Agree with DogoZX. Also agree 100%, the new ZX14R has a lot going for it.

We don't know how it will handle in comparison to, say, a 2011 yet. Just no data, and a whole lot of bench racing.

A) mod for mod, its heavier than a 2011.
B) it is slightly wider (yes, I've scraped my lowers and the left side has a scar in the carbon fiber)

And it just isn't all that much HP to get excited about. We have a lot of pre-2012s running around at 190-ish and they weigh less than a 2012.

Just saying......

Nope,never scraped my lowers.Is that bad?I think the 'extra width' is actually up top,where the upper cowl has those two deals running along the side.If they're measuring from mirror tip to mirror tip,well,they ARE adjustable OR...could be the ends of those cans.If you look at the "above" view,they do appear to be slightly sticking outward as opposed to the earlier models.(at the rear of the can).You guys keep saying 'extra weight'...it's got a 1441 engine...and a 20 lb weight gain(probably from pipes).You ditch those...HOW has it gained weight?I'm not seein that.With the weight reductions possible(on the late model 14's)...you do the same to THIS bike....You don't think it'll be "lighter' with that 1441?Put that engine in your late model zx....tell me it aint gonna change the performance.Gonna rock...don't you think so?For one thing...the rotating mass of the wheels has definitely been addressed...so there's a big thing going for the handling department.I know when I get mine....I'm not gonna be the least bit disappointed.I can already tell this new bird is gonna rip.WAY better than my 07.This is just a BETTER BIKE...in every area .Didn't Tom Petty have a song..."the hardest part is the WAITING"....something like that .

Besides guys...scraping yer lowers doesn't mean very much.Honestly.If I weighed 200+ lbs,and had my suspension softened up....I could PROBABLY manage to scrape my lowers as well.But I don't want my bike dipping in the middle of a fast azz curve.You guys know if ya get off the seat there,you can take a curve much faster and keep the bike more vertical...you knew that,right?

* Last updated by: blue07 on 10/12/2011 @ 12:42 PM *

I've got the ok to get one from the other half but I'm waiting to see what kind of numbers it puts down.

blue07, its not that you invented hanging off, ya know.....

I'm too beat up to hang off anymore, but when I was riding the Santa Clara Mtns on Ridge Road on the way to Alice's Restaurant, decades ago, I wore full Alpinstars one-piece leathers with sliders, and scuffed the sliders enough to replace them once or twice a summer.

We aren't all wonderful riders like you. :p

Those pipes are HUGE, but...
The more I look - the more I like...

Yepper....me too.Actually,the pipes don't look TOO bad on there.Check out that video on the Kawasaki site.The Green one sitting there off the side of the nice WINDING road.She friggin looks WAY cool.

Blue, the extra weight is not in the pipes. The current bike has heavy pipes on it as well... And please don't question my riding abilities because I have scraped up the lowers... you gotta push the limits to know what they actually are.
Yes, outta the box, the 2012 will be better handling bike... The lighter wheels and improved suspension are going to make a huge difference in how it handles... I know first hand.

185... that's my magic #.

Flat out nice looking. In person? Anyone got one of those penis hold her down her as you do that naked scene on camera? ACTION! I'm going to have to pick up a plastic bag full of brochures before I go to the Kawi dis play and hold that bag someplace and now...... Oh look at that hoseseemeguyveer over here, OH look at that fucking shit! No idle cable! You fucking cocksuckers! Do I look euro to you?

I'll be that the 2012 exhaust system weighs in more than the 2011 system - removing that complete system netted 30+ lbs off the "old" bike... this one is has bigger exhaust cans with extra mounting hardware at the passenger peg mounts...
There's a few pounds of fat that can be trimmed off of this baby!

This person is getting real close to ordering a service shop manual. That tells my dealer I am the real deal. I have until April before they hit the dealer floor. I'm going to sell both bikes looking all bone stock. I'm not in the league with you other chaps, having DMV know me on a first name basis, I walk in to pay for yearly tags for that fleet of yours. You know whombeewee be talkin about.

bigW, I gotta laugh. Brock saw HP leave the building, he installed a piper cub or wadeverwad of air cleaner label you putt on it, you lost the OEM right there. Now, here is the pipe with some extra-extra plumbing for the gruntR for runner. You pull one more part off, I start laughing, how much OEM did you lose along with the pleat factor?

I'll be that the 2012 exhaust system weighs in more than the 2011 system

Heavier? Yes... but not 20 lbs heavier.

There's a few pounds of fat that can be trimmed off of this baby!

For sure... but most new weight has to be in the frame reinforcement, motor, TC, etc.... That stuff can't be trimmed.
All I'm saying is, mod for mod the new bike will weigh more than the old. I was hoping that would not be the case, but it is.

Flat out nice looking. In person? Anyone got one of those penis hold her down her as you do that naked scene on camera? ACTION! I'm going to have to pick up a plastic bag full of brochures before I go to the Kawi dis play and hold that bag someplace and now...... Oh look at that hoseseemeguyveer over here, OH look at that fucking shit! No idle cable! You fucking cocksuckers! Do I look euro to you?

You funny, Hub...
When I said, "Yes, outta the box, the 2012 will be better handling bike... The lighter wheels and improved suspension are going to make a huge difference in how it handles... I know first hand."
I was referring to what I have experienced upgrading those items on my current beater.

The bikes began to shorten up. Notice the swing arm looking like a caterpillar moving on the curl up. That is how you shorten the rear end. Make the bike smaller. You are just getting a big long bike again. You bunch of rubber band dis and I want dat. Oh, did I get my winkers in the mirrors? No. Did I get an idle cable? No.

Did you get your clutch basket chatter breaker-breaker? Yes you did. Did you cry for more fans? Yes you did. Did you keep crying to get what you want, the bike gets heavy and does not handle like a sport bike? WOT & WATT doe you want then? Stop complaining. You got all those bells and whistles, now it goes heavier with an ABS stopper boxer with a bunch of brake lines overtaking your limp wrist.

I'm about to use that shop manual for toilet paper! Don't give me that shit about overweight bike parts is parts. You wanted it... Buy golly G for R... 1441 that up your ass is!

Notice the swing arm looking like a caterpillar moving on the curl up. That is how you shorten the rear end. Make the bike smaller.

Not sure what you are saying??? I'll bet ya a 6 pack the old arm bolts right on, though.

Did you get your clutch basket chatter breaker-breaker?

YES

Did you cry for more fans?

No, I did not... I'm in Washington. lol

Stop complaining. You got all those bells and whistles, now it goes heavier with an ABS stopper boxer with a bunch of brake lines overtaking your limp wrist.

I'm about to use that shop manual for toilet paper! Don't give me that shit about overweight bike parts is parts. You wanted it... Buy golly G for R... 1441 that up your ass is!

It does not have ABS... but anyway limp wrist?... up my ass?... You hurt my feelers.

Hub sez: " I have until April before they hit the dealer floor."

My dealer sez: on the floor in December. Some special orders available in November. He doesn't know what his allocation will be. Now, he is an old friend and would not lie to me. Showed me the logs/delivery date projections from Kawi. He sez his phone been ringing off the hook with interested parties. At the dealer show, Kawi had video of new vs old and vs Busa. Ran em against each other and interchanged all three riders and ran again and again. New 14 walked away from the other two every time. Guess I better go back tomorrow and put some earnest money down on a new blue machine. for I don't really care if I never go 200mph anyway; just love that acceleration and smooooooooooooooooth machine.

You might be right about the can weight as they mention improved head pipe and collector design. Thus unless I missed them saying so the cats are only in the pipes.

Yep, I was going buy all the months you wait to see the new product. If DEC is the shipping date, I stand corrected. I gutted two pipes so far. Kawi is the only one that velocity stacks the ends. YOu have a tuned pipe with a trumpet flair at the end. I cut some italian factory can and it is pipe into pipe, no clue about, exploiting the aero in the can? Only Kawi is on that page. I can imagine the extra exploiting it takes to take off from a dead stop. That, and 40% more bubble pushing into that ram effect snout.

Anyway, limp wrist your ass, the new and improve; more weight. Like, submit and add more fan blade, more tone wheel weight. zIt all adds up in the big pic, meet finding a gap or be the meat under the car. DATA is the page I am on. Light-Quick Like. Well, more like a light switch in peeformance.

Are we seeing how you can shorten Point A to B with same wheel size? See the caterpillar concept about to craw a step?

* Last updated by: Hub on 10/12/2011 @ 10:48 PM *

Well I like the changes but there are not enough changes to make me sell my 09. She is modded up with everything and weights a lot less than the 2012. I would like some of the new goodies but I’ll pass for a while. I only have 20,000 miles on her and she runs great and handles like a champ with the Race Tec and BST wheels…..I’m still wondering if the may be using the 2012 for a stepping stone for a total revamp and coming out with the super charged 1500 cc. I had heard Kawasaki came got a patent for a super charged motor. What do you guys think?

PaulAB wrote:

My dealer sez: on the floor in December. Some special orders available in November. He doesn't know what his allocation will be. Now, he is an old friend and would not lie to me. Showed me the logs/delivery date projections from Kawi. He sez his phone been ringing off the hook with interested parties. At the dealer show, Kawi had video of new vs old and vs Busa. Ran em against each other and interchanged all three riders and ran again and again. New 14 walked away from the other two every time. Guess I better go back tomorrow and put some earnest money down on a new blue machine.

You are going to find out how good an "old friend" this dealer is. There will be more people offering to pay 110% in advance to get one right away than there will be bikes available.

Delivery date projections are simply estimates. With the sudden, massive demand, KHI will deliver in order of top volume dealers down to low volume dealers.

Friend or not, if your dealer was top 10 volume in 2010 and 2011 to-date, they will get at least 1 or 2 of the new ZX14R in the December 2011 time-frame. If not, January 2012 at the earliest

They are coming, even 2 will be in my little town by January. And even in my little town, my dealer is hinting around that they will be asking over $16,500 for them, out the door.

I'm not paying $16,500 for something 5% quicker than mine, that I can at least keep up with in the mountains, and maybe leave if I was a real rider.

For that much plus tax and license, I can get a 2012 C14 with KTRC and ABS and electronic cruise control. No brainer for me. C14

I want the 2012 but talked myself out of it already. My 2007 maybe 7-8K (private sale), that's another 8Kish to lay out, New pipe, PC, block offs, screen, KNN and other crap I cant live without... another 2-3Kish. So I would be spending 10K easy to get back to where I was with 20-30 more HP? Going to give Carpenter for 4Kish and get a real world 215 at the wheel.

I'm about to put my 2008 ZX14 (the one with all the sport touring ETC. modifications) up on CycleTrader any day now.

Just working on a deal to get the title transfered to my credit union so that the sale is made easier, because I could walk in and pay them off the 4k or whatever and have them send/give the buyer the title.

Then I'm going to get a 2012 C14 and leave it dead stock all next riding season so I see what I really need.

I'm still contemplating... LOL Just trying to justify if I will get more enjoyment out of a 2012 than I have with my 2010, and is it worth the $$ to have it right away or wait till next summer. Time will tell I guess.

Are we seeing how you can shorten Point A to B with same wheel size? See the caterpillar concept about to craw a step?

Yes... even have a couple 10r swingarms with that kind of design out in the shop... but I still don't unders tanned WOT you are saying.

So I would be spending 10K easy to get back to where I was with 20-30 more HP?

According to THESE #'s, the 14r has about 7hp more than the current 14... if accurate, that's a major let down, IMO.

Look at the full length of the caterpillar. If you curl up the swing arm like a caterpillar, you lost no length at the swing arm, per say. But, you did lose overall length from A to B. This way, the idea is a design idea, rather than shorten the swing, it is strengthened at that same time by the arc.

I have to agree, if it is only 7HP it is a major letdown. Is that measured at the crank or to the rear wheel? I am going to just send my shit out and have the motor built & install an air shifter instead of the quick shitter.