My bike is a 2012 ZX14r and is completely stock(my avatar is my gen1). I am about to take it to the track to break it in a bit and wanted to know how quickly after feelers scraping will my stock exhaust scrape?

* Last updated by: Fantastic on 4/25/2016 @ 9:39 PM *

I guess it depends on how long your feelers are.

My experience was, if you are rolling rubber off the edge of the back tire, you're just about at the limit, You will probably scrape a little on the collector. That was with an aftermarket exhaust and it was a Gen1. Go ahead and scrape it. You're going to replace it someday.

Stock feelers.

Any other people with experience on the matter care to weigh in or am I just going to have to go by feel this weekend?

The stock footpegs seem like they offer nearly as much clearance as Vortex rearsets raised to the highest position. The main thing Rearsets have going is that they have shorter pegs which = better corner clearance but if you consider the bevel on the stock peg, it will clear the ground almost the same as Vortex. No way to compare in real life tests but the tape measure seemed to indicate what I just explained. If your feeler is touching you're about there, I think. I probably would not go for touching down a peg without a feeler even if the peg does have a hinge.

I supppose you know what you like for tire pressure but I found 35 lbs way too slithery on the track. 28 front and back was what I used I believe and I noticed a big improvemnt in traction during braking and downshifting.

I am not concerned with scraping the feelers, that does not scare me in the least. I am concerned with how quickly will something more rigid scrape when I learn further.

I supppose you know what you like for tire pressure but I found 35 lbs way too slithery on the track. 28 front and back was what I used I believe and I noticed a big improvemnt in traction during braking and downshifting.

I base PSI on track temp. Cold tracks require different PSI than a warm one and just picking a psi without regards to temp is not safe.

The fairing will scrape before the exhaust.

Did not expect that :O

Yes, the right side lower with the bulge for the engine will scrape. Especially if the corner is sloped uphill on that side.

I'm not sure about the left side,as Ive not seen any pics with that side scraped.

* Last updated by: rod442 on 4/27/2016 @ 7:59 AM *

Please be careful on the track with a 14 especially with stock suspension, they do BITE you when you put the cases down which I just had a lucky escape from.
Feelers followed by lower fairings followed by oil sight glass window followed by hospital from personal experience

28 psi was suggested to me by the pro rider who sold me my 14 and was at the track that day with his KTM. It was about 75 F that day. Just mentioning in case anyone lacks a tire pressure/track temp sliderule.

Most people have said the RH lower fairing scrapes first. I've never touched mine but the aftermarket collector has touched.

Agreed. Not too far once feelers touch down you can scrape your lowers up. I would say at that point the bike's leaned over enough for me. I've touched down the sight glass once. I intend to never let that happen again.

So swapping the exhaust would only be a weight savings and not a clearance fix? Thanks for the responses guys!

I'd get second opinions on the clearance with aftermarket exhausts. Brocks is actually higher than the oil drain plug. Mine is Tsukigi. I don't see how it could make much difference at the collector area where mine scraped but a little less lateral overhang goes a long way

* Last updated by: Rook on 4/28/2016 @ 8:32 PM *

Try a PM to Trailboss in this member forum. He instructs in the PNW and would probably know whats what

Found out that a 200/55 profile rear made the feelers much too far away to ever touch. Did find out how far I can lean before the TC light throws a disco party though! For some reason the light only ever started blinking on lefthanders and I leaned much further to the right and never got the light...

* Last updated by: Fantastic on 5/1/2016 @ 9:42 AM *

It has been so long since I used a 190/50, I can't say for certain but from conversations with another owner who owns several bikes and uses tires with various profiles, the higher the tire, the less likely he is to come all the way to the edge though he feels he's leaning just a shard as he is with bikes that have lower profiles. That seems to follow my experience. I can't come close to cleaning chicken strips off a 55 on the street but I just about did it with a 50. That's also when I first noticed my exhaust scraped and I'm pretty sure I had stock footpegs which never touched although I believe feelers were removed.

I wonder if they made the TC sensor more sensitive for LH turns? I feel I have better control cornering to the right. Maybe this is not uncommon so they added a little extra safety zone.

Rook to your point I agree. I also still think different makes/models of tires have different profiles. These Perellis for example, it's seems like getting them leaned over to even scrap the pegs is more difficult than my /55 S20 Evos.

Suffice it to say a Pirelli Rosso Corsa 200/55 on a ZX14R is not possible to have the feelers touch without being flat out dangerous. I felt the rear start to dance at full lean and the TC light start to blink before I ever felt feeler scraping. This was on a track with ideal conditions.