I thought that this was very interesting...

One of my riding buddies sent this to me. He rides a FJR and found this on his FJR forum. Here is a little back story on this chart...

"An engineering student on my FJR blog had an assignment to calculate bike performance on selected bikes – using data provided by each manufacture (real-world track and specification data) – here’s his final chart. All I got to say is…you da man! Wow, the ZX14 is incredible!!! The FJR was no slouch, with only the ZX and C14 beating it… Take a look at the Street Glide (Ha, ha…). Maybe it can go up against a Vespa and win..?"

Enjoy the chart!

BearsZX72

Well, there hasn't been a real challenge to the ZX14 since it came out.

Interesting info on the C14. Its exactly what I have gathered from being associated with the Concours Owners Group (COG) for a year or so.

If they tested one of COG Tech's C14s running Muzzy dual exhaust, piggy, Guhl re-flash with speed and rev limits removed, and a couple other tricks they've developed, the C14 would be 1/2 again as close to the ZX14 making the two Kawasakis clearly superior.

And even stock, the C14 beats the K-1600GT. Cool.

I have ridden the C14 and the FJR and cannot believe the C14 is faster than the FJR unless they paired it up against the FJR autoshift.

The C14 IMO is a poochy puck and has to get into way high rpm for it to even try to go. Stock for stock against my K13GT beemer the C14 feels like it has no butt. I still have not come across a C14 to play against to see if I am right but seat of the pants tells me I am right.

The only thing I am downing on the C14 is the alleged power. The rest of the bike felt fine.

ROFL are you sure you aren't talking about an old C10 ?

I've ridden with COG a lot, and those C14s move along quite well. I've ridden a FJR too, and its about the same.

And they aren't compairing it to the K13, they are comparing it to the K1600 which is a heavier motorcycle.

All those lines in the middle (HD low, ZX14 high) are so close that your butt dyno can't tell the difference.

And those are acceleration lines, not horsepower nor torque.

It would be interesting to see a comparison of the aceleration curves between the original 14 and new 14R. I'm assuming the '06 14 has flies in which would make a bit of a difference up to 60 mph perhaps, after that you're rpm is outside the fly opening range.

On second thought it's possible the 0 to 60 curve could actually be lower flies out due to wheelspin in first gear when launching.

I know they are talking K16 but the 2 C14's that I have ridden (stone cold stock) felt like they could barly pull their own weight until 8 grand and still was not that impreesive. They have the same problem my ZX14 had until a few minor changes were made.

The FJR K13GT and K16 have some bottom to them and midrange that pulls ok but none of them 3 have an overdrive 6th. My opinion is the overdrive kills it but will make make the bike quiet on the open road.

I think I would rather have a C10 than the C14 but that is just me.

None of the C14s I have ridden with or on match what you are saying, lytnin. None of them.

Hard to believe that the two I rode were factory poopers.

Well anyway that is the reason I want to roll off against one to see if it is just me or the biike. C14 could be so smooth that it is much faster than what it feels but that 6th gear still sucks in them.

My Zx14 is much smoother than my beemer and very little twist in 6th has you going around cars that you didn't even know were in front of you.

(I like it like that!!!!!!)

On second thought it's possible the 0 to 60 curve could actually be lower flies out due to wheelspin in first gear when launching.

I think they would have that covered with " optimal shifts." Even though a launch isn't really a shift, seems like they are taking power to the ground into consideration with this data.

If I recall, the 14 did 0-60 in about 2.5 seconds. It was a lot quicker than a Lamborghini. I think the Lambo takes it by a few mph on the top. stock to stock anyway.

I know they are talking K16 but the 2 C14's that I have ridden (stone cold stock) felt like they could barly pull their own weight until 8 grand and still was not that impreesive. They have the same problem my ZX14 had until a few minor changes were made.

WTF? Maintenance issue? Never seen or heard of that from a 14 without there being something wrong... I run my 2010 flies in and it runs like a raped ape! A moderate pull up a short on ramp gets me to warp speed entering the highway...

* Last updated by: bigwilliezx on 12/20/2011 @ 9:17 AM *

I am not gonna argue the bottom end pull with the 14 on the 14. The 14 was not up to par on bottom with my naked bikes and the way people talked they were bottle rockets looking for a path to burn. My 1100 and 1200 ZRX's don't need major rpm to get rolling on the bottom but once the 14 gets rolling then they stay rolling.

I expected more and it was not there so I had to make it there for my needs. My 14 now has some bottom end and a lot more top end than I want or need.

"Funny, Suz never followed this boldly, exploiting its engine family [staple]."

Would YOU throw immense sums of cash for an 'upgrade' to something KNOWING that your competition already had the upper hand and was on trajectory to greatness?That would effectively be shooting yourself in the foot.Spend that 'upgrade' cash on something more reliable sales wise.Like CARS .

That's not to say that Suzuki hasn't or couldn't produce a fine bike...they do.The Busa has a lot of really good qualities about it.I truly feel the Busa did surpass the 14 in fitment and shift quality.I will always think that(on the earlier machines).But I also know that right now...the new 14 has addressed those issues and nicely resolved them.

Suzuki may even at this time be watching closely the reaction to the new 14 and already have plans made to overpower the new kid on the block.They do know how to build very good bikes.But how 'big' are they willing to go?That's the question.They'd have to go bigger...for sure.It wouldn't surprise me one bit that they'd come out with a really new engine...and take top seat.I'm not so sure that a 'bigger' motor above the 1441 or thereabouts would be actually streetrideable however.That's a lot of power on two wheels on the street.I wouldn't be getting one....1441 is gonna be fine with me.Still 14,with just enough of a edge to keep me satisfied for a long time.

These bike companies..Kawa and Suz...they've got mega millions to work with.But they certainly don't want to spend it on flops and poor sales.Not anymore.Suzuki's gonna HAVE to go REAL BIG this next round.I'm not so sure they want to play anymore.They made(and still do)good money off their Busa...for a long time now.They know that recipe works.

I think building big power engines for these streetbikes may just have a safety limit.And I really,honestly,don't believe that Kawasaki's addition of KTRC and slipper clutch are really about ...'oooh,geee,look at this deal!"I'm more inclined to think they almost HAD to put these electronic features on there to make the bike actually safe enough to handle the power and all.I don't think that stuff is on there for wow factor at all.Spinning tires on the street leaned over is not the best combination for ' a safe riding experience'.It's just possible that the two Govt's(or more) got together on this and said...'okay...build your bike...but you better have something built in to help keep people alive...you can't just unleash something like this without some sort of safeguard".To me,this makes sense.As weird as it sounds.I mean...you look at the EURO emissions standards...who set that up?And who said..."okay,we'll comply".Kawasaki didn't just 'come up with that' on their own.They'd probably love to do away with a restrictive exhaust system and let the full power roll.

You know...they knew what was going to happen with their earlier models having those secondaries in there.That particular bike,the 14,wasn't at a power stage yet where they actually NEEDED to somehow control the power output.The use of secondaries allowed the user to get used to the engine strength and all,and then 'upgrade' by removing those plates.Now you look at the new bike...significantly more powerful and responsive.This bike isn't going to be bought by some kid.The market for this bike is Dragracers and experienced big bike riders..the Busa and 14 crowd.It's designed to fill the streetbike guys'(experienced ones that is)desire for a very big shot in the arm...without going crazy doing millions of mods to it.It is not a 600...1000...or anything like that.It's not supposed to be.That market is NOT what this new bike is directed at.I think at my age...having a bike this 'sophisticated' electronically and engine wise is just perfect.I'm old enough to know...MY LIMITATIONS.And what I really want from a sportbike at my age.I'm not after lap times and 1/4 mile runs.But I want a big sportbike that I can rail on and feel safe on and have a blast doing it.There's lots of guys out there that feel the same way right now.This bike is NOT for everyone.No way.It will 'lack' in the twisty department comparing to a 600 or whatever.But it will shine in everything else.And does.

I know someone's gonna argue 'how would you know...you only have such and such miles on it so far".Yep....that's true.But I really do trust my gut feelings.My gut feelings tell me...this new bike is all that and then some.VERY 'then some'.I don't think I'm alone in that either.

I'll say this....looking at the new bike,sitting on it,is not the same thing as actually starting that motor and feeling it.ANYONE who's breathing and conscious is going to IMMEDIATELY KNOW at startup and take off that this bike is DIFFERENT.Whether they grab a handful or roll on...or whatever.It's not going to take 1000's or hundreds of miles in the saddle to get an idea of what's up.I could tell leaving the dealer that I had made a great choice(for me).

One of the BIG things for me was getting a new bike,a 14,and not having that experience changed(in a negative way).You know you're on a 14.That's the good part about it among others.It feels and looks like the trusted 14.The dimensions are virtually the same.The ergos,though modified,are pretty much the same.If you closed your eyes,you would think(almost) that it's the same bike.That's what I was hoping for.All the 'revisions' are way nice.But it's STILL a 14....

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 12/20/2011 @ 3:26 PM *