Motorcycle.com

Wraith321 · 07-25-2007, 10:50 PM

The article was adequate however, I would like to see more of the bike; i.e. more pictures of the dash and whatnot.

sarnali2 · 07-25-2007, 10:53 PM

They say the same about 2nd gen. Bandits....bargain basement suspension and overweight. Well it hauls my porky butt around well enough and soaks up all the bumps I manage to hit and it's comfy to boot.

anrajala · 07-26-2007, 01:06 AM

>Most riders who aren't riding it like motojournalists
>are seeing >40 MPG

Absolutely. Anybody worried about 28 MPG on the highway is not thinking it through.

- cruiz-euro

anrajala · 07-26-2007, 01:33 AM

I agree with you satchiwilson. And it does not only limit to women. Lots of men are also intimidated by heavy bikes. And for a reason: if you weigh 88 kg there is a fundamental difference if the bike you try to control weighs 156 kg (GSXR 600) or 307 kg (Fat Boy). Its just basic physics.

- cruiz-euro

FalcoSC · 07-26-2007, 02:52 AM

The writeup was excellent and spot on. I've got 1100 miles on mine and have these comments.

My mileage is averaging around 40 mpg and that's consistent with what people on the C14 forum are experiencing or even a little less.

A lot of the heat was coming through the lower fairing that was not completely blocked by the factory foam insulation/shielding. The heat was coming directly off the headers and then channeled through the fairing. I blocked it with some small pieces of pipe insulation and reduced the heat problem to manageable levels. Still warm but only a minor nuisance now.

If anybody is going to ride the bike hard enough that it only gets 28 mpg, then they will be spending a lot more money on tires than on gas. Actually most people already do spend more on tires. I know I do.

rkrayton2000 · 07-26-2007, 03:02 AM

after test riding all three bikes(fjr1300,st1300 and con14) I realized that weight does matter thier great bikes just to heavy for the kind of riding I like to do ended up buying 2005 interceptor saved some dough and with 500 miles a great tourer

morriscm · 07-26-2007, 11:21 AM

I picked up my C14 Monday. I've found time to put about 250 miles on it so far. Here's a few observations I haven't seen yet in this discussion:

I'm an 5' 8" (30 inch inseam) and get buffeting around the top of the helmet if the windshield is all the way up. The sweet spot is about an inch or two from all the way up (or all the way down for maximum cooling). The windshield will not raise high enough to entirely keep the air stream from hitting the helmet (and I don't mind this - I like a bit of air flow around the helmet if buffeting isn't occurring).

I've owned two Kawasaki ZRX 1200's in past years (owned one - sold it for a different bike - got to missing it and got another). I always thought the engine from this bike would make a great touring bike engine... The C14 engine seems to have captured the really great aspects of the ZRX engine. Great low end torque along with 'plenty' of power for any occasion. If you want to tool around at 2000 rpm the motor will pull cleanly (actually runs smoothly from around 1500 rpm).

The bike is extremely easy to ride. All the controls seem in the right places, brakes are very good (my bike is non-abs), no trace of a fire breathing monster if you show any sense at all.

I haven't done any high speed riding - but during break in you can go 85 mph at the break in rpm of 4000 when in 6th gear.

I've experimented with the slipper clutch. You can feel it when doing quick down shifts as you let the clutch out between each shift as a slight pulsing in the lever.

I can't get both feet flat footed at a stop (30 inch inseam) but can get the balls of both feet down. Feels very secure and easy to keep up right.

The bike handles well two up when my wife has come along. It's heavy enough and low enough to remain stable when she moves around a bit back there.

I've gassed up twice. First time I saw 39mpg, second time 30mpg (must be twisting the throttle harder). I agree with an earlier comment, however, that the bike will probably get around 40mpg on a long cruise.

General impressions after four days and 250 miles are 'very' good!

sarnali2 · 07-26-2007, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkrayton2000

after test riding all three bikes(fjr1300,st1300 and con14) I realized that weight does matter thier great bikes just to heavy for the kind of riding I like to do ended up buying 2005 interceptor saved some dough and with 500 miles a great tourer

Good deal VFR's are nice bikes. Check out the Texas VFR Garage, I used to go on there alot when I had my '97. Lot's of good info and links.

mjs · 07-26-2007, 04:12 PM

As a proud and happy owner of an 06 FJr I'm looking forward to a comparo

rags23 · 07-27-2007, 07:41 AM

" The 26 mpg I calculated at the pump was a bit disappointing, but maybe that doesn't say as much about the bike's fuel efficiency as it does the ridiculous way I was riding. Others were reporting closer to 30 mpg."

Great! That moves the bike straight to the bottom of my list.

07-25-2007, 10:53 PM	#112
sarnali2 Aging Cafe` Racer Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sittin' down by my window, lookin' at the rain. Posts: 8,644	They say the same about 2nd gen. Bandits....bargain basement suspension and overweight. Well it hauls my porky butt around well enough and soaks up all the bumps I manage to hit and it's comfy to boot. __________________ "Carpe` Throttelum -Loud Suits Save Lives" "Denser alloy. My Father gave it to me, I think he wants me to kill you"... CVF-FCV

07-26-2007, 11:21 AM	#117
morriscm Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 32	A few more riding obversations I picked up my C14 Monday. I've found time to put about 250 miles on it so far. Here's a few observations I haven't seen yet in this discussion: I'm an 5' 8" (30 inch inseam) and get buffeting around the top of the helmet if the windshield is all the way up. The sweet spot is about an inch or two from all the way up (or all the way down for maximum cooling). The windshield will not raise high enough to entirely keep the air stream from hitting the helmet (and I don't mind this - I like a bit of air flow around the helmet if buffeting isn't occurring). I've owned two Kawasaki ZRX 1200's in past years (owned one - sold it for a different bike - got to missing it and got another). I always thought the engine from this bike would make a great touring bike engine... The C14 engine seems to have captured the really great aspects of the ZRX engine. Great low end torque along with 'plenty' of power for any occasion. If you want to tool around at 2000 rpm the motor will pull cleanly (actually runs smoothly from around 1500 rpm). The bike is extremely easy to ride. All the controls seem in the right places, brakes are very good (my bike is non-abs), no trace of a fire breathing monster if you show any sense at all. I haven't done any high speed riding - but during break in you can go 85 mph at the break in rpm of 4000 when in 6th gear. I've experimented with the slipper clutch. You can feel it when doing quick down shifts as you let the clutch out between each shift as a slight pulsing in the lever. I can't get both feet flat footed at a stop (30 inch inseam) but can get the balls of both feet down. Feels very secure and easy to keep up right. The bike handles well two up when my wife has come along. It's heavy enough and low enough to remain stable when she moves around a bit back there. I've gassed up twice. First time I saw 39mpg, second time 30mpg (must be twisting the throttle harder). I agree with an earlier comment, however, that the bike will probably get around 40mpg on a long cruise. General impressions after four days and 250 miles are 'very' good! __________________ Been there... Done that...

07-25-2007, 10:50 PM	#111
Wraith321 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 3	The article was adequate however, I would like to see more of the bike; i.e. more pictures of the dash and whatnot.

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07-26-2007, 01:06 AM	#113
anrajala Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 1,490	>Most riders who aren't riding it like motojournalists >are seeing >40 MPG Absolutely. Anybody worried about 28 MPG on the highway is not thinking it through. - cruiz-euro

07-26-2007, 01:33 AM	#114
anrajala Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 1,490	I agree with you satchiwilson. And it does not only limit to women. Lots of men are also intimidated by heavy bikes. And for a reason: if you weigh 88 kg there is a fundamental difference if the bike you try to control weighs 156 kg (GSXR 600) or 307 kg (Fat Boy). Its just basic physics. - cruiz-euro

07-26-2007, 02:52 AM	#115
FalcoSC Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Obscurity, South Carolina Posts: 23	The writeup was excellent and spot on. I've got 1100 miles on mine and have these comments. My mileage is averaging around 40 mpg and that's consistent with what people on the C14 forum are experiencing or even a little less. A lot of the heat was coming through the lower fairing that was not completely blocked by the factory foam insulation/shielding. The heat was coming directly off the headers and then channeled through the fairing. I blocked it with some small pieces of pipe insulation and reduced the heat problem to manageable levels. Still warm but only a minor nuisance now. If anybody is going to ride the bike hard enough that it only gets 28 mpg, then they will be spending a lot more money on tires than on gas. Actually most people already do spend more on tires. I know I do.

07-26-2007, 03:02 AM	#116
rkrayton2000 Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Atlanta Ga Posts: 30	after test riding all three bikes(fjr1300,st1300 and con14) I realized that weight does matter thier great bikes just to heavy for the kind of riding I like to do ended up buying 2005 interceptor saved some dough and with 500 miles a great tourer

07-26-2007, 04:12 PM	#119
mjs Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 114	As a proud and happy owner of an 06 FJr I'm looking forward to a comparo

07-27-2007, 07:41 AM	#120
rags23 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 34	" The 26 mpg I calculated at the pump was a bit disappointing, but maybe that doesn't say as much about the bike's fuel efficiency as it does the ridiculous way I was riding. Others were reporting closer to 30 mpg." Great! That moves the bike straight to the bottom of my list.