I have been looking for a kaw/concours to get for my son,( he thinks his Z-REX is a touring bike ) ...After looking for just the right bike...... I located in a barn, in farm country in central ohio, just what I was looking for ! A CLEAN UN-used 2003 connie w/9000 miles. We jumped in my service truck and took a hour and a half ride.. found the guy's farm, and there in the barn ,was the reddish/maroon beauty. Charged the battery ( later to be found dry of electrolite ) ... aired up the tires .... fired it up ! We both took it out for a test ride, I made the deal,, my son suited up ( we're talkin it's 32 outside ) and back north we went. Boy am I glad he rode it home that day ! ( I've had the sniffles lately and that could not have helped !) She ran perfectly on the ride home, and we put it up on the air lift for cleaning/inspection. We were like TWO kids with a new toy !! The backwards duck bill cover for the small luggage rack is missing... and one of the key locks for the dash/panel glove compartments too.....( I hope these pieces are still available through my local dealer ) other than that, We got a great bike that will give many years of service. We plan on taking it to the rally this July .
Envious Congrats for the newest member of your family!
If You Can See Me - There I Am
Ken & Shelley (Harley the dog now in heaven)
Ken - '03 Voyager XII - Shelley - '97 Vulcan VN800A
formerly: 1965 Honda CB50; 1972 Honda CJ350; '80 Suzuki GS450L; '79 Yamaha XS1100;
Congrats on your new purchase!! I have a '94 model which I believe is the same color as yours' and I love mine! Also love my XII for those leisurely rides but when I feel a little more aggressive, the C-10 is a nice change up and allows me to lean into the curves as far as my nerves will let me. I'm sure your son will love his too......one of the best values on the market today IMHO. Be sure to tell him to be VERY careful for the first few weeks till he gets used to how top heavy they are because it is awful easy to drop one.....especially on a full tank! They hold alot of gas and the weight is high on the bike.
A connie update, I called the kaw dealer while I was on the rode working today and was amazed at how fast the parts guy located the two items I needed to make the connie whole! ! The luggage rack removable cover was $67.(and still available in the C.C.R. candy cardinal red original color) and the latch/lock with 2 keys also. I asked the parts guy to be gentle , and give me the "first cousin" price and out came the credit card , $104. w/shipping !! (that was painless!!) The parts will be in next wed.I feel great, to have gotten this bike and have only 3g's in it. With only 9k on the clock, this is like a brand new 10 yr old bike. As soon as my son teaches me to use photo bucket, I will post some pics ! Thanks for listen'n ,
Awesome! Enjoy your new toy! Find Steve in Sunny Florida for all your custom upgrades. He can be found over at http://www.zggtr.org He used to be on this site as well and I believe he still owns a XII in addtion to all the Connies.
Hold yer pants on Ron, the parts I mentioned will be in soon. I also ordered some handlebar risers for it,(cause me and mamma plan on using the bike too) Then I promise some pics tony
Yep, looks like a goodin. Being an older design, they have a few quirks of their own just like the Voyagers do but nothing serious except the potential "Hydrolock" problem that can occur if the petcock doesn't shut off when you shut the engine down and a carb needle sticks open which will flood a cylinder with raw gas and can bend a rod when you start it up next time. Check these parts out to make sure they're working properly.
I think Steve in sunny Florida is still on this forum too and he's kinda one of the go to tech guys for stuff Concours that you may not know about. His advise is worthy of listening to.
Great advice! Pull that petcock and check for the disfigured filter at the base (like all will do eventually) and if it is, they still offer new ones from the dealer. If your filter is good, rebuild your valve with all factory parts (I've had trouble with aftermarket kits) and you'll be good to go with the piece of mind that you won't have hydra-lock. Steve in Sunny Florida does know his stuff and offers great support for the Connie.
Thanks for the props and great advice guys,,, My son and I went to the multi - brand dealership today to pick up the remaining parts on order....I checked out my fuel tap/petcock it looked great and has no problems,, but for 55 dollars I just went ahead and ordered a new one. As soon as winter breaks...and we can ride this thing a minute......the massive amount of fuel this connie holds ( I like that ) will get used up... The tank weighs a ton now, so I'll just be patient till changing out the fuel tap will be easy,,
by the way... I asked the parts guy for a job application for my 19 year old son ,and was told he stood a great chance of getting a job there.. With all the bikes we own ... getting 20% off of parts would'nt suck !! I'll keep you all posted...... tony
Keepin you posted,, When I got home from work today , my son informed me that the bike dealership called regarding his job application,, He has a interview tomorrow ! Hope it goes well ..
If anyone cares... my son had two interviews, and after the second one he was sent for a pee test, passed,, and was hired... starts in the parts dept. tomarrow ! The dealership is all brands, except
H-D , It will be great having a family member working at a bike shop again !! I hav'nt worked in one since 1989.... my son is a bit nervous ,but as happy as can be !!!!Ah...to be 18 again !
thanx for lis'n
tony
Jim in Fl. 88 XII
89 XII-parts bike-scraped
01 XII-sold
07 Vulcan Nomad
Patriot Guard Rider, Florida.
Sunshine State Voyagers
Veterans Nation Riding Association
!! The backwards duck bill cover for the small luggage rack is missing... and one of the key locks for the dash/panel glove compartments too.....( I hope these pieces are still available through my local dealer ) other than that, We got a great bike that will give many years of service. We plan on taking it to the rally this July .
I have a '94 model which I believe is the same color as yours' and I love mine! Also love my XII for those leisurely rides but when I feel a little more aggressive, the C-10 is a nice change up and allows me to lean into the curves as far as my nerves will let me. I'm sure your son will love his too......one of the best values on the market today IMHO. Be sure to tell him to be VERY careful for the first few weeks till he gets used to how top heavy they are because it is awful easy to drop one.....especially on a full tank! They hold alot of gas and the weight is high on the bike.
tony
WTG, now parts discounts for daddy. 
