smokinZX14
Needs a life
Posts: 10197
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posted May 04, 2006 06:33 AM
 Edited By: smokinZX14 on 4 May 2006 07:39
First 100 mile report....
Guys i was out late last night and got 100 miles on the zx14...Here is what i think so far..
Brakes .....All i can say is DAMN!! I have owned many bikes and the brakes on the zx14 are this best so far...Busa riders beware! if you get on a zx14 and use the brakes like a busa You are going to get in big trouble !!
Clutch ..This is where the zx14 really shines ..If we had this clutch on a Busa Drag strip ETs would be lower for sure ... Kawi did there home work on this item for sure ...
Trans ... The smoothest shifting trans i have ever owned..
Handling... Better than my Busa by far...The zx14 falls a little short of my zx10 but not by much..Feels allmost as light as my zx10 but we all know it's 100 pound more..
Ride.... Great seat...No pain in my wrists or lower part of my neck like the zx10 or my Busa.. Ride is very smooth ..No vibes in the bars but a few light vibe in the pegs, compaired to my Busa that would put my feet and hands to sleep ..I need to add that my 99 busa had more vibes than my 2005 busa, why i have no clue..
Road noise.... Very quite and very smooth and no vibes coming from the road...
Fit and finish...Very good .. Some say their tall cowl rubs the paint but mine has not...I can slip a dime in the gap on mine all the way around ..
Lighting ...GREAT !!! Flip on the high beams and the zx14 looks like a 747 jumbo jet coming at you ...
Dash and gauges.. Very nice and unlike the busa the wind screen does not get in the way of looking at the gauges.. Gauges are large and easy to read ...
High speeds .. Wind controll at 160+ is very nice with very little wind noise. But like the Busa a double bubble would make to better..The bike at speeds is very stable and planted and i feel no need for a damper..No head shake or twitchs at all..Very very nice just like the Busa..
Power.. Engine ...Power is a bit better than my Busa but not by great leaps...You can tell that a higher speeds like 160+ the busa is giving up and little while the zx14 is just getting it legs and pulling harder every second ... Compaired to my zx10 the zx14 has a very flat power band .. Unlike the zx10 that has a big hit around 7000.. The zx14 pulls strong from 3k to 11k as the rpms rise the power and Revs get stronger and faster ...3k to 5k is a little down on torq compaired to the busa... but from 5k to 11k it is stronger...The engine is quiter than the Busa but just a bit less noise.. .. The Busa has a nasty growl from 2500 to 4500 and the zx14 has no sounds or strange vibes...Low speed twitchs in throttle the busa has in around town driving is not felt on the zx14...You can wack the throttle on and off in a low speed turn and not get the drive line snatch ...
Looks ...Take to or leave it... It's growing on me ..Hell i didn't like to Busa at first and it grew on me over time .. One thing for sure is it looks like no other bike on road.....
The Busa and the zx14 are very much alike, at times if you closed your eyes you would think you where on a busa ..The zx14 is just a bit better at everything than the Busa.. The zx14 is not miles ahead of the Busa but it is ahead for sure ...The Busa is one of the greatest bike ever built, Kawi has done a great job with the zx14 they have seemed to address all the dislikes and short coming of the Busa and the zx12 ( and those bikes didn't have many dislikes or short commings ).....
What i don't like.....The big Cans have to go !!!! Needs more power ( pipe and P/C) Just like the Busa there is very little to dislike about this bike ..
Drag racing....
Tests to come very soon ...I'm not a twisty rider and will never push a zx14 that hard to ever find out how good it is at that ..I will have to let someone else chime in on that part of the bike ...
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Smokin Performance Cycles..
Tampa Bay , FL .. Brocks Performance Dealer ..
Gen 2 ZX14R Best ET 8.43 , Best MPH 164.95
  
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zerMATT
Pro
Posts: 1931
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posted May 04, 2006 07:42 AM
Thanks for the report smokin 
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'06 Passion Red ZX-14 | Black D&D Slip-ons | Speedo Healer | V1 | zumo 550 | Heli-Risers | PhantomX
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fastestbusaaround
Needs a life
I eat Fish...
Posts: 7889
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posted May 04, 2006 08:02 AM
Funny that you mention that there is little differemce between the feel of the Busa and the 14...I couldn't find the words to express myself when I wrote my review, but that is exactly what I felt as well...they are so close in feel you could close your eyes and it would be hard to tell the difference, except for the overall smoothness of the 14 and the other things it does, just better! The low end power...I'm quite confident that will be addressed in the aftermarket within 6 months -- to allow unrestriced power from 1K up. Great review, mirrors most of what everyone else is saying too.
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FYYFF!!!
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fastestbusaaround
Needs a life
I eat Fish...
Posts: 7889
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posted May 04, 2006 08:08 AM
Oh and by the way Smokin...IMO only, it falls way short of the 10R in the handling department...there are things I would do without hestitation on my 10 that I would just be plain skeered of even thinking about on the 14. It handles great, but it's way to heavy to push to extreme's in the turns. It kicks back at you when you push too hard...back wheel, she no likie go turn hard and low down...no no no....bad....very bad. :P
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FYYFF!!!
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smokinZX14
Needs a life
Posts: 10197
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posted May 04, 2006 12:06 PM
fastestbusaaround Cool thanks for the heads up on the handling .. like i said i will never push it that hard ....So someone like you (twisty guy) would have to tell us this....Thanks...
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Smokin Performance Cycles..
Tampa Bay , FL .. Brocks Performance Dealer ..
Gen 2 ZX14R Best ET 8.43 , Best MPH 164.95
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