Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Mick C wrote:As a 10 rider who's ridden quite a few kays on a borrowed 14 I can assure you that I don't under rate them as a bike...they are veeeery addictive

It's good to hear an unbiased comment like that.

I was really impressed with the 14... I've loosely decided that I'll buy at the end-of-financial-year sales (which is handy as it means I can talk a better deal, and my good behaviour license will hopefully be finished!).

In the interim I'll need to ride the new 'Busa so that I can make an educated decision... and the only other thing that will impact the decision is that it doesn't look like the 2009 models will be available in all black which is muchos lameos so I'll be buying low-k second hand if that's the case.

The 14 is a great bike Shifty - maybe not as 'sporty' as a 12R, but for the long haul, more comfortable. How good are the brakes ??

The SP2 is a pile of crap. Even Mel couldn't get rid of hers fast enough, to replace it with a ZX9 .....( it did look good in the flesh, for sure. But not suited to her requirements..)

A 'Bus is sort-of like the 14, but wider, lower and longer. Great in a straight line......and thats about it. Have ridden a couple, and would always go for a 14 over a 'Bus anytime.

Shifty, if possible, take an unrestricted 14 for a ride (with the secondary butterflies removed), exhaust, etc. Still the most insane thing I've ever ridden. I can't see a busa keeping up with one.
I love the 12 but I ended up replacing it with a busa. Seams to handle a little better and is a LOT better on fuel. Since I do a lot of long distance it suits me better than the 12. Also the seat is a much comfier on the busa.

But what about midrange!

ross79 wrote:Shifty, if possible, take an unrestricted 14 for a ride (with the secondary butterflies removed), exhaust, etc. Still the most insane thing I've ever ridden. I can't see a busa keeping up with one.
I love the 12 but I ended up replacing it with a busa. Seams to handle a little better and is a LOT better on fuel. Since I do a lot of long distance it suits me better than the 12. Also the seat is a much comfier on the busa.

The 14 I rode was a standard (I assume; it had stock exhausts anyway) and I was still very impressed. By all reports the 06/07 models really wake up after being derestricted, and the 08/09 models don't need to be derestricted.

My 12R has a few mods and I still found the performance of the 14 was pretty impressive - obviously I couldn't give it a big test without access to a racetrack but I was still very happy with it and the thought that it would go even better with a few mods borders on frightening

My old 12 pretty much had the same mods as yours. Exhaust, filter, PC3 with custom tune. I thought it went quite well with a fair bit of bottom-midrange but nothing compared to the 14. Unrestricted it feels like it has too much power (never thought I'd ever say that!).
If power is high on the list, then you can't go wrong with a 14. The busa has a lot more bottom-mid power than the 12 but it doesn't compare to an unrestricted 14.

I'm not about top end so much as lazy acceleration, I like big bikes because they are effortless around town and out of corners, and if you happen to want the outright power then that's there too.

Something like a ZRX1200 would suit my riding style as well, but I prefer the comparitively lighter weight and higher performance of the 12R/ZX14. It starfs me why they don't make a real nekkid bike like a ZRX1400 with the full blown ZX14 engine and all the weight-saving goodies as I'd have one in a second, or a Z1000 with the full '09 Zx10R kit.

I reckon they'd sell like hotcakes.

rode both the busa and the zx14 before i ended up buying my 9.

Originally was pretty sold on the busa (though it would have been the first non kwakka i bought) mainly because i liked the looks of it (more psuedo sports bike styling). However, riding them back to back i just found that i felt much more at home on the 14 (it is a really nice bike). I agree with your comment though.. for me, it would have to be one of the black ones, the others don't do much for me.

In the meantime im sticking with my 9.. and if they ever made a new version of the 9, then i would buy that too.

VTR sp was built as a race bike then honda took off all the good bits to make it affordable to joe average, spend 100k on it shifty and you will have a nice bike.

As for the busa..I rode one a few months back for a day. Thoughts on it...ugly, heaps of bottom end stick,ugly, bad handling compared to 12, ugly, no leg room, top end power lacking and did i mention damn their a fat ugly lookin thing

cya

hammer wrote:VTR sp was built as a race bike then honda took off all the good bits to make it affordable to joe average, spend 100k on it shifty and you will have a nice bike.

As for the busa..I rode one a few months back for a day. Thoughts on it...ugly, heaps of bottom end stick,ugly, bad handling compared to 12, ugly, no leg room, top end power lacking and did i mention damn their a fat ugly lookin thing

cya

I'd say most bikes would be found wanting in the leg room dept for you Stu, you did - after all - make a 12 look like a Ninja 2Fidy

You need a mega motard, they have heaps but you may find them wanting in - um - other areas