Connman
Zone Head
Posts: 506
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posted September 02, 2005 02:07 PM
2006 ZX-14..... is real (props to Gunner)
Gunner got the scoop on this but I will follow up and concur.
(I'm not a noob here, just from the other site, which for some reason I can't currently access)
I was one who thought with the rebuild of the 10 that the 12's days were coming to an end.
Well, they are, but.........
I have a good friend that is a Kawasaki contract employee who works out of a local dealership.
I stopped to chat with him today...he attended the Orlando dealers meeting. (where he got up close and personal with the 06 zx10)
There is going to be a 1400. PERIOD.
He started out playing with me, just saying ..bigger than a 12, bigger than a 13.....but during the course of the conversation kept referring to it as the ZX-14.
The name has not yet been determined. There was some question at the show whether or not it will retain the ZX title. So that he does not know. (He did say that it was not the ZZR)
The bike will NOT be released at the same time as the 10, which will become available sometime in January/February. The 14 will be released later.
The bike will have a long wheelbase and will be low to the ground (ala' the busa).
Top speed restrictions will still be in place, but bypassing will yield much greater results.
He told me that nobody has or will have details or pictures as they are treating this as Classified, Top Secret info. He said even if you're a Kawi employee, you know nothing about the project unless you're part of the design/build team. He did say the bike has been track-tested in Japan.
So it seems that Gunner and I are getting the same story from 2 different, very credible Kawi people. I know there will be skeptics, hell, I doubted it when I first read Gunner's posts, but now, personally, I'm believing it 100%
  
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238mph
Pro
Posts: 1145
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posted September 02, 2005 02:57 PM
yeah baby... that's what I want to hear... 
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osti33
Needs a job
Posts: 2973
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posted September 02, 2005 03:00 PM
I will believe it when I see it.
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rac4it
Needs a job
Bergie
Posts: 3009
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posted September 02, 2005 04:08 PM
Me too.
Although I DO believe there will be a ZZR1400.
I do NOT however believe there will be a ZX-14R.
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238mph
Pro
Posts: 1145
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posted September 02, 2005 04:28 PM
 Edited By: 238mph on 2 Sep 2005 17:29
I know this sounds stupid... but Kawasaki has always tried to be the first to set
various records. The Kawasaki 750 triple was the first bike to run a 12 second FLAT 1/4 mile.
I don't know them all... but a few I do...maybe others can help out.... and with that, I think
maybe, just maybe, kawi wants to be the first in the superbike class.
So maybe, just maybe, th ZX-14 could be the first production bike to run a 9 sec (flat)1/4
Talk about being king of the superbike.
Not that they would sell like hot cakes, but to prove kawi muscle....
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beansbaxter
Needs a life
Posts: 5911
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posted September 02, 2005 04:48 PM
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Zammy
Expert Class
Posts: 411
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posted September 02, 2005 06:33 PM
I must say... FOR SALE - ALL my shit !
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trenace
Needs a job
Posts: 3056
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posted September 02, 2005 08:10 PM
This seems to make good sense.
A bike in the nature of the ZX-12R -- still very, very good handling and a totally legit sportsbike, but just more powerful and bigger physically than the ZX-10R -- probably doesn't make good commercial sense. Apparently not a great number of handling-oriented buyers consider power beyond the literbikes so important to them, and also apparently the combination of comfortable size and good handling doesn't sell bikes.
In contrast, the differentiation between the ZX-10R and the bike Connman describes above is something that is much more clear-cut: one bike will not be competing against the other, and almost certainly there will be a market for a King of the Dragstrip bike that also has reasonably good handling and everyday riding ability, perhaps combined with style and low, long look.
As with the 'Busa, the longer wheelbase will let the average rider launch much more easily than the literbikes, even though a highly skilled rider can also launch the literbikes damn quick.
Seems to make sense commercially.
It would also be something that does not obsolete the 12, from the standpoint of current owners, except perhaps as a dragbike.
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chewiezx-12r
Parking Attendant
Posts: 2
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posted September 03, 2005 08:08 AM
It will be a 1400 and it will be a ZX
YA CAN PUT MONEY ON IT !!!!!!!!!!!
Kawai dealer told me today 99.9 percent certain
I said bullshit - he said nope wait 2 months - you'll see........
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Connman
Zone Head
Posts: 506
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posted September 03, 2005 08:24 AM
You got it T ! I knew you'd be able to envision what I was explaining, and you're exactly correct.
I was told word for word that this will be a bike that will be, without a doubt, the #1 straight-line runner on the market, but functional when you want to take it out for some corners.
I think this new bike will better fit in it's class than the current 12r. The current 12r, I think, sits somewhere in the middle of a 10r and a busa, sort of an "in between" market. They tried to get the best of both world's in one bike. And I think they did a fantastic job of that. We (12 riders) can mod the bike to set top speed records, or because of the shorter wheelbase(relative), take the 12's down to the gap and have a great time also. This new 14 will be much more top speed, much less deal's gap. The line between the 10r and the 14 will be much more clear than the 10 and the 12.
I just hope in 6 months or so, I'll be proven correct
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aughtsix
Expert Class
Posts: 277
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posted September 03, 2005 08:29 AM
Yes, but if it's not going to be released until AFTER February -- "The bike will NOT be released at the same time as the 10, which will become available sometime in January/February. The 14 will be released later." -- that's well into the '06 model year and it, once again, really poor timing.
So, as far as I'm concerned and realistically speaking, it's vaporware...
And do you think the stator connector will still fry?? 
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zxboy
Expert Class
Posts: 292
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posted September 03, 2005 01:36 PM
Just got back from my local dealer... they couldn't wait to "leak" to me that Kawi is releasing a 1400cc Busa Killer....... They said they will have pictures when they get back from the Orlando dealers show in a couple of weeks. They seemed very confident that it was not B.S. I sure hope its true
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Dino
Pro
Posts: 1422
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posted September 03, 2005 02:03 PM
If this is true, watch the busa boys whine about the Kwak having 100 more cc's.
I find it amusing that they are so proud of the busa almost hanging with the 12, but they NEVER mention the displacement advantage they have. 
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trenace
Needs a job
Posts: 3056
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posted September 03, 2005 02:13 PM
Edited By: trenace on 3 Sep 2005 15:19
"Lower" also makes sense from the engineering standpoint, on further thought.
The motor can't be stroked much if at all while keeping same deck height relative to the crankshaft and maintaining Kawasaki's standards for durability, IMO. I think the stroke is already as far as they are willing to go given the present rod length.
And the frame prohibits making the cylinder head much higher in relation to the ground.
It's possible that some room might be obtained with shorter heads, but, I don't know how feasible that is or how much might be obtained from it. Even if done, from the standpoint of intake tract length, it would be making the intake tracts shorter, which is the exact opposite of what would be desired if increasing the stroke, which will tend to reduce redline and most likely result in a desired lower peak-torque-rpm.
So, that leaves.... lower the crankshaft.
That could easily, easily give room for stroking by 5 or 6 mm (requiring dropping the crank by say 12 mm) which is all that would be needed given a bore increase as well, or even for stroking by 9.2 mm (requiring dropping the crank by say 20 mm) which is all that would be needed if there is no bore increase. I would bet on the combination of both bore and stroke increase though.
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mokaw
Expert Class
Posts: 153
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posted September 03, 2005 06:25 PM
quote:
If this is true, watch the busa boys whine about the Kwak having 100 more cc's.
I find it amusing that they are so proud of the busa almost hanging with the 12, but they NEVER mention the displacement advantage they have.
The busa boys are talking about a new busa for 2006. 1500cc?
____________
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord!
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gunner
Needs a life
Posts: 5778
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posted September 03, 2005 06:42 PM
Busa Boys ARE really raelly GAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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There's no such thing as a motor with no more power to give only people with no more intelligence to get it
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worm~hole
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
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posted September 03, 2005 08:55 PM
...I like.......its eeee-veeee-el looking....I just hope they don't booger-up the back end/exhaust system.....and I hope they give it a proper gage cluster....ANALOG TACH AND DIGITAL SPEEDO PLEEEEEEEEEASE!!!!!!!
____________
“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
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238mph
Pro
Posts: 1145
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posted September 03, 2005 09:00 PM
quote:
"Lower" also makes sense from the engineering standpoint, on further thought.
The motor can't be stroked much if at all while keeping same deck height relative to the crankshaft and maintaining Kawasaki's standards for durability, IMO. I think the stroke is already as far as they are willing to go given the present rod length.
And the frame prohibits making the cylinder head much higher in relation to the ground.
It's possible that some room might be obtained with shorter heads, but, I don't know how feasible that is or how much might be obtained from it. Even if done, from the standpoint of intake tract length, it would be making the intake tracts shorter, which is the exact opposite of what would be desired if increasing the stroke, which will tend to reduce redline and most likely result in a desired lower peak-torque-rpm.
So, that leaves.... lower the crankshaft.
That could easily, easily give room for stroking by 5 or 6 mm (requiring dropping the crank by say 12 mm) which is all that would be needed given a bore increase as well, or even for stroking by 9.2 mm (requiring dropping the crank by say 20 mm) which is all that would be needed if there is no bore increase. I would bet on the combination of both bore and stroke increase though.
Stroke it all you want .... then dry sump it to keep some clearance....
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238mph
Pro
Posts: 1145
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posted September 03, 2005 09:08 PM
Let me say that if you fuckers get me all excited about this, and then there is no
ZX14, I'm gonna come and kick some ass....
So don't tease me unless you're gonna please me...
I have to admit... just for ego purposes, I want a 1400 just to shut up the fucking busa
assholes...
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gunner
Needs a life
Posts: 5778
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posted September 03, 2005 09:13 PM
Jere I was at the dealer today and my contact told me that the new bike may be badged as a zzr instead of a ZX for insurance reasons only. He says that the insurance pricks stick it in deep when they see the ZX so Kawasaki is going to try and help Joe Customer with a little rebadging so to say. She'll be a wolf in sheeps clothing. A rose by any other name
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There's no such thing as a motor with no more power to give only people with no more intelligence to get it
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238mph
Pro
Posts: 1145
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posted September 03, 2005 09:16 PM
NO, I don't want any sport tourer crap!!!
I want it to be a ZX
I want it to say ZX
I want it to have the logo "busa killer" under the ZX symbol!!!!
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gunner
Needs a life
Posts: 5778
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posted September 03, 2005 09:19 PM
I'll send you some new stickers Jere
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There's no such thing as a motor with no more power to give only people with no more intelligence to get it
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238mph
Pro
Posts: 1145
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posted September 03, 2005 09:31 PM
quote:
I'll send you some new stickers Jere
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trenace
Needs a job
Posts: 3056
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posted September 03, 2005 10:27 PM
Edited By: trenace on 3 Sep 2005 23:30
I wonder if this 1400 will be very light? If the goal is to be King of the Dragstrip that would be a desirable thing. Look at how much the 10R benefits at the strip from its light weight.
If the 1400 is in terms of weight rather like a stretched-wheelbase 10 except carrying perhaps 50 lb extra weight in the engine due to its bigger size, that could be a pretty awesome machine for drag racing.
If the bike is 70 lb lighter than the Twelve (which it could be, technically) and is a 1400, a sufficiently skilled rider could get it into the eights, STOCK, one would think.
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eastbaydave
Needs a job
Posts: 2245
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posted September 04, 2005 06:45 AM
I understand most insurers charge ZZR owners sportbike rates anyway?
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Enjoy the ride!
02' ZRX1200
00' ZX12R sold
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