The fastest bike means nothing to me as the question always remains the same "are you faster than me" that question applies to the stop light, drag strip, dirt track and road track. I could go buy another zx14 with all the bolt-ons and I will still get hammered in the 1/4 by a better drag racer. Rook is right anyone that trades a zx14 or Busa for a liter bike and still does the same style of ridding is going to be highly disappointed.

Oh boy...here we go again.

I never like to say never but that isn't going to happen period but I guess we can dream.

Kawi puts the ponies in the water HERE why not the 14? Never say never. ...a little birdie told me some big things are going to happen at Team Green for 2011.

* Last updated by: CoolWhip on 7/9/2010 @ 4:24 PM *

That story about the supercharged engine from the watercraft has been circulating since late 2008. There would have to be some real big changes. I hope they do it.

Never say never. ...a little birdie told me some big things are going to happen at Team Green for 2011.

Now that's the Spirit. 260 Hp at 7750 RPM. How will that work, clutch out then flip over,,,,teee he. I want one.

The liter bikes are so damn uncomfortable to ride but it seems thats where all the new tech is going but to see BMW launch a 1000 cc engine that spanks my 1352 cc engine is disheartening.

You all understand a supercharger is driven off the crankshaft, right?

So unless the ZX14 engine geometry changes radically (unlikely) you would have to run a belt all the way to the top of the engine. Which would move a lot of weight up just behind where the tank cover is now.

If you put the supercharger down low if would have to be behind the cylinders, since the exhaust and radiator take up all the room in front.

The expected horizontal cylinder big-bang engine for the 2011 ZX10 could solve that, as the charger could sit beside the throttle bodies on top of the pistons or behind the bodies on top of the crankcase.

Not sure that helps the ZX14. Hub, I don't care about technology. Technology is NOT driving engineering decisions at Kawasaki except for competition dirt bikes and the ZX10. That is all they can afford to do without sacrificing new machines 5 years out, even 10 years out.

I think the ZX14 will morph into a street cruiser. K invested a ton in the Concours 14. It is a fantastic bike. There is no financial incentive for K to put millions into morphing the ZX14 to compete with the Concours 14. This would be bad business.

Besides, remember why the ZX14 even came to be? One word.... Hyabusa. That race is run and done. It is no longer important.

What is important to Kawasaki now is increase their dominance of offroad competition and regain status in onroad competition short of MotoGP (which will die within 5 years, or morph as drastically as GP did before it).

None of that gets us big changes in the bikes above 1 liter because there is no status or market share to be gained above 1 liter large enough to justify the engineering expense.

So be certain, the 2011 ZX10 is not something you will enjoy riding as a daily rider, or for sport touring. The ZX14 will at best gain some displacement (and weight). The competition dirt bikes will get more technology and reliability. The 600R will get technology, possibly.

Its all good, I don't plan to ever own another bike. The ZX14 either outlasts me, or we are going out together.

Besides, remember why the ZX14 even came to be? One word.... Hyabusa. That race is run and done. It is no longer important.

Kawasaki was talking about the ZX-14 before the Hayabusa even hit the market, Kawasaki has always been known for having cutting edge bikes where speed and drag racing are concerned.

1969 H1-500
1972 H2-750
1973 Z1-900
1981 GPz-1100
1984 GPz 900R
1984 GPz-750 Turbo
1990 ZX-11
2000 ZX-12R
2006 ZX-14

Both Suzuki and Kawasaki were talking at the same time. The ZX12 had been a financial failure (compared to the ZX11), and Suzuki appeared to be about to introduce a motorcycle (the Hyabusa) which did everything the ZX12 had failed to do and looked good too. Kawasaki expended millions of dollars to engineer the 06 ZX14. Since then they have spent almost nothing in engineering dollars on it.

This is because there is NO financial incentive for Kawasaki to invest engineering dollars in the ZX14. Without tremendous engineering expense, nothing can substantially change on the ZX14. The ZX14 is end-of-life, anyway, and if anything will be replaced, like the Z1, GPZ1100, Z11, and Z12 before it.

What used to be the Kawasaki Heavy Industries which came out with the most hp each year has changed to a much leaner corporation, and any engineering expenses need to pay for themselves. Times have changed.

There is not sufficent demand for a supersport, which is predominantly used on the street, for more speed or higher horsepower unless it is the homologation of a track bike, like the ZX10, or the new BMW.

Yamaha has been doing this for many years already. All of the new bikes showing any level of engineering expense invested, are homologations of track bikes.

The Hyabusa and ZX14 will be around for a long time, because they have entire international owners communities which have sprung up around them. But this won't be enough to cause Kawasaki to spend a few million more engineering dollars to evolve the ZX14 significantly when they have to update the ZX6R and ZX10R tremendously if they hope to be successfully in the various superbike competition classes.

Kawasaki could turn around and make all of this false, and I'd be very happy to see them produce a good successor for the ZX14. I just don't believe they can afford to.

Since I am so new to the ZX 14 I don't feel much of a need to update her. What drew me to the bike was that it was multi purpose. I would imagine only a handful of riders could ever use it to her limits. While I like the newer/better/bigger like anybody else I don't think the money is out there right now for companies to pour money into such a limited appeal motorcycle.

^^^considering the economy, its actually quite a surprise that BMW went and did this...even to a class of bike where there is more of a demand. BmW was taking a big risk but they have shown that they can deliver what was promised. I'm sure BMW was hoping some of the Big 4 would be afraid or unable to step up the performance on their literbikes. If that is the case, look for BMW to take a real strong position in the market for a long timer to come.

im sure this wasnt a venture BMW took on in the last 2-3 yrs im sure this started many yrs ago b4 the economy tanked

You all understand a supercharger is driven off the crankshaft, right?

So unless the ZX14 engine geometry changes radically (unlikely) you would have to run a belt all the way to the top of the engine. Which would move a lot of weight up just behind where the tank cover is now.

If you put the supercharger down low if would have to be behind the cylinders, since the exhaust and radiator take up all the room in front.

The expected horizontal cylinder big-bang engine for the 2011 ZX10 could solve that, as the charger could sit beside the throttle bodies on top of the pistons or behind the bodies on top of the crankcase.

Not sure that helps the ZX14. Hub, I don't care about technology. Technology is NOT driving engineering decisions at Kawasaki except for competition dirt bikes and the ZX10. That is all they can afford to do without sacrificing new machines 5 years out, even 10 years out.

I think the ZX14 will morph into a street cruiser. K invested a ton in the Concours 14. It is a fantastic bike. There is no financial incentive for K to put millions into morphing the ZX14 to compete with the Concours 14. This would be bad business.

Besides, remember why the ZX14 even came to be? One word.... Hyabusa. That race is run and done. It is no longer important.

What is important to Kawasaki now is increase their dominance of offroad competition and regain status in onroad competition short of MotoGP (which will die within 5 years, or morph as drastically as GP did before it).

None of that gets us big changes in the bikes above 1 liter because there is no status or market share to be gained above 1 liter large enough to justify the engineering expense.

So be certain, the 2011 ZX10 is not something you will enjoy riding as a daily rider, or for sport touring. The ZX14 will at best gain some displacement (and weight). The competition dirt bikes will get more technology and reliability. The 600R will get technology, possibly.

Its all good, I don't plan to ever own another bike. The ZX14 either outlasts me, or we are going out together

Long story short it will never happen

Besides, remember why the ZX14 even came to be? One word.... Hyabusa. That race is run and done. It is no longer important

true

Rook: I know so little about that. I have never heard mention of an alternator ...isn't there some other similar device for modern bikes that maintains battery charge?? Stator, no?? In any case, I would find the helper motor a lot more appealing if it were already some part of the bike that now has been given an extra job. A starter motor that came into play at low speed would seem like a possibility but I bet it would need to be huge. You can be fighting the weight vs hp battle.

I did a cursory read of an article on the new Big Bang engine.

Read something about using the starter motor as the auxiliary motor.

* Last updated by: DZINURZZ on 7/12/2010 @ 10:57 AM *

willidx4: The ZX14 either outlasts me, or we are going out together

I hope the former.

2011 ZX-10R Pictures Click Here

Still can find nothing new for the big girl.

Not exactly what you are looking for Romans...but check out: 2011 Motorcycle Model Lineup. Not always up to speed on things but if you look at the Yamaha section, they have the new 2011s and that info was just released yesterday at Big Blue. Kind of a one stop shop for various MC manufacturers.

The new ZX10 isn't a big bang motor after all....thats changed. Its just a more traditional style very kick-ass motor, probably with variable-valve timing, tons of hp, and lots of electronic traction control, shifting etc. Alot like the BMW, just faster I would imagine

The new ZX10 isn't a big bang motor after all.

How do you know? Do you have a link? More info?

* Last updated by: Steven14 on 9/2/2010 @ 4:21 PM *

2ND ?

3rd

That would be awesome. Just a good old engine that is stronger than previous models.

Leave that Big Bang stuff to the memories of Yamaha.

* Last updated by: Rook on 9/2/2010 @ 5:35 PM *

Leave that Big Bang stuff to the memories of Yamaha

+1 There is nothing more exhilarating than intoxicating sound of a screamer engine. That's one of the reason I just got '09 ZX-6R that spins all the way to 16.5K

There is nothing more exhilarating than intoxicating sound of a screamer engine. That's one of the reason I just got '09 ZX-6R that spins all the way to 16.5K

Congrats Steve.