High mileage ZX-14's

[Silverbird]

Who's got 'em and what sort of problems they give ya? If any...

Looking for a new ST bike because Honda won't step up an put anything worthy out there and Kawi is on their shit right now so I'm seriously looking at a ZX14R

[Rammer]

It's not real high mileage, but I have 29,200 miles on my '09 Zx-14. No problems so far. This spring it needs a complete fluid flush, tires, and a valve check.

[caddydaddy]

Those are awesome color matched saddle bags!  

[Meemuh]

I wonder what the similarities and differences are between a ZX & a C-14?
There's a ton of Connie's w/ miles and I've never heard of any issues...but I'm running a C-10.

Just a thought.

[blakebird]

Who's got 'em and what sort of problems they give ya? If any...

Looking for a new ST bike because Honda won't step up an put anything worthy out there and Kawi is on their shit right now so I'm seriously looking at a ZX14R

I had a first year '06 ZX-14 and put 27,000 miles on it in 16 months. All absolutely trouble free.

Many bikes ago I also had a '99 PGM-FI XX, which seems to be a popular bike to compare. The XX was a great bike, but it's not in the same league as the ZX-14. Time marches on and the technology has improved as you'd expect. The ZX-14 is every thing the XX was, 1.5x
Much smoother, way more powerful, a joy to sport tour on. Plenty of range, comfortable, and the build quality and finish was excellent.
It took me from Colorado to the west coast and back many times, east to Mississippi, etc. It's in the top three favorites.

I also looked at a ZX-14R, but went with the Ninja 1000 instead - partially due to the $14,699 sticker of the 14 and partially because I don't buy the same bike twice, despite the impressive improvements made. The new one felt very much like the first gen, so a bit more power wasn't worth a re-do.

[Rammer]

Those are awesome color matched saddle bags!  

Thanks, the '09 Versys, and '09 zx-14 were both available in candy lime green. The Kawasaki brand bags for the Versys, and Givi. are the same. I bought the color panels for the Versys and mounted them on a set of Givi's... 14 little screws later and instant color match!

[Silverbird]

Thanks, the '09 Versys, and '09 zx-14 were both available in candy lime green. The Kawasaki brand bags for the Versys, and Givi. are the same. I bought the color panels for the Versys and mounted them on a set of Givi's... 14 little screws later and instant color match!

The bags in general look great, how much did they cost you?

[Justin]

Much smoother, way more powerful, a joy to sport tour on.

The 14 is smoother than an FI Blackbird? Then that's damn smooth.

[Rammer]

The bags in general look great, how much did they cost you?

I purchased the Givi V35 bags from sporttour.com for 490, and picked up the removable mounts at twistedthrottle .com for 229. The color matched inserts came from Babbitsonline.com, I think the price was around 90.

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/3068/77/ for the mounts...
http://www.sporttour.com/shopexd.asp?id=2355 for the bags...

[blakebird]

The 14 is smoother than an FI Blackbird? Then that's damn smooth.

I had the ZX-14 many many years after the '99 Blackbird, but I was riding with a buddy who has a '99 XX (Steve's old bike, so it's in excellent shape).
We swapped bikes heading out towards Cochetopa Pass, and it brought back some good memories of my XX....but the comparison was eye opening. He came back mightily impressed by the ZX too.
The XX feels like a cammy small block chevy compared to the ZX mill.

When your generation Hayabusa came out, the horsepower and ET wars were pretty much equalized, down to rider skill, etc. The new ZX raises that bar again, and apparently substantially. It will be interesting to see Suzuki's next shot across the bow.

[Justin]

When your generation Hayabusa came out, the horsepower and ET wars were pretty much equalized, down to rider skill, etc. The new ZX raises that bar again, and apparently substantially. It will be interesting to see Suzuki's next shot across the bow.

Yeah, some of the numbers out there are impressive  - high 8's in the quarter mile on a near stock bike? Nuts.

Honestly, I'm fine with the HP I have. Really, how often does one need 180 HP at the wheel? Mine will keep pulling strong to the nether reaches of the speedo in top gear, even here in CO. I really don't need any more myself. And to think that the new 14 has put down 20+ more HP at the wheel on the dyno with the same mods  

[blakebird]

Mine will keep pulling strong to the nether reaches of the speedo in top gear, even here in CO.

I rode my ZX-14 out to MotoGP a couple of years, and in the cool dense air at sea level in my hometown of Monterey....it was big fun.

The good thing about elevation - it's an even playing field, so everyone has the same hp loss.
...and we get better mileage too  

[Spence]

    Just over 30,000 miles on my 07. No issues. my dealer talked me into skipping the first valve adjustment and I just had then done at 30000 mile service. all still in speck no adjustment needed.

I have Brock exhaust with powercommander and secondary flies removed. Also went to ebc pads and rotors and ss brake lines. It's been one of my favorite bikes. I would sell it now just to try something different
 
but if I can't get 5500-6000 out of it I will keep it around for a long term test bike. lol I too am a previous cbr1100xx owner. 1997

[Silverbird]

Crazy...and the XX is so smooth and fast. I'm getting a 14R too which is supposed to be quite a bit quicker than the old one. at 9000ft, should be just right

[blakebird]

You'll love it. About the only thing I wasn't crazy about on the new zed is the huge exhaust cans. I guess big hp needs to move big air...but they are so much bigger than the oem cans on the first gen ZX-14 it makes you wonder.

I put a set of Area P slip-ons on mine, and a Corbin with a raised seat pocket to ease up the knee bend a bit. This bike did a few undocumented SS1K's to the west coast and back. Great road tripper.

[Justin]

How does the wind protection on the 14 compare to the XX? The XX seemed to get a lot of air off the rider, even in a more relaxed position. That was one of my fave bikes for high speed traveling, and it did well in the cold. The Busa on the other hand, the rider is part of the aerodynamic profile, so you get a lot of wind on you, unless you are in a full butt in the air tuck. I almost wound up with the 14 before I got the Busa. That is what I was originally shopping for when an awesome deal on the Busa came along, and I fell in   with the bike.

[Rammer]

Justin, I can't tell you how the wind protection compares to an XX.  I can tell you what I've experienced with my Zx-14. I have toured with both the stock screen and a Zerogravity Sport-tour screen.

With the stock screen, the air comes off the front of the bike and hits me in the chest. I helps to take a little weight off my wrists at high speeds. It also flows air through my mesh gear. There is a LOT of bug splatter on my chest and shoulders with the stock screen.

With the ZG screen, the air is directed up and over me. I can ride in 39 degree (F) weather without heated gear. Just a turtle neck and my textile jacket with liner. The taller screen makes the bike a bit warmish in hotter weather. The bugs either hit the screen or are deflected around me.  The screens are easy to change, just 6 screws.

I might have to try a "double bubble" style screen to find a happy medium.

Stock screen....


Zerogravity, dark smoke, sport-tour screen.....

[blakebird]

How does the wind protection on the 14 compare to the XX? The XX seemed to get a lot of air off the rider, even in a more relaxed position. That was one of my fave bikes for high speed traveling, and it did well in the cold. The Busa on the other hand, the rider is part of the aerodynamic profile, so you get a lot of wind on you, unless you are in a full butt in the air tuck. I almost wound up with the 14 before I got the Busa. That is what I was originally shopping for when an awesome deal on the Busa came along, and I fell in   with the bike.

On the first gen ZX-14 you are in very clean air, it's not tiring at all, and not noisy, though I wear ear plugs on the road.

That was the first bike that Jeanne did more than 500 miles in a day on, including the GL1800 and R1150GS Adv. She had the Corbin ovalbak to lean on, but she was fine in whatever wind blast was back there.

btw....it was a couple of 400 mile days on the Blackbird that had her ask me to buy a GL1800 for our two-up trips  

[zxrider11]

20,000 miles on my 2008.  

No problems.  

Still on original chain & sprockets.  

Have only had to replace front brake pads.



Lighter and faster then my GenI Hayabusa, and awesome front brakes.

[NotDeadYet]

I have 35000 miles on my 07 (the fastest color - atomic silver) and it's still running like new.  I put on new brake pads, rotors, chain and sprockets at 30000 miles.  Did a valve adjustment at 15000 miles and again now at 35000.  At 15000 miles 12 valves needed to be re-shimmed.  At 35000 miles all were still within spec.  I have no reason to upgrade just yet.  Mine is still running like new, I have a corbin saddle and backrest on for two up riding and a set of color matched Givi V35's for touring - they look pretty darn good on the ZX14.  I put on Area P slipons, stainless steel brake lines, pulled the flies and put a power commander on at about 6000 miles.  I lost count on the number of tires I've gone through.  I am currently running michelin Pilot Road 3's and they seem to be the ticket for the bike and for the type of riding I do.  I may actually get 5000 miles out the PR3 rear.  I am normally looking to replace the rear tire at about 3000 miles and I have tried them all.  I love the new 2012 but my 07 is still going strong.  I figure with good preventative maintenance the bike should be good for 100000 miles.  I don't know if I will keep her that long but I figure once you start to rack the miles up the resale goes way down so it's cheaper to keep her.