesty in the review. makes me want one even more.

[@MrAntonLucas]

Bought my 2012 Concours 14 about 3 weeks ago, 11,000 miles, $7,495, bags and OEM trunk, near perfect condition. The bike has some after-market mods (full exhaust/cat delete/Delkevic titanium pipe, ECU flashed, LED lights, new Michelins 190-55, rev limiter increased from 10,500 to 11,0000, 155 mph top speed limiter eliminated.) Can attest to 164 mph with a little left to go. Traction control stops wheelies on a full-out take-offs from stop and I'm trying to figure that out. It is as fast as I need, smooth, what a windshield that works like magic at high, high speed. Bags take away a little of the power, ECO mode reduces your horsepower, cruises at 55 mph @ 65 mpg, 110 mph @ 29.5 mp. I love this bike but it might send me to Jesus.

[@Ksolidey]

Its always better to think low and get proved wrong than to think high and get proven wrong. But great review as always man, keep up the good work!

[@rodneyburnham1331]

I enjoyed your review. A couple of things I might add. Don't keep the Key FOB inside that compartment. You can get it locked in their once the bike is off and it's expensive unless you have another. The hard bags come off the bike very easily with the key and you can hold them just like luggage. I would have like to see you get on the Interstate Highway. That is where the fun begins....let that RPM's get up to 7,000+

[@tomaspaine7021]

Bro..! You're killing me! What happened to the days of ChaseIn3D? No more speed runs? Just bike reviews and learning to wheelie on Tea? Shoot dang bro!

[@brooksrulz]

I love how he puts the key fob in the locking compartment where it specifically says and has a sticker that says "NO FOB!" lol do some research about the bike before the review

[@michaelneil1747]

Right!!!!! Cheesy review. Lots of pros but about the same for the cons. Example: checking front tire pressure and airing up is a pain in the neck because of the the brake rotor being so large, and/ the wheel pattern isn't conducive to easier access...

[@SewGurl58]

Me and my friend who tour together both ride these. We killed Beartooth Pass on ours. Then on some desolate stretch of highway in Wyoming spent about an hour at triple digits, cuz that’s where it gets real smooth.

[@CBRboy1717]

Chase missed huge function of the KPASS system. That tiny key in the fob is a backup key. All you have to do is turn the KPASS dial all the way to the right to "FSS" and the full size key pops out of the ignition for the bags. You don't have to fiddle around with trying to get that key out of the fob. Also the "S" at the end of the bike's name is silent. It's "Con-cour"...

[@cowabungaitis-VT]

proud 2016 concours14 owner concours14 1348cc/zx14 1398cc

[@Burner-Adventure-Chronicles]

Good review- Buddy of mine has one. He throws it around canyon roads like it is a 600. Was looking at one for those longer rides

[@primatecbr1100]

Dude, your enthusiasm for everybike you get on is so cool....... Cool as shiiittt!!

[@depravedone]

That's the exact place you took the FJ09 for the walk around. Wish you could have gotten it out on the open road. They are pretty damn fast on the interstate, although ECU limited to around 155MPH top speed

[@TecByte5]

So close! Please review 2014/2015 Kawasaki Ninja 650.

[@1GiveSubs1]

I agree I really want to see a review done on the ninja 650 2015

[@OneTreeOutdoors]

I just bought a 2016 and love it. Thank you for your videos

[@themenacethemenace]

So in a 20 minute video, you basically said it has heated grips, it feels lighter than it is, and that a 1400cc bike has power... and then continued to repeat it over and over and over again.

[@colinwhitby8219]

Common......It was not bad......there is not much to say really.....Cool bike that has a touring capability with a little sport as well...….that is why I am such a fan of ST models

[@deekamikaze]

@@colinwhitby8219 my job has R1200RTP, Concourse 14P, and the ST1300P. The BMW is great for long distances and turning. The ST is an awesome all around bike that has a smooth power band and is really stable up to 125mph before it gets a death wobble. But the Concourse is a speed demon. My department bought a few from another department when they got rid of them because, get this, they were too fast 😆😆🤣. They aren't as upright as the ST and the BMW but they are definitely way faster than both.

[@robertbrandywine]

@@deekamikaze Do you work for a police department?

[@gabbyhayes1568]

@@deekamikaze Yes, I have seen the CA Highway Patrol ride them on my trips to Vegas on my 2012 on the long stretches of desert interstate because they can cruise at triple-digit speed, or so I'm told, lol. But they're still predominantly on Harleys on urban freeways here.

[@sandakureva]

In videos like these, I'm not listening to what he's saying, I'm watching how he's riding it.

[@spkuse]

Dude, you needed to take that baby on the interstate and open her up! There is a reason why the Concours and the FJR are called sport tourers. Two bikes in one.

[@chaseontwowheels]

Shawn Kuse I'll have to do that next time!

[@jeffwhite543]

+chaseontwowheels FJR 1300.. Haven't seen you on that one yet..

[@choppertj1]

I had the FJR. Went to Albuquerque to visit my cousin n jumped on his Connie. I came back n sold the FJR. Now shopping for a Connie!

[@roseroyceGHOST]

+choppertj1 Is the connie better the than FJR 1300???

[@catcall569]

roseroyceGHOST I think that's a matter of opinion.

[@SirSnoqualmie]

Sweet bike! Smooth delivery in "S" curves and as you know comfy for any ride past an hour. Would be a great 2nd or 3rd bike! Great review!

[@ModernGolfer]

Some tweaks: ZX-14 throttle bodies, full titanium exhaust, good ECU flash, rear hugger fender, 'angel / demon eyes' headlights, Helibars, cruise lock. Changed the windshield / fairing, eliminated the center stand, fender eliminator / license plate bracket. Shaved a few pounds, upped the performance. Seems to work.

[@Outdoor_MED]

" Its like a windshield" lmao it is one

[@onthethrottle9230]

Love these first ride videos. That thing is a touring beast.

[@63falcondude]

I would enjoy a ZX-14R review if you get the chance.

[@DawnOfTheComputer]

Oh hey, I'm from Marietta! Nice to see some ride footage from around my home town.

[@SteveMichael]

Great review. It is refreshing to hear an honest review of a bike.

[@DR-hw9js]

Dude you know it has a slipper clutch right? LOL my dad is about to by this bike. Yeah the Sport Touring segment is an Amazing class. IT completely breaks down the boundaries of Traditional Heavy V-Twin HD's or other Touring Bikes. So instead of it being 7-900lbs it actually very light weight.

[@Texarmageddon]

I know this comment is old, but even a year ago... This bike was heavy in 2016 standards... 670lbs isn't light.. Doesn't even feel light when you're moving.

[@StickySideDownOfficial]

Hell yeah you're right about not wanting to hear a loud exhaust all of the time!!

[@garlandholland]

Still getting used to mine love the ride and the power and I have only had it for three weeks

[@RiderObvious]

I love my Concours.... Thanks for the review.

[@NZsarge1]

Nice review, I've had a Concours and they are a very nice, smooth and highly capable bike. I will have another one some day, either that or a Yamaha FJR1300 but for the moment I'm enjoying my new ZX14. You should try one if it's available.

[@seanoleary1979]

Big bike??? You've obviously never ridden a Goldwing! I went down from a Goldwing to another C14 and it felt like a 600cc bike! Super fast and super flickable!

[@howarddrakeford]

He hasn't ridden the Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager either! 895lbs., 1700cc... I'm seriously thinking about trading mine in for the Concours.

[@TheLithGH]

Amazing how some people can talk for 20 minutes, and say nothing... but regardless, great bike!! I want one!!

[@SamWilliams78]

cool to see you branching out and trying other types of bikes. It would be sweet to see you do something like a goldwing too and compare them.

[@choppertj1]

It's like a windshield??? I bet it's LIKE riding a motorcycle too😂

[@alexvaz1611]

Which one would you buy? This one or the BMW R1200RT

[@seatime674]

I had the fjr1300 and I like the gear spacing better because with The Concourse your shifting more often the gears are tighter together

[@designer123]

I am leaning towards a concours based on this video. Is it a still all round bike to have if you just have this one bike?

[@RenoNuski]

My buddy Randy shreds Blood Mountain on one of those bad boys! Built for touring but nimble enough for some fun too. When is the Burgman ride coming? PS- Dude the Burgman Exec has the adjustable windscreen and a "Power" switch too.

[@fazelock6202]

7:08 actually the light works opposite of how you think it would. Light on means ktrc off

[@TWTourist]

If the C14 impresses you, try a FRJ1300. Heated grips, electric windshield, rails the corners plus cruise control for the long haul. BTW, I own a 22 C-14 but still favor the FJR.

[@seatime674]

Do you notice on FJR the gears are spaced wider and shifting less often? On my '11 C14 I have to shift more often which I don't like as much

[@aisu8481]

When there's a tiny skip at 17:23, the white truck skipping freaked me out and I had a rewind to see it again haha

[@Wabbit1961]

Have you test rode a Ninja 1000 with side cases? Difference not only in weight and feel but power to weight ratio is better. The seat on the Ninja is narrower and I believe you could flat foot it. When I bought mine it was 2011 first gen. I bought the side cases and heated grips. That's all it had factory-wise. Now the Ninja has ABS, traction control, and power modes. Price is up $1,000 from when I bought mine. Frankly, those new toys to me are useless. I bought my Ninja for $8,299 brand new. That's why I bought the bags and grips. I still left the dealership under the $10,999 MSRP. OTD for me was $10,840. The Ninja 1000 is almost $5,000 less than the Concours. A much better buy.

[@submoto]

A lot of cities use these as cop bikes. Here they use the Yamaha FJ1300 and the Honda ST1300, which are pretty much the same physical size. They're pretty damn fast, although I don't think I'd want to get one myself ...not before I turn 50 anyway :-P but that's just me :-)

[@josharnold2482]

I have a 08 concours and took it to the tail of the dragon and had a lot of fun this bike is great for anyway you want to ride it either just playing in town or riding it hard through the curves. it is plenty fast.

[@jamesb.2064]

My last bike was a concourse. Great ST bike. Replaced it with the 2018 Goldwing. 😊

[@ROrneli]

at some point I may do the same, but right now I am loving the GTR,

[@PappaLitto]

You didn't even floor it! I wanted to see how much it pulled

[@JaxWatchesandEDC]

It pulls like a bitch, trust me, I have one in my garage ;).

[@epoxeclipse]

You don't need to floor it on this bike, because plenty of power on tap.

[@DinoOnid100]

I think most surprising bike would be Honda GoldWing 1800

[@UBCSWraith]

I second the supersports hurting after a while. I put about 640 or so miles in two days on my CBR600RR riding from the Atlanta area to and around the Tail of the Dragon and back. My back and especially the base of my neck were really hurting on day two. On top of that, I'm a young fit guy. It would be awesome to have a second bike like this. I'm not sure I need 1400+ccs, but a touring bike would be fantastic.

[@cagekicker78]

My '14 Ninja 650 has emergency flashers. My '13 Ninja 300 did not. I think it depends on the class of bike, 650 being a sport tourer vs. Sport bike.

[@InfiniteQuester]

Chase, im lovin these review videos. Keep it coming man.

[@TechT1999]

Sport touring is nice man. I would like to get the Honda ST1300 but they dont make them anymore that I know of. My next choice would be the FJR. Im stuck bewteen this and a Goldwing. On a side note, I have ridden a 2014 ZX14R in the twisties and it was very comfortable, relaxing. Felt like I was seating on a couch.

[@EEEBA1]

Have you ever considered a Honda VFR 1200? A very nice bike. And I have one for sale/trade :)

[@NZsarge1]

I've got the new ZX14 and it's a kick ass bike IMHO, I've also had a 2010 Concours 14 and can highly recommend them, I'd also love to try the FJR. A Goldwing would be a step too far for me though. The VFR1200 is also very nice.

[@VKNSTAR]

BMW S1000RR....I would like to see this bike in one of your test ride videos!

[@dougiequick1]

Wish you took this into the twisties too! Like to hear about that

[@SanFranciscoRiderr]

nice review Chase, looks like a really cool bike. I had a Ninja 1000 before and i know Kawasaki makes good bikes

[@Zalonka]

***** Watched the video on my phone. I was like hmmm once I saw the bike but have to hand it to you I think this was one of the better videos I've watched in awhile. The bike reviews are pretty cool and give you something interesting to do. Maybe you could hit up some other dealers for some diversity of bikes!

[@jktiggs]

Ya got to check out the FJR1300 Chase! I have both a 2005 fjr1300 and a 2006 R6S! YAMAHA LOVE all the way. Keep up the good work and great videos! Signed "Currently frozen in Minnesota"

[@rosscipriano262]

Hey chase, of all the bikes you have ridden and reviewed so far which is your favorite and least favorite?

[@annubissl]

there used to be a sticker in that little fairing pocket that advises you against putting the fob in there. i cant remember why.

[@dennisjuhlin4195]

Great video Chase!

[@tabcan]

Loved the video. Loved the foreign accents even more.

[@TheFishStick303]

Sweet review Chase, love your channel! Last year they had the Victory Demo Truck and I rode a Victory Cross Country, that thing was like a couch haha, and I almost dropped it coming out of the parking lot because it was so heavy, what an idiot I am!

[@TheWorldOfSTEW]

Take the bags off of it (1 turn of the key), throw a flash on it, and slay nearly every sportbike out there. It'll drag an R6 and nearly any liter bike out there. Stock low 10s. Nothing better than a Connie in the twisties either.

[@ChadOHara98]

If you get the chance you should test drive the Polaris Slingshot! That would be awesome!

[@kanneebannee]

If there is anything you need to try, its the old Daytona T595/955i!

[@pepsifreak0421]

You gotta do a Goldwing. That'd be awesome!

[@Noble36]

Thanks for the review! I am certainly a Concours 14 fan (otherwise I wouldn't be here...for the seventh time). I've found that I like those gloves that you're wearing, too. If you don't mind sharing, who makes them? Thanks!

[@kyleforrest6836]

Hey chase like the video. If u can at one point do a first ride on a suzuki burgman 400. I know. It's a scooter but I just purchased one and I'm having to put a trike kit on it before I can ride. I also own a Chinese moped trike 150cc bike. I've had for two years and it's got me over 5000 miles love it. Only bought the burgman 400 to better keep up with Harleys. Have a nice day and God bless man.

[@RidingNaked500]

Im sure looked ridiculous rocking a variant on a concours. you could be the first to do that lol

[@metaljuana7538]

You should try the honda goldwing next :P

[@jdhreiss]

I put 135k on my 08. no worries!

[@Killswitch-ON]

No needs of changing the valve cover gasket? Mine is 2012 model with 45000 km on tacho, already have to change that bcs of oil leakage incl the o-ring of cam sensor. I let the dealership made the valve adjustment at the same time , if needed 😂

[@BloodPlusPwn]

lol why would you expect what is basically just a comfy zx14 tuned for a bit more torque in lower RPMs to be anything other than fast af. Some of yall get goofy when you ride too many bikes for these short hand reviews. Thanks for the video, though!

[@Mike_Martian]

"Thank you, Audi, for not killing us all." Said everyone ever to every Audi ever. That was hilarious!

[@ChaseJasperDown]

Ugh! My second dream bike next to my R1!!!

[@UnseenTempest]

Hey Chase, how do you think this bike would do as a daily driver? In your opinion, would it do well in city traffic or would it be too big and cumbersome? Thanks!

[@lzwlionel]

Cumbersome for a daily ride. I own one currently and it's quite a bitch to ride in even in moderate traffic. I chug around in town with a Vulcan 900 and use the Connie for trips from Singapore to Malaysia or Thailand. Long interstate riding is much more comfortable on the Connie. City riding is no no in my opinion.

[@ankleninja]

Amazing what happens when you dont have to worry about shaving weight for the track. Knee dragging on bikes like that is fine, might want to take the bags off first tho. Those stereotypes still work well on most harleys ;x

[@colbeyscarclub980]

If you could, would you tart ride the Kawasaki ninja zx6r 636. Thinking about getting 1 next month. Would like to see what you think.

[@SandyCheeks49]

Chase could you do a ride review of the 2013 Triumph Daytona 675? I am looking at one and thinking about purchasing one for my first bike and want your opinion on it.

[@tartarsauces]

Do you think key fobs would help with bikes getting stolen?

[@Stclairm1]

Rode one a couple of weeks ago and wasn't impressed. Very top heavy, didn't have what I call torque down low. I definitely enjoyed the Ninja 1000 much more. Looking for something I can take the wife on and still have a blast. Currently have a F6B and it's just a huge biatch. I think it might handle better than the Concours though.....hate to say it. I had a hard time with the clutch after just riding the ZX14R. Now that bike was pretty awesome, just don't know if the wife could ride it for long.... I did dig the power adjustable windshield and tire pressure monitors on the C14.

[@patdennis3751]

Is it an upright riding position or more sportbike hunched over?

[@cowabungaitis-VT]

wanna see the headlight output!!! lol picking up my new 2016 concours saturday

[@warren010h]

Or people may just think you're older on a big bike and give a little more road respect haha! It's plausible!

[@danilocapellan1316]

I have a T120 truimph 2018 , I commute from Long Island, to Manhatan, but I think this is going to be my second bike, You could get a used one for 5, 000 Dollars.

[@ababbit7461]

The saddle bags have handles for a reason. Are they removable with the key? Like the BMW's?

[@underworldmotovlogger2541]

Yes they are... Chase is to busy with his head up his ass right now to answer this so I did it for him ;-)

[@centralrider5690]

Hmmm, makes me want to look into the Concourse14... Looks Good!