shawnski
Pro
Posts: 1809
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posted November 30, 2011 09:21 AM
quote:
FIXING IMAGES NOW!
Sorry for the inconvenience!
Grab your reading glasses and a drink!
Back in early Sept 2012 I got a ZX14 with intent to make a road racing bike and it was an upgrade for me from a 2006 636 setup for Road Racing tracks.
I picked up the 2008 ZX14 with 3500 miles and here were the "upgrades":
Driving lights mounted on the side of front fender
Sponge grips
Battery tender plug
helibar risers
Vortex rear sets
Memphis Shades double bubble
Aftermarket adjustable kickstand
Suspension setup for a smurf, lowered 3" front and 3" rear (I was bottoming out everywhere!)
After I got it I simply added some shogun no-cut frame sliders (mistake) to the sides and set the stock suspension up to max height and adjusted compression, rebound, damping etc. for my weight and road race riding style. Not much to write home about really, and the bike actually was performing somewhat sluggish from when I test road a 2006 ZX14 a year earlier. What really sold me on the ZX14 when I test road it was that I remember pulling out of the gas station for my first ride in 2nd Gear and the power put me back in the seat like 6'2" and 200+ lbs. was just a rag doll. I peed a little with excitement I think and knew I had to have this bike. The bike I test road was an 06 with full OE exhaust, Secondary plates removed and it was very strong and handled well.
Fast forward to 2012 Sept, I bought the bike and picked up full coverage insurance too. 30 days later an SUV was tailing me aggressively close on my way to work on the ZX14 and put me in panic mode coming up to a red light. I thought he was going to smash into me and I had no idea what his intentions were so; I made three lane changes in less than 100 yards and he followed me the entire time getting closer to me each time. I thought for sure he was going to nail me and on the last lane change to the far left lane from center I went watching my rear mirror as he sped up again to smash me I stood the bike up straight and just got on the binders.
This bike had about 5k miles on it by then (I put 1500 on it in 30 days) and I was still running stock tires the 014 Bridgestone Battleaxes. On at least 2 or 3 separate occasions I was practicing my front end loading/panic braking moves to get comfortable with the extra 460 lbs. of bike I was moving around. The 636 was 397+lbs wet and this ZX14 is more like 900+lbs wet. So I pushed the front end several times. The first time I pushed the entire front end at full left bar lock about 2 bike lengths. The rear tire was flat enough down the center I just balanced my way out of a crash and the front end came back to me after giving a little gas. I completely blew my turn and slide right through the empty intersection. The pavement was wet, maybe that's why it slid so bad. Then I tried it on the dry and same thing. I pushed the front end and let it slide only a few inches this time not trying to counter steer so I didn't go to bar lock this time, just very controlled except the front end was not getting traction. After explaining to a lot of 14 owners what I was experiencing they said the first move I should make is to get rid of the 014 Bridgestone’s and get some Michelins. I run all tire brands. I favor Bridgestone’s on the 636 and Pilot Power Michelins on the ZZR 600. It just depends on the bike and setup I think. So I did go buy a pair of 2CT Michelins for the ZX14. I never put them on though because I was lazy.
Needless to say when I stood the bike up and got on the binders, I wanted to lane split so the SUV did not run me down and I'd land safely between the center and left lanes. That's what I'd do on the 636 reliably in that same situation. This didn't work because the front end locked up and pushed/slid AGAIN and crossed me up big time which I can handle, but the rear swung out so far my lane split failed and my right leg slammed into the left rear of a Honda Accord cracking the bumper and sending my rear end back around to the left now and pitching me superman style over the bars and putting the bike down on its right side. I remember sliding stiffly down the road and looking behind me waiting for the SUV to just run me right over, bike and all, but he stopped finally after I crashed and watched me slide out in front of him on the ground bike and all. Bike went towards the curb and I slid straight up the lane a bit, relaxed and stopped sliding right away. I was fine, armor head to toe like I usually do so I got up and blew my right shoulder trying to lift the ZX14 like I would a 600. BIG MISTAKE! I had to turn around and squat it up. Adrenaline was pumping so I wasn't thinking clearly about how to lift 1000lbs of bike completely on its side. The 600 I'd just flip right up no big deal.
I push the bike out of traffic and through the intersection into a empty parking lot and proceed to assess the damages…
by the way.. sept 2012 is not here yet!! unless you are way ahead of your time!! lol
____________
  
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shawnski
Pro
Posts: 1809
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posted November 30, 2011 09:23 AM
 Edited By: shawnski on 30 Nov 2011 17:25
quote:
FIXING IMAGES NOW!
Sorry for the inconvenience!
Grab your reading glasses and a drink!
Back in early Sept 2012 I got a ZX14 with intent to make a road racing bike and it was an upgrade for me from a 2006 636 setup for Road Racing tracks.
I picked up the 2008 ZX14 with 3500 miles and here were the "upgrades":
Driving lights mounted on the side of front fender
Sponge grips
Battery tender plug
helibar risers
Vortex rear sets
Memphis Shades double bubble
Aftermarket adjustable kickstand
Suspension setup for a smurf, lowered 3" front and 3" rear (I was bottoming out everywhere!)
After I got it I simply added some shogun no-cut frame sliders (mistake) to the sides and set the stock suspension up to max height and adjusted compression, rebound, damping etc. for my weight and road race riding style. Not much to write home about really, and the bike actually was performing somewhat sluggish from when I test road a 2006 ZX14 a year earlier. What really sold me on the ZX14 when I test road it was that I remember pulling out of the gas station for my first ride in 2nd Gear and the power put me back in the seat like 6'2" and 200+ lbs. was just a rag doll. I peed a little with excitement I think and knew I had to have this bike. The bike I test road was an 06 with full OE exhaust, Secondary plates removed and it was very strong and handled well.
Fast forward to 2012 Sept, I bought the bike and picked up full coverage insurance too. 30 days later an SUV was tailing me aggressively close on my way to work on the ZX14 and put me in panic mode coming up to a red light. I thought he was going to smash into me and I had no idea what his intentions were so; I made three lane changes in less than 100 yards and he followed me the entire time getting closer to me each time. I thought for sure he was going to nail me and on the last lane change to the far left lane from center I went watching my rear mirror as he sped up again to smash me I stood the bike up straight and just got on the binders.
This bike had about 5k miles on it by then (I put 1500 on it in 30 days) and I was still running stock tires the 014 Bridgestone Battleaxes. On at least 2 or 3 separate occasions I was practicing my front end loading/panic braking moves to get comfortable with the extra 460 lbs. of bike I was moving around. The 636 was 397+lbs wet and this ZX14 is more like 900+lbs wet. So I pushed the front end several times. The first time I pushed the entire front end at full left bar lock about 2 bike lengths. The rear tire was flat enough down the center I just balanced my way out of a crash and the front end came back to me after giving a little gas. I completely blew my turn and slide right through the empty intersection. The pavement was wet, maybe that's why it slid so bad. Then I tried it on the dry and same thing. I pushed the front end and let it slide only a few inches this time not trying to counter steer so I didn't go to bar lock this time, just very controlled except the front end was not getting traction. After explaining to a lot of 14 owners what I was experiencing they said the first move I should make is to get rid of the 014 Bridgestone’s and get some Michelins. I run all tire brands. I favor Bridgestone’s on the 636 and Pilot Power Michelins on the ZZR 600. It just depends on the bike and setup I think. So I did go buy a pair of 2CT Michelins for the ZX14. I never put them on though because I was lazy.
Needless to say when I stood the bike up and got on the binders, I wanted to lane split so the SUV did not run me down and I'd land safely between the center and left lanes. That's what I'd do on the 636 reliably in that same situation. This didn't work because the front end locked up and pushed/slid AGAIN and crossed me up big time which I can handle, but the rear swung out so far my lane split failed and my right leg slammed into the left rear of a Honda Accord cracking the bumper and sending my rear end back around to the left now and pitching me superman style over the bars and putting the bike down on its right side. I remember sliding stiffly down the road and looking behind me waiting for the SUV to just run me right over, bike and all, but he stopped finally after I crashed and watched me slide out in front of him on the ground bike and all. Bike went towards the curb and I slid straight up the lane a bit, relaxed and stopped sliding right away. I was fine, armor head to toe like I usually do so I got up and blew my right shoulder trying to lift the ZX14 like I would a 600. BIG MISTAKE! I had to turn around and squat it up. Adrenaline was pumping so I wasn't thinking clearly about how to lift 1000lbs of bike completely on its side. The 600 I'd just flip right up no big deal.
I push the bike out of traffic and through the intersection into a empty parking lot and proceed to assess the damages…
____________
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted November 30, 2011 10:13 AM
quote:
thanks.. can't wait!
Should be fixed! More on the way!
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted November 30, 2011 10:27 AM
New tail light installed!
Just getting an idea of how the new Convertibars will look and work previous to swapping frames:
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted November 30, 2011 10:28 AM
quote:
by the way.. sept 2012 is not here yet!! unless you are way ahead of your time!! lol
damn typo
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atldude
Expert Class
Working on it...
Posts: 126
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posted November 30, 2011 10:55 AM
Damn! I think I would seriously break down and cry if this happened to my bike. And that's why I am getting a cheap ass, busted ass 2005 zx-10 (just plastics damage) next week for a track bike ;-)
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted November 30, 2011 11:30 AM
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted November 30, 2011 11:36 AM
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted November 30, 2011 11:49 AM
ZX10 Front Fender on the ZX14, colors match really well from the 2005 ZX10 Titanium to the 2008 ZX14 Atomic Silver
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted November 30, 2011 12:00 PM
Starting to put it back together now for a test ride...
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted November 30, 2011 12:06 PM
quote:
Damn! I think I would seriously break down and cry if this happened to my bike. And that's why I am getting a cheap ass, busted ass 2005 zx-10 (just plastics damage) next week for a track bike ;-)
That 2005 ZX10 is a really good track bike and they are really strong so you won't miss a lot at the road race tracks compared to the ZX14 though you won't be putting so much effort into flicking it though.
These bikes are made for this and although I crashed due to traffic in my commute, I certainly always plan for the crash at the track as well and come to the realization that if you are going to achieve any amount of skill or knowledge beyond what you already know then you will have to push and ride to 80% or more of your current level. That last 20% between comfort and bleeding edge is where the fun really happens and knowledge is gained through experience in that 20% range. The by-product of making a mistake during that moment is a crash. If you never push to the upper barriers of your personal limits then you'll need to worry a lot less about crashing. But you can never forget about it. Crashing is part of learning. Racers crash all the time and you can bet the more track days you have the more high your chances of a crash will become. Food for thought as you prepare for your next track day.
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted November 30, 2011 12:13 PM
Ran into a snag with my setup and looks like I need to make modifications to my steering stabilizer.
I purchased the HyperPro USA steering damper but the left "yoke bracket" as they call it was designed specifically for stock clipons which as you see I have long done away with...
This is what it looks like stock...
Here you can see in the following pics the holes will never line up due to the absence of the stock clipons
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted November 30, 2011 12:14 PM
I plan on taking a bit of material away from the bracket to make the arc needed to get the mount attached to the upper triple clamp. Any alternative ideas are welcome!
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dakota9498
Pro
Posts: 1181
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posted November 30, 2011 12:19 PM
Two questions...
1) Why did you leave the frame red!?
2) Do you seriously believe your bike weighs 900+ lbs wet!?
Not to bust your balls or anything, just curious.
____________
2008 ZX14
Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference. ~Mark Twain
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Bently
Needs a life
2012 14r In Blue and no Mods!
Posts: 5428
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posted November 30, 2011 12:38 PM
i liked the black frame better IMO. and your building this for track days? why a 14, not the best choice IMO.
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Shane661
Needs a life
Posts: 11494
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posted November 30, 2011 02:56 PM
Edited By: Shane661 on 30 Nov 2011 22:58
First, glad you made it through the accident ok!
Second...nice job! Tearing one down to the ground and rebuilding it is a great learning experience. I've learned 10x more with my 14 than with all of the other bikes I've owned... combined! 
Shane
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rudebwoy
Expert Class
Posts: 136
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posted December 05, 2011 07:45 AM
Any further explanation as to why that truck was aggressively tailing you..or why you tolerated this non-sense and now were forced to crash and pay for this admirably done ripdown and rebuild?
No question about what a splendid job you've done putting her back together btw!!! Nice. How long did all this take?
____________
'05 Triumph Speed Triple
'06 Triumph Daytona 675
'07 Kawasaki ZX-14
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted December 05, 2011 05:36 PM
quote:
Two questions...
1) Why did you leave the frame red!?
2) Do you seriously believe your bike weighs 900+ lbs wet!?
Not to bust your balls or anything, just curious.
I rather like the red frame is all and the weight is printed on the side of the frame as 900lbs gross vehicle weight I think. Check the side of your frame, maybe that is carry capacity too?
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted December 05, 2011 05:42 PM
Edited By: redlinejoes on 6 Dec 2011 01:45
quote:
i liked the black frame better IMO. and your building this for track days? why a 14, not the best choice IMO.
I had a zx636 and I am not breaking any lap records honestly, I just am having fun with it. The zx14 is a very capable machine and in the right hands with the right tune it can carve with the best of them, that said, opinions are like assholes and everyone has one. I think doing something out of the ordinary is a lot more interesting, haters gonna hate is all. Not everyone will agree with everyone in the world, to each thier own. You can really honestly have a lot of fun on this bike no matter what you do.
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted December 05, 2011 05:51 PM
quote:
Any further explanation as to why that truck was aggressively tailing you..or why you tolerated this non-sense and now were forced to crash and pay for this admirably done ripdown and rebuild?
No question about what a splendid job you've done putting her back together btw!!! Nice. How long did all this take?
The cop did not care about the aggressive suv, and they were the only one to stop as a witness to my crash. They did tell the police they did everything they could not to run me over, but the cop did not care honestly. Plus since I have full coverage insurance I did not come out of pocket one penny. I probably spent a few months working on it since the wreck. It is fully back on the road now, just a constan. t work in progress cause there is always something I am tuning or maintaining.
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eklipse636
Needs a life
ZX-14
Posts: 6046
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posted December 05, 2011 06:31 PM
Your bike is about 520 lbs, not 900.
____________
Best: 60ft 1.351 1/8 5.68 mph 123.98 1/4
8.89 mph 151.32
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1badzx12r
Needs a life
Posts: 8321
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posted December 05, 2011 06:42 PM
quote:
The cop did not care about the aggressive suv,
i know how that works ..i'll handle it my way ..the law never works for me..
____________
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S06nIz4scvI
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redlinejoes
Novice Class
Posts: 61
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posted December 06, 2011 02:44 PM
quote:
Your bike is about 520 lbs, not 900.
The gross vehicle weight on the frame must be including both wet and carry capacity then. Take a look at your frame and you'll see the weight stamped on there. I think that's gross with passengers maybe. I think it's on the left side of the frame on the neck. I also thought it was around 520 or 600+ wet. Quite a bit heavier than anything I've had before.
I'm looking for some spacers like Shane had used on his steering damper. Since I have road race clipons the steering damper does not mount to the left clipon at the same height as stock. There is a half inch difference on one screw and quarter inch difference on the other that is required to make the steering damper piston level horizontally with the front end.
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