For several weeks, holed up in hotels and airports, with intense domestic and Intl business travel, I was seduced by the incessant wave of news of the 2011 hyperbombers like the ZX10 and the teased with the possibilities of the Z1000s and Yammy Tenere.

I was seriously thinking whether I should trade in the 14 for something different. Today, I finally got to the chance to dust off the big Zed and haul her out of the garage. It was a perfect South Florida day for riding, so I geared up for a 275 mile round trip cross state-streak to my favorite fish joint nestled in the Isles of Capri in the Ten Thousand Island area south of Naples.

Ripping across Alligator Alley with dual Area Ps howling, it was Oh-Oh-Oh OMG…..What a beast---my bike is both slinky smooth an absolute pleasure to ride…..No way can I live without this….

While taking a breather on the side of the road on the Tamiani Trail enjoying the swampy vista, a FHP trooper stopped to check on me….He turned out to be a Kawi rider, and we had a great conversation. He asked about my top speed for the day, which I frankly discussed and after a few minutes he was off….with a chuckle and a wave, and a promise from me that I would ride safe.

What a day.

Dude WTF you stopped at a Panther crossing!! You're crazy man!! you are a true 14 rider!! LOL!!! Looks like a nice ride, nice straight sections let her breathe!! Like the bags too...

* Last updated by: Fuzz4141 on 10/9/2010 @ 10:41 PM *

Walking is more dangerous than riding with alligators and cougars all about. No wonder the cop was so nice.

"top Speed for the day...which I frankly discussed"....

Well...what WAS your top speed for the day?(sweet lookin bike Bro!Gorgeous country you've got there!)

I'm thinkin most LEOs are a bit struck with the style and overall package of the zx14.It's not just another "crotch rocket"...at least that's my impression.(I mean,they can look at it "up close" and tell it friggin flys!)...They're probably thinkin "what the hell is THIS guy doin on THAT bike?".(at least in my case!).Probably quite stunned when I pull my helmet off...and they see I aint no 20 year old!

You gotta admit...it IS a bit strange...us "older guys" piloting a major sportmachine like our WONDERFUL 14's!

EVERYTIME I've been stopped,whether getting a ticket or not,as soon as I remove my lid,you can see they "just for a moment" don't know WHAT to say..very cool indeed!

Virtually without fail,when I'm talking with ANYONE...riders included...and I tell em what I have..their first response is"You ride a WHAT?"...followed by..."I never pictured you on a crotch rocket".Funny stuff!What else WOULD I be riding?I can't picture anyone with any sense riding any thing BUT a big azz spaceship!I'm strange like that

* Last updated by: blue07 on 10/10/2010 @ 3:40 PM *

I was surprised when u took your helmet off blue!! Wudn't mind makin it down to your neck of the woods next summer.... little guy will be a yr old by then... we won't be so house bound!!

* Last updated by: Fuzz4141 on 10/10/2010 @ 6:58 PM *

Hey Silva
Nice Pic's and a great looking bike!
What Kind of bags are you running on there?
Ride Safe Don't Let the Panther Get Ya!
Snuffy

Sounds like a great ride. Thanks for sharing. That's how I have been thinking about the zx14 also

Thanks for the pics. Just wondering what the top speed of the day was too.
I suppose it's human nature to want the latest and greatest thing. If it can go just a hair faster or quicker then it's "better".
I bought the 14 because I liked the looks first of all. I'd been more patient than most and didn't want to keep looking another year for a new bike so I could semi-retire the '79 GS1000. The fact that it was the performance king in '07 was cool but I knew damn well there would be a handful of bikes that would beat it in just a few years, just as it was when I bought my 1000 in '79, except in my 1000's case it happened that same year. If you want to stay on top and have bragging rights then be prepared to keep spending.
The main difference between the two bikes is the performance of course. In time, I outgrew the 1000 in some ways. I could take it out and wind it out as far as it could go(about 130). After awhile the thrill factor was gone but it was still fun. If I didn't like the bike I wouldn't still be the original owner after 31 years and 140,000 miles.
But I can't see myself ever outgrowing the 14. I feel the thrill factor will always be there. I'll be the first to admit I'm probably an average rider at best. I've owned this bike for almost 3 years now and the most I've taken it to is 160. For my skill level and factoring the typical traffic and conditions I ride in, there's just no way for me to really take this bike to its limit. Not with any reasonable amount of caution involved. 160 and things are just a blur. Things are happening quicker than I can allow for. If something unexpected happened I couldn't be sure I'd react correctly and get through it. Going fast is fun but I don't want to go down at those speeds. To go 188 or whatever the limiter is is really daring things in my opinion. I still haven't ran through the first 4 gears as hard as I can because there's just nowhere to do it. Just mostly "roll ons" when I had lots of road ahead.
Of course we're all different and so are our own thrill limits and our skills. But sometimes that thrill you're looking for needs some luck to pull off. You open yourself up to assuming everything will happen as you want it to. I understand the urge to go out and get the new BMW or whatever just became top dog but ask yourself if you're up to it. Do you need to ride BEYOND what the 14 can do and do it again and again in all conditions? Do you need to go from 0 to 190 juuuuust a little bit quicker?
Well do ya.....punk?

Please don't take the "punk" the wrong way. Just trying to be funny.
My previous post may have been influenced a little by todays ride in the Angeles Forest.
Two more riders were air lifted out by the search and rescue copter. I have no idea of their condition or why they crashed. I just know how bad it feels to see them laying on those gurney's. The road was blocked off several hundred feet so I can't say how banged up they were. I've seen this several times over the years. Happens way too much.
Was it their fault? Was it just sand in the road or were they riding like the road is their personal race track? Do their skills match the bikes capabilities? If they ride again, will they go right out and buy an even faster bike?
"A man's got to know his limitations".(Trying to be funny again.)

Ya Fuzz...you come on down here...let me know when and we can hook up for some runs and fun.Kak...you're right on with your ideas.Personally....I went to the MSF course.Okay...so what?I already knew how to turn,brake,that stuff.It IMO didn't do anything for me in regards to riding a sportbike.This experience is a totally different deal than riding my once owned Harley.My 14 is always showing me things about physics and such that every ride is a new learning experience.I've managed somehow to stay alive and okay since I started riding sportbikes(well...this is my 3rd...zzr1200,zx12R,now this)Over a period of about 6-7 years.No one taught me what to do,how to corner,emergency stop,anything about sportbikes.

I just knew I wanted something VERY different than a Harley type bike.Stupid as it sounds..okay...I learned to play guitar by looking at John Lennon pictures while he was playing,and copied the chords he was using.And learned from that starting point.It's been the same with my "sportbikes".I read stuff like Keith Code,and watched Videos and pics of the guys racing.I've tried to emulate what they're doing.I'm no racer.Never been to a track.I don't know really WHAT my bike is capable of.Not a clue.She hauls azz,handles good enough for my abilities.And I could easily be killed riding her.Easily.I'm getting more and more away from the real extreme high speed carving.But in all honesty...I'm still breaking the law every time I ride at some point.This really is the first time in my life that I've been able to enjoy and have a bike of this type.If I'd of owned one like this 10 years ago...I wouldn't be here now...I know that.

I don't know why I'm saying all this...but I guess I'm just somehow putting things into perspective for me.Fast,careless riding will get ya killed,and maybe others.No way do I want that to happen.

I love my bike's performance...it's the kind of machine I really always wanted.But like you and Clint said Kak..."got to know your limitations".I think there comes a point(at least I've been feeling this)where ya kinda ask yerself.."why am I doing this?"Which is good I think.It's good to feel genuinely good about your decisions,and what you really enjoy about things in your life.Good message there KAK.Appreciate it Bro.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 10/11/2010 @ 4:19 AM *

Thanks blue. I guess seeing those riders on the gurneys had me kind of moody and it translated to my post. Not trying to sound like a wet blanket or be Mr. Dad.
Seeing riders flown out shouldn't effect me as much anymore simply because I've seen it about 20 times by now, maybe more. I know at least 3 of them were dead already. Strange feeling seeing a blanket over someone and their arm flops out and it's just limp.
Silva may be the most responsible rider around and dreaming about something faster is just human. We'll always want a better TV, better sound equipment, nicer home.....
But replacing a gawd awful fast bike like the 14 with something even faster is different. Like living or dying. A point I want to make is that some people might buy that BMW simply because of the bragging rights. To some people, there's a respect factor to owning something that's capable of beating everything else. And for some, that's enough. They have no plans to go out and actually use it.
But then there's the ones who feel that owning the fastest bike means they have to prove it to everyone. They don't ride for enjoyment so much as a challenge. Ego's get in the way. They find out sometimes too late that they're riding beyond their skill level. I guess they think because the bike is the fastest thing around that their skills auto matically improve with it.
What I hate is the ones that hurt or kill others who are just minding their own business. I saw one accident where someone racing went into the opposing lane and took out another rider coming the other way. The guy racing didn't even have his plates yet. Parts all over the road. I don't know how the riders came out as the news doesn't always bother to mention things that are commonplace. But I wonder if the guy racing had any business being on that Gixxer.
So if you just have to have something because it's labelled "better", then fine. But think it over first. I'd rather be alive and well with my 3 year old bike than rolling around in a wheelchair for life wishing I could just get on a moped.

Since my initial 14 crash back in 07,I've always said..."she'll accelerate a lot faster than she'll stop".It's one thing to open the gas...and quite another to stop our over 600 lb(with rider)bikes safely.It's easy to get lulled in to big speed,the bike just rolls better and better the faster she goes it seems.But stopping that baby can end up being a nightmare if "things" just don't go right.And they rarely do(on the street).She feels so manageable you know when yer rollin along...then,out of nowhere,some cage crosses the line coming over that crest,or that car you were just gassing to pass makes an unsignaled turn to the left there.I think about that stuff as I ride.Had a few close calls as well...You practice for the avoidance of things...but when it REALLY happens....things can go from bad to worse in a heartbeat.I always ride on the right side(not completely over)of my lane.Unless I'm making a left hand sweeper.I hate that left hand side(at the center line).SO many drivers here are drinking,and they drift over the center line while going around a curve.I've had to readjust in midcorner because of that.It wasn't expected.Lots of people here haul trailers and small trailers with like logs,stuff like that in em.You're comin around a left hander,guys comin the other way,log flies off the back...BOOM...yer toast.It happens.I really try to pay attention...and I hate seein those haulers comin up when I'm just gonna be entering a left hander.I usually try to speed up and beat em into the apex and out just because of that.But I wouldn't give up the enjoyment of having my 14 over stuff I can't control.

My riding behavior has been shifting recently...I don't know why really.This year I've logged at least half of my hours out at night.It's quite different.My HID's are awesome.But naturally,I can't rip like I would in the day.Having to restrain myself,it's shown me a different side to riding the big bird.I find myself riding(during the day)just enjoying the bike at 65,70-85 as much or more than blastin at 130+.Strange....but cool.Anyway...good topic KAK.Ya...I hope none of us have to be airlifted out of anywhere.Ride safe All!

Snuffy...I have Givi V35 PLX Hard Bags with SW Motech Kit. Its rock solid and you put them on/off in about 5 seconds. I got mine from Twisted Throttle. I never take them off the bike as I ride to work 2-3 times per week when I am at home.

Blue, Kak, I hear ya...I love this bike, and will never outgrow it. I don't have the skill or the cojones, I got it because I am 6'4, pushing 50. I have a ZX 6R for track days, but I have always longed for a comfy sportbike like the 14. So I hope I don't come off as a squid.

And no, I don't often ride fast on the road, I got hit by a car when I lived in New York, which destroyed a ZX6R. I survived, and I have a healthy respect for what can go wrong on the road, surrounded by cages, especially in FL, which must have the worst cage drivers in the country. A blast up to a buck 25, every now and then good is enuf for my speed jones, but that is very rare for me.

Thanks Silva!

I can attest to Florida having bad drivers, we were there for a week and we got rear ended 5 times in our rental car it was amazing.... I have only been in 1 crash in my mustang on black ice accelerating up a hill in -40C weather... how do you rear end someone in +30C weather!! Must be all the pensioners!!! lol I loved FLA tho, wud go back for sure when the lil guy is a few yrs older to take him to Disney World.....

I just knew I wanted something VERY different than a Harley type bike.Stupid as it sounds..okay...I learned to play guitar by looking at John Lennon pictures while he was playing,and copied the chords he was using.And learned from that starting point.It's been the same with my "sportbikes".I read stuff like Keith Code,and watched Videos and pics of the guys racing.I've tried to emulate what they're doing.

Trying to play like John Lennon won't get you killed. Trying to ride a street bike on the street or the track like your favorite racer is going to get you killed. For the rest of us this much lean angle can only be achieved the instant before you face plant.

* Last updated by: willidx4 on 10/12/2010 @ 3:03 PM *

I think my guy is leaned over further than your guy <grin>:

Anybody got some elbow pads? -bg

* Last updated by: bgordon on 10/12/2010 @ 4:32 PM *

He He....well,I didn't exactly mean I was RIDING like those guys.More along the lines of....positioning and stuff.

Understood... Casey does crash more often than some of the others. Wonder why? -bg