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Anyone here use a ZX14?

PapaGeno21

PapaGeno21

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Just kind of curious about something. How comfortable are the 2012 ZX14R's? They have VERY impressive stats.. My friend has an 08 Busa, and it seems comfy sitting on it but I have never driven it. Not looking to get rid of the FZ1 so don't get into a panic but I am just curious about the 14.
 
I see these on the street. The guys that ride them in one of my riding groups go great in a straight line. The problem is in the curves ;) Handling is questionable........albeit it could be the riders. I've not ridden one. Drag racing = yes. handling in twisties?? Not from what I've seen in comparison to sportbikes.
 
0-60 in 2.5 seconds. 180* hairpin at 30 mph :)

I test rode one when I was looking at bikes about 6 months ago. They're reasonably comfortable, but I found them to be just too heavy. At 485 lbs dry, they're almost 50 lbs heavier than my gen1 fz1, which is already heavier than I like. Overall just a lot of bike to maneuver around.
 
I'm a fan of the ZX-14 just because of how absurd it is. :)

I have a friend who owns one and he says it's a great bike and very capable. He's a long-time rider & flies around the world to watch MotoGP, do trackdays, tour around Europe, etc. He says handling is much better than people give credit for and it handles like any other big sport tourer as long as you have the skill to do it. :wilynily:

I mostly see short guys in designer jeans and wife beaters on them 'round here. They putter around with their short legs dangling on the ground, front end wobbling and their arms straight out and tense so you can see their rippling muscles.

It's not a pretty sight :shame:
 
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Test rode one last year (2011 model). Speed was impressive, but I didn't care for the ergonomics or handling of the bike. You can definitely feel the weight and from what I see the 2012 model is even heavier, but more powerful.
 
Just got quoted 4032 a year for full coverage on one. And thats as an additional bike added too the two other bikes I have on there. Madness!

Still in love with it though.
 
Its like two Fz1s in one bike handles better than the 06-12 Fz1 as well its the same lenght and the weight is only 30lbs more remove the stock cans and its the same.
 
This is true. People say the Busa handles like shit too, but my friend blows by everyone. For street 99% of the time it really is the rider and not the bike. Most people on the street simply do not know how to properly corner a bike at higher speed.

Hell I was passing a pile of squids with my girl on the back and they just don't understand how its possible.
 
Obviously not Papa specifically, but I bet a lot of people attracted to a ZX14 are people who might prioritize looks over skills? Maybe like all of those short guys with wife beaters riding a 190MPH bike slowly through town in the evenings? I also bet these guys are the ones complaining about the handling. I know a guy who rides a Venture Royale that can leave a lot of guys behind in the twisties when he really turns it on. Makes you look pretty stunned when a fully dressed Venture leaves you sitting on your sportbike with your pants dropped. I've never heard him complain about the handling of his bike...
 
I did a demo ride on a 2012 ZX-14R, and it is reasonably comfortable, but feels heavy and requires more input to make it turn. I thought the wet weight was about 580. I would think an FZ1 can out-maneuver it in the twisties.

The motorcycle has crazy power, but how and when could you ever use it without either running out of road, crashing and killing yourself, or getting yourself thrown far back into the slammer. I envisioned it being perfect for doing some high speed run across country, where you might be averaging 150 MPH. But refer to the previous sentence for the consequences.
 
WABBMW sums it up for me. It's just so much bike that I couldn't see myself ever using it. It's too heavy to ride around, it's too powerful for me to be comfortable in the twisties, and the cost of insurance is is insane.

Overall, if we had an autobahn, it would be a great bike for that. However, since the fastest you can ever legally go is like 80mph in america, it's just too much bike.

unless you're drag racing. Then it's the bike for you!
 
Well I test rode one on two separate occasions at Americade last week and it handles and rides well, but you can certainly "feel" that it's a big bike. I would imagine with a different windscreen and taller bars it would make a really nice, fast sport-touring rig ;)

To me the FZ1 feels much more nimble in the twisties...
 
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