I just watched a video of Rickey Gadson dyno pulls of a new 2023 ZX14r fresh from the crate and compared it to his 2018 ZX14r tuned Bike. He talks how the 14r has been changed since 2012.

Rickey tries a new exhaust, https://vykon-exhaust.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN1kIWOJ4O8

* Last updated by: doubleD on 5/25/2025 @ 9:16 AM *

Assist:

https://vykon-exhaust.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN1kIWOJ4O8

* Last updated by: Hub on 5/25/2025 @ 12:54 PM *

2018, 202.26 hp, no idea what pipe he was running but probably the latest, a Brock’s CT .

2023, 196.05 hp, antiquated Brock’s Street Meg.

2023, 206.95 hp, Vikon Extra Shorty.

Is the current ZX-14 making better power than older ones? I’m going to say probably not anything remotely necessary to upgrade. Same as the 06-07 v the 08-011. Pretty dang much the same bike. The pipes have improved though. A new pipe is probably much more cost effective than a new bike if hp numbers matter to you. I spout my mouth off a lot on this issue but I’ll repeat, if you don’t race, a few, even 10-20 hp isn’t going to change your riding experience on top of all the power you have stock. Do it because you’re intrigued with it but it’s not like the power is going to offer you a whole new bike. The sound sure does and to some degree, the weight loss. Heck, I’ll take another 20 hp on top of that but to tell you the truth, I don’t feel it. The stock bike already has much more power than I can use 99.9% of the time. …but do it because you’re intrigued, I do. LOL there’s always that .1% of the time you’ll go apeshit crazy on the bike and you might as well have all the power you can because that’s why you’re doing it.

There’s no way Rickey is plugging Vikon unless he’s having a falling out with Brock’s. He wouldn’t even mention Vikon even if he knew it was superior. Drag racing is not a high paying sport, you go with who supports you. I believe that Vikon is a great pipe but the latest Brock’s is right on par. How many ways are there to improve the exhaust that Brock hasn’t figured out 17 years ago? Same as always, if hp numbers matter to you, just go with what most are using in racing.

In conclusion, no, I don’t think the newer 14Rs are making a lot more power than the older ones. If this were the case, Rickey would have mentioned stock hp numbers of his 2018 and earlier 14Rs. Does anyone think for a moment he didn’t test those and record the results? Rickey’s making money like all the rest of us. Hopefully you can do what you like but absolutely, you do what makes you money. I’d probably still buy a Brock’s CT meg because that’s what everyone else is using. I’m going turbo though. It’s a whole new frontier. An extra 20 hp is just the beginning, I’m thinking an extra hundred hp pretty quick, maybe an extra 200 hp down the road. That’s probably going to open my eyes. I still recognize the greater versatility of a NA bike and you should have all the power that you can with that. I’ll wait for a simple stock v stock comparison. LOL I hope the latest 14R makes more power because it is a little heavier than early 14Rs. As far as the exhaust, you put whatever racing people put on their 14Rs. They already did the research for you. I really love my new 14R. It was brand new. I don’t think it was much if any better than an older one or Kaw probably would have publicized it Like they did when the 08 Hayabusa came out. The Gen3 Hayabusa has reduced hp so there’s no reason to make the 14R stronger and if they did, do you doubt they would be screaming about it? The busa is still far outselling the 14R. If they make a better 14R, they will certainly tell us it’s better even if just a little bit.

...and I was thinking, there can be a difference of a few hp in all bikes of the same model that roll out of the factory. You'd have to dyno a lot of brand new ZX-14s to establish a consistent increase of a few hp over the ones that were manufactured in previous years. If he saw an increase of 15-20 hp in a single stock bike, I think that would be nearly conclusive that yeah, they did something. Five or six hp more than typical, it could just be that Rickey was lucky to get one of the strongest bikes from the factory. ...although, he is the expert. He said the 2016s had some changes the manufacturer never said a word about and those bikes did feel stronger. They might have done it again. I can't imagine they wouldn't make performance improvements public but motorcycles are almost a pet project to Kawasaki Heavy Industries. They profit a lot more from the other things they manufacture or so I've always been told. They might make improvements to the 14R and there might be reasons they don't want to advertise it. They already won the hp war and Suzuki chose to not challenge that. They know the Hayabusa outsells them even if it is a weaker bike so let the big bear sleep while you grow even stronger in the shadows. Those of us who are paying attention will know the difference.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/25/2025 @ 7:55 PM *