quote:

---

Picked up the bike at 11:00 am today in Enfield, CT. Nice red ZX-14. I live 30 miles away from the dealer and it took me 105 miles to get back home. So you can probably guess that I won't be reporting that the bike is crap. So you understand where I'm coming from, here's who I am > 52 years old, male, been riding since I was 17, currently own 01 Yamaha FZ1 + my new ZX-14, love the twisty New England roads, but conservative rider from the standpoint that I don't have the knee down rounding curves on public roads. Now for what you care about. Nothing that you haven't heard before but here's my perspective:

FIT AND FINISH: Gotta say that mine is high quality. Kawi did a great job. Better fit and finish than any bike I've ever owned. I checked the rear seat cowl for rubbing on the tail piece, as was suggested by previous posts on this site. Seat cowl fits fine, no rubbing. No buzzy plastic parts. Didn't detect any rattle noise from the tip over sensor. Dealer said they checked per the recall when they got the bike out of the crate. Chain seems a little on the tight side. I may loosen it a little before the next ride. My rating = Superior.

RIDE QUALITY: Crappy day today. Been raining all week, lot's of water on the roads, and the wind is blowing 20+ mph constant with gusts probably in the 30+ range. The FZ1 would be all over the road. The 14 is rock solid. I got hit twice by real strong side gusts and they moved me a little. I wouldn't have put 100 miles on the FZ1 in this wind. The 14 was fun. No buffeting from the windscreen. Suspension is smooth as silk. Maybe a little too smooth for my riding style. Will more than likely tighten it up some when I spend more time in the twisty backroads. My Rating = Best In Class

HEAT: This has been the subject of numerous discussion on many boards. Can't add much here. It was in the mid-60's today so I never felt any heat from the engine whatsoever. Had on jeans and Joe Rocket Phoenix Mesh Pants. Story may change on the first hot day ride. The engine temp gauge ran on the 4th bar in traffic and at stop lights. Once underway it ran on the 3rd bar. Mr Rating = Gotta ride on a hot day. Verdict is still out.

REAR BRAKE: It has a rear brake? Coulda fooled me! The FZ1 locked up easy so you had to be careful. I don't think I could lock this one without lifting the rear tire off the ground. It's a little too soft for me, but maybe some adjustment will help. I don't want a super sensitive rear brake (damn near highsided on the FZ1 once) but I would like just a little more bite. The feel makes tight U-turns with throttle/rear brake difficult for me. My Rating = Slightly More Bite Would Be Nice

FRONT BRAKE: Holy cow. This thing will reduce speed so fast your eyeballs pop outta your head. Nice progressive feel (once I realized how strong it was). My Rating = Perfect

ENGINE: Haven't been over 4500 rpm. Engine is pretty quiet. Seems like it just starts to run at around 4500 rpm. Took one heck of an amount of self-control to keep the rpm down. Coming from an FZ1 with a retuned R1 engine which is still kinda high strung, the bottom end of the 14 feels fine to me but I wouldn't mind a little more grunt. Course I have Brock's full exhaust and a PCIII on my list of updates + an ignition module if it helps. Don't want to remove the secondaries until I get some more feedback, including dyno runs and f/a, from you guys. But I know there are some smart people working on tuning this engine so I doubt that I'm gonna have any complaints. My Rating : Very Nice, Ultimately Will Want To Get A Little More Outta The Low End

TRANSMISSION: Oh, did I shift gears. I guess I did. The gear indicator says I did and the rpm dropped. Silky smooth. FZ1 is real clunky. The 14 is better than the FZ1, and the 14 isn't broken in yet. I'm liking this transmission. My Rating: Best I've Ever Experienced

SENSE OF SPEED: Officer, your radar gun is wrong. I was only going 40 mph. Yes officer, I did look down at my speedometer. Yes officer, it did say 80ish, but motorcycle speedos are always optimistic. No officer, I swear I was not going 80 in a 35 mph zone. I've been riding bikes for years. I KNOW what 80 mph feels like. Actually, that story is fiction but I have a feeling that if I'm not careful it will become reality. 80 mph feels like 40. That much is true. My Rating: This thing could cause me to lose my license.

HANDLING: Surprise, surprise. The 14 feels light and easily will turn in. Not a full out race replica sport bike, but darn close. Took no time at all to get used to it. Over most of the backroads it actually felt more nimble than a lot of sportbikes I've ridden and better than my FZ1. Low center of gravity must really be helping out. Bike handles so well that my chicken strips are less than 1/2-inch wide on each side. That on a windy day, with having to keep the rpm reasonable for break-in, and a bike that I wasn't familiar with. Chicken strips will be gone shortly. My Rating = Best of Class, Excellent, Love It!!!!!!!!!!

COMFORT: I was worried about the more aggressive ergos compared to my FZ1. I'm old you know and the knees and butt don't have the endurance that they used to. Worries are gone. 100 miles and no butt burn, no wrist ache, no knee pain. All is well. Very comfortable seat! Ergos for my 6 ft, 32 inch inseam, 175 lb frame are spot on. My Rating: Most Comfortable Bike I've Ridden In Years

INSURANCE: I have the FX covered as well as the ZX-14. $1000 deductible collision on the 14 only. 100K/300K liability. Comprehensive with $250 deductible. Total cost $786 per year through Progressive. Don't forget, I'm 52 years old, hadn't had a ticket in 20 years. I'm told I can do better through State Farm. Will shop around next year. My Rating: I'm Happy

NITPICKS: (1) Wish it had a centerstand as standard equipment. I understand why it doesn't but I like centerstands. I ordered one. (2) Tiedowns for tailbags, etc. aren't really useful unless you find a way to protect the plastic tail section. (3) Ninja sticker looks like it came out of a comic book. It's coming off tomorrow.

That's it for now. What I will say is that if anyone is reading this and is considering a 14, it's got my recommendation. More seat time may change my mind, but my current opinion is that this is the best bike I've ever owned. I'm not expecting seat time to change my opinion. Just leaving the option open.

---