2012 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS Sport Tourer

Today, that sort of performance/function alchemy continues in the 2012 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS, a sport-oriented tourer that can pile on the highway miles with the best world-class touring rigs yet still negotiate the twists and turns of America’s backroads in fine, Ninja-inspired tradition. After debuting in 2008 to high marks from owners and magazine editors alike, the Concours 14 underwent significant improvement last year in the areas of comfort, convenience and safety, a move that solidified its position atop the sport touring heap. New bodywork not only looked better, it increased comfort by routing more heat away from the rider and passenger. Additionally, a taller, electrically adjustable windscreen created a calmer cockpit experience with help from ducts above the instrument panel, which balanced pressure areas outside and inside the screen. Standard handgrip heaters upped the comfort quotient even more.

2012 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS

Updated electronics were also part of the recent Concours 14 upgrades. Not only was the bike’s K-ACT (Kawasaki Advanced Coactive-braking Technology) braking system upgraded to offer two modes of linked, anti-lock braking and higher overall performance, but a high-tech traction control system (KTRC: Kawasaki Traction Control) was added. KTRC not only reduces wheelspin on slick surfaces, offering riders more confidence-inspiring feedback, but it can be easily switched off at the rider’s discretion.

2012 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS

2012 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS

The heart of the Concours sport-touring package remains as before an amazing and thoroughly modern 1,352cc DOHC inline-four sourced from the legendary Ninja ZX-14 sportbike. The Concours 14 engine generates excellent low- and mid-range power, all followed by a top-end rush that would turn most open-class sportbikes green with envy. A big part of its tremendously wide power delivery is due to its variable valve timing (VVT) system, which automatically alters camshaft profiles according to rpm to boost low-end and mid-range power without sacrificing top end. Advanced fuel injection, ram-air induction and decades of experience building the world’s most potent motorcycle engines add up to a simply amazing powerplant, one that makes the Concours 14 ABS forces to be reckoned with in the performance sport-touring segment just as the original Concours was 25 years ago.

2012 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS

2012 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS Engine System

2012 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS

The 2012 Kaasaki Concours 14 ABS chassis is very much up to the challenge of controlling this prodigious powerplant. Its unique monocoque frame provides massive stiffness along with excellent handling characteristics and a high degree of rider feedback. Cradling the engine from the top, the frame’s compact structure keeps the bike narrow where it needs to be and allows optimum packaging of the bike’s vital systems. The Tetra-Lever shaft drive, which routes all that power to the rear wheel, uses a four-link design to offset the lifting and squatting tendencies of lesser shaft drive systems when the throttle is opened and closed, all of which results in true sportbike handling. Plus, the Tetra-Lever system is almost completely maintenance free. No mystery, then, why the Concours 14’s powertrain has earned critical acclaim around the world for its silky smooth power delivery.

2012 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS Feature
Ninja ZX-14-based 1,352cc inline-four with variable valve timing provides smooth power across a wide rev range
• Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC) reduces engine output when wheelspin is detected, helping the rear tire to regain grip
• Kawasaki Coactive-braking Technology (K-ACT) links front and rear brakes and has two modes to suit different riding styles
• Aluminum monocoque frame is lightweight, narrow and rigid
• Tetra-Lever shaft drive offsets the lifting and squatting tendencies of shaft drive
• Fuel economy assistance mode prioritizes fuel savings, giving up to a 25 percent mileage boost
• Standard heated grips help provide comfort even in harsh conditions
• Convenient Kawasaki Intelligent Proximity Activation Starting System (KIPASS)
• Electrically adjustable windscreen has memory function and suits a variety of rider

2012 Kawasaki Concours 14 ABS Engine System
• Tuned to provide smooth power across an extremely wide rev range, the Concours 14 has power to spare
• Variable valve timing improves the engine’s flexibility and efficiency by altering camshaft profiles to boost low-end and mid-range without sacrificing top-end power
• Its compact and narrow engine design minimizes weight for maximum handling and performance
• Chrome composite-plated aluminum cylinder bores are lightweight, durable and quickly carry heat away from the combustion chamber and piston for supreme durability under high loads
• Already in perfect primary balance, the Concours inline four-cylinder engine uses dual secondary balancers to virtually eliminate unwanted vibrations for enhanced rider comfort