can anyone give me some advice.
I am looking at buying a bike (used ) and was wondering opinions about the 3 I am comparing
The fjr1300 vs the honda st1100 vs the kawasaki concours
any advice is very much welcome
trying to do all my homework before I make the plunge

Heya, first off, do you mean the ST1300? And which Concourse? The 1000 or 1400?
For what it's worth, all of the reviews/tests/riders' opinions seem to indicate the following:
FJR1300: Comfortable as a sport tourer, fastest/most nimble of the 3.
ST1300: Almost as nimble as the FJR, slightly more comfortable.
Concourse14: Most comfortable, still definitely a sport tourer, but more on the touring side of the equation.

If you do mean the ST1100, and the Concourse 1000, they're both very outclassed by the FJR, basically because they're pretty old designs in comparison, the ZG1000 came out way back in the 80s (like me), and the 1100 came out back in the early (?) 90s.

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Have owned - 2001 Suzuki Volusia
Current bike - 2005 Kawasaki Z750S
MMI Graduation date January 9th, 2009. Factory Certifications in Suzuki and Yamaha

Be aware the ST1300 weighs significantly more than the FJR or the Concours 14. Personally, I've never understood how a 700+ lb bike can be a sport-anything, but YMMV.

_________________
2005 Triumph Bonneville
2005 Suzuki V-Strom 1000
2003 Triumph Trophy 1200
2009 BMW F650GS (wife's)
1990 HD Sportster XL883 (for sale; wanna buy a Sportster??)

Both C10 and ST1100 are capable bikes. FJR 1300 is in a higher cc's class.

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Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Oh don't get me wrong they're still very capable bikes and great bikes at that. But the OP was curious about the FJR1300 and the ST1100 and didn't specify which Connie, and they're completely different generations between the fuel injection and the more modern motor and all of that.

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Have owned - 2001 Suzuki Volusia
Current bike - 2005 Kawasaki Z750S
MMI Graduation date January 9th, 2009. Factory Certifications in Suzuki and Yamaha

The Connie 1000 is still a seriously fast and fairly nimble machine. Though the range of mine is not as good as I would of expected from a ST class bike but still respectable. With a Corbin saddle and thicker grips to minimize the Connie buzz (vibration issue) I can ride it all day. And since they didn't change the design much in the 20 odd years of production, parts are plentful.

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Always ask why.

Archer,

I'm responding to your PM here. I ride a 2005 FJR. It's a great bike and I enjoy it quite a bit. The 2005 is a bit of a cooker, the heat comes up from the engine around the gas tank into your crotch. The 2005 was improved over the 2003 and 2004 with additional heat shielding under the gas tank. The 3rd gen of FJRs have improved more with a revised faring design. One trick to keep the heat minimized is to keep the tank full. Depending on the climate where you live this may or may not be an issue for you. Squeeze a 1300cc engine under Tupperware on any bike and your going to get some heat build up.

The FJR is heavy, it doesn't feel like much when your underway but slow speed maneuvers can be a bit cumbersome. I'm used to it now and when I upgraded to the FJR I wanted a bike with factory luggage, so I knew I was going to be riding a heavier bike. I didn't like the look of other bikes with add on saddlebags because when you remove the bags there's that silly frame that ruins the look of the bike. After owning the FJR for several years though, I rarely ride without the hard cases installed. Even if it's a short trip I like to have a place to store my jacket, overpants, gloves and helmet when I get off the bike. If I grab a bite to eat I can store all that stuff in the two saddlebags and not have to worry about carrying a bunch of junk into the restaurant or leaving it on my bike for someone to swipe.

It get's pretty good gas mileage for a 1300cc bike. I typically get about 40 mpg in mixed riding. I could probably get more but I don't often ride straight stretches of pavement. Regarding power, it's more that I'll ever need. I actually was looking at bikes more in the 900 to 1000 cc range but the FJR popped up on craigslist one day and I couldn't pass it up. I purchased the FJR used from the original owner with 950 miles on the odometer. It was basically brand new but by buying it used I saved about $3500.

There have been some issues with the FJR. The biggest known issue is premature valve guide wear. Buyer beware on that one. If you're going to purchase used make sure you're not buying a "ticker". I recommend you search Google for "FJR ticker". I don't know if the issue has been resolved in more recent model years or not. I know it was an issue with the 2nd gen FJR1300s. That's what I have. So far I haven't had an issue.

I still have the stock seat and that's one thing I would still like to upgrade. I have a taller Givi windshield installed as well as BMW hand grips and bar risers. All of those things were installed by the previous owner.

The Connie and the ST1300 are the two main competitors to the FJR if you're looking at Japanese bikes. The BMW RT or K 1300 GT or now it's the K 1600 are also competitors. I'm certainly not a fan of the older Connies that design hadn't been changed since the 80s. The new 1400 cc Connie is nice but the tank seemed wide when I sat on it. I friend of mine just got a new Concours. I haven't see it yet but I will in a week or so when we depart for a trip. Another riding buddy has the BMW K1300 GT. That is a really nice bike but I think I would like it better if the faring was a little more interesting.

Have fun, good luck, enjoy your shopping, and be safe. If you haven't rode in a while, the bikes your looking at are pretty fierce. They'll bite you for sure if you don't handle them properly.

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New Hotness: 2005 Yamaha FJR1300
Old & Busted: 2003 BMW F650CS

thanks to all for advice
yes they will bite but operator is a big cause as i am sure you all know
speed stupidity and the like have landed many riders in the emerg wing not to mention the drivers that "don't see us"
thanks again and willkeep you posted on the hunt
keysman
i agree the yamaha is by far the coolest looking one to me followed by the honda st1300
got it almost narrowed down but still battling between sport and sport touring
being 6'6 is hard

If I was 6'6", I would be riding the BMW R1200GS Adventure.

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2008 Ducati Hypermotard 1100
2006 Kawasaki KLX250S
2004 Honda CBR600RR
2002 BMW R1150R
1996 Ducati 900SS

....... or one of the other big adventure tourers: V-strom, Multistrada, Stelvio, Super Tenere, etc, etc. They make suprisingly capable sport tourers, have tons of luggage options, etc, and only lack a bit of the sport-tourers' weather protection.

Tell ya a little story: Motorcycle Consumer News magazine in their August 2010 issue did a comparo of the Concours 14, FJR, and VFR1200F. They had a R1200GS along to serve as the equipment mule. As the test progressed, they noticed all the testers preferred riding the R1200GS to the three sport tourers. So they ran the GS through the comparison - and it won!! (MCN August '10, pp 24-25)

_________________
2005 Triumph Bonneville
2005 Suzuki V-Strom 1000
2003 Triumph Trophy 1200
2009 BMW F650GS (wife's)
1990 HD Sportster XL883 (for sale; wanna buy a Sportster??)