Thirty years old, and still easy on the eyes.
You wouldn?t be alone if you argued that BMW invented sport touring, but it?s hard to deny Kawasaki brought it to the masses. In the 1980s factory sport-touring bikes were predominantly European, with most of those boasting the BMW roundel and ridden by well-heeled riders. Then, in 1986, Kawasaki dropped the ZG1000 Concours into the mix, making a sporty bike with a factory fairing and hard luggage affordable to all.
Rider has taken Kawasaki?s go-anywhere sport tourer almost everywhere.
For the next 20 years the Connie remained largely unchanged, which is not a bad thing if you get the formula right the first time. The 997cc, liquid-cooled, four-cylinder engine was based on the Ninja 1000R?s powerplant, and although it was toned down slightly with smaller carbs and less aggressive cams, it still packed a healthy top-end punch. Shaft drive was added to aid the bike?s long-haul mission, along with a full fairing and standard removable hard luggage. An enormous 7.5-gallon gas tank sat in the usual position, and when full made the bike perilously top heavy. The bike itself was no lightweight, either, scaling in at around 670 pounds wet. A 31-inch seat height did little to help the rider fight the sheer mass of the bike if it wanted to take a nap. May 1994 cover of Rider.
The Concours was born in an era of ceaseless model changes that left some riders complaining that their just-bought bikes were old hat before the new wore off. In re...