Tigerpaw Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 Moved to St Louis after year in sandbox. We bought our dream house with a 3 car garage, and I needed to fill it with something.... So a new '16 ZX-14 SE fit the bill. Put 75 miles on it today, but damn it's hot out here this weekend. Will try for more soon. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaler Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 Nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoop Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 Welcome back! And oh yes, nice bike! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfman1 Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 Nice purchase! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snot Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 Welcome back and thank you# Nice bike, glad you stuck with the ninjas. Congrats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmutt Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Welcome back man! That's one HUGE upgrade from a Ninja300. Good to hear you're back on American soil. If you want some extra goods, I've got a bunch of parts from my 2nd gen ZX14 that I can cut you quite a deal on 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerpaw Posted June 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Thanks for the support guys and gals! I knew I wanted one, but when my hometown dealer had the color/options I wanted at a price less than I planned on bartering for....it was the quickest sale ever, lol. The owners of big bikes already know how great these things are, but here is the perspective of someone who spent 8 years honing their skills wringing the hell outta little bikes... I was able to put 450 miles on it today. Good roads everywhere I "break in" my engines by constantly changing to every possible conceivable speed/gear/load. So I put her through the paces, with all types of riding(city, highway, freeway, 2 lane backroads, 1 lane "goat paths"(as Bubba & Dice would say), parking lots, gravel, etc,...) I am VERY happy about my choice. This bike is incredible, and way easier to tear up the curves in the twisties than the naysayers would have you believe. On technical roads I didn't know, she always did exactly what I asked her WITH MINIMAL EFFORT. Obviously my tires are brand new and haven't squared off yet, but damn!!! it was SO easy. The power is obviously hilariously fun and will make you smile so much your cheeks will hurt, but it's also completely SMOOTH and CONTROLLABLE. The off/throttle deceleration and stellar brakes bring you back from WARP speeds with no effort or drama. She eats up highway/freeway miles and will make a decent tourer for my tastes with a different screen, bags, throttle lock, and maybe bar risers(not a must for my build). Parking lots, gravel, driveways, are all achievable, just need more forethought and effort. I think I will see 32 mpg or so with "spirited" riding. The engine/fairings keeps the heat aimed right at my ankles(better than thighs or junk I suppose). Last but not least, she looks better than a busa, lol. I will get more "sightseeing" pictures when the rides aren't as much fun as today was. Jason, What Triumph did you get(I must have missed that thread)? How are you guys enjoying Sumo life? Lemme know what you still have parts wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmutt Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 (edited) 10 hours ago, Tigerpaw said: Thanks for the support guys and gals! I knew I wanted one, but when my hometown dealer had the color/options I wanted at a price less than I planned on bartering for....it was the quickest sale ever, lol. The owners of big bikes already know how great these things are, but here is the perspective of someone who spent 8 years honing their skills wringing the hell outta little bikes... I was able to put 450 miles on it today. Good roads everywhere I "break in" my engines by constantly changing to every possible conceivable speed/gear/load. So I put her through the paces, with all types of riding(city, highway, freeway, 2 lane backroads, 1 lane "goat paths"(as Bubba & Dice would say), parking lots, gravel, etc,...) I am VERY happy about my choice. This bike is incredible, and way easier to tear up the curves in the twisties than the naysayers would have you believe. On technical roads I didn't know, she always did exactly what I asked her WITH MINIMAL EFFORT. Obviously my tires are brand new and haven't squared off yet, but damn!!! it was SO easy. The power is obviously hilariously fun and will make you smile so much your cheeks will hurt, but it's also completely SMOOTH and CONTROLLABLE. The off/throttle deceleration and stellar brakes bring you back from WARP speeds with no effort or drama. She eats up highway/freeway miles and will make a decent tourer for my tastes with a different screen, bags, throttle lock, and maybe bar risers(not a must for my build). Parking lots, gravel, driveways, are all achievable, just need more forethought and effort. I think I will see 32 mpg or so with "spirited" riding. The engine/fairings keeps the heat aimed right at my ankles(better than thighs or junk I suppose). Last but not least, she looks better than a busa, lol. I will get more "sightseeing" pictures when the rides aren't as much fun as today was. Jason, What Triumph did you get(I must have missed that thread)? How are you guys enjoying Sumo life? Lemme know what you still have parts wise. Whew, ok....this will be wordy, but I'll cliffnote it best I can ever since you'd left the states. I traded for a barely used 2011 Sprint GT. Loving it so far. Grew sick of the same old inline 4 cyls, so my next bike had to be either a twin/triple/V4. I'm digging the triple. It's linear, yet torquey most anywhere on the tach. I love the center stand, makes tire swaps and winter storage a breeze. The single sided swinger is great for rear tire swaps too since there's no need to fight with aligning the rear caliper mount with the axle, adjusting blocks, and axle holes, then having to align the chain. Now I just pull a lock ring, zip off a 43mm nut with the impact, and off comes the wheel. It ticked all the boxes for me in that it's comfy, corner capable, sizey panniers, ABS, good sized bar risers, still a bit sporty seating position, SLOWER than my Ninja, and gets about 50mpg. I haven't been able to get near 250 miles on 1 tank of fuel before now, so it's been really nice stretching out fuel stops. I was very content with my ZX14 for many years, but I just couldn't build the tourer I wanted out of it and still get what I needed. My primary goal was to slow down, couldn't trust myself on solo rides anymore, enjoyed the purity of that beast too much. Simply put, I treated it like a straightline missle with some cornering capability. Hit 170 at the end of 4th gear way too often, yet it is a docile bike if you want it to be. Hypersports teach you throttle moderation and control in a hurry since they go so much faster, so much easier. Secondly was mileage. ZX14's are a thirsty breed, and best I could get was an avg 42mpg highway IF I could keep it at the speed limit and no playtime. Thirdly, tires. I went with sport touring tires to increase longevity, but it would still munch down 2 rears to 1 front....there again, right wrist dependency plays a big part I'm sure. Supermotos.....what can I say.....wish I'd done this sooner. Love the whole concept. Shred the corners, light and flickable, cheap to insure/maintain, and cheap $20/day tracktime at the kartway saves us money every year we own these things vs $400-$500 a day for us both to hit the big tracks. Not to mention another platform of bike for my wife to skill up on. It's nothing like riding her ninja and she's enjoying it right along with me, so win win win. Here's a link to my parts thread on the ZX14 parts. We can negotiate better pricing. I'd rather the stuff go to someone that can use it and I loathe selling shit on Craigslist, so it's been sitting on the forums since the trade. https://ohioriders.net/index.php?/topic/109529-zx14-wheels-and-other-misc/ I also have 2 lightly used spare cooling fans that I'd sell for $20 each, was going to add a 2nd onto my bike but never got around to it. Edited June 13, 2016 by Hellmutt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubba Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 TP: Hey man, welcome home!!! Thanks for your service. Oh, BTW....nice upgrade to the garage, too. I wish an old man like me was "mature" enough to ride one of those monsters, but I'm afraid it'd kill me quickly. LOL. Glad to see you've been infected with the goat path disease from our rides in NKY. Riding the smooth roads with big high-speed sweepers is fun, but I always come back more refreshed when I plunk around on the back roads at sane speeds as opposed to screaming thru the countryside at triple digits. Since we last rode together, I picked up a KTM 990 SMT. Really fun bike--essentially a super-moto with 125 HP--but I gotta hunch it won't be long before I get my first "performance award" in many years.... Ride safe and have a great summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2talltim Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 (edited) I think a few on the boards got a good look inside of what these big 1400's can be capable of this weekend following me around. They aren't just big heavy turds, Yours is a little lighter and few more ponies than mine too so it should go even better. Like Hellmutt said just prepare for it to be a tire eating mother. Try throwing a 190-55 tire on the rear and she will turn in even better than it does now. Edited June 13, 2016 by 2talltim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerpaw Posted June 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2016 On 6/12/2016 at 11:11 PM, Hellmutt said: Blah, blah, blah.... I looked up your Sprint thread...Nice Bike! I was very seriously considering a Daytona 675R for the same reasons you wanted a triple. The only negative seemed to be less support(Dealers/mechanics/knowledge) than the Jap bikes. How has it been riding this Spring? I think I'm good parts wise for the time being. Glad you guys are enjoying the short tracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerpaw Posted June 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2016 On 6/13/2016 at 6:49 AM, Bubba said: I picked up a KTM 990 SMT. Really fun bike--essentially a super-moto with 125 HP--but I gotta hunch it won't be long before I get my first "performance award" in many years.... Looks like a perfect bike for your style. "performance award" LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerpaw Posted June 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2016 On 6/13/2016 at 7:14 AM, 2talltim said: Try throwing a 190-55 tire on the rear and she will turn in even better than it does now. Thanks for the pro-tip. I'm scouting for deals on Bridgestone S21s in that size, so they can be ready and waiting when I need them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmutt Posted June 15, 2016 Report Share Posted June 15, 2016 7 minutes ago, Tigerpaw said: I looked up your Sprint thread...Nice Bike! I was very seriously considering a Daytona 675R for the same reasons you wanted a triple. The only negative seemed to be less support(Dealers/mechanics/knowledge) than the Jap bikes. How has it been riding this Spring? I've got good dealer support in Dayton, so I'm lucky in that respect. Took the Epic Ride and Gap trip to truly trust the bike, but it's very little short of everything I wanted. A few small mods and I'll be satisfied for some years to come 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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