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One word does come to mind though.

Squid!

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That's so funny.

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LOL..yep..THAT was a good one.

More is better here. Seriously. Even helmet banter. Perhaps we can focus on things other than the helmet. I am viewing my inability to respond (to that issue) as the penance I have to pay for NOT riding Zorro. (my pet name for my ZX-14). So when I have logged my 5,000 miles this annum, look out. Better wear a helmet.

You're not getting into this: "Hey Bozo. YOU DON'T RIDE!!!!! Helmet? Who cares?" That's more like it!
==========================
Ok. Agreed on the tires. I've found a shop that will put good ones on.

Gonna start my weekend rides at 5am. Getting out of Chicago on weekends is nuts. Its a lot more fun when you get it done very early. And I like mornings.

Anyone got experience with that liquid tire balancing stuff? Tire guy says it works great. Let me know if he's wrong.

I wear size 15 shoes and have found a REAL problem with riding boots. While I don't care about my head, I do take my ankles pretty seriously. Anybody got conventional boots that work great as motorcycle boots? I've tried all the "real" biker boots. Nah.

I'm really starting to look forward to riding season this season. anybody near chicago want to get together for rides to Madison? Some real good roads there. Only about 140 miles away?

-chuck

"Anyone got experience with that liquid tire balancing stuff? Tire guy says it works great"...well yeah he's gonna say it works great...he's offered to sell it to ya,right?I hear it's shiite.Simple wheel weight or two,problem solved.

1. I bought and installed mirror extenders. One of my real issues with this bike is how god damned hard it is to see with a helmet on. This will help.

Help shit! Did you remove the weights off the bar ends? It's there for a reason. Walmart has convex mirrors. Stick them on where you can see your legs and the lane next to you. That bike squirts so fast you'll piss down your pant leg because you'll still have one.

2. I am replacing the stock tires. I am sad someone talked me out of this last year. My stupid.

The OE tires are high performance type and do not last long. 2 to 3k is about all she wrote if you're more of a sport rider so you're about due, right? I wouldn't tour with these but find the touring compound type tire.

3. I have put on the rearsets and I have a custom Corbin seat. I am 6.2/230 and those help A LOT. I love Corbin.

Maybe the bar risers so your arms don't turn numb like mine did. That tiny height made all the difference.

4. I have a tank bag, but need a much larger one. I think I'll get a travel bag I can bungee to the passenger seat.

Weight distribution may induce wobbles. More weight up front the better.

5. No passenger. No wife. No girlfriend. Long and interesting journey - taking a sabbatical from "that". So get the f out of my way on the highway because I'm TENSE. Just kidding. I think.

Concentrate on the shit in front of you. Like an intersection coming up and someone turning left in front of you anshit.

6. Thank you all for your input and keep it coming. I will post my "progress".

You mean the helmet razzing shit? Yes, report your 'progress' trying to fit that helmet over that vanity, ego, claustrophobic issue, something?

7. I am scared of it. But I suffer from overconfidence when riding it. Seriously. That's kinda what scares me.

Who the fuck are you chasing? The only thing out there is speed to chase and when the road shrinks what are you scared of? The speed or the slowing down? It happens too fast to be overconfident... just some confidence will do. Over means over the bars over the head... over and out on dis one. Where's the helmet shit line? Am I getting close to that one yet?

8. I LOVE the look of the stock pipes. And the plain black from 2007. Reluctant to give any of that up.

You should hear the OE's bark between two cars at a traffic light. Must be the resonating off the sheet metal doors. Anyway, you'll miss the bottom end torque you go fucking around with the OE. Does a Sonny&Cher slap across the face..."Snap out of it!"

9. I hate helmets and gear, but you do have to stay warm. Please spare me the bs about helmets. Sell me your religion; it's less offensive.

Here's that fucking quote. Well, I have faith I'm sitting on one of the world's fastest and shit happens fast. I have a belief system that says if I fuck my head up I believe I'm fucked. My reverence for a supernaturally aspirated comes from the powerhouse of powers. Mother Tea is regarded as creating and governing the universal spin machines.

Paraphrases:

10. I'm tall, wear a 14 shoe, and can't shift for shit

Dis makes me wonder how fast you are going without a helmet on. Water wetter at the eyes once, and you parked it? Anyway, try a steel tip, ankle high work boot by redwing shoes. If I'm the same foot size, run the steel tip, never adjusted the shift lever from stock, where do you think the problem lies?

11. Should I add more wight to my bike like 16oz. of mess on the next tire change or?

The weights that came with the bike will do. Static balance stands are used when mounting race tires on race bikes. If they run flat out down the straights and not a wiggle... Does that spell confidence?

Signed,
NOLTT

* Last updated by: Hub on 3/21/2018 @ 1:36 AM *

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Dear Hub:

Do take steps to make sure you don't run out of Meth again at 1 in the morning!...

Awesome advice. Appreciated.

You are wise.

There are so many benefits to the helmet; I was stupid to question it.
1. You ride 120 instead of 70 cause you still can't sense the speed
2. You can't see/hear a god damned thing around you so you don't feel so threatened
3. Good for your neck/spine to have a five pound weight attached to your head when it suffers 31g's
4. Almost all of the sensations for which you ride are virtually eliminated so you ride a lot more.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some of them. HEY. I COULDN'T RESIST.

Yes. Mom. I WILL ride and I WILL ride with my Scorpion Helmet!

How a bunch of crazies who value their freedom to do "crazy" can think they should lecture about helmet is just amazing. But if that's what gets you on the keyboard to say what you want to say about riding your beast "correctly" I AM ALL EARS.

Small price to pay for the advice and intensity of Mr. Hub.

Keep it coming. I need it. I deserve it. I want it.

You all have something to say? SAY IT.

I need about two straight days on a ZX-14. Thanks god I own one.

-chuck

"Who the fuck are you chasing? The only thing out there is speed to chase and when the road shrinks what are you scared of? The speed or the slowing down? It happens too fast to be overconfident... just some confidence will do. Over means over the bars over the head... over and out on dis one. Where's the helmet shit line? Am I getting close to that one yet?"..LMAO.Fuckin Hub...love dis guy;)

I didn't expect to wreck my last time...taken that curve a million times.Cracked the nice Arai right up the backside.Shoulda seen the visor and front brim and all.My head?Mild concussion.I'd have been doa for sure on that adventure;)I virtually was anyway...thank God for helicopters.In a coma 2 1/2 weeks.Beats permanent outage.

Like the Hubmiester says...things happen QUICK.Gotta be on yer toes with a bike this badazz.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 3/21/2018 @ 10:41 AM *

https://youtu.be/NGMCP6ReL9Y

Hey James, I'd be very careful in the way you respond to the old Hub.
He is a very different individual and I have no doubt he knows where we all live including you!

However his words are generally wise so if you can understand his Hubbish (I still struggle), listen and learn grasshopper...

P.S.
Words like

While I don't care about my head, I do take my ankles pretty seriously.

are not going to help your cause in the credibility stakes...

* Last updated by: yannih on 3/21/2018 @ 1:13 PM *

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Anyone got experience with that liquid tire balancing stuff? Tire guy says it works great. Let me know if he's wrong.

If it stays liquid, it's probably supposed to work something like Dynabeads. Personally, i can't see how a bunch of beads or some liquid is going to distribute around the tire to balance the wheel. If it's the heavy spot that is loping, that's where most of the liquid is going to travel to and make it even heavier there.

What I have been told is that wheel balance doesn't make much difference on a motorcycle wheel except maybe some tire wear. Some of my weights usually fly off and the tire must certainly change balance with tire wear but I never noticed anything funny from it. I'd stick with the conventional weights.

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Could this be a shit test from the deep state? I've never passed a shit test in my life, therefore reside in parts unknown to avoid getting cocked in the head. Hub has some long arms.
Rook is maintaining proper form, as usual, while I am searching for the essence of "nice guy"
,

* Last updated by: knovikov on 3/21/2018 @ 9:33 PM *

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"Do take steps to make sure you don't run out of Meth again at 1 in the morning!.."...LOL...I used to think the same thing about the Hubmiester.Nope...I think he's just gifted...with one HELLUVA gift tell ya that right there.

Well, Kids:

Appreciate it. Please continue. Especially New Zealand. Very clever of you to live as far as possible from USA. Oh. I didn't say that. That sounded like Chuck.

Scared/overconfident/whatever. I've got to get on this thing and make peace with all kinds of demons. Many of them came LONG before Zorro showed up. We will see what happens and how well we bond. Appreciate hearing from the crowd who have bonded with the '14.

When it aligns, I am a good rider. I have good "algorithms". I never overreact. My ego's not in it. I practice HARD braking when I can. I need a lot of miles/conditions. And, I need a track day BADLY. The Track: I've done a LOT with various cars and I can drive like an amateur god. One of my goals is to get to Keith Code and enjoy a two day. So I'm very interested in feedback around that and other "schools". For me, it's not balls. It's knowledge.

I appreciate my incredibly narcissistic request for you guys to focus your beams on me just for NOT riding. I promise I will get this done and, dare I say, I WILL BE READY TO GIVE HUB SOME SHIT. Yes. Even Herr Hub. I think this is the smartest idea I've ever had. We'll all know by July.

Somehow I imagine there might be a few more "Chucks" our there getting "Hubbed" into getting off their asses and riding their asses off. So imagine you're not just talking to one non-rider with no good excuses.

I may go with handlebar risers just to try to help my long distance "positioning". Suggestions here. And do steering dampers make a god damned bit of difference to someone at my stage of non-riding? I've never felt a shake and I have ridden pretty fast. Are there other issues?

Keep it coming. Say what you want to say. You never know who needs to hear it. We don't ride this bike because we need to agree with everybody.

-chuck

Once you have disclosed your location, I realized.why low miles. Not much fun riding in city traffic. Personally prefer empty country roads and going to a store. I ride multiple times per day, weather permitting, Slap a "TOXIC MASCULINITY" sticker on the tank, flip a bird to feminatze, and ride into the sunset.

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And do steering dampers make a god damned bit of difference to someone at my stage of non-riding? I've never felt a shake and I have ridden pretty fast. Are there other issues?

Not really. you probably won't ever need one no matter how hard you ride. It might help when you least expect it but I'd say you're not much safer if you have one. They're cool though.

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My take on steering dampers..If I may quote a friend.."You will never need one until you do" Having crashed at 130 mph from a high speed wobble on a machine that really needed one, I can tell you that there have been times ( only a couple) where the 14 and myself have benefited from the GPR damper. When / if something throws the front wheel off the direction of travel, we tend to yank the bars back straight which sometimes is too forceful, bringing the wheel past the centerline and the beginning of a bad situation. That is one reason for teh damper. It somewhat restricts the sudden/drastic change of direction. .
The crash I mentioned above was caused by poor bike maint ( my fault) on a bike prone to head shakes anyway. I crashed one other time that might have been saved by a damper.. Different bike this time and doing forty mph approx when I hit a very, VERY bad pothole, on a hilly country two lane frequented by logging trucks . The result was the front wheel forced into the wrong direction and my reaction too slow to prevent the bike from crashing.
On the 14 recently, I was accelerating very hard and the front wheel came up about 18 inches or so ( No video ;) ) My right hand had much more tension on the bars than my left as I was trying to wrap teh throttle past the stop . The result was that I turned the front wheel to the right a bit while it was free of contact with the track surface and when it came down, it was pointed a bit off to the right. This would have created a very bad situation, had I not had the damper to help control the onset of a headshaker.
The 14 is an extremely stable bike, unless we as riders , input bad information which could include tire pressure/worn tires, incorrect suspension settings and or weight distribution ( tail bags etc. )

My take ...yours may very ;)

It's OK, I'm not dead!

I'm Not Dead!

Having crashed at 130 mph from a high speed wobble on a machine that really needed one,

Although Chrly, the bikes you rode back in the 1950's where a lot a different then todays bikes! ;)

All the dampers I have seen go on top the bars and after I did the LSL bar kit I cannot find anything that fits but then I am not a persistent traffic offender and have a major case of corner-phobia plus if the posted speed limit is 65 I may go as high as 68.
I cannot help it as I am a risk taker.....................

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Steering dampers help prevent wrecks.They just do.It doesn't take much for the machine to get unbalanced alignment-wise.As everyone knows..they strike suddenly and sharply.All it takes is the right mix of variables.Always good to have a bit more 'insurance'.

"Although Chrly, the bikes you rode back in the 1950's where a lot a different then todays bikes! ;)"

:) Indeed they were Piken. I mentioned that simply to point out that I have the experience to understand the worth , as I mentioned in the incident with my 14...

Actually teh 130 crash was on/off a 1972 Dencoed H2 and we ALL know they needed a damper ( which I did not have ) !!