By Lance Oliver
Kawasaki decided to jump fully committed into the sport-touring market segment by totally reinventing its warhorse Concours model, and did so by starting with its horsepower-king ZX-14 motor. So you might expect that the 1.4 liters of power beneath the fairing would be the defining characteristic of this motorcycle. Certainly that's what I expected when I went to the Kawasaki press introduction.
But after two days riding the all-new Concours 14 around northern California's finest roads, I have to tell you it's not the engine that impressed me most, despite my passing-zone excursion into hyperspace above, or the thousand other times in two days I took advantage of the Concours' generous powerband.
So what impressed me most? Looking at the press materials and spec sheet, you might guess it's the long list of features Kawasaki has included on the new Concours. There's a lot of things you'd expect these days on a modern sport-touring motorcycle: two lockable hard saddlebags that each swallow a full-face helmet, an electrically adjustable windscreen, independent front and rear anti-lock brakes as an option, shaft drive with what Kawasaki calls its "Tetra-Lever" system to prevent lift and squat. Plus the aforementioned fuel-injected 1,352cc four-cylinder engine with added variable valve timing.
But you'll also spot some features you wouldn't expect on a sport-tourer, like a slipper clutch and radial-mount front brakes. Then there are features you hardly see anywhere, such as the onboard tire pressure-monitoring system or Kawasaki's unique KIPASS system, which essentially lets you leave the key in the motorcycle all the time.
The electrically adjustable windscreen, when fully raised, provided a cocoon of protection on chilly mornings with only the slightest vacuum effect pressing me forward. Fully lowered, it offered the perfect mix of protection for my chest and clean air flow over my helmet. Kawasaki offers an optional larger screen for those who want more touring protection.
The gauges offer a complete package of information. Black-face analog speedometer and tachometer flank the LCD display screen, which shows a clock, fuel gauge and temperature gauge, gear position indicator and odometer. You can toggle through two trip meters in place of the odometer on the lower part of the screen, and above that you can toggle through your choice of fuel range, current fuel consumption rate, average fuel consumption, battery voltage and tire pressure.
Specs
Engine: DOHC inline four-cylinder, four valves per cylinder
Displacement: 1,352cc
Bore x stroke : 84.0mm x 61.0mm
Carburetion : Digital fuel injection, 40mm throttle bodies
Compression ratio: 10.7:1
Transmission Six-speed
Final drive Shaft
Tires 120/70-17 front; 190/50-17 rear
Front brake Dual floating 310mm petal discs, four-piston calipers ABS optional
Rear brake Single 270mm petal disc ABS optional
Front suspension 43mm inverted fork, adjustable rebound and preload
Rear suspension Stepless rebound damping; remote preload adjuster
Seat height 32.1 inches
Wheelbase 59.8 inches
Fuel capacity 5.8 gallons
Dry weight 615 pounds with ABS; 606 pounds without ABS
Color Neutron silver
Warranty 36 months, unlimited miles
MSRP $13,799 with ABS; $12,899 without ABS