Well, its time for me to say goodbye to my ZX14. We have been all over the place together, camping, multi-week sport touring, bombing around mountain peaks and various and sundry twisty roads.

Wednesday the 15th she goes to the dealer as trade on my new 2012 Concours 14 ABS (black - the fastest color).

And within 2 weeks of that date, I'll have my new C14 in my garage.

And boy is it going to get lots of farkles!

congrats priv. you'll post pics of the new girl i hope

I can relate, priv. I thought about trading the 14 on the busa. Couldn't do it. Would have been a tough choice with a bittersweet end result if I had. No dpoubt you'll be frequenting a Connie forum but I hope you stick around here too s much as you can.

Yes, I will post pictures. She is getting lots of Valentine's presents. Today I'm taking the new Pilot Road 3s over to the dealer, they will mount them before I pick her up.

Since I'm finishing the paperwork Thursday morning (16th) I'm guessing I might get her Thursday after work, or Friday.

Here is the farkles she is getting as belated Valentine's Day presents:

From my old ZX14 : 1) Zumo 665 w/ already subscribed XM traffic and weather, 2) Givi E52 top-case with adapter plate and LED lights (need to buy a new bike-side harness), 3) 2010 C14 factory low gel seat (but I might send it out to get more comfy), 4) Battery Tender Plus, 5) disc rotor lock, 6) XL Nelson-Rigg Sun Cover, 7) Rostra electronic cruise control (fortunately not installed yet), 8 ) Denali D2 driving lights.

New - 1) CalSci Large windshield, 2) GenMar riser blocks (have already), 3) front fender extension (have already), 4) Murph's lowered pegs, 5) Dispatch 1 fuse box, 6) Muzzy C14 dual exhaust, ceramic coated, 7) Guhl dyno tune -> re-flash, 8 ) Michelin Pilot Road 3 tires (already have).

Bling Bling !

Nothing sad about you getting a new bike that better suits your needs... Hate to see you getting rid of the baddest touring setup zx14 on the planet... but what is really sad is that nobody from the forum picked up the bike from you.
Hope your 14 goes to a new owner that appreciates all the thought, $$$, and work that has gone into it.

What's the plate on the Connie gonna be?

btw: Hope you don't mind me posting that... always made me laugh ... say the word and I'll take it down though.

* Last updated by: DogoZX on 2/13/2012 @ 11:50 AM *

You can change your bike,but you have to stay with the forum,your imput is great,we want to hear all about the connie.I promised my wife my next bike after the 07 would be a connie,I guess I lied.unless I buy a connie to go with the 14R.......that'll never happen

Dogo, I'm going to try for C14, not sure if I can get it. Need to register the new bike first before I can even try. Maybe I could try with my ZX14, its not being dump out of registration until the 16th roughly.

darryle, I'll be around. Somebody has to start trouble here once in a while....

I thought you were waiting on a connie until next year

Took my dad’s 2009 Electraglide out on a lunch ride over the weekend with a friend of mine that rides a fatboy (he gets mad at me because he can’t keep up with me on the 14 and I ride slow with him) but we pull up to the waterfront for lunch and there sits a C14 (made me think of you privateer)so I explain the differences between the C14 and the ZX-14 to my buddy (trying to get him off a HD) and I happen to notice that the tires on the C14 looked like this guy had done a trackday with it and out comes a 84 year old man so we did some chitchat and sure enough he just came back from a homestead track day I was very impressed!He rides down there rides the track and rides home guy is a bad ass!!!

Exactly, Cooter. Lots of the guys in COG track day their Connies. Other than being a bit heavier and down 15-20 rwhp, the traction control really works well on the track for them. I bet a lot of the members of this forum would not be able to keep up with a couple of them on a roadrace course.

conneaut14: plans change, events develop, magick happens.

I decided I don't care if the 2013 Connie has improvements, anymore than I cared the 2012 ZX14 had improvements.

I'm not going to sport tour faster, or farther, or in more comfort, just because horsepower goes up some. Even if the brakes get better, for example, the current ones are more than adequate coming right off the ZX14 parts list. Maybe they will finally put electronic cruise control on the 2013 C14 as an option. No big deal, I will have been riding mine with electronic cruise control for almost a year by then.

I thought my ZX14 would be my last bike. I misjudged my still growing enthusiasm for true sport touring and week+ trips. This is what led me to consider (and almost purchase) a big Harley bagger. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to NOT lose the handling and performance of the ZX14 so much as to have almost none.

The C14 solves this quandry.

So now, I consider the C14 the last bike I will ever buy. I'm a beat up old vet with more medical problems than I care to list, and in the best of worlds I cannot predict how many more good years of riding I will have. But no more sportbikes, no 1,000 pound bikes, no Ninjas (gawd I miss my ZX10R sometimes, as well as the little 250 I had for a while).

Just going to farkle up the C14 for practical uses (cruise, comfort, wind protection, heated gear) and allow one performance splurge (Muzzy C14 dual exhaust, ceramic coated, and GUHL dyno tune / reflash), and the ride the hell out of it 9-10 months a year. Maybe even park the car and put IT on the battery tender. LOL.

Well congrats keep us posted on the new ride

Dogo, I'm going to try for C14, not sure if I can get it

If it's taken, find out when the tabs are do... and apply for it on the day they expire.

I bet a lot of the members of this forum would not be able to keep up with a couple of them on a roadrace course.

Truth... Another forum member (here) sold his 14 and picked up a Connie last year... He doesn't track the C-14 (has a 6r for that), but regularly hoses "fast" guys on litres through the mountain twisties on his Connie. ... Skills and balls can't be purchased as an option on any platform... No matter what some salesmen may say.

Privateer that is why I have my K1300GT beemer and my 14. The beemer will play in triple digit all day and be comfy plus the only thing I add are comfy features. Nothing against a C14 but I did ride one and still like my beemer better but it also has its downs.
Lots a C14's out on the road and I have seen them do 11:20 at the track with a pipe and power commander. I don't think that is to bad for a loaded down cruiser.

Have lotsa fun with the new toy.

I don't have to tell ya why the ZX14 is there.............also does triple digits!!!!!!!!

I never took my ZX14 over 160, I have no idea how fast it could go.

But I passed strings of 8,9, once 10 cars and by the time I returned to my own lane I was well in excess of 140 a number of times, without even trying.

But my Connie will be close enough that I won't feel totally left out of it.

I've ridden the Ks and my wingman has a K1300 as well. When I pull out to pass, he isn't too far back at all.

It's a sad day indeed. Enjoy the new bike! I hope the connie doesn't make you loose your edge and the sarcasm.

* Last updated by: dragking on 2/14/2012 @ 12:25 PM *

Dropped the ZX14 off at the dealership an hour ago. Going to bank to get a check and take it to dealer and then, since its cold and rainy until Saturday, I guess I'll ride my new Concours 14 ABS home Saturday.

Dealer is putting Pilot Road 3 tires and Genmar riser blocks on, no charge.

And I'm going to get a maintenance contract, it costs too much for them to comp it, but they will let me make interest-free payments on it. So I'll do that.

Then in a few months, COG has a deal to extend the GTPP (warranty protection) at a very cut-rate price, so I'll avail myself of that and get 3 more years of GTPP added on.

This ain't sad at all... It's a happy ending...

OMG the new Connie is so quiet, I had forgotten how quiet they are.