posted May 14, 2006 07:04 PM        Edited By: smokinZX14 on 14 May 2006 20:05

quote:

---

I've been wanting to write this for over a week, and I finally have the time - I've got just over 300 miles on the -14 and will compare it to my 04 Busa and my 01 Bandit 1200. I am 62, 165 pounds, 5'10" tall with 30" inseam. I like to distance ride, but no Ironbutt. I enjoy roll-ons (am not a canyon carver or drag racer), so you might understand why I may give priorities to areas a lot of you care little about. Just hope this adds to the bank of knowledge I find on this forum. Very helpful stuff.

Let me acknowledge 'smokinZX14' for his 'First 100 mile report.' I am using the format he set up as it covers most, if not all, of the areas one would normally be concerned with in a review of a new bike.

Brakes ... excellent, front are really strong and progressive - easy to get hard stops with just one or two fingers. Could get someone in trouble if they don't spend a little time getting a feel for the power. Back are good, and on my bike they will not lock up unless you mash them quickly. I actually like this as I use my front brakes most of the time anyway and don't like sensitive rears. Busa and Bandit had fair fronts, but they needed stainless lines to make them good. Both had sensitive rears and the Bandit would lock up easily due to the short wheelbase.

Clutch ... fantastic! Extremely light pull and wonderful modulation capability. Hard to believe this is a hydraulic unit.

Trans ... I am amazed at the smoothness of gear changes. I can't see how this will get any better, but this has been like this from 2 miles and I have to expect even better as parts break in. I have never ridden another bike with a transmission this smooth.

Handling ... like riding a bike 100 to 200 pounds lighter. I thought there was something wrong with the front end when I left the dealership for the break in ride. My Busa felt like it was stuck in mud when you tried to turn at slower speeds. The Busa and Bandit felt top-heavy compared to the -14. Once you are moving faster, the mass of the -14 makes its presence known, but a lot less than you might expect. It holds a line really well for me, but the faster riders may have more to tell once they begin to canyon carve.

Ride ... absolutely the best seat I have ever experienced from any factory, and I am very fussy in this area because of "roid" problems . I had Gel seats on both my Busa and Bandit, which were better than the stockers, but the Busa was never good for a long ride without rest stops every 100 miles. The Bandit Gel was comfy, but didn't allow the movement you can get on the -14 seat.
Bars are great for me - I had a Genmar 1.5" riser on my Busa and the -14 seems the same or better stock.
Vibration is almost non-existent throughout the rev range. My Busa would go through a resonance at around 5-5.4k which was aggravating, and the Bandit had a number of vibration ranges.

Road noise ... tires are quiet and supple - like those on the Busa. There is more transmission whine than either the Busa or Bandit - almost like a gear drive on a rodded V8 - which sounds sweet. There is a small amount of intake noise, but it also sounds sweet. Air flow over the windshield and around the fairing is quiet and smooth which shows that Kawasaki did their wind tunnel homework.

Fit and finish ... fair to good. The fasteners are very good, but body part fitment varies from part to part. Some areas of the bike look unfinished - as if a part is missing. I don't like the 3-D stick-on logos - decals under a clear-coat finish impart a higher quality appearance.

Lighting ... the headlights on this bike will light up the night - way down the road. Way better than the Busa or Bandit.

Dash and gauges ... great dials that are very easy to read. The digital readout gives a lot of info and can be seen in most all but the worst sunlight conditions.

High speeds ... only had it to 120, but it gets there quickly and is smooth and stable. Seems less affected by cross winds than the Busa was. Windshield is very good, but I would opt for a double bubble or sports touring shield when they become available.

Power ... on my -14, it just seems to increase continually, but doesn't hit suddenly. Compared to my Busa, the -14 seems slightly weaker under 5k, and a lot stronger over 5k, but some of the roll on runs described on this board seem to indicate we may be fooled a bit by the smoothness of the big kawi. My Bandit was very smooth at low rpm's, while the Busa would complain and snatch the chain. The -14 can go down to 1.2k and leave without so much as a whimper.

Looks ... I like the front end, and the rear will look better once get the rear fender/taillight removed. I get a lot of thumbs-up, waves, and questions when I'm stopped. People love the blue color.

I think the -14 and the Busa are alike in that they are designed to do a select number of things (top speed, ¼ mile, hyper-tour) very well, yet they are different in that the technology has matured from 99 to now. As 'smokinZX14' said, "the Busa is one of the greatest bikes ever built.", and I agree with this statement, but the ZX-14 is now the benchmark by which all other bikes will be measured, at least for a year. Can it reign as long as the Busa did - I don't think so - but for this year it is the King, and the aftermarket people are only just starting to apply their magic to make it an even more awesome machine.

What I don't like ... agreed, the big Cans. I like the dual system, but want smaller, lighter cans.
[/quote..



Damn i'm honored ....I think i'm going to blush... Good write up ..Enjoy...
____________
Smokin Performance Cycles..
Tampa Bay , FL .. Brocks Performance Dealer ..
Gen 2 ZX14R Best ET 8.43 , Best MPH 164.95

---