BobK
Expert Class
2012 ZX14R SE
Posts: 195
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posted March 03, 2012 04:50 PM
Kawasaki Demo Day
Kawasaki had a demo day today at Homestead raceway all rides were on the street though. the excitement over the 2012 ZX14R was unbelievable! Everyone that rode it came back ready to buy it. As I already own one I test rode the ZX10R, Ninja 1000, Ninja 650. Each bike had their good and bad points but nobody had ANYTHING but praise and amazement about the power of the 14R and how easily they would come up. A guy in front of me riding a 14R kept bringing the wheel up. When we stopped I asked what gear he was in and if traction control was bringing the wheel back down. He said he was in 3rd and was just twisting the throttle but the the traction control was set to 1. Anyone who owns this bike can attest to the fact that it will come up in 3rd in control 1 if you hit it hard. He said that he was backing off as he didn't know what the bike was going to do. The road captain didn't see this as your supposed to keep the wheel on the ground but they were leaving the traction control in 1 as they thought they would keep the guys tightly packed and you wouldn't get a chance to really get it on. Oh the poor fools. I was on the ZX10R and got seperated from the front of the group and had to play catch up and a nice remote road. I got scolded by the captain who was in the middle when he eventually caught up with me as I redlined in at least three gears and probably hit 140mph or more and when he wasn't looking at that same time the bike did a nice power wheelie in 3rd around 80mph as I had set the traction control on the 10R to position 2 as I didn't want any sky high wheelies making me stand out. All In all it was a fun time!!!!!
  
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drewzx-14
Zone Head
Andrew
Posts: 553
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posted March 03, 2012 08:01 PM
Do they ever come to New York for a demo!!!?????
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2009 Yamaha R1-SOLD!
2013 Zx-14R Green ABS
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oldkawboy
Needs a job
Posts: 2125
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posted March 03, 2012 08:07 PM
 Edited By: oldkawboy on 4 Mar 2012 04:10
Bob,
I'm one of the "poor fools" you describe above. I chose not to work this week-end at Homestead because of Bike Week coming up.
The "captain" has a job to do which is provide a spirited ride with safety being his main concern. Believe me when I say that everyone who takes demo rides are not experienced riders, we can only goes as fast as the slowest person. We don't know the folks who ride with us or their capabilites. All of us escort riders are enthusiast and we love speed as much as the next person......just not on a demo ride. We have no special privileges with the local law enforcement on our rides and it's not good when the whole line gets pulled over because of one person, trust me it happens and we have to answer for it.
Have you noticed that Honda and Suzuki no longer has a demo ride program around the country and that Yamaha only runs a limited schedule? The liabilites are huge and folks who run 140mph or more is one of the reasons.
I'm sure prior to your demo you had a riders briefing and were asked to keep both wheels on the ground, no stoppies or wheelies but you knew that. What you don't know is that our boss goes out on the route to observe the rides and when someone blast by at triple digit speeds it puts our job at jeopardy.
Dan
Drew,
We'll have a full line demo at Americade June 5-9 in the Lake George area.
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BobK
Expert Class
2012 ZX14R SE
Posts: 195
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posted March 04, 2012 06:49 AM
Edited By: BobK on 4 Mar 2012 14:50
Dan, I hope you weren't offend by that remark as I was saying it in jest and know that you guys have a thankless job. The little blast that I did was on a part of the ride where we were on a back road, no intersection and the front group riders couldn't even be seen. I realize what I did wasn't correct but if driving at that speed can be considered safe at any time this was the time. You have a job to do and I need to see if this is a bike for me. As it turns out, from this demo of the 10R I realized that I am a rider who loves torque and am not happy with a bike that has to revved to the sky to reach it's potential. For me that ride made my decision that I like the Ninja 1000 better for the next bike in the stable and not the 10R. I thank Kawasaki for having these demo days and I think they will get a lot of sales as a result. After the ride the road captain and I laughed about it and he was great and didn't scold me anymore. Sometimes a guy just has to do what a guy has to do. LOL
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Zammy
Expert Class
Posts: 411
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posted March 04, 2012 07:43 AM
Edited By: Zammy on 4 Mar 2012 15:45
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chriszx14R
Novice Class
Posts: 64
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posted March 04, 2012 03:42 PM
80 MPH in third??? thats bogging the hell out of that 10. what did you do feather the clutch in while WOT to get the wheel up?
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2002 ZX12R
2004 ZX10R
2012 ZX14R
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BobK
Expert Class
2012 ZX14R SE
Posts: 195
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posted March 04, 2012 03:46 PM
I was just estimating the speed as I wasn't looking at the speed o so I may have been going faster I was just slightly surprised to feel it come up so easily.
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speedyme
Expert Class
Posts: 224
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posted March 04, 2012 04:06 PM
they will be in sarasota fl march 24 and 25 im gona hopefully ride they new 14 and the 10 i cant wait! im sure there will be alot of people there, i didnt realize they actually take you out on the streets i just figured it was just around a parking lot, so this is going to be great.!
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speedy
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LeoVinceZX14
Expert Class
Thankfully...its paid for...
Posts: 386
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posted March 05, 2012 02:30 AM
Demo rides...not anymore for me
Bob:
Great feedback on the "buzz" the 14R is generating and I totally jealous you have yours. For years I have been doing demo rides in Daytona during bike week and mostly enjoyed them. Kawasaki really does an outstanding job, given the "idiot" factor they are risking doing so. That said, I am passing on the rides this year.
Just not willing to trust total strangers riding behind me on ZX10's, and now 14R's and not having a clue about judgement for public roads. I have seen some..stuff over the years Btw, I have also done rides in the past with Triumph, BMW, Yamaha and Honda as well and none..come close to the job, Dan and the ROK guys/girls do in Daytona every year. I won't have my 14R in time for Daytona, but will by later this spring.
thanks,
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'12 14R SE
PC V
Custom map
BMC filter
Leo Vince 4-2-1 w/ carbon can
Sato frame sliders
Supersprox 42T
Cox radiator guard
DID 530 X-ring chain.
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oldkawboy
Needs a job
Posts: 2125
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posted March 05, 2012 08:21 AM
Bob,
I kinda figured it was in jest, the reason I responded is that I didn't want folks who have yet experienced our demo's come to an event thinking they can ride them like they stole them.
Most people assume (like speedyme) the demo's are in a parking lot or something similar.
I was talking to my do-worker and he said on Sunday at Homestead a guy rode in on a Hayabusa and while riding our new green 14R went down.....you never know.
LeoVince ZX14,
I appreciate the props. Kawasaki spends a lot of money to give folks a taste of the bikes and we enjoy our jobs but it's always great to get compliments & kind words.
Thanks guys and we'll see ya on the road,
Dan
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BobK
Expert Class
2012 ZX14R SE
Posts: 195
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posted March 05, 2012 08:31 AM
Dan, I know the guy that went down. He is way too short to have been riding that bike and way overweight. His busa is lowered to the max. He dropped it at a stop sign not while actually riding the bike.
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LeoVinceZX14
Expert Class
Thankfully...its paid for...
Posts: 386
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posted March 05, 2012 01:09 PM
BobK:
Thanks again for jogging my memories of several great demo ride experiences. I used to come down your way (Glades county) for my...remote road rides. I am counting the days and weeks to get my 14R.
Dan:
Demo ride in '07 "sold" me my '07 14. Well organized and fun which is no small feat in Daytona with so many people on the road and yet some how it works out. What stands out to me is that in the depths of the current economy (2009 I think), Kawasaki was the ONLY major manufacturer at Daytona in force with demo rides, full product line, etc. If memory serves...NONE of the European brands bothered to even come and I don't think anyone else was offering demo rides either. Speaks volumes about the company and commitment to come. Dan since I come to both Speedweek and Biketoberfest, I can't be sure but I believe it was the latter.
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'12 14R SE
PC V
Custom map
BMC filter
Leo Vince 4-2-1 w/ carbon can
Sato frame sliders
Supersprox 42T
Cox radiator guard
DID 530 X-ring chain.
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COOTER
Novice Class
Posts: 48
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posted March 08, 2012 01:50 AM
quote:
they will be in sarasota fl march 24 and 25 im gona hopefully ride they new 14 and the 10 i cant wait! im sure there will be alot of people there, i didnt realize they actually take you out on the streets i just figured it was just around a parking lot, so this is going to be great.!
Speedy let me know what day you will head up for the demo and I will ride with you!
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drewzx-14
Zone Head
Andrew
Posts: 553
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posted March 08, 2012 08:30 AM
Anyone from New York heading to the Americade, Lake George Event? I'm planning on going myself.
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2009 Yamaha R1-SOLD!
2013 Zx-14R Green ABS
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