2009 Kawasaki reviews

For the price you can't go wrong. I took a 20-hour round trip and the bike was amazing. It's very forgiving for beginners and still fun for experienced riders. For a naked/standard class, I'd like to see a little more power but I can't complain with gas mileage. Also insurance is way cheaper cause of the naked/standard class, for me at least. Show less

This bike is not comfortable to me on rides over and hour. I made a trip for a day and was hurting by the afternoon in my rear end. I made a seat pad and think that will be solved. It is comfortable around town and short rides without my pad. I may get a new aftermarket seat. I have a taller windscreen and added the green Kawasaki saddle bags and the bike looks fabulous. I have hit around 100 mph. and not toppped out the tack yet. It seems that the rpm. are buzzing around town but only about 4500 rpm. Below 3000 rpm seems to lug but I am always looking for one more gear (has 6). I have had a KLR650 and this is smoother and has more power but the gearing seems too narrow to me, though as I said it can get up to 100 pretty easily on the highway. Show less

I've had faster bikes. This is very fun and nice to ride. It feels like it has more power than it does. Front wheel comes up in second when you hammer it. All the parts look high quality. The suspension a little stiff on hard edge bumps. For my tastes, it could use more bite in front brakes. Show less

I'm just about to take my Concours 14 ABS in for its first service. So far, it has been 450 miles of awesome, grinning fun. This bike does everything well - power, performance and handling. I chose very carefully among the sport touring bikes, and I picked a winner! Show less

Overall, I am very happy with the C-14. It is comfortable, reliable, powerful and smooth as silk. The forums reveal that some owners have had issues with the KI-PASS system, heat, bad OEM tires, leaks, loose header bolts ,etc. but mine has been trouble free so far. However, I did replace the tires at 3000 miles due to excess wear on the Bridgestone BT-021s, which were a poor choice for this bike. The engine heat can be rough on a hot day but welcomed on a cold one. The engine performance is excellent, with good fueling, tremendous power over 5000 RPM and no flat spots. The transmission and clutch are super smooth. The handling is very good for a big bike like this one. The weight and top heaviness disappear when flying along a winding road and the brakes are strong. I considered Yamaha FJR 1300 and Honda ST 1300 but the Kawi motor sold me. I got the non-ABS version but if I had it to do over again I would opt for ABS, just because a bike of this size is hard to handle during a panic stop on a less than perfect road or in the rain. Show less

Well, I've now clocked over 30,000 miles on the bike and all have been a pleasure. I have done over 400 in a day with no effects at all. I have added a few after-market accessories now. Show less

My wife and I just spent seven days riding the Blue Ridge Parkway, Tail of the Dragon, and the Striped Snake. This bike handles like a dream, it is more forgiving of balance errors (overloaded bags). The adjustability of the shocks are awesome. My only real complaints are the lack of a trunk rack (we added a Harley rack), the add-on diver's back rest isn't removable, and the seat isn't as supportive as I would prefer of someone my size. We are looking at a Mustang replacement. We put 2100 miles on this vacation ride and covered eight states (mostly back roads and twisties). This bike handled more like a sport bike than a loaded tourer. No, it can't lean quite like a sport bike but when was the last time you rode a 900 pound sport bike? I'm already looking forward to new versions of this bike for the future. To think, I've always been a Honda guy. Show less

Beyond the great looks, this bike is very comfortable and has all the power and acceleration I require and more. It is a lot of fun in the curves and also handles the city streets very well. I ran bumpy roads with no discomfort. I get many compliments and people are surprised to hear the low list price. This is my first cruiser and if it lasts until my retirement, it will be my last. Show less

I'm 53 years old and have been riding since I was 12. I have to say that the bikes just keep getting better as time goes by. This bike has fuel injection and gets great gas mileage (about 45 avg.) It is easy to handle, plenty on power, and is fairly comfortable. The position of your legs takes a lot of pressure off your tailbone. I just got back from a three-day 750-mile ride and the bike did great. I've tried trips and bought seats for my cruiser style bikes in the past, but have never been this comfortable. I do get a lot of looks and thumbs up from younger riders because they don't see too many gray haired guys riding a sport bike. Show less

I always loved the KLR since it was introduced about 25 years ago. When the '08 model came out (which is the same as '09) I'll order one. However when I went into the store, I saw the previous model, a leftover '06. No fancy plastic and the ride height was much better suited for off-roading (mostly what I used the bike for!) so I decided to buy that instead of the new one. I did not regret it! This bike does everything well and I also got a nice discount! The only thing is it needs better brakes which I will fix when the time cones for replacement rotors and pads. Show less