An year of riding my Honda Shadow VLX 600 made me sorely want a bike to do 600-mile days without worrying about weather. Yes, I wanted a fully faired bike, and finally gave way to my bias over honda-only bikes, realizing a Goldwing would be too heavy for me and the ST1300 or ST1100 too expensive. Beemers are out of question. I had to come down to the one bike I gleefully ignored over all these days, the Concours. Two weeks of research pointed out it was just right for me, the most credibility going to the excellent aftermarket support and the amazingly active COG forum (www.concours.org).

I got a 2002 Silver from a guy 500 miles from me, without ever having a test ride.

My "SilverHorse": Kawasaki Concours

Just owning a Concours is not enough ! It is not even complete without some custom mods and add-ons to remove its few known issues and to lend it a character of its own, not to mention some touring essentials.

Accessories / Mods	Bought from	Comments
Tip-over bars	Murph	A great insurance for the expensive fairing against a parking lot fall
KB Fork-brace	Murph	Enhances stability in rain-grooves and removes the common deceleration wobble
KB Steppers	Murph	Improved my seating posture to a more straight one
Grips	Murph	Softer than the stock one, Hands feel less buzz than before
Bergmen tank QR kit	Murph	A nice kit to have
Fenda-extenda	Murph	A must-have, keeps the radiators dirt-free
Philips V+ headlight	Murph	Significantly more light, even more with headlight harness
Headlight harness	Murph	Uses relay to take load off the OEM wires which drop voltages
Side-screws	Installed by PO	Nice to be able to remove side panels fast
GIVI E46 monokey topcase	Installed by PO	Must have for everyday use and touring
Throttlemeister throttle lock	Installed by PO	Manual cruise control, to be used carefully
License plate LED tail/brake light	Tammy	Gives enhanced visibility
Fuel-gauge adjuster	Tammy	Really nice to have because when mileage varies, the gauge will show the accurate level
RAM mount for GPS	CycleGadgets	GPS is a must, and so is its mount
Homemade windshield mod for buffet reduction. Needed a 8x10 lexan sheet	Home Depot	Works nicely for me.
Speedbleeders SB7100S for bleeding brakes fast	SpeedBleeder	Very useful stuff
Cee Bailey headlight protector	Murph	Insurance for the expensive headlight unit
Kimpex grip heaters	ridenow.com	A must to avoid numb fingers in freezing weather

Always in bike	Bought from	Comments
Cruz toolkit	Accessory International	A must-have toolkit for all major needs
12v goose-neck lamp	Sears Auto	For map-reading and emergency
Multi-utility knife		For emergency
First-aid kit	Walmart	Better to carry one and not need it !
Ratcheted screwdriver	Sears	The ratchet is really useful for things like fairing removal
3/8" Ratchet driver, sockets 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 27mm, allen 12mm	Sears	27mm socket for rear wheel axle and steering head nut, 12mm allen for front wheel axle
Duct tape, wires, connectors, wire stripper tool	Radioshack	For electrical repairs
Key-ring pocket-knife	Walmart	This $1 goody has a knife, file and even a pair of scissors!
Key-ring LED light	Walmart	Any kind of readily accessible light is good
Emergency foot-peg	Murph	Only way to get home if one foot-peg bracket is broken in a fall
Stop and Go tire plug kit	amotostuff.com	Must to carry, easy to fix tires
Airman 12v compact pump	amotostuff.com	Only hope in a flat, and no more depending on gas station pumps

For Touring	Bought from	Comments
12v to 110v AC Adapter	Walmart	No need to bring 12v plug for every electronic gadget on the road
LED flashlight with head-band	Walmart	For long-duration use in emergency, I replaced the incandescent bulb with a 3-LED assembly in my Mini Maglite
Pocket digital multimeter	Sears	To diagnose any electrical fault on the road

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