ZX-14 ride report [long]

Zx-14 Ride report

While sipping my OJ and perusing the MC classifieds in my local paper
like I do every Sat noticed the "ZX-14 now showing..." ad by the local
Kwaka dealer...hmm no time to book lets fire up the 'Busa and trundle
out to see if I can wangle a ride. They had the 3 colour schemes on
show, Red, Black and the Blue one designated the thrasher, sorry test
ride duties. Bad in Black the pick...especially as it hides the cheese
platter side panel which to be honest seem smaller in the flesh.

Seeing the bike up close it's dominated by its pair of polished OEM cans
and the 4 projector lights. Approach a bit closer and those wide stalk
mirrors strike you as a definitely a win for 'function over form'. Funny
gadget below/in front of the front sprocket looks like an auto-chain
oiler?? Kwaka rep couldn't shed any light on it either...anyway who
cares let's ride!

Bit of throttle cable slack makes for nearly stalling compared to my
ultra sensitve 'Busa throttlle, never mind coupla few revs at the next
lights will sort that but...WTF?!? Where's the other half of the motor?
This thing seriously feels like a 600cc! And that's even in 1st gear.
Geezus what's wrong here? Yeah - I know Mr Kawasaki built it for the
spec sheets and it shows. Motor on out of Canberra via Majura Rd waiting
for the traffic at legal speeds I explore the quite upright ride
position, low, small screen but never obscuring the instruments and
somewhat thick to hold grips. Quite comfy and reminds of older ZZRs but
not the 1100, really more like the 600 - this thing doesn't feel big at
all.

Okay hit a few gaps on Mildura rd and find the power is quite distinct -
basically there is nothing much happening until about 5-6k rpm from 6+
rpm things start fly and by 8-9k rpm you better have shifted yourself up
onto the tank and wound in your arms from the lazy spectate and tour
stance Otherwise you're sliding off the back struggling to keep up!
Front-end was mighty light and flicking a bit in about 3rd at 8-9k rpm -
really I only was giving it a bit of stick in a straight line. It's
showing about 3050 rpm @ 100km/h in 6th - quite high geared. Need to
drop a few gears to really whip around cars in a flash.

Feels light and chuckable and very confidence inspiring - I felt more at
ease leaning into tightly curved on-ramp entering the Federal Hwy than
other big bikes. I motored down the Fed Hwy touching the double-tonne in
spurts before peeling off for the return scoot down Sutton rd. Wind her
up...oh the rubber band now uncoils and releases some serious
grunt...but why the hell do I have wait for 6k for it to happen? Radial
mount front brakes are superb without being deadly - two-finger hard
braking from 220 km/h upon seeing a "wide-load" ute appear up the road -
absolutely no dramas, though the back brake didn't have much feel and
certainly not as responsive so had to keep that in mind when jumping on
the anchors.

Boy though, do I miss the back-torque limiter on my 'Busa - I had to
rapidly change my style and return to giving it handfuls of revs on the
down-change to avoid compression lock-up. I do this on the 'Busa but
only ever so slightly as its FI is sensitive. Taking sweepers at
140-160km/h firm and very responsive handling. Kept saying to myself I
can't believe I'm riding a hyper-sports 1400cc bike- just doesn't feel
big. I know they say that about 'Busa...but mine definitely feels like a
long bike compared to ZX-14. Busa's wheel base is 1485mm compared to
1460 on the ZX just an inch in it. Dry weight for the US model is quoted
as same as Busa = 215kg. (Kawka Oz still don't list specs on their site).

I only found one funny feeling at about 80km/h, moderate rough road,
front braking into turns that the bike felt like it had a flat front
tyre, kind of oscillating front from left-to-right. Weird and never
happened again - I don't think there's a steering dampner on it.

Despite my old-school four-finger brakes, I'm very happy with my recent
'Busa purchase - tho I will now bring forward my braided line upgrade.
Busa's grunt and smoothness still grab me and I prefer the slightly more
lay-down read to the bars (6ft, 75kg). Definitely a world-apart in the
lower revs. ZX is not light-switch power...not linear and somewhat
annoying in in the lowest gears.

Yeah I know if you're going to launch then dial up revs and launch...but
I don't usually do hard starts, I like to pour on the torque
progressively for which I think I have the perfect bike already. But
yes, 30 min ride on ZX had me as confident or more so in cornering that
am on my Busa - though I have only 2k kms up on the Busa ATM. Not sure
why Kwaka would keep the ZX-12R along side this - simply no need. It'd
be interesting to see if pipes can improve the bottom-end - it
definitely needs all the help it can get - I would want a more flexible
powerplant for $20.5K on-road "hyper-sports".

Mark.
K5 Hayabusa, Yoshi RS-3s

 

I tried to train myself to two-finger, but it only works when I really
don't need to stop very hard.

I would want a more flexible

Is that what CMCC are offering - $20.5 on road?

 

Yeah, with winter gloves it's a gamble of trust in the traffic if I
don't cover the lever should I need to stop quick. I can't seem to roll
from full grip to cover brakes wihtout changing throttle..on a 250 maybe
no problem, but with fuel injected busa adds about 20 km/h in .2sec ;-)

Yep.

 

get the braided lines, they make such as difference, you'll be very happy
with them