Kawasaki Concours - Long-term Evaluation

Concours Toujours?

Since its introduction in 1986, the largely unchanged Kawasaki Concours has inspired a loyal, some would say fanatical, following. The Concours Owners Group (COG) is well represented from coast to coast and beyond. This crew motors out of the woodwork for practically every motorcycle show and consistently show themselves to be some of the "ridin'-est" sons of guns around. What is it about this landmark sport tourer that keeps them rolling off the showroom floor year after year?

After nearly 20 years of burning up every type of road imaginable, dirt included, thank you, the Kawasaki Concours is still proving its worth and instigating grins everywhere. Very few models manage to stay around as long as the Concours, even fewer with a comparable minimum of updates. To say the original 19-year-old design has stood the test of time is undeniable. The bikes still sell and roll up the miles with the best of them. And a machine graced with precious few changes over the years can have its advantages. Parts are easy to find, the sheer number of riders willing to share their knowledge is certainly invaluable, and the reach of the COG is near limitless. At the same time, a bike rarely updated will invariably begin to show its age.

Chassis and Brakes
The Concours chassis has aged particularly well. Solid, predictable handling is one aspect of this machine that always has and still does shine. The rigid high tensile steel frame makes for easy riding whether loping along through the country or aggressively carving up mountain roads. Mated with the preload adjustable 41mm forks and the air/rebound adjustable rear shock, the ride can be easily dialed in to suit most any rider's needs. I've ridden this bike on every type of road imaginable and the Concours has yet to throw a curveball my way. Even a fair spell on a dirt road in Missouri didn't upset the applecart. At one point I looked down and realized I was going 60mph. Now that's a display of confidence. I'll bet they could have seen the dust cloud in St. Louis....

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