Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Opinions? Anyone ridden all three?

did a full on 12 v 14 review here ..'bout 18 mths..maybe 2 yrs ago
not long after the 14 came out..liked the 14 (with a cupla exceptions)
still prefer the 12 )yeah i am biased )




the busa..?? got stonk..sports barge ultimo....ugly as sin


Smitty

i like both kwakas busa..... shrug

brendanzxr wrote:i like both kwakas busa..... shrug

You own a zx2 have you ridden either 3

12R all day !! now I would say that

I must say, I am partial to the black sports barge. Hoffy's is a very nice example actually. Just don't tell the big fella I said that ok?

Haven't ridden a 14 yet, however I can't see kawasaki going backwards with R&D. You'll probably find a 12 cheaper though.

As for the bus, throw that idea out the window. If you like straight lines, sure. But I'd have the other 2 in a second over it.

Have ridden all 3 .. Owned an 05 ZX12R, currently own the 07 ZX14 and have ridden an 05 Busa and the new 08 Busa.

The Busa hasnt changed over the years really. Maybe a few twinges here and there, but still feel pretty much the same to ride. I had the 05 for a few hours and it was fast as are all the bikes you are asking about. I found the Busa to be heavy in the front, probably more so the 08 although i could be comparing to the 14 seeming as though i didnt ride the busas back to back. Went really well the both of them did and handle pretty good for a bike that at times felt clumsy i guess i would say .. Its a little dated now, yes even the current shape is not much different than the first one, except for the rockets on each side called exhausts.

ZX12R, well went great, handled the best out of the 3 bikes, but has the worst brakes. Like the Busa is probably a bit dated, but looks better than a Busa. Would pick this over the Busa for looks, handling and comfort, but needs to have braided lines, and decent front pads fitted to make the brakes work a bit better. You can get one pretty cheap now as they have dropped there value since the 14 was released..

ZX14, well this is the pick of the bunch by a mile. Yes i know i own one, but you asked who had ridden the 3, and i am going to tell you the truth. The 14 is miles ahead of the earlier Busa and the 12, and even better then the new busa in my opinion. Goes like a missile, handles better than the Busa, handles nearly as good as a 12, and stops better than any bike you will ever ride. Comfort is better than than the 12, only by a small margin, and is very similar to the busa. The 14 demands respect on the road, its a real weapon with all the essentials you need.

So my choice would be the 14, then i would go the 08 Busa, then the ZX12R. If you are going to buy an earlier Busa i would pick the 12 ahead of that.

Ratings: ZX14, 9.5/10 - 08 Busa, 8.5/10 - 05/06 ZX12R, 8.5/10 - 05/06 Busa, 7.5/10 .....

Hope this helps..

I've been a one-eyed Busa fan since they were released... but am a bit of a Kawasaki man (I've owned six now) and after a few rides on each I have preference for the 12R. If you are a little shorter you may find the Busa feels "smaller" due to the narrower seat... the 12R is a little wider and higher in the seat, despite being lighter than the Busa... but as soon as you are riding the 12R feels a lot smaller & sportier. In between bikes I've done a fair few k's on a friend's SV650, and honestly around town the 12R doesn't feel a whole lot bigger.

Havent' had the opportunity to get it into the twisties but I've done a litle spirited cornering here and there and the 12R doesnt' feel like it'll be particularly oppressive through the tight stuff while the Busa to me felt "big" in the low speed stuff I've done.

ZX14... can't say but a mate who owns a 12 rode the 14 and found it a lot less exciting.

I Havent ridden a busa so i cant compare though they are ugly and the new ones have copped an even bigger beating with the ugly stick.

My mates 07 14 has similar mods to my 05 12, his bike really feels a lot torquer though he's removed the flies which probably gives an uneven compraison in a mere seat of the pants road test.

The 14s brakes are definately a large improvement, but the dated looks of a 12 are far away more pleasing to the eye than that of a 14 (and im unbiased ) the lighter, shorter wheelbase of the 12 makes it feel more like a sportsbike and only helps to inspire confidence thru the corners, where as the 14 feels more like a missle better suited to point and shoot not that the 12 lacks straight line accelleration in only 2 trips to a drag strip ive managed a flat 10 with wheelspin and trouble launching the bike, whereas my mates 30 odd trips to various strips has never managed better than 10.2

gotta luv the 12

cant beat a 12 ive ridden all three a personally think the busa is one of the biggest buckets of shite ever to have wheels put on it. i was pleasantly surprised with the 14 which i have done only about 500ks on but still prefer the 12 overall. Regardless of what the stats say ( and many 14/busa owners) i reckon the 12 accelerates better and faster than the other two and definitely out handles them both top and bottom end

I've ridden all 3, and found this:

Busa - fast, fat, ugly. Like riding a 170hp beer-keg. Handled a bit like a beer-keg in the twisty stuff as well. In a straight line, just fine. Not my cup of tea. Ugly as a factory of arseholes.

ZZR-1400. Fast, not as fat, not as ugly. Like riding a touring version of a 12. Unbelievable brakes !! In fact so good that like Wattie, I will be fitting a set of the Nissins to my bike as well. Handling - OK, but ground clearance was very lacking. Bars were high, wide and handsome compared to the 12. But definitely handled better than a Bus.

ZX12-R. There is a reason that the 12 has an 'R' in the name, and the 14 does not. You need to ride these bikes back-to-back to understand. The 12 does not brake as well as the 14 (the MFP12 is close, but needs Nissin's). The handling is worlds apart, the 12 can be hustled through fast stuff just as quick as most sports bikes, faster than some, and not much slower than others. The best thing about the 12 is that no matter what bikes are released in the next few years, no matter how much they weigh or whatever, the 12 will still be a good honest 160-170 *dinkum* horsepower bike, that can be set up to handle better than any other *sports-tourer* in its class, and almost as good as most *focused* sports bikes.

Thats my take on these 3 bikes anyway. The Bus I rode was a '02 model, the 14 was a '06 model, and the 12's include '01 and '05 models - all bikes ridden over the same test loop ( in some cases several times )

I havent ridden all three... just the 12..... I wouldnt even consider the busa or the ZZR14 because (no offense to owners) they are uglier then the festering arse of a dead rattlesnake... The 12 Is an awesome looking bike, rode very nicely considering its weight, but seemed "soggy" in the rear end... I dont know if this was because of the way it was dialed in or whether all zx12r's are like that. I considered buying it, but that put me off....

Gosling1 wrote:I've ridden all 3, and found this:

Busa - fast, fat, ugly. Like riding a 170hp beer-keg. Handled a bit like a beer-keg in the twisty stuff as well. In a straight line, just fine. Not my cup of tea. Ugly as a factory of arseholes.

ZZR-1400. Fast, not as fat, not as ugly. Like riding a touring version of a 12. Unbelievable brakes !! In fact so good that like Wattie, I will be fitting a set of the Nissins to my bike as well. Handling - OK, but ground clearance was very lacking. Bars were high, wide and handsome compared to the 12. But definitely handled better than a Bus.

ZX12-R. There is a reason that the 12 has an 'R' in the name, and the 14 does not. You need to ride these bikes back-to-back to understand. The 12 does not brake as well as the 14 (the MFP12 is close, but needs Nissin's). The handling is worlds apart, the 12 can be hustled through fast stuff just as quick as most sports bikes, faster than some, and not much slower than others. The best thing about the 12 is that no matter what bikes are released in the next few years, no matter how much they weigh or whatever, the 12 will still be a good honest 160-170 *dinkum* horsepower bike, that can be set up to handle better than any other *sports-tourer* in its class, and almost as good as most *focused* sports bikes.

Thats my take on these 3 bikes anyway. The Bus I rode was a '02 model, the 14 was a '06 model, and the 12's include '01 and '05 models - all bikes ridden over the same test loop ( in some cases several times )

And no one can pedal a 12 like Gos can ..

Blue14 wrote:

And no one can pedal a 12 like Gos can .. [/quote]


..aint that the truth