Email Junks ~ ZX14 vs Busa (56k killer)

[300]

ZX-14 vs. Hayabusa

[TheKlic]

wow, that almost killed my high speed cable
and seriously, how often do you see 0-180 in a comparison between two bikes or 2 cars

[katana bob]

nice comparo. can I ask how you were able to post all that? I have a 2mb limit and this post must go WAY beyond that.

[philwecksr]

on an unrelated note, check how uniform his cornering posture is in every picture..... Ahh experience, how I anticipate thee....

[Anonymous]

Begining of the end for the big guy...
Suzuki better get hoppin!

[Kanati]

Don't worry... it's already built. It's just a question of whether it'll be out as a 2007 or 2008 model.

[blkpitbull]

My uncle has a black zx14, he had to buy in chicago, we live in KY. Its only got 900 miles and he binned it a week ago......No shit. I rode it, granted not to its potential, But man is that thing STRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!! He tore up the right side so I took it apart for him and he is in the process of getting his parts. Which isnt easy. Some parts he says he cant get yet!

Anyways he wreck by a small highside when it spun up the rear and tossed him up and out of the saddle but he didnt let go and rode in to the ditch. Was kindof funny but he was okay but man was he pissed!!

[Kanati]

Tell him to leave the secondary flys in no matter what anyone tells him then. If he's spinning it up now he doesn't need the violence that will bring to the low end.

[StevieB]

We all knew this day was coming...

(still working on that next rating...)

[Viper817]

ninja calling me to the darkside.....could be!!!

[crazymofo]

the zx-14 is a hidious looking bike. the front end does nothing for me!

bring on the new busa. so then the old platform can get cheaper and i can buy one :P

cheers.joe.

[ChattKat]

the zx-14 is a hidious looking bike. the front end does nothing for me!

I agree, it may be faster but the Busa is sexier by far.

[tdrcomm]

I think Kawasaki found that the hyper-sport/tourer was a more elusive target to hit than they realized. And the battleground had shifted to the supersports and power cruisers so i'm sure their resources were stretched pretty thin (Of the big four I think they're the red-headed stepchild). Mean Green has always been able to build a big, "powerful as a sledgehammer" engine, they just could never mate it with a suspension and road manners that didn't make you question your sanity for riding it so hard. And it sure didn't help to publically "call out" Suzuki with new Hayabusa-beater, the ZX-12, and have it fall short. It is a testament to the incredible engineering from Suzuki to have a bike stay on top of it's catagory (actually define it) for seven years. How many times have the literbikes played leapfrog in the past 7 years?

Actually, I'm glad Kawi stepped up to the plate with the ZX-14 and got it right. From all I've heard from owners is that it's silky at low speeds and smooth through the powerband. Competiton is good for business even if it means being a step behind for a while. For a long time I was scared that Suzuki would just discontinue the bike after 8 years. That's a long time without any significant update. Suzuki never does anything until it's challenged.

In motion, it doesn't look that bad. The front end does look like a freakin' tarantula and the RF look on the sides is kinda weak, though. I think I know what Kawi was trying to do but I don't think they quite succeeded. They wanted something unique and distinctive. Something that said that "this is something special". When you play catch up thats always hard to do. To us, we can recognize that bike immediatly. We know exactly how bad ass and scary it is, but to the average joe... it's just another big sportbike. The history and rep (good or evil) isn't there yet. The Busa, love it or not, is distinctive and unique. No other bike looks quite like it. It looks purpose-built. R1s and Gixxers look like they were born at the track. The Busa just looks like blunt force trauma waiting to happen. The literbikes carve up twisties - the Busa looks like it wants to bludgeon them to death. I'd be willing to bet good money that if you parked the big 4's literbikes, ZX-14, Ducati 999 and a Busa in a row in a parking lot, the Duc and the Busa would garner the most attention. One is just beautiful and the other looks like nothing else. That's where I think the ZX-14 misses the boat. It doesn't look like you should fear it. To me it doesn't make you want to take a second look.

Unlike some of the guys on the Busa boards who are hyperventilating into paper bags, my self worth doesn't rest on whether or not the bike mags say my bike is the fastest in the world (but I do love my 220 speedo ). What I do care about is power, performance, comfort and handling. And if all things are equal between two bikes (and they're close), I'll take the one that looks coolest and is the most comfortable for me, and the Busa is the most comfortable sportbike I have ever ridden. But having said all that, if Suzuki redesigns it to look and feel like a big Gixxer I may be looking for another big bike.

(What's really funny is that the Gix1000 has a quicker 60-80 roll-on than both bikes and is only .03 slower than the ZX-14 in the quarter mile according to Motorcyclist Magazine)

[MadMax]

Nice comparo. Thanks for posting. I have to agree that the ZX is just plain out....hideous! It may be faster but it has nothing on the Busa as far as sex appeal. Bring on the next Busa!