Today the stars aligned and after 2 years of looking and drooling I am going to be a zx14r owner. I really can't believe it but I actually found a leftover 2013 abs still in the crate. It hit the showroom just this week and I snagged it for 11k flat OTD. Just couldn't pass it for that price.

Need to put some black wheels on her now that VicThing showed me his in my 2016 se looks thread.

Here is a cell pic the dealer snapped and sent me. Picking her up next weekend.

Congrats!!!

Congratulations on your new ride!!! Looks identical to my bike when I first got it. Hope you enjoy every minute you ride!

Let the mods begin!

Awesome!. Some people just don't understand why fish'n is so much fun. Wait long enough and you reel in the big one. Congrats.

Congratulations

that's a pretty good price

Congrats...what a beaut!

If you get a chance look at what Rook's done with his bike. His work helped me understand how contrast makes things pop. The OE rims on our bike don't pop, and that's the problem with them. The blend right in with the brake rotors. Something as simple as rim decals, or some plastidip would fix the issue just as much as black rims.

I also considered blue rims. The first set of used rims I bought were more beat up than I wanted (or the pics showed). The sellers let me return them. If they hadn't I considered having them anodized blue. Yellow also had an appeal to me, like some of the bikes int he 90s had sort of a off yellow rim color.

I then found the black rims from a great seller (blais cycles from Florida) with like 5 miles on them... literally brand new so went with them.

This year I'm adding blue windscreen, gold levers, blue bar ends, and some gold and blue fairing bolts. I haven't got it all back together yet to take some pics, but have the screen, levers, and bar ends installed and it looks just like I saw it in my mind. It's gonna look keen. Next year I may add a little more blue and gold Probolt stuff yet again.

Ugh.... Super frustrated. I was staring at the crappy cell pic the dealer sent and i am pretty sure this is NOT an abs bike. I asked them twice and they had a technician confirm it was. I dont see the abs in that sticker below the ktrc. They are closed today so i guess i just get to stew until tomorrow.Already put down a deposit but it looks like i may have posted too soon.

FOR that price i might consider it anyway if you can't find another with ABS.
Personally i prefer the black rims !!Your text to link here...

I think that may be an ABS bike. The ABS sticker is white letters on black background and doesn't stand out like the KTRC.That's a low res pic and it looks like there may be something under the KTRC if you blow it up. JMO

Ask them to take a pic of the bike from the other/right side. You will then see the if the bike has ABS or not. Maybe the mudguard got damaged or something and they stopped it from another bike.
Black wheels to me are also nicer. With some rim tape they look look really cool.

Ugh, euro have the better panel highlighting schemes. Just tell them to walk up to the bike and shoot the steering neck nut from a distance. This way you see both ABS brake steel lines coming from under the front tank cover. I went thru the same thing. I said I'll buy the non-ABS bike for how much off? They said only 600 dollars off and I could not buy the ABS and install it for that much so I said call me when the ABS shows up, I don't care what color.

Unless you're a wet weather rider ABS isn't going to make a huge difference. I wouldn't let it stop me. Besides, non-ABS model is 7 lbs lighter and 7 lbs on zx 14 is worth > $100/lb to hundreds a lb. I've even got caught in the rain a few times..guess what I was able to stop just fine!

I'm sticking to my guns on the whole ABS issue. I'm sure I won't have a choice with the next bike I buy, it'll have ABS but I don't think I'd care if it did. It's just not quite the security blanket on a bike that it is in a car. For examplke, it wont' save you braking in a curve, it won't save you braking in gravel or dirt.

Here is the other photo they sent. Looks like a non abs to me. I have seen better deals on non abs so I am not driving 350 miles if it turns out not to be. Im committed to finding a bike this week. It just might not be this one. Oh and I found out this dealer isn't open on Mondays so more waiting.......

I believe I see the silver tone wheel on the front rotor. That's ABS, no?

All Gen 2s have tone rings. Also used for TRC and speedo (rear for speedo).

I still don't get what the big deal about ABS is!

* Last updated by: VicThing on 3/6/2016 @ 7:13 PM *

As far as I am concerned ABS is a crutch/detriment to your bike riding skills until ALL bikes have ABS. You get used to riding an ABS bike you lose some of your braking skills. You hop on a bike that does not have ABS and have to make a panic stop and you will lock up front wheel if you brake the same way as ABS bike and down you go. If you have multiple bikes like I have I think it is wise to have all bikes braking systems be the same. IMHO.

Unless you ride in the rain or gravel I wouldn't even worry about having ABS. I have yet to induce ABS, and I've been in some panic braking situations.

All i can say is that my first sportbike did not have abs and i was in the "who needs it?" club. My second bike "daytona 675" had it and although i never engaged it on the front wheel i did many times on the rear. It really helps squat the bike the maximum amount without worrying about rear wheel lockup. I guess at this point i would still buy the bike without abs but they better sweeten the deal even more since there is typically a 1k difference in purchase price for abs. Will know more on Tuesday when dealer opens back up. Goint to try and find another deal today as a backup on a 15 abs just incase this goes south. Picking something up this weekend whatever it takes!!!

[quote]As far as I am concerned ABS is a crutch/detriment to your bike riding skills until ALL bikes have ABS. You get used to riding an ABS bike you lose some of your braking skills. You hop on a bike that does not have ABS and have to make a panic stop and you will lock up front wheel if you brake the same way as ABS bike and down you go. If you have multiple bikes like I have I think it is wise to have all bikes braking systems be the same. IMHO.
/quote]

As far as I am concerned this is nonsense. Why would you ride an ABS equipped bike any different to a non ABS? I also ride other bikes and the 14 is the only ABS but I certainly haven't lost any riding skill. I also ride dirt bikes off road where braking is a whole different ball game. ABS is there as an aid for REAL panic braking situations, not as a 'crutch' so you can ride like a tw*t and assume the ABS will save your ass. JMO

I can't speak about the rear brake, I haven't use it on any of the 14's I've owned. The front however is a different story. The few times the abs kicked in at the front; worked pretty damn good. I had a gs bmw with a slow action abs and it was like holding a jackhammer in your hands. Big difference between the DTT actions. The 14 is more like a turret gun only slower; before you knew it. Still, both stayed upright and that's the end game.

Ask me how crazy I was back then on a '70's kind of bike, practiced about 18 stabs at the front end, watched the speed drop about 9mph from 100mph. That was well over 15 for sure of that pull to the grip. Give or take the mem, I had enough speed to whip the front end back straight because I remember once; looking at that speedo each time and out the corner of my eye I can see the front end too. The bar came in way too deep this time, had the bike bent over and that was the hand/eye practice of a quick release. I enter a corner too fast from a straightaway say, I knew what to expect. Blew oil out of both fork seals.

Peg I think what Ninja191 is saying isn't quite how you're taking it. On an ABS bike, a person has that sense that "abs will save me". Car pulls out? I got ABS, it'll save me. HIt some gravel? I got ABS, it'll save me. Enter a turn too quick? I got ABS, it'll save me. I don't need to worry about nothin cause I got ABS.

As much as I'd like more people to reflect what you're thoughts it's just not reality. Keep in mind, we are from different countries and our cultures are pretty different. Definitely not that UK is full of outstanding, intelligent citizens and we the US are full of idiots but you just have to understand the mindset of Americans. Most can't see past the nose on their face.

When I bought my 13, I did not care if it had ABS or not. I thought to myself that it was just something else that might help as I get older and maybe lose some reaction and / or reflex time. At this point, I am glad to have it as it seems to help in hauling the bike down from 150 mph runs. Bike is extremly stable as it drops those speeds. A few times I have got on the brakes hard trying to make the first turn out and realized how hard teh bike was stopping as the force applied itself against my bod.. I cannot say for sure what teh comparison would be but at this point , just glad to have it .

Vic, you may be right about the new riders, I mean REALLY new, that think about ABS the way you describe, but noone I ride with exhibits that mentality.

Peg I think what Ninja191 is saying isn't quite how you're taking it. On an ABS bike, a person has that sense that "abs will save me". Car pulls out? I got ABS, it'll save me. HIt some gravel? I got ABS, it'll save me. Enter a turn too quick? I got ABS, it'll save me. I don't need to worry about nothin cause I got ABS.

As much as I'd like more people to reflect what you're thoughts it's just not reality. Keep in mind, we are from different countries and our cultures are pretty different. Definitely not that UK is full of outstanding, intelligent citizens and we the US are full of idiots but you just have to understand the mindset of Americans. Most can't see past the nose on their face

Thanks Vic. you got exactly what I meant.

Tuesday update. Bike pictured above was NOT abs. Told dealer to knock off another $500 or refund my deposit. They chose to refund. Got on the phone with another dealer. 2015 green abs $11,970 was the lowest OTD + tax they would go. I pulled the trigger, put down another deposit, and the deal is back on! Picking her up Saturday. Anybody know if Brocks Green matches this green???

* Last updated by: darkarcher on 3/8/2016 @ 3:52 PM *