TedG
Moderator
Posts: 8222
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posted May 11, 2005 09:00 AM
This thing is growing on me big time
When I first got the 10 I truly thought I had made a mistake. It seemed like I took a big power hit especially after my years with the 12. But even after only 300 miles the thing is taking on a whole new personality. The engine is becoming smoother and more effortless each and every ride. This morning was the first time I was able to take it to work and I had to drop my kid off at school. The weight of this thing is just so nice and the motor handles it so easily. But what is really striking is how smooth the engine is when warmed up. The 12 had smooth spots but not like this. Also the clutch is a pleasure, I didn't realize how cranky and overstressed the clutch was on the 12 till now.
Now the instrument pod on this thing truly sucks, with the exception of the speedo (i love a digital speedo) but the rest is about worthless. The only thing that sucks worse than the instrument pod are the mirrors, I can't see shit beyond my elbows.
Also the riding position is the most comfortable I have ever been on a motorcycle. When I first sat on one, all I could think of was torture chamber, I couldn't have been more mistaken. My big problem is that I don't see myself riding the 12 much, and if this thing gets front end light (which it isn't enough for me at the moment) I won't want to ride the 12 at all.
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Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
  
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frEEk
Administrator
ummm... yeah
Posts: 9660
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posted May 11, 2005 10:50 AM
ya know, given how the hatred of the guages is almost universal, i really wonder how it made it to production in its current form. wouldnt a significant percentage of the design/R&D staff have hated it too? was there any market research done (ie. showing the prototype to joe blow)? if so, they must only have taken it to downtown coffee shops where all teh riders are purely interested in aesthetics and have no clue of usability.
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Editor
Administrator
Posts: 914
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posted May 11, 2005 12:54 PM
 Edited By: Editor on 11 May 2005 13:54
Look can be taced back to Ducati (at least)... Kawasaki is a poor man's version of what the Italians offer...
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frEEk
Administrator
ummm... yeah
Posts: 9660
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posted May 11, 2005 12:57 PM
sure, but you can actaully read the tach on the Duc guage. personally, i think the yamahas have it perfected. im not crazy about the Duc guages either due to the vertical arrangement. just means u have to look that farther down (and off the road) to see your speed. i know it's said racers dont use speedos (heh) but on the street i'm checking it constantly thanks to the local road tax collectors.
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worm~hole
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
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posted May 11, 2005 10:42 PM
...I think the Duc has it damn near perfect and I do like Yamaha's set up the best (for me) so far...ie. for the track junkies who actually use their tachs, the Duc set-up is perfect for visual acquisition of the tach and its needle...ie. for street riders who actually use their speedos, the digital readout makes for easier data acquisition and recognition...
...for the street: the speedo data is the most important info for license retention
...for the track: the tach data and visual ergonomics of said data is most important when you're behind the bubble and you don't have a soft rev limiter as you twist wfo...not that I would even know, but I'm guessing that that's how it is on the track, yes?
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“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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worm~hole
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
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posted May 11, 2005 10:45 PM
...and for street riding conspicuity and safety, MAKE IT SO THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED ON LOW AND HI BEAMS!!!! ...dammit! 
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“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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TedG
Moderator
Posts: 8222
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posted May 12, 2005 09:05 AM
Edited By: TedG on 12 May 2005 13:57
quote:
...and for street riding conspicuity and safety, MAKE IT SO THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED ON LOW AND HI BEAMS!!!! ...dammit!
That may not be too tough to do. It does look like the reflectors are the same from side to side. If so it will be a matter of making an H4 bulb fit in an H7 holder. I am going to look and see what it will take to modify the holder. then all that is needed is to parallel a 3 termanal socket.
____________
Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
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frEEk
Administrator
ummm... yeah
Posts: 9660
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posted May 12, 2005 09:38 AM
consensus thus far has been that teh reflectors are NOT identical, but i dont know if anyone truly tested that theory. i'm not sure that a quick visual of the reflectors would be enough to tell if they differ as very small differences could change the pattern dramatically (the high and low filament in an H4 are onlike like 1/4" apart after all). but if they ARE identical, taht would be fantastic.in anyc ase, u can do a search as that subject has been adressed a couple times.
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TedG
Moderator
Posts: 8222
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posted May 12, 2005 12:56 PM
Edited By: TedG on 12 May 2005 16:17
An H4 bulb has it's own reflector to deterime the hi / low reflection. That is why the bulb is indexed. If you look closely at an H4 bulb you will see a reflective cup inside the bulb facing up, Inside of that is the low beam filiment. So probably the only difference from side to side will be the bulb holder. Anyway I looked at the reflector yesterday and they are identical from side to side. And from a preliminary look at an H4 bulb it looks like it could be modified to fit in the H7 holder.
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Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
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TedG
Moderator
Posts: 8222
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posted May 12, 2005 12:56 PM
quote:
quote:
...and for street riding conspicuity and safety, MAKE IT SO THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED ON LOW AND HI BEAMS!!!! ...dammit!
That may not be too tough to do. It does look like the reflectors are the same from side to side. If so it will be a matter of making an H4 bulb fit in an H7holder. I am going to look and see what it will take to modify the holder. then all that is needed is to parallel a 3 termanal socket.
____________
Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
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TedG
Moderator
Posts: 8222
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posted May 12, 2005 03:33 PM
Well the headlight system is lame. I just looked at the parts listing and it seems that they use the single filiment bulb on both sides. So what they are doing is just adjusting each side as a low beam or a high beam. This thing is begging for an H4 conversion.
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Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
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TedG
Moderator
Posts: 8222
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posted May 13, 2005 07:07 PM
Well another 150 miles today and I can't believe how easy this thing is to ride for me. I still only have 480 miles and can't even begin to wring it out. But the couple of times I did run it up it rewarded me nicely. I love how comfortable this thing is, but it is kind of a torture chamber in stop and go traffic. Tolerable but not all that pleasant. I am really beginning to love this thing. I can't wait till it is broken in.
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Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
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TedG
Moderator
Posts: 8222
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posted May 14, 2005 08:10 PM
Well another 200 today and this time down beautiful very twisty roads. This is one unbelievable bike. It is obscenely easy to ride. Anywhere I want it to go it just goes like magic. The only thing I really haven't been able to really explore is very hard acceleration out of the corners hard into the power band. But I have been dipping in.
Just got a new Arai RX7 Corsair green wraith, Not much different than my old RX7 RR3 the good part is it is much cheekier than the old one much like the Arai F1 (for those who have had that helmet will know what I mean). But it does seem to have better internal air management. Awesome helmet. Pricey but awesome. Yet another great day and this bike is getting better each time I ride it. The front wheel is about as light as the 12 now, and I am hoping it gets much lighter. Right now there is no way it will wheelie in 2nd.
____________
Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
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