Looks like Rook just bought a 2024 14R, picks it up on Friday!

Rook is back in the saddle again!

Believe it, it's true!! this is long overdue. Of course I will show pics. I kow the perfect bikini model to show with my new 14. IDT she'll wear a bikini but no matter what's on her butt, it is most welcome to be the first to grace my new 14R. I'll try my best for you guys. She seems a little interested in the bike. It's the white, green and blue monster!! Buying my 08 was just about one of the greatest experiences of my life and now I'll relive it all over again! I'll turn the hands of time back 15 years.

I am keeping my 08 and rebuilding it. That will be the experimental bike. The 2024 will stay showroom stock for a long time. Maybe a pipe and a flash over winter. No hurry. This bike will be with me forever like the others.

"Showroom stock". HAHAHAHA.....

We'll see about that

Mad

"Showroom stock". HAHAHAHA.....
We'll see about that

I know... LOL There will be many changes eventually. I can't see doing a lot to alter the appearance of the bike though. It's pretty noticeable as is!

Congrats, Rook. Book it, don't cook it.

Lettuce juice say the continuing refinements keep squeezing out of the 14. You'll know what I mean when you ride it that is. Same skin different dress.

Congrats Rook... and what a return entrance!

Thanks Hub. Break in? By the book worked fine for my 08. We'll see what I do with this one but I'm not about to get on a bike after three full years and go very fast. I might have to save that for closed course racing.

Thank you Vic. Yes indeed, I'm back in grand fashion with a 40th Anniversary ZX-14R!!

Congrats! Well deserved. "Let the good times roll"

Thank you piken. I've been waiting a long time. Things finally fell into place. Of course I've thought about it many times through the years but at this point, it was bound to happen. The Gen3 Hayabusa wasn't the bike I hoped it would be and then I wrecked my Gen1 ZX-14 which left a void in my life. I had the money waiting and I like the 40th anniversary edition paint scheme. I called the dealership one week ago and they had the bike I wanted at a nice price. The final decision took about ten minutes.

I'm really happy for you Rook. You'll love the 14R. I just love the anniversary bike. Really cool looking. I'd love to get one to go along with my 2012 14R. One that has been fine tuned by Nels2wheeldynoworks and the other one completely stock. I bet you're excited and can't wait for the first ride.
Congratulations on an awesome looking bike.

Thanks mokaw! I am excited to ride the new bike but ironically, I'm reluctant to jump on and go fast which is my reason for owning the bike. I may get the Hayabusa out and reacclimate before I ride the 14R. If I don't have the stomach for speed anymore, the 14 will get an easy break in and I'll be riding a high powered butt ornament.

If I don't have the stomach for speed anymore, the 14 will get an easy break in and I'll be riding a high powered butt ornament.

Ha ROOK, I stopped riding for 7yrs. Bought the '06 14 when it came out, took all the plastic off. rolled the bike down the driveway and lit the street up with a lone black strip, not a smoke burning strip, but enough to rip rubber off the tire. Ran it up about a mile or two out of town and ripped. Fucking burned oil from then on. Never again.

You'll feel like you never left. Just like riding a bicycle, you don't forget.

Prep wise, when you pick it up, feel the chain for a lot of slack... Tight is a problem. Check tire pressure when you get home. Factory tops off the oil level so it's spot on and needs none. But check the level before leaving the shop so you know approx where it was for a reference top off.

I shoot my level when changing the oil and it's off. When changing oil again, I check against the photo before I dump it so I know it's not eating [burning] oil every fire stroke.

Of all the bikes I've owned, never was worried about break in. The turnover rate was quite extensive. But now with 4 going thru rotations and testing out the moto way and book suggestion, it opened my eyes.

The '013 was another beater that burned it so fast, there was none in the window before the 3k oil change intervals. That day happened when seat of the pants said, turn around the grunt is low. Checked for wheel bearings, kinked chain, dragging pads, nothing.

For whatever reason, I looked at the level and noticed a clear window. Topped it off and the assfactor opened up that orifice's eye.

Don't listen to empirical don't come crying to turtle.

Signed,
Own Ears Man You Will Learn The Hard Way Then

The Hubinator wrote:

Ha ROOK, I stopped riding for 7yrs. Bought the '06 14 when it came out, took all the plastic off. rolled the bike down the driveway and lit the street up with a lone black strip, not a smoke burning strip, but enough to rip rubber off the tire. Ran it up about a mile or two out of town and ripped.

Hubster, YOU ARE THE MAN!!!!!!

Good suggestions Hub. I'll think it over. I'm sure I can ride a little more aggressively than when I first got my 08. I actually purred along on that bike at 2500 rpm quite often for the first 5000 miles. I even ran it at 2000 rpm some of the time. I was reasonable with the throttle at those low rpms. It never felt like the engine was laboring because I always opened the throttle gradually as the rpm rose to meet the demand. The only problem I had with that bike was that the valve cover gasket leaked and that was only after trying synthetic at only 3000 miles. IDT the problem was the synthetic, the friggin head cover bolts were barely hand tight when I checked them at the end of year two, of course it's going to leak. That was where my oil consumption was coming from. The only other disconcerting thing I noticed was the scoring of my camshaft caps. I never noticed a problem from it but journal suface under those caps was scored mostly at the top, not on the lower side areas. I have no idea what caused that. Far as I can tell, it caused no deficit in performance. The bike was capable of 180 mph at 50,000 miles. It wheelied at about 5000 rpm in first gear and would do a legitimate wheelie in second gear if I was willing to lift the front at that high of a speed. It felt similar to my busa in hp although I definitely noticed the Gen2 busa had an advantage in torque to my Gen1 ZX-14.

So IDK? Performance, engine wear, break in, ....? I'm feeling a low risk sense of survival at this point in my life. After I was divorced, I plain didn't give a fuck. I won't take up the time to elaborate now but I did a number of things that might easily have cost me my life a/o my liberty but I got lucky...a few times. 160 mph, 10,500 rpm and I let go of the throttle? The front bounced twice real hard, booom boom and I was going a hundred and sixty. I would have been dogmeat if I went down at that speed. CRedit for survival goes to the Gen1 ZX-14 for being such a stable bike at speed. I had nothing to do with it except I was the one that let the throttle snap back to zero. Numerous stops by the law, one resulting in a ticket for doing 101 mph. Flew past a cop at 130 coming the other way and thank God that cop didn't turn around and come after me. Racing a Corvette (and I was winning) on the expressway and a cop on the other side lights us up, we would have both gone to jail and lost our licenses if he was on our side of the expressway and was able to chase us.

After all of that and not having ridden in 2-3 years, it could well be a "by the book" break in. I don't have the stones to do all the stupid crap I used to do. Not here. Where I live, the danger doesn't just come from speed.

First I have find out what the insurance is going to cost. LOL I actually neglected to consider that before making the purchase! I think it will be doable and if it isn't, the 14R will become a track only bike. That will suit me just fine.

Second, I have to get a license plate and registration and pay my thou in sales tax to the state of Michigan. I bought the bike in Wisconsin.

Third, I need a new helmet. The one I had took a crash. Looking at my gas tank caved in on both sides, I really have to wonder how my head survived. Apparently a good helmet is stronger than a steel gas tank.

but here's my new sweetheart. Maybe a little heavy on the cosmetics but she's not compensating for anything. She's got it where it counts.

Remember that insane wood platform I made for the Pit Bull Trailer Restraint? that friggin thing weighs at least 250 lbs and it's 8 feet long. I used it for the fifth time, this time to get the new 14R. I guess it's paid off at this point. No bikes have fallen over in my transporting care. The dumisses that transported my busa dropped it over in the truck and then they dropped it again unloading it! Maybe I'll have my own trailer in the future.

Not saying it is kinda bright in colors but they will see you coming and see you going by .....

lytnin, LOL yeah, that bike is VERY identifiable! I'm sure I'll exceed the speed limit x2 on occasion but not every time I ride like I used too. You just can't do it here. A guy here cut a deer in half last summer. It's a miracle he lived and only lost a finger. I'll keep all my fingers and everything else, thank you very much!

Looks good Rook, congratulations and yes they will not mistake that bike for anything else, probably the only one in Michigan. Full coverage insurance may run you a bit on that bike, surprised you didn't insure it before transporting it home, just in case.....
Now it's time to get out the catalogs and order some tasty pipes and other bits to make it your own.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 6/1/2024 @ 7:18 PM *

I would just follow the book break in, IIRC do not exceed 4k rpm for the first 600 miles and then 6k to 1000 and then you're good to go. I think there's a 600 mile oil change, I believe we have determined it's quite fine to go full synthetic at that point. I admit, I couldn't quite wait til 1000 and at 900 miles gave her a full whack through a couple gears but reeled it back a little from there (as I too was returning to riding after decades).

Definitely no reason, at least IMO to be super gentle for 5k miles but I don't see that being any harm either.

I imagine you'll be getting a lot of compliments on that bike. Like you, I tend to by with long term intents and try (it doesn't always work out) to take care of my stuff. I was at a stop light yesterday and a semi-driver next to me was chit chatting...he couldn't believe my bike was a '13. I'd like to think in 20 years my '13 will still be stop light compliment worthy, and so will your new beauty.

Looks good Rook, congratulations and yes they will not mistake that bike for anything else, probably the only one in Michigan.

I never even considered insurance. There was no time for that. I think I'll go with liability like I always have. I don't ride enough to warrant full coverage. Not a bad idea for a new vehicle but chances of me wrecking it will be very low. Not having full coverage on my bikes has pretty much paid for this new one. After a few summers of riding, the insurance isn't going to pay a whole lot if the bike is wrecked anyway. My solution is "don't wreck it."

Yeah, I wonder what liability is going to cost on the 14R? It was about a hundred each for 6 months on the busa and the Gen1 14.

Thanks Vic. I'm leaning toward "by the Book" break in.

Yes, my bikes will be stoplight-worthy for my whole life. Even the 08 ZX-14 will look perfect again someday. I hope I will add a couple more in there before I give up my keys. I'm 57. If I have another 20 years to ride, i will be fortunate. I'll keep these bikes til I'm gone no matter what.

...and where's my Ohlins shock on this thing? They don't give you that anymore? I think I paid a pretty good price and the 14R doesn't come equipped with an Ohlins shock! I have one on my 08 but that stays with the 08. I guess an Ohlins suspension is on the list of wants now. Low priority but still there. Three thousand bucks, I'll bet.

I got the Brembos up front. I wonder how good they actually are considering they're stock equipment? I was planning a set of front and rear IRCs for the 08.

I'll have to check but it's about $36 a year to insure each of my bikes for liability through Progressive. Insurance is one of those things you don't really need... until you do need it... and then you're really glad you have it..... but you already knew that.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 6/2/2024 @ 3:56 PM *