I'm a newbie to this forum, but not to bikes. My first new motorcycle was a 1981 GPz550. I would have bought the 1100, but the insurance was going to be just south of $400 a month and I couldn't afford it.

For comparison, a house payment at the time in my area was like $300-350 a month. The payment on the bike was only about $180 a month, but the insurance was no bueno. Plus I would have probably been a statistic because I had 2 speeds back then: parked and WFO. (still kinda do, but that is fodder for another post)

I've wanted a 2012 ZX14r since 2012. Golden Blazed Green with the flames. I have a 40 mile commute and there is nothing like 40 minutes (or less on a ZX14r) of motorcycle therapy every morning and afternoon.

I was talking with a friend if mine who is a Ducati guy (I don't judge) and his Panigale 1299 tends to draw unwanted attention because of the "Ducati Red" color (it couldn't possibly be his riding style).

When I told him that I wanted a 2012 ZX14r in Golden Blazed Green he told me that I might want something a little less Marvel Superhero and a little more 60 year old man colored; black, dark blue, anything but "look at me" green.

You guys are younger and more experienced with these rocket ships. What is your take?

Does the color really matter or is it mostly the ability to bend space and time?

Go with the color you like best if you can find it. Buying used, I'd go with the bike that was well kept, in great condition and with lowest miles. You can always change the color. I bought a 2024 and that has to be the most garish color the 14 was ever produced in. Appearance change is one of the most fun aspects of owning a bike. I'd grab any 14 that was in great condition and go wild with the appearance. ...a word to the wise, be very careful about building a look and sticking to it. It gets costly if you need to replace aftermarket parts because you changed directions in your appearance plan.

If you like Golden Blaze Green and you can find it and it's in good condition, go for it! You're the one who will spend the most time looking at it. I'm pretty happy with my 41st anniversary edition but I was planning appearance changes from day one. ...that silver frame has to go. Carbon fiber vinyl might be the answer.

Mr. Rook, I appreciate your reply and your candor.

I plan on waiting for a low mileage example and I'm looking for a pretty much stock unit. I don't need more than 197hp (wanting isn't the same thing as needing), but I would like to start with a clean, no real mods unit if possible. And yes I'm kinda dead set on a 2012 Golden Blazed Green with flames.

I was concerned (my friend more than me...lol) that piloting a low flying, bright green missile would draw more attention than necessary. He knows how I ride, and I never really thought much about it until he mentioned it.

If I may ask, what color was your 2024 when you bought it? Thanks again.

It's the 41st Anniversary Edition. Green, blue and white with silver frame.

https://www.wheelsinmotionmc.com/inventory/v1/Current/Kawasaki/Motorcycle/StreetTrack/Ninja/SuperSport/Ninja-ZX-14R-40th-Anniversary-Edition-ABS/Base---21720171?format=print

Here's a link to my thread on Hayabusa.org.

https://www.hayabusa.org/forum/threads/bought-the-14r-still-have-the-busa.207318/

* Last updated by: Rook on 4/11/2025 @ 6:59 AM *

Here's my 2024 ZX-14R bought last year on the last day of May. She's still 100% stock with a little over 300 miles on the clock. There will be some changes soon. First thing is turbo with intercooler. I'll be starting that project this summer and I don't think it will be complete until the following year. ...so we'll loose the exhaust and a few other parts, pick up a turbo. It should be about an even swap as far as weight.

I think those look good. I thought those were 40th anniversary or are you just messing with me? I really like the paint combo on those, I'm just too cheap to buy a bike that new.

The KRT paint scheme is hard to beat; whether it's a 400, 636, 750, 1000, 14 they have that family feeling and everyone for sure knows it's a Kawi.

Eventually I may even step up to one of those, I like all of the anniversary bikes with the KRT paint, but I really want a 2012 first. By the time I'm ready to pull the trigger on one like yours, I might be too old to ride. =]

Keep us posted on the turbo progress. That sounds like fun. Oh, and nice Busa BTW.

Thanks again for the reply.

Shiny side up, rubber side down.

I thought those were 40th anniversary or are you just messing with me?

Yes that's what it is, 2024 was the 40th anniversary editions. My 40 year high school class reunion is this August too. It would sure be cool to show up on it but I'll probably have the bike out of commission at that point.

I'd put off the mods and ride that KRT rocket. YOLO. 100mph wheelies are FUN.

Since you guys have better ideas than me, what would you consider appropriate mileage on a 14r per year? I'm finding that most of these are owned by enthusiasts that don't put a lot of miles on them, ~1000-3000 per year typically.

I found a 2012 in Golden Blazed Green with 20,000 miles. Looks really clean and bone stock except for the seat and he has the original seat. That's only about 1500 miles per year. Ad says he used to commute with it, but can't pick up kids on a bike. Garage stored, etc.

I'm also leerly of bikes with abnormally low miles as sitting can be far worse than riding sometimes. Maybe I'm overthinking this.

My 08 Hayabusa has only 16,000 miles. I had been putting about 500 miles a year on it for the last ten years. It's never had a problem. It's sat now for 3 years without starting so we'll see how that goes. If a used bike had all the signs of being well cared for, I'd take one with lower miles and sat a lot over one that had been used a lot and had higher miles. The only exception would be a race bike that had low miles put on it one quarter mile at a time.

As far as average number of miles put on a ZX-14, I'm sure that varies from one owner to the next but if you're seeing mostly low miles bikes, that probably tells you better than anyone else can. I have heard of ZX-14s running great at a hundred thousand miles. I'd still take a low miles one. There's a lot less chance things need to be replaced. On that note, I bet replacement parts for the Gen1 are starting to get scarce. New fairings are almost nonexistent.

If it starts good on a cold engine, it's probably a good running machine. If you can get a little test ride, that sure would be nice. If the deal goes through, I'd pay extra for that opportunity.

Hub would have a lot to tell you about buying used bikes. I hope he'll chime in.

Since you guys have better ideas than me

* Last updated by: Rook on 4/16/2025 @ 3:34 PM *

That's only about three of us on a regular basis.

That's what I needed after a long day at work. I'll keep looking around. Summer is coming and a lot of the good bikes are now just starting to appear. Price goes up, but the pickens get better, too.

Found a 2015 black with red fairly low miles, another commuter bike, but I really want a green one.

I appreciate the laugh and the reply. I'll keep you posted and hopefully have a picture of my new to me "baby" soon.

Thanks again.

Yes, Overthinking. You want a sitter. Less patina, less beating the shit out of it. More of a low miler shows an impulse buy, too powerful that might spook most owners.

I prefer a lower mileage bike myself, but truly depends on who the owner is and what I can find about the maintenance of the bike. Get the one you want!

I don't mean to jack the thread here but I just was on Hayabusa.org and came across a post by a member named BigBSBusa. Is this the same guy as you BigBS?

That's me.

Yes, Overthinking. You want a sitter. Less patina, less beating the shit out of it. More of a low miler shows an impulse buy, too powerful that might spook most owners.

Hub, that never even crossed my mind! I have very little fear when it comes to powerful bikes. That might be part of my problem.

That never even crossed my mind. Thank you for that.

I prefer a lower mileage bike myself, but truly depends on who the owner is and what I can find about the maintenance of the bike. Get the one you want!

This is kinda what I was trying to say with my first post. Most people who ride these, are enthusiasts and baby them; change the oil every 2K, etc. and some put a few miles on them.

Also as Hub pointed out (I can't believe I never thought of this), some guys buy them wanting "the quickest/fastest bike in the world" and end up literally scaring the shiitake out of themselves. And the bike sits in the garage.

I can't believe I never thought of that.

This is exactly why I asked you guys in the first place. Exactly why.

And Rook, I don't care if you "jacked" the thread..LOL It's a FORUM on the INTERWEB.

Thank you everyone for the input.

* Last updated by: D1GP on 4/16/2025 @ 7:48 PM *

Guy followed me to my house. Was on a 2012 HD bagger. Said he does not see any ST1100 around and said he has an '93. Got to talking and made a ride for the next day.

Fucking guy is 72 and makes the HD handle well. He'd pass every car/truck on the canyon roads, and I'd have to catch up looking for other cars coming. He's fucking nuts riding just waiting for a ticket.

So I'd let him go, then catch up reeling him in on the 14. Hardly beat this bike when alone. But yesterday, I gave the bike a 'ducati tuneup.' Timing was spot on catching up, crawled up his ass without using the brakes. Had to be passing one truck about 90mph, That short blip happens so fast with this thing.

You'll love it like I do, DIGP. And shit, I'm 5yrs older than him. Find a 1441cc size. 2013 and up.

...actually, it's 2012 and up for the Gen2 with 1441 cc engine. The Gen1 is a great bike too but if you need parts, you might be hunting the boneyard sellers on Ebay. The Gen1 is the love of my life. I'm going to own another one of those someday soon and make it just like my Midnight Sapphire Blue 08 was before I wrecked it. That's the bike BigBS has in his avatar. Here's how mine was. The third pic is a mock up of where I was planning to go with it. I was getting close. The fins on the grill would have been an anodized blue paint instead of white. I had in-dash analog gauges planned too and that project had been started before the crash.

BigBS, I'm Mythos at Hayabusa.org. Your name didn't ring a bell without the "Busa" on it but when I saw your avatar along with your name on the org yesterday, it all came together. I'm really glad I can keep talking to you on this forum.

* Last updated by: Rook on 4/17/2025 @ 6:46 AM *

Rook, I was just laying low over here. Don't post much on either site these days, but definitely glad this forum will remain.

You'll love it like I do, DIGP. And shit, I'm 5yrs older than him. Find a 1441cc size. 2013 and up.

Hub, I'm 63 and I can't wait!

Here's how mine was. The third pic is a mock up of where I was planning to go with it.

Rook, I'd ride the hell outta that!

Never heard of a 30th Anniversary model.

* Last updated by: D1GP on 4/24/2025 @ 11:51 PM *

I think my 2013 in white looks less Marvel Superhero and a little more 60 year old man (I'm 56!), especially with her side cases and/or top case mounted ... and she'll be for sale soon! I just need to finish taking the rest of the pix for my Cycle Trader ad.

Never heard of a 30th Anniversary model.

I remember that. IDK what it was the 30th anniversary of but I remember the bike. It's a ZX-14, take the fairings off and they're all the same.

I think my 2013 in white looks less Marvel Superhero and a little more 60 year old man

Had I been 22, I would have made the same pick.

It has been a while since I have posted in here but I do visit regularly. It has been 2-1/2 years since I considered selling the bike but I do still have it. Only difference is that since then I have put 2,000 more miles on it. I think I have 45-46,000 on it now and it still runs like the day I purchased it. I just don't ride it like I used to. Last night I removed the rear tire so I can take it in and have a replacement mounted on it. The tire only has about 200 miles on it but I picked up a nail somewhere and it is slowly leaking. I use K&N Yamaha in Tulsa for this service. I usually drop the bike off but as it turns out I was told Yamaha has a slew of recalls they are doing and the next available date for getting the bike on a lift is sometime in late May. I was surprised how simple it was to get the tire off. I did screw up though. Turns out that on the brake caliper I began to remove the wrong bolts and had brake fluid starting to drip on the floor. Lesson learned. I did get it off though without incident. I bought a torque wrench for the reinstall. Rook, I read on of your posts from earlier that stated 93lbs. is the correct torque for the rear axle. Mine is a 2015. Is this correct? BTW, I saw your new bike and love it! God only knows the changes that you are going to do to this one. I really liked your previous bike too.
I recall having the option to purchase the 30th Anniversary Model for another $500 but did not like the Firecracker Red as much as I liked the Golden Blaze Green color.

* Last updated by: doznkoz on 4/26/2025 @ 7:24 AM *