After two short outings, I can tell the rotors are starting to bed in. All I need to do now is hard braking from 70mph to 20mph. I have heard a lot of people complain about full floating rotors being noisy but I can't hear mine over my exhaust and doubt I would be able to hear them over a stock can unless I'm going really slow and hitting bumps. It may change when the brake pads and rotors wear out but so far so good. I'm running the rotors with Brembo ZO8 pads, GP 4 RX Calipers and a RCS19 (19x18 setting). Braking is stronger but progressive at the same time but I wouldn't dare using the 19x20 setting in the street because the 19x18 setting initial bite is stronger than OEM. I'm glad I beefed up the suspensions! I thought level travel would be a lot greater but it's not the case... It could be partially due to the fact that the rotors are 4-5mm beefier than OEM but grab the brakes too fast and you're still tucking the front. If I had to guess, I would say probably 1/3 more travel. I haven't been able just yet to get a feel for the brakes as far as feedbacks but the Spielger lines and the other goodies produce a really firm lever. I have spent most of my mods money on go fast mods and am glad I was able to invest some in braking. The idea was to balance the modification and I think that I succeeded in doing so. I will review all my mods in details in my ZX-14 Upgrades thread and that will be that. At this time, I'm not willing to get in the motor and am ready to focus my attention on something else!

Can't wait to read the ZX-14 Upgrades. Put a link here if you started it already.

If I get the money, I'm going to copy you.

* Last updated by: Rook on 4/10/2013 @ 7:23 PM *

I'll probably do it when I come back from France this summer! You should do it. I was really skeptical about the brakes getting better but they can be improved! I like the new clutch MC as well, travel is really short which makes it perfect for leaving the cages behind at the light. Still need to get used to it but like De Niro said in Heat:"I'm not going back" to OEM that is LOL

"I'm not going back" to OEM that is

Me neither.

So with the new Clutch MC you get complete disengagement between engine & driveline with just a slight pull of the lever? Is that the idea? I can see how that would be desirable for fast shifts...but a bike is so fast in shifting already. I can say, however the quickshifter I have on my 14 would make a big difference if I were racing. A slight gain in time can equal 20-30 feet. That's huge in a race.

So with the new Clutch MC you get complete disengagement between engine & driveline with just a slight pull of the lever? Is that the idea?

* Last updated by: dragking on 4/11/2013 @ 11:35 PM *

I once heard the clutch pedals in race cars are very touchy. I think for a bike without a slipper clutch, a bit more range would be nicer for modulating into those hard downshifts.. although it is amazing how sensative you can get to your controls. I feel perfectly in control of the throttle even at very small opennings in a corner. I never worry about accidentally closing it off. I could see developing such facile control of super short clutch lever travel. I like the idea of just touching the clutch and cleanly popping into the next gear.

Yeah, you're right, I'm not able to downshift and blip the throttle perfectly. I wasn't that good to start with and this setting will require a little more finesse...
A lot of track days addicts told me the best setting was 16x20 and 19x18 so I wanted to try that first. I'm sold on the 19x18 setting: You can really modulate the brake with it and it will bite as hard as you're squeezing. 19x20 is definitely too much for the street but if you like one finger braking and are really sensitive you could get away with it but I'm afraid an idiot in a cage is going to do something stupid and I'm going to tuck the front!

Just a comment re clutch. Hope this doesn't hijack your thread.

My training course with Bernie Hatton taught us brake and clutch. Sounds basic, but I've been riding bikes for 40 years and I can tell you I learnt a LOT.

In short, we were taught clutch is for the takeoff and stop. Up and down shifts without clutch are the norm.
Under big load if the back-end might chatter on a downshift (cause our 14s don't have a slipper clutch) we were to "touch" the clutch, just to slip it a little. Never complete dissengage on a downshift. When you are coming hot into a 90 degree corner in 4th, you do need it. Most of the time on the street I don't.

After a couple of months practice, I've got this down. Love it. And there are less of those clunks on the box, so I am convinced it is actually less wear on the box. With your new MC it sounds like a perfect match.

YMMV.

Interesting stuff OZ... post away, you're not hijacking at all. Yeah I never fully disengage the clutch when downshifting... unless I miss my braking point and panic like yesterday LOL The bike scrubbed speed so good and so fast, I was in such awe...I forgot to initiate the turn LOL

So you up and downshift without the clutch or did you mean to say that you don't fully engage/disengage which is what I do?

* Last updated by: dragking on 4/19/2013 @ 11:49 AM *