Dragking great write up. Now let me break it down now,this is going to be a long write up. First i live in new jersey near the philly area so i ride and race with ALOT of bikes and for a long time now. My last 3 bikes before my zx14R were 2009 zx14,2006 gsxr1000,and a 2005 hayabusa. Now forget the older busa not even in the conversation anymore,but my gixxer 1000 was a awesome bike i raced anyone back then and i beat them[just a better rider and a great bike]in superbikes this month it is on the top ten great bikes ever list,and for good reason. So back with the gixxer my friend with a 2005-06 forget had a worked up zx10[exhaust yada yada]he would always lose to me but man he was right on my tail almost everytime. So bring in the 2009 zx14[YEAH BABY]after i got the exhaust,tune and gearing on that thing and ohh yeah i weighed in the 160's top back then it was incredable. First time we raced on the highway[now mind you it felt real fast but i didnt know if it was that much faster it was so smooth]we hit it im guessing in third gear,i remember hearing his bike screaming in the upper revs waiting to hit it[i was a lil nervous]so bang we hit it and i go up to about 170 or so near top of 5th gear and i look around and he was a football field away??? So we pull off the highway and he explains that when we hit it i instanly pulled a good 1.5-2 bike lead and when we keep shifting i was walking away real bad so he shut it down[hence the football field distance.] After that i had fun whipping by buddies for the year or so i had the bike,towards the end their was all this talk one saturday moring at are meet up spot,there was this guy with a new 2010 cbr1000 that was killing everyone on there 1000's it had a great midrange and it would pull everyone.......so we meet up with the guy and i say lets race. Well this guy was one of those guys that thought busa and 14's were old and fat and slow,anyway we raced from 2nd i think on this 2 mile long[at least] back road in the back woods towards the shore. We hit it and i lost sight of him in my side view right away so i bury the hammer and at the end[when he caught up he said THE SAME SHIT,WOW your 14 pulled me right away and kept on pulling. So on the way back down the road we raced again and i gave him a 2 bike lead to see how bad i was pulling these guys,so he gets the hit and at fist i maybe get a half bike back or more at first and im like holy shit he is going to win,then the big 14 just reeled him in a gear later FLEW on by......HOLY SHIT. Now im a light weight but that was awesome and this was with the OLD 14 mind you,that thing with a lil work an a good rider and a skinny guy was awesome.Now i never raced a 2nd gen busa[i know i can't believe it either] just never ran into one that would actully race me.I was 160 lbs and they were always over 200 something and i gues they couldn't stand it if they lost. But my good frind had a 2007 busa with a brock exhaust and -1+2 gearing but he weighed a good 40lbs on me i would just wimp him easily on the gen1 busa,i mean it never was a race, then again his bike had maybe a horsepower or 2 on the newer 1000's but he and the bike were heavier than the 1000's so hence the killing. Now again this is with the gen1 14,now i'll be honest i haven't really run to many people yet on the new 14 who could really ride,and i weigh in the low 170's now[LOL] but i can't wait it should be a friggin ball. Now to end this debate once and for all,yes the newer 1000's get ALL the attention from the manafactures,they get all the advances and so forth,thats just how it is. You guys have to realize on the older 14's that the newer 1000's are closer in horsepower than they should be,why u ask.well they have an engine that sucks compared to are's on the street that can go up to 13 or 15 thousand rpms, where we really top out around 10 or so rpms. AND the real issue is ALOT of u guys are bigger poeple than the guys who ride the 1000's,but put a guy my size on the big boy's and you'll see what's up. Besides like i said do you want a bike that snaps your head back at 4 grand or a bike you have to wind up to go really fast. By buddy with the 2011 gsxr 1000 who pulled only 166hp after mine pulled 201hp,i rode his bike and wow compared to the new 14 i hate to say it,it sucked i was like comeon where is the power and pull. And that is what they don't have my friends. Now onto the bmw the bike IS A GAME CHANGER.....PERIOD. After the lil weak 1000s all pulled in the 160's or so and after i pulled 201hp the guys bmw was there getting gearing put on and they said do you want to see his chart,he pulled 183 dead stock[mine new 14 pulled 185hp with 600 miles and syn.oil in it dead stock]and after the guy put on full exhaust[austin racing]and they tuned his[mine just has brock map no special tuning on its own]his lil bmw pulled 196hp......HOLY SHIT.Now the guy who works on the bike rode his and mine [A LIL]said the bmw sucks on the street and feels like a 600 when trying to pass cars[had to downshift 2 gears]but up top above 10,000 rpms he said it pulls like a frieght train. So if i was to race one on the street he would need the perfect race for him to win[high rpm,right gear] were as a new 14r can race ANYWHERE. BUT if even i was to race the new bimmer i would def.be nervous with a good rider on it,thats ANYBODYS race. But with ANY other 1000's out there,they just don't match up to the new 14 dragking. The new 14 IS a big leap forward IMO!!!!!! OHH i forgot the dyno guy after bieng on my new 14 said wow even compared to bmw and busa and older 14 he can feel the diffence,even on the dyno when he was warming it up i remberer he said that it felt like a bored out engine on his dyno compared to EVERY other bike on that dyno ever.

---

WOW sorry guys i didnt know it would be that long.

* Last updated by: zx14racer on 5/6/2012 @ 8:29 AM *

---

it's very much worth the read.

this was with the OLD 14 mind you,that thing with a lil work an a good rider and a skinny guy was awesome.

Now i never raced a 2nd gen busa[i know i can't believe it either] just never ran into one that would actully race me.I was 160 lbs and they were always over 200 something and i gues they couldn't stand it if they lost.

All joking aside, almost any busa you run across on the street is bound to be piloted by a 100% poser.

the bmw sucks on the street and feels like a 600 when trying to pass cars[had to downshift 2 gears]but up top above 10,000 rpms he said it pulls like a frieght train. So if i was to race one on the street he would need the perfect race for him to win[high rpm,right gear] were as a new 14r can race ANYWHERE. BUT if even i was to race the new bimmer i would def.be nervous with a good rider on it,thats ANYBODYS race.

I woulda guessed. I'd still love to have a S1000 but not for street performance or all out straight line either.

I had an opportunity to race an a liter bike down the straightaway last track day. The rider was a very big fella, prolly 250 260. I'm 220 myself though. By the time we got going there wasn't much room left. I wasn't expecting a race so I didn't have my 14 spinning tooo fast. I still jumped out ahead of him on the first shift and that was not even WOT. Got it on on-bike video. There was a bike right in front of me by the time we got close to the end so I had to let off. I't would have been crazy to try to turn in and cut the opponent off in that short of a distance. (too much like a real race) I saw that big bruiser go hopping by into the corner on his liter bike. He was maxing his bike, for sure. He managed a bigger risk braking that I did but he didn't have anyone in front of him on his side of the track. I still know who would have won that race under safer conditions. I hope I see that guy at the next track day. LOL!!

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/6/2012 @ 10:29 AM *

---

Thanks rook for the enjoying my ramble. See your a big guy too. Thats the problem with guys who own the bigger bikes,they are usally bigger people.I'm just average size but i'm nearing 40 so i want comfort and proformance too. Some of the guys on here are bigger and they race this kids on lil 1000's who weigh alot less.But this new 14 with the power advantage.....FORGET ABOUT IT. And yes i would love to own or atleast ride the bimmer to. And yes rook on the track is NOT the place to race a 14 vs 1000 no where near enough room to build up the speed and walk away from them,and more importantly SLOW DOWN afterwards.By the way you are the man driving the big boy on the track.GO GET EM ROOK!!!!!!!!!!

* Last updated by: zx14racer on 5/6/2012 @ 10:42 AM *

---

Drag King wrote:

At the end of the day it all comes down to your terrain. In the hill country it just doesn't matter, liters and 600 eat 14's for lunch. You've gotta have big balls and matching skills to follow a 600 on a 14, that and good insurance. In Montana or Nebraska with all those straights and open sweepers( Montana) the 14 is king. Now that I think about it, I was always looking for a "fight" in NE but here I just watch and learn lol

Did over 300 miles today on my 6R, almost all twisties. I'm convinced that most riders can't use more than this on the rodes I ride. This talk of 170 mph, where? You'd either be dead or under the jail where I live and ride, there's just nowhere to open it up safely on a two lane Farm to Market.

Honestly, after a day on the 600 my 14 feels like the Exxon Valdez, a very fast Exxon Valdez but no way could the 14 keep up with the 6R on these roads. Dragking, it sounds like you ride the same stuff down there in Austin.

---

DragKing wrote:

.... and on the twisties... forget about it!

That pretty much sums it up.

---

Now granted kruz a lil 600 will handle much easier no doubt,but this new 14 handles amazing well for a huge bike.To each their own,i would rather have a comforable touring bike that i can ride all day long,and if need be give me mind altering acclertion to boot.......but thats just me!!!!

---

Well you see, this is just exactly why one bike simply won't do.

---

WOW sorry guys i didnt know it would be that long.

Not a problem! It's nice to be able to discuss those kinda things on a 14 forum without people getting upset. It seems that you're enjoying the heck out of your 14R and I'm glad you do! Weighting 160lbs and racing a 14R isn't fair lol
You've only got about 10 posts but I think you'll be a good addition to the forum.

Dragking, it sounds like you ride the same stuff down there in Austin.

We're spoiled here in Austin. The South routes I know are kinda tight, but the East and North routes have everything: tight twisties, hairpins and open sweepers. When I wanna work on my lines I ride with a group mostly comprised of track guys on their 600's and liters, When I just wanna have a blast, there is this guy who's got a modded concourse and this other guy on his 1200 S. We often start with a technical route to get warmed up and coast in 6th till we get to the triple digit sweepers. In Texas, you definitely need more than 1 bike.

I haven't made it to Houston yet but when I do, I'll make sure to get a hold of you: I was really starting to regret the 14 until I got my suspensions sorted and it is a must for guys above 200 lbs. They did an excellent job with the front fork on the 14R. It is really planted and precise. The shock was a little soft for my weight but I'am comparing with mine. The real test will be when/if I get BST's and switch to even bigger valves on the forks. I'm surprised people aren't trying to get 14R wheels on their first generations!

What I also found really surprising was that the 14R felt so good on a generic setting. The 10R didn't "feel" WAY more nimble after I had gotten off the 14R. So yes, I would say Kawasaki nailed it, they are just a little late. The 14R in 2009 as a counter punch to the 08 Busa would have ended the war for good. The hypersport competition has been kinda stagnant for years and the ZX-14 platform has been so well developed that people were/are hungry for more. As for myself, I just needed a little more: ABS would have done it!

---

I'm surprised people aren't trying to get 14R wheels on their first generations!

Some have suggested that i buy ZX-10 wheels as a low priced light weight wheel. IDK how it stacks up to 14r wheels for weight. Anyway, I see little reason to spend anything on a wheel unless the wheel is substantially lighter.

The 14R in 2009 as a counter punch to the 08 Busa would have ended the war for good.

Never could have happened after the so called ZX-14 update in 2008 and at that time, he 14 was only 2 years in production. We had to wait until now. Personally, I'm glad. It needed to happen cuz the liter bikes are creeping into hyperbike territory. Other than that, I could wait for ever. I don't want to feel as though I should buy a new hyperbike for a long time.....but time has come. I'm still holding out.

---

I won't be getting one

What are the defects?
BMW Motorrad has found that there have been a few, isolated cases of engine damage occurring at high engine rpm. This was caused by conrod bolts working loose.

http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1012147

* Last updated by: ethin14 on 5/7/2012 @ 3:18 AM *

Hey dragking thanks again for the nice comments,and rook you said it best the 14r isn't just going after the busa,the company realized with the new zx10 that the 14 couldn't put out less power than it's OWN 1000cc bike.And dragking i dont know what kind of rider you guys are,me i live in new jersey and where im at NOOO twisties at all really,so straight line speed rules the day. And compared to the old 14,the new 14 is MUCH improved in my opinion. I thought the new 14 totaly stock felt way stronger up top then my 09 14 with all the work done,and then when i lost 40lbs of exhaust and gained another 15hp......i dam near shit on the bike!!!!!!!!

* Last updated by: zx14racer on 5/7/2012 @ 6:40 AM *

---

DragKing, you mentioned a good warmup, absolutely essential or you can bust your butt, especially if you haven't been back in the tight stuff in a while. The rythm and timing is different depending on the speed of the corners. It takes me a good half hour of gradually inceasing speed until I feel like I'm back in that "groove" where you're reading the road like a cheap novel.

Another feature of North Texas riding I might mention, challenge really, is our soil is black gumbo, shrinks and swells depending upon rain conditions. A glass smooth road back in January can have deep ripples and cracks in it by July. You have to either prerun the road or else take it easy. I hit a mammoth bump yesterday in an otherwise smooth road that I was on just a few months ago. It caught me totally by surprise and almost launched me at just under 100 mph. If I had been doing 140, 150 I probably wouldn't be writing this. Another feature of the farm roads here is the kaleche dust from the side roads. The ranchers love to put a side road right on a corner where you've got the bike at max lean, it can be an eye opener to say the least when you see your apex covered in a fine layer of silt. I dream of clean, glass smooth asphalt but it's not part of my reality. Anyway, it is what it is and I see it as part of the challenge of riding these roads fast.

---

zx14racer wrote:

i dont know what kind of rider you guys are,me i live in new jersey and where im at NOOO twisties at all really,so straight line speed rules the day.

No harm, no foul there big guy, welcome to the forum! We just come from different worlds is all, if I was up there and could use the straightline speed I'd probably be into also.

BTW, I'm no 14 hater, I was one of the originals on the old 14 forum back in early 2006 and bought one of the first '06 ZX-14s down in San Antonio. Still have it but have added a few more bikes to the collection since.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 5/7/2012 @ 7:37 AM *

---

OK KRUZ I OFFICIALLY HATE YOU NOW.

---

Lol!

* Last updated by: Kruz on 5/7/2012 @ 10:20 AM *

---

LOL.Dude your the man,can i be your kid or bestest friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!PLEASEEEEEEEEE!!

---

Hey, I see how 600s get no respect up there. If it's straight roads they would be a bit dull. In DragKing's neighborhood they're a real weapon of choice with the go fast guys.

---

What 600?? your cbr is a 1000,and u have the 2011 zx10.

---

Yea if your down this way we'll ride, I'm hoping to get down to Austin to ride with DragKing sometime this summer. It's a whole different type of riding than here as I remember, more like SoCal canyon riding, a lot more elevation changes, blind corners and really tight stuff, maybe 30 to 40 mph tops. Our tightest stuff on the FMs here is posted 25 to 30 mph and you can take them at 65 to 75 with the crazy guys doing maybe 80.

---

Lime green one is an '09 ZX-6R, black one is the '11 ZX-10R. I changed out the black lowers on the 6R for lime green ones so it looks a bit different from the typical 6R of that year.

---

how does the 10 feel compared with your 06 14? Oh just noticed you have slip-on yosh on the 14. If u had a brocks full and tune it would make a difference.So i guess i can't ask u how powerfull your 10 is compared to the 14,because from first hand dyno exp. iv'e seen brocks exhaust destroy yosh slip on's.

* Last updated by: zx14racer on 5/7/2012 @ 11:27 AM *

---

When I had Ivan's Performance tune it back in '06, the Yoshi slipon gave the best lowend/midrange response so I went that route, about 175 on top but it's hard to use, the low and midrange I use every time I ride. I think the Brock's is more popular with the drag racing crowd whereas Ivan tunes for maximum area below the curve and super crisp throttle. Brock was on the record for saying one time he didn't care about low end and throttle response as long as it went fast in the quarter. Not my cup 'o tea for sure. Ivan's up in your neighborhood by the way, Rockland County, NY.

---

oh ok.I love brocks it's more money,but i'll tell you what after i put on the full system i noticed it EVERYWHERE!!!!

---

The 14 is a beast down low, from about 2500 rpm it pulls your arms off, the 10R is no match for it until you get up to 9000 then it takes off. I'm still running the stock 10R ECU, good for about 160ish on the back tire, ECU reflash and you get an instant 180 rear wheel and a nice midrange bump.

---