Hiya guys...I was out in the garage the other night,removing(and painting black)some bolts on my bike's frame.I noticed something pretty interesting(to me anyway).There are a bunch of things on the frame..brackets,clamps,stuff like that that have been modified from the earlier models.It doesn't sound like much really,but I thought it was quite interesting.One thing I noticed right away...when I removed the muffler hangar bolts,and got the hanger in my hand...I realized.."this deal here is WAY lighter than the 07 I had".That was just one little thing.The mounting brackets,like on the footpegs,same deal.VERY LIGHT.Almost like plastic.But it IS some sort of alloy.I got to looking around on there.They changed several things that a guy probably wouldn't even notice.

The frame itself.It is a LOT lighter material(s).Almost like plastic...but not.Even the fastening bolts feel lighter.The throttle cable holders...the black metal ones at the switch housing there...now...abs plastic.Not metal.MUCH easier to work with.Just thought I'd share that with ya.I think it's very cool...what they've done here.They most definitely switched their production methods in regards to the way they're creating the metals and such.I actually thought for a minute that those muffler hangars WERE plastic.That's how light they are.This bike has for sure gone through some serious modifications to be what it is.It'd be interesting to see how 'heavy' the new frame is compared to the earlier bikes.I do know the handling is a lot more responsive.

Again,on my last ride..and this probably sounds juvenile,but when I u-turned in a one lane driveway deal,she stayed completely vertical...no trying to lean one way or the other like my 07.Never felt like I had to get my feet out there to stabilize the bike during the turn...at about 3 mph.She just came right around and felt really good.Silly thing I know...but on the highway,I used to really not like u-turning at all....sometimes,my 07 wouldn't even 'make' the u-turn in one shot.I'd have to stop,backup just a bit,then turn some more.Or go off slightly into the shoulder...gravel...that stuff..NOT COOL.No prob with my new one.She just whips right around.

When I was approaching the curves...80,90 mph...I noticed right off that the feeling of responsiveness was very good.I fact,compared to my 07,this bird just flicked in,caught the line,and stayed right there leaned in.No wandering at all.No wanting to ride to the outside.Or dipping either.Nothing.Just steady and planted.Hitting some 'dips' in the road while leaned in had no effect on the chassis at all.She remained completely settled.I could tell that my learned actions from my 07 were gonna need to be changed some.I'm extremely impressed with the low speed handling here.And her higher speed behavior...very nice.Different.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 1/1/2012 @ 1:04 PM *

Thanks for the update, Grn. I'm sure Kawasaki has been picking over the blueprints for years. That's why you have a lot of 14 owners who are less than awestruck by the new 14. It has been so many years and every winter we speculated and nothing happened. Now I think many of us are just a little suspicious as though kawi was playing a game with us.

If the 14r has any hope of competing with the busa in sales, it has to improve handling. That is really the only thing about my Hayabusa that I can say is really better is that the steering feels a lot more neutral in a corner. The 14 feels edgy after riding the busa.

Please k eep us updated.

Another trivial thing I noticed is the older models had little luggage hooks welded to the license plate bracket. They are not there on the R.

They also removed the external helmet lock.

They added some additional helmet hooks under the seat...

I liked the external helmet lock. No friggin way would I be pulling that seat off to lock up my lid. Way to bothersome to get the seat back on

or did Kawi fix that on the r?

Anyway, my busa has under hump helmet hanger. Easy enough to lift the hump with a key lock. Only prob, lids don't have a long enough strap to let the lid hang on the side. It's so tight I don't like it. The external is the way to go, IMO.

So maybe we did take a little step backward.

Hmmm...well...I've NEVER used a helmet lock on my bike(s).If I can't see my bike out the window of wherever I'm at....it's not parked in the right place!Normally,the lid comes with me.Especially if I'm gonna be in there a bit.Forks locked of course.ALWAYS.

How about the speedometer pickup, is it still coming off the chain counter sprocket? Or are they using the wheel speed sensor from the traction control?

Minor stuff, sure, but I am curious.

I haven't looked...but I DO know the speedo is dead on

Grn14 wrote:

Hmmm...well...I've NEVER used a helmet lock on my bike(s).If I can't see my bike out the window of wherever I'm at....it's not parked in the right place!Normally,the lid comes with me.Especially if I'm gonna be in there a bit.Forks locked of course.ALWAYS.

My bike spends almost as much time parked in front of motels 1,000 miles from home, or at big rally events parked in a sea of bikes, as it does sitting in my garage.

If you don't count winter....

If you sport toured you would value the helmet locks more. No way am I going to be parked in the Luray Caverns parking lot (for example) with my Limited Edition Carbon Fiber Schuberth C3 on my bike without it being on the helmet lock. I go lots of places I can take my skidlid in with me, but more that carrying a helmet would be at best a pain in the ass.

If I get a C14 sometime while I'm still able to ride, I'm going to put the modified license plate bracket on, which has 2 helmet locks, one on each side. Lots of COG folks use them, they are quite convenient.

Over the decades I've heard it all. "If they want your helmet they will cut the strap", for example. This is what you call a truism. Of course if they want it bad enough they will cut the strap. If you make the strap stainless steel and titanium, they will throw the bike in the back of a pickup truck, if they want the helmet bad enough.

I lock my helmet up so the not very moral types (those lacking character) who happen to walk past and say "thats an awesome helmet, wish it was mine" just have to go on wishing. I don't expect the locks to defeat motorcycle thieves.

* Last updated by: privateer on 1/7/2012 @ 6:35 AM *

Hmmm...well...I've NEVER used a helmet lock on my bike(s).If I can't see my bike out the window of wherever I'm at....it's not parked in the right place!Normally,the lid comes with me.Especially if I'm gonna be in there a bit.Forks locked of course.ALWAYS.

if you use the helmet lock, slide the hook through the little cloth loop on the D-ring. I think that is what it is for. keeps the paint on the hook from scraping.

I worry less about the bike getting stolen these days. I think having a car knock the bike over is the biggest danger in parking lots so I park far away from all of the cars. I prefer parking by a light pole or in a space at the edge of the lot where there is only one spot where someone could get next to the bike. The mirror makes a great helmet peg. i used to use that if I did park close. Now I have bar end mirrors with ball joint stems so I won't be using them as lid hangers.

I DO know the speedo is dead on

hurrayyyyy! Finally broke tradition.