This is from a CBR1100XX website and I was pretty surprised by his lack of enthusiasm. I haven't bought my 14R yet so I can't argue with him but geez... he sounds kind of stubborn to me. He test rode one on Kawi demo days.

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"ZX14R actually pretty comfy bike, like the layout of the instrument cluster. Longish feeling, but pretty nimble when rolling. Great brakes. Got out of the parking lot and turned off pussy mode, (what they don't know won't hurt them) and does pull great above 5k, pulls steady and hard, can feel it snap to life and wanna carry the front tire pretty easy.. Ugly as shit but we all new that. Told my buddy its nice, great power but not enough to make me get rid of my bird by a long shot. (attracts a bunch of people who have no business on 2 wheels, also scary some made it past puberty)"

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* Last updated by: Auron on 4/16/2012 @ 7:29 PM *

Like that last sentence. lol
dragking and a couple others have mentioned the same thing about the sub5K performance. No wonder some owners say they want to pull the flies. With an engine like that there has to be more than enough street performance in the low and mid range but for all out performance, the aftermarket is going to be where it's at --like always.

* Last updated by: Rook on 4/16/2012 @ 10:12 PM *

I'm shocked to hear about lets say "average" power below 5K. The 2brothers dyno chart shows 80 friggin pounds of torque at 3000rpm. That's rediculous power that just keep on rising. I don't get it...

Wish I could ride one.

That guy aint wanting a 14R...that's what that is.He wants his 'bird'...okay...then KEEP it.I'm here to say...this beast rocks at 2500 rpm...and all the way up.Hell...virtually nothing rips ya to shreds at 1200...1500 rpms.This one takes right off.I don't know WHAT that guy's yammering on about.Soon as it gets a windin...yer done.Better have yer mind in the game...that's all I can say.Stock...no...not quite as animalistic...okay....but still...PLENTY of rippin fun.With no mods...this bike will make any rider happy...iffin he wants to get busy.

My 14R is new and I haven't gone over 5k yet. It doesn't feel much faster than my old ZX-11 below 5K, but with at least 70 more RWHP I expect it to be much faster over 5k. Sounds like he is trying to justify keeping his 20 year old bike.

The Kawasaki Demo Days ride is certainly nothing that will allow a potential buyer the opportunity to actually test a machine. On the Demo Days that I attended here in Atlanta they went out in groups of ten riders with three escorts along to ensure nobody did anything stupid. We had a guide in the front of the pack, one in the middle, and one behind to keep a eye on everyone.

To make a performance assessment based on this type of riding environment is folly. The Demo Days was a chance to see the new bikes and ride around a bit on them. I can guarantee that the author of this article didn't have a opportunity to do any sort of performance test on the 14R. I doubt he even had the opportunity to open the throttle above 4,000 RPM.

He also said he liked the Z1000 the best and then said his bird actually felt slow riding it home. Douchbag I guess.

OK, back to drooling over the 14R at the dealers until I can get one

* Last updated by: Auron on 4/17/2012 @ 8:38 AM *

they went out in groups of ten riders with three escorts along to ensure nobody did anything stupid.

What do they do to you is you DO do something stupid?

...try to catch you?

...refuse to sell you a bike?

Wish I could ride one.

Your Avatar!!!

Snuffy

Depends who you deal with I guess! I showed up with my 14, in a 2 piece and Kaw guys treated me really well. They didn't care what mods I was in etc. It started raining pretty hard and we went back to the demo but after consulting with his boss the guide told me we could go for it if I was willing. Next thing you know the rain stopped and the sun came out. It was just me and the guide for my 14 R test and the guy definitely knew how to have fun. He was on a Z 1000 and I met a 1st generation 14 owner who told me the Z was a lot of fun! I think it's hard to sell the 14 to a liter guy and vice versa. Especially the guys who ride CBR 1000 cause those engine pack a good punch in the mid (for their weight).

What do they do to you is you DO do something stupid?

* Last updated by: dragking on 4/17/2012 @ 10:47 AM *

by the way Auron, you avatar is delicious, please don't change it!

"It doesn't feel much faster than my old ZX-11 below 5K,"...IDK what a zx11 feels like...below 5K...I've never been on one.But at 5k on my bike...she's already at 2'o clock and the tc is kickin in.(that's IF I turn it 'on' ) .I'm not sayin here...from a dead stop...I'm saying...from a rolling start.(which is NOT 1000 rpm).

Ricky Gadsen's got his set up for dragging...gearing's been changed a bit to keep the front end down better.He's taking off at 3300 rpms.By 5K,she's already 'trying' to lift furiously...hence the gearing change.So I've no idea where this guy gets his opinion about 'not that big a deal' you know.Mine has stock gearing...stock wheelbase.By 5k....she's heading for the 12.Depending on how I open er up.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 4/17/2012 @ 12:10 PM *

IDK what a zx11 feels like...below 5K...I've never been on one.

It was a very strong bike, even down low. I owned it for 19 years. The 14R handles better, has better brakes, has a more advanced suspension, has a better stock seat, feels tighter, has a much better headlight setup, and appears to be built better.

He clearly went into the test ride not expecting (or even allowing) it to win him over based on how feels about the looks of the bike alone. That's a very human way to approach certain things, but I bet if he were actually in the market for one he would have felt differently.

I wonder if he even rode it in full power mode?

* Last updated by: Auron on 4/17/2012 @ 6:19 PM *

Hmmm...I find myself going back to this thread over and over just to see Auron's Avatar...

Hmmm...I find myself going back to this thread over and over just to see Auron's Avatar.

Lol, I was thinking the same thing, lol

NINJA ZX-14 MotoVlog

+1 on the avatar comment.

At the Demo Days I attended there was one guy that had ridden a 14R three times and he was still dangerous on it. I saw him nearly hit the guy in front of him twice before they even left the parking lot.

I saw a guy on the cruiser demo run over the tall Kawasaki partition cone as they left the staging area.

I'm sure that there are a few bikes get destroyed on these expositions. It's just the nature of the business. I owned a ZX-11 (1998 model) for five years and I still marvel at the performance of that bike. My 14R is blisteringly fast but it's so refined that it's difficult to recognize how fast it is. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said I thought my ZX-11 had comparable bottom-end performance to the 14R. It was carbureted, no electronics to control anything, and it was unapologetic. It would scorch off a 2.5 second 0-60 time just like the 14R and more than once it literally squirted out from underneath me during a hard acceleration run causing me to wake up and pay closer attention.

The Honda Blackbird unseated the mighty 11 from it's perch but that only opened the door for the introduction to the Hayabusa, the 12 and ultimately the 14. They're all fantastic machines and I'd be happy to own any one of them.

You wanna hear something funny?

The blackbird website asked me to take it down. I was using the same over there. They said it wasn't work safe, and ironic because there's nothing you aren't allowed to post on that site. Their loss!

Fovway, I am interested in any comparison's you have between the 14R and blackbird. I know the motor is going to blow me away in the mid-range and on top, but I am a low-end junkie and I have never been really happy with my XX until above 6K. Ever since I rode my Dad's ST1300...now that sucker had low-end, didn't do anything else well though.
Any thoughts?

* Last updated by: Auron on 4/18/2012 @ 12:15 PM *

"They said it wasn't work safe",ya...that IS funny!

I've had an 03 XX, still have a 97 XX, and now have a '12 14R.

I didn't have the 03 long. It had a PC and Micron pipe. My 97 has a FP jet kit, ignition advance, and Micron pipe. My 97 has more power and has better delivery than the 03 had, so that's why I didn't keep the 03 long.

The 14R will pretty much stomp a XX at any RPM. My 97 is a fast bike, and I love it, but there is no comparison to the 14R. My 97 performs especially well in 60 mph roll ons. The 14R will leave it for dead. The 14R is pulling as hard at 140 as the XX is at 90... at least by the seat of the pants.

In terms of suspension, the 14R feels like what it is - 15yr newer tech. Suspension was always the XX's achilles heal though. It sucks.

XX has good brakes, I like the 14R's better.

14R has a better seat. Stock for stock, bar position is similar with the 14R being just a touch higher/closer. I put risers on everything though.

My only real bitch about the 14R is the footpeg position. It just feels stupid to me, but that I can fix.

Fit and finish is great on the XX, great on the 14R. Better than I expected for a Kawi.

One more comment: My brother in law has a 98 XX with a FP jet kit and Yosh pipe. His 98 isn't as quick as my 97, but its still pretty potent.

He rode my 14R on Saturday. We traded for maybe 15 miles of back road f'ning around. He offered to trade back much sooner than I expected and commented that "it made him a bit uncomfortable when it wheelied at 85". Two days later he said it still made his hair stand up a bit just thinking about it.

Don't think for a second I'm an XX hater.. not at all. I think my 97 is a friggin' awesome bike. But enginewise.. the 14R is in its own league, at least in my experience!

A lot of riders love the Z1000.

In 2011, top two sellers for Kawasaki were, 1) Z1000, 2) Concours 14.

The ZX14 (all versions) are never big sellers in terms of corporate income.

Holy crap Hank. That's great to hear, it will be hard to give up a bike I'm so close to but it sounds like Kawi made the bike Honda never would.

I'll be getting the Corbin peg lowering kit. The levers move as well, they are only $100 and give you substantial leg room. I think Kawi always puts their pegs too high. I think it's because they don't want fatass journalists draggin the pegs.

* Last updated by: Auron on 4/18/2012 @ 5:30 PM *