Hi Matsuke. I've owned my 08 since April of 08 and I have put 11,000 miles on it. It was my first sportbike. I road large cruisers before that so the weight wasn't too much of a problem but i was very careful for the first 3,000 miles and i didn't really try to corner very hard until this, the second season of ownership. I still don't try to corner like i might on a 600. The power delivery of the 14 is very predictable. It will take off like a bullet but to really get a front tire up high you have to go pretty darn close to WOT in first gear. With the front planted in second at midrange rpm, I have had it jump up some with a small amount of clutching. Recently I noticed that I inadvertently pulled the bar slightly to my right on a hard takeoff and the bike did not turn at all. The front corrected itself on touchdown, I guess. This tells me I've probably been doing tiny wheelies for quite some time. I've had several small tire spins without even trying - even in 3rd gear (more so on the stock tires).
I don't think you have to be afraid of power that erratically goes out of control. It's the opposite - the power is so smooth that it can get you in trouble. I guess you could say the bike does an excellent job of controlling its own awesome power but you have to learn where and when to unleash it. I have had the back tire slip on a corner one time and it even slipped a bit yesterday on a down shift decel into 1 on a very slow turn. There is a lot of power in there and it is normally so smooth that it can surprise you at times.
As far as handling, the 14 is good in the hands of an expert. I wouldn't dream of cornering like I'm sure you do on your 600. I'm sure I have to be more careful at very low speeds where the bike could be tippy, too. Braking is excellent but we must be talking close to 200 lbs heavier on the 14 so again, I think the 600 is probably a lot easier to control in an emergency/severe conditions.
1. My current bike uses around 1/20 - I wonder how this bike does?
sorry, 1/20 what? Gas, oil?? I get about 35 mpg, I think
2. ... ZZR1400 and the ZX-14, are those actually the same bikes??
same exact thing
3. I am around 1.96cm, by the looks of the bike, it should be alright, or...? :)
I hope you're not talking about your height - LOL My inseam is 30" measured from ankle bone to crotch and I can flat foot and lift my butt off the seat just a bit. 196 lbs? No problem but you will need to adjust that suspension to the hilt if you plan on riding 2 up. The 14 is known for a cushy suspension. I was 190 when i first started riding it and I had to adjust the front tighter. I'm now a skinnyazz 160 and I feel no need to loosen the front at all.
4. The bike isn't to much heavier than other bikes, but how is the corner handling?
Fine. Good. Wish I could compare it to other sportbikes but I have no other experience. All I can say is that it did well on a track with an expert rider but it couldn't compete with the literbikes. Kruz says his liter is about 10% faster on a fast corner (100mph+) but I would have to think the literbike would outdo the 14 by 20% on slower corners.
What's a :
1. Slip-on
Aftermarket exhaust that retains the stock header/collector. It's just the midpipe and the muffler you change with slipons. I think you will retain more of the stock characteristics of the bike with improved sound and looks and a small performance gain. Full system will get you max peak performance and weight loss but streetable power might be decreased a little bit. IMO, I wouldn't have a problem going with a full system. It will just mean you will be shifting down a bit more, I hear.
2. I see some things with "flies" alot, do we just mean a wheelie with this?
Flies are a set of 4 intake flapper valves that are controlled by the compuer. They need to come out of a gen 1 because the G1 ECU waits till 6K rpm to open them up. In effect, you can't get the throttle you want in the low range and the bike is a little doggy. G2, you can leave them in. They open at 3.5K. I have mine out and I consider it a small improvment.
3. Wobbling, i see lots of threads with wobbles, how come??? I never had that happening
I have read a bit about head shake at highway speed. I never experienced it except for maybe the ultra-slight shake of wind hitting my arms. Tuck down and it disappears. I believe most people who experienced head shake remedied it with a new front tire. The powerful brakes on the 14 might cause front tire cupping but I never had that problem on mine and in 8000 miles on the stock front tire (Don't go 8000 miles on a tire. I was an idiot.)
4. A tank-slap, what's that about?? :D
The front tire hits a bump, especially while cornering and jars the front tire to the side. Or you come down out of a wheelie with the bars turned. The momentum of the bike pulls the tire back but the momentum can be too much and now you have the tire over corrected. Momentum pulls it back again and overcorrects -- it just keeps oscillating about 5 times/second and obviously this causes the bike to shake, perhaps violently and your knees are a'slappin' the tank. Depending on the conditions, the bike may shake out of control. Go to Youtube and do a tankslapper search. You'll see. Scarey SH!T.
I have never encoutered a tankslapper. I have had the steering jump when hitting a bump in a corner but no oscillation. They say the 14 corrects itself much better than lighter, shorter bikes do. You can get a cool stearing damper for a couple hundred bucks and that should keep you as safe as can be from a tank slapper -- if you remember to tighten up the damper when you do your rough riding. I just think the steering dampers look cool but I don't consider it a necessity on a 14 unless you are going to do wheelies. The ZX-10 has a nice Ohline's stock.
* Last updated by: Rook on 8/28/2009 @ 8:56 AM *
'08 MIDNIGHT SAPPHIRE BLUE Now Deceased
Tell me I am not the, "Flying Dutchman" on "Puddles." Why would I just out and out blurt out 'I am dutch' for what? I've been to your country, toured the "Red Light District" before you were born is my bet, little one.
!