How's it going? My name is Dan, I'm 20 years old (turning 21 on the 30th), I'm about 5'11" and 170lbs, and I'm interested in buying a 14 next spring/summer... I've been riding an upgraded (F3 swaybar, wheels, brake etc) '82 Honda CB900F for a few months now, and I've taken the MSF Rider Course already. I think I can handle the ZX-14, but I think I would be way too scared to test the limits of the big ninja. lol I'm not gonna lie though, I'm kind of worried I'm gonna get myself in a world of shit by buying this bike, though. :P I really like the ZX-14 though because it has power, it looks nice, and from the sounds of it, it's actually comfortable to ride unlike the other sports bikes. Nice to meet you all!

Go for it. Growing into the 14 takes a bit of time but once you doooooo. Every ride is a eye opener.

There are other bikes that are probably more suitable for you and would be a better learning platform, but I wouldn't be scared of the ZX14 if you have your heart set on one. It's easy to ride and whilst there is a ton of power on tap, you don't have to use it to get a lot of pleasure out of the bike. It's a brilliant machine and fun to ride at any pace. Also, if you wanted to start riding with a pillion, the '14 is going to be a lot more pleasant for you and your passenger than a litre superbike or 600cc supersports.

All the best with your decision. Don't over think it though...test ride a '14 and if you still love it, get one!

I think you will do fine with this bike as long as you use control and common sense. The minute you dont you will be a pile of road rash. With that said the 14 is a very stable platform with great ergos, much more comfortable than the liter bikes, or the 600s. Best of luck with your decision.

Welcome to the world of Ninja ZX14.
I wouldn't class myself as a super good rider but everyone is right, the 14 is very docile and easy to ride.
Heavy compared to a litre bike, but no heavier than my old ZXR750.
My old bike amazed people how fast it was, and you really felt it when you kicked it in the guts.
I think the 14 is more refined.
Give it a poke and look down and you are doing 100mph so easily - no fuss bike.
Fitted Staintune pipes last week for some extra noise - much better.
Looking forward to spending some years getting to know her.

Hi moribound. I'm close to your size and about twice as old as you. My last bike was an 850cc Cruiser and I have ridden a decent amount on an 1100 and 1500 cc cruiser. The 14 isn't hard to ride if you are careful to not bight off more than you can chew when you are going slow and when you are cornering. Going fast in a straight line is not hard at all and I'll even say it is probably very safe, at least as far as handling the bike is concerned. A stock 14 won't loop over on you. It doesn't wheelie unless you open the throttle pretty far and pretty fast. If you already know how to ride and you are used to balancing/supporting the weight of a 5-600 lb bike, use common sense as mentioned above and you should be fine.