Came close to buying one of these recently. I decided not to simply because to also use as a commuter in Sydney the engine heat will be an issue. Nice review thanks mate !
Got a 2013 ZZR 14 (UK SPEC) love it to bits, knocking on a bit now so those drop bars a no, no. So got the straight bar kit from germany and I love it even more now. I didn't buy it thinking it'd be good on juice I knew a 1440 cc engine that revs high is gonna be a thirsty mc. I do my own basic servicing on her too and those spark plugs are a bit of a bugger to get out and change. 😖 Never expected her to be kind on tyres either with that much torque and pull she chews em up quick when you get a bit naughty. 😂 She's a little heavy but once rolling you get used to it and they become surprisingly light. Blisteringly fast even in standard trim with akrapovics providing the soundtrack ,a deep burble/growl niiiice !! Hope mine lasts till 90 k because she's a keeper 👍🧡🌄🏍
Love the vid mate just brought a 2008 zx14 yesterday..after selling my harley always wanted one of these bikes.. love the shape 🙏💯 keep safe out there from Perth W.A
I found with this bikes suspension you can get it to handle like a 1000 but that will change quickly as tyres wear. You can get it real comfortable but it will freak you out on corners. I rode mine from new for 12 years on open country roads. The open speed limit is like idle. You do not feel the pace. Try a sticky front tyre for extra confidence in a tight corner. The engine breaking pulls you up if you find youve picked the wrong line in a tight corner. This is why ive ridden these models gen 1 and gen2 for 15 years....its a safe bike. I got into more trouble on a 600 than on this. The zx14r has better handling but maybe not as comfortable. The gen 2 has traction control which i use on eet hreasy roads and on gravel, sandy "roads". Michelin Pilots are good dirt tyres. Why dirt? Well where I live there are few sealed roads, they are all patched and hollowed out by grain trucks. If you want to ride in a circle then often you have to take the dirt roads, and here these can be a challenge even in a 4wd especially after rain. The kwacka zx14 is a first class bike that handles crappy surfaces and still lets you ride in comfort , calm and at horizon sucking speed.
Love the "good boy and do the speed limit". ... hehehe this beast will do the "speed limit" without turning the throttle. Fantastic machine and one of a kind.
Mate , what’s the brand of ur tyres ? I think I saw Michelin pilot road 4 ? How satisfied with them ? I use them on my BMW K 1200S and I don’t like them, i do like a lot the power 3 on my Zx14. Nice review of ur beast .
Yeah pilot road 4's , they aint a premium tyre but they handle the weight really well,so they dont chew out the middle and they wear well, the grip is a trade off for the wear time.
Those darn timing chain tensioners... I have to put on in also. Hitting 40,000kms. Have a new one (APE manual tensioner). Will wait till the starting of next riding season. Almost time to put the beast to bed for the winter. Any tips on doing the tensioner?
If your ZX14 isn't cornering as well as you expect it to, assuming the rider has been trained at a track at some point, then you might want to consider having your suspension professionally setup. A proper suspension tune for the actual rider makes a world of difference.
Yes agree, i havn't done that on the 14 , had my KTM dirt bike setup for my weight and yep,huge difference .l just gave the 14 a facelift, got her back on the road last week , might look into getting a suspension tune soon $$$ permiting ( not a track trained rider) but all round happy with the standard zx14.
Greetings from another Australian zx14 owner. I thought i might share my experience with mine to compare with yours. I too have owned quite a few over the years but these sure are an amazing machine. Mine has almost 120,000kms on it and is still running the dream. Spot on about chomping litre bikes, recently myself and a mate on his tuned gsxr1000 had a go and it had no chance at keeping up. But where i slightly disagree(though it is down to rider and rubber) is the cornering. I feel like mine corners just as well as a 600. I run a riding group with fair number of experienced riders and being Tasmanian based, there is no end of hairpins and hills. Out of corners you are spot on, it hauls. But going IN to corners, i find myself wearing the corners/toes of my boots out LITERALLY. You wont find any chicken strips on my rear either. I cant say that i have experience brake fade but i do rely on gears alot too. Fuel economy? Well haha. I am quite an aggressive rider for the most part and on a good calm day i can see 300-350kms to a tank. On the not so good days, ill chew through a tank in around 200-250kms. As with any vehicle, it comes down to ride style. I have been running Dunlop RoadSmart 2-3's on mine, the grip like all hell and i have managed to get 10,000km out of a pair so i'm not disappointing. Temperature... YES... They do heat up and create some engine heat for sure. Mine actually had some foam sections between frame and fairing to stop hot air from the engine seeping out onto the riders legs, but i did leave them out when i was working under the fairings so i do feel it, especially in summer. One thing about mine that slightly annoys me is the gear display... Its not always accurate. its spot on for 1st, N, 2nd and 6th but the rest tend to be a little random sometimes. Is this something you have experienced? You sure have yourself a nice looking bike. Stay Safe, Stay Upright.
Had no issues with the gear readout at all, hopefully it stays that way, they do corner very well , just a bit harder to manage in the tight stuff,atleast i find it to be anyhow,fuel econemy is about what your getting, ofcourse you can hold off it a bit to get better econemy but thats no fun 😁 Mines in for paint right now , matt black fairings with gloss black badges. Thx for the feedback , love the 14's, ride safe
@@fearnobeer9077 haha cheers for the reply mate. Yea riding economy is kinda pointless for them. They love the throttle ALMOST as much as me 😂. Mine is a gorgeous metallic red over gloss black. Wish I could post a pic here. Yours sounds like it will look the part.
My 2006 Did 78,000 kays in 12 years. Would have done more also had a vtwin cruiser. Traded for a Zx14r which...in 2021.... i believe are appreciating in value. These bikes are great all rounders....though be nice yo have an Autobahn in West Australia. They will cope with city use. I live in middle of nowhere and these bikes handle the rubbish roads at high speed. The heat keeps you warm n dry in winter.
@FEAR NO BEAR, I don't think you'll need to replace your cam chain tensioner, it's hydraulic, always in spec. If you've got a little rattle at start up it's because the CCT is not still up to the required hydraulic pressure. Nice black Zed. Wouldn´t mind at all mine was black. Cheers.
Great bike for sure,have the exact same model. I'd have to disagree on the handling. The handling will suffer if your suspension sag isn't set...Once it's set to about 30% of travel, adjust the damping to suit the roads, and the style of riding you do. Also a 55 profile rear tyre makes a huge difference....that's why most supersport bikes have them 👍
Mines identical to yours but only 11,000 ks on it. Also got a 05 blackbird..and 1800 boulivard. Im 6,2 and put risers on it feels gr8. My only issue is the seats a bit hard. Good review
Hello, I just got myself an 07 zx14 like you have, what seat is that and where would I be able to find one? The one on mine does not have space for a passenger and is a plastic hump.
I have a 2006 with 140k km/87k ml, bought in 2015 when it had 80k km/ 50k ml. Major issues I had were: a shorted battery once firing it up @95k km/ 59k ml, a front fork seal and rear wheel bearings @ 115k km / 72k ml, a city light bulb (small upper lights on the front) @ 126k km / 79k ml and twice an "IMMOBILIZER ERROR" message on the dash when I switched the bike on which were solved by turning the bike off and back on
What’s up folks I’m looking at a 06 with 6k miles and seriously thinking of taking it home but the heating up in traffic soooks me a bit. Is that from trapped heat due to no airflow or does the engine coolant temp actually get into dangerous territory? If the engine stays within operating temp in town at red lights and slow traffic I can deal with radiant heat sitting still.
Never gets in dangerous territory, keep in mind im in a tropical climate in Australia and its bareable easily,just wanted to note they do put out heat, there really isn't many faults to pick with the 14.
Good review. Glad to hear a review after some real mileage put on it! How many kilometers are you getting per liter please? I'm currently on an FZ1 and would love one of these to be my next bike.
It really depends on how you ride it,ive never done a distance test, but it would vary dramatically from week to week,cause you really goto open ner up every now and then.
I have a 2006 Gen1 with 140k km (87k ml), bought it with 80k km (50k ml) , so I rode 60k km (37k ml). From my experience, the most I filled up the tank with was 23,5L (over the tank neck, almost up to the filler level) and the farthest I rode with a tankfull was 395km taking it relatively easy, on national roads, at around a steady 120km/h (75mph), like cruising. In hot weather, with temperatures above 30ºC (86ºF) consumption drops by about 0,4-0,5L/100km. My best in a tankfull was 5,4L/100km (18,5km/L / 44mpg US / 52mpg Imp) on a hot summer day (35ºC / 95ºF) cruising with a pillion on motorway @140-150km/h / 87-93mph. My average for 60k km (37k ml) is 6,2 L/100km (16,1km/L / 38mpg US / 46mpg Imp) .
The blackbird is a great bike no doubt , still is , the stopping power on a 14 seems more aggressive, but realistically it would pull up near the same as a BB, i hated CBS on the birds so had it disconnected so it was just like a normal bike , the seating position on a 14 is a little more sporty and more of a stretch than a BB but it's an all round bigger bike so it's to be expected, the ride is very comphy though , great seat and suspension right from factory. The 14 is a bit harder on tyres but with that being said the BB's are not slow by any means,but the 14's are much quiker, it's hard to believe because the BB's are very fast ,but in a race the 14's smoke the birds. If your looking for a worthy replacement for the CBRxx the 14 will make you feel good about your decision.
Having a bb and now a zzr1400,I have almost the same thoughts as Fear No Bear. Zzr its faster but not that much to justify 3-4x times the price,I mean if you're the buget,cbr 1100xx is a verry good option. Now,I know FNB said the zzr is more streched position than bb,but I didnt find it,matter of fact,the zzr is more confy for me than the bb.
this is a great, straight up review and commentary - balanced, well done
Just bought a 06 from the first owner since new. It has 9,800 miles and it's on excellent condition. Can't wait to start riding 💪😎✌️
Welcome to the club , ride safe 😁
Came close to buying one of these recently.
I decided not to simply because to also use as a commuter in Sydney the engine heat will be an issue.
Nice review thanks mate !
Sold my 08 14 couple of years ago,never been more depressed.Just bought a 1 owner 07 14 and cant stop grinning,these bikes are the GOAT
Got a 2013 ZZR 14 (UK SPEC) love it to bits, knocking on a bit now so those drop bars a no, no. So got the straight bar kit from germany and I love it even more now. I didn't buy it thinking it'd be good on juice I knew a 1440 cc engine that revs high is gonna be a thirsty mc. I do my own basic servicing on her too and those spark plugs are a bit of a bugger to get out and change. 😖 Never expected her to be kind on tyres either with that much torque and pull she chews em up quick when you get a bit naughty. 😂 She's a little heavy but once rolling you get used to it and they become surprisingly light. Blisteringly fast even in standard trim with akrapovics providing the soundtrack ,a deep burble/growl niiiice !! Hope mine lasts till 90 k because she's a keeper 👍🧡🌄🏍
Damn right they look better than 'busa's. One of the best looking bikes ever built.
it is the best styled jap bike ever made,,,especially the red,,or green ones,,,my 06 is red
Love the vid mate just brought a 2008 zx14 yesterday..after selling my harley always wanted one of these bikes.. love the shape
🙏💯 keep safe out there from Perth W.A
@Indy and Jazmin mate I've got a special edition zx14 too mate haha love it keep safe out there mate🙏
Ride safe bro , honest review, glad you liked it and it pushed you in the right direction
I found with this bikes suspension you can get it to handle like a 1000 but that will change quickly as tyres wear. You can get it real comfortable but it will freak you out on corners. I rode mine from new for 12 years on open country roads. The open speed limit is like idle. You do not feel the pace. Try a sticky front tyre for extra confidence in a tight corner. The engine breaking pulls you up if you find youve picked the wrong line in a tight corner. This is why ive ridden these models gen 1 and gen2 for 15 years....its a safe bike. I got into more trouble on a 600 than on this.
The zx14r has better handling but maybe not as comfortable. The gen 2 has traction control which i use on eet hreasy roads and on gravel, sandy "roads". Michelin Pilots are good dirt tyres. Why dirt? Well where I live there are few sealed roads, they are all patched and hollowed out by grain trucks. If you want to ride in a circle then often you have to take the dirt roads, and here these can be a challenge even in a 4wd especially after rain. The kwacka zx14 is a first class bike that handles crappy surfaces and still lets you ride in comfort , calm and at horizon sucking speed.
Nice one, thanks for the review. Just got the same year model and it's certainly a pistol, I love it
Damn 55,000 miles. My 2011 only has 12,500 miles. Guess I need to ride more.
It's Australia - his nearest town will be about 2000 miles away.
Love the "good boy and do the speed limit". ... hehehe this beast will do the "speed limit" without turning the throttle. Fantastic machine and one of a kind.
yup ticking along at 2500 rpms and doing 100kph sure is different to 4500 rpms and doing 100kph lol.
Mate , what’s the brand of ur tyres ? I think I saw Michelin pilot road 4 ? How satisfied with them ? I use them on my BMW K 1200S and I don’t like them, i do like a lot the power 3 on my Zx14. Nice review of ur beast .
Yeah pilot road 4's , they aint a premium tyre but they handle the weight really well,so they dont chew out the middle and they wear well, the grip is a trade off for the wear time.
Those darn timing chain tensioners... I have to put on in also. Hitting 40,000kms. Have a new one (APE manual tensioner). Will wait till the starting of next riding season. Almost time to put the beast to bed for the winter. Any tips on doing the tensioner?
Great bike. Just bought one last night. Fantastic honest review!!
If your ZX14 isn't cornering as well as you expect it to, assuming the rider has been trained at a track at some point, then you might want to consider having your suspension professionally setup. A proper suspension tune for the actual rider makes a world of difference.
Yes agree, i havn't done that on the 14 , had my KTM dirt bike setup for my weight and yep,huge difference .l just gave the 14 a facelift, got her back on the road last week , might look into getting a suspension tune soon $$$ permiting ( not a track trained rider) but all round happy with the standard zx14.
Greetings from another Australian zx14 owner.
I thought i might share my experience with mine to compare with yours. I too have owned quite a few over the years but these sure are an amazing machine.
Mine has almost 120,000kms on it and is still running the dream.
Spot on about chomping litre bikes, recently myself and a mate on his tuned gsxr1000 had a go and it had no chance at keeping up.
But where i slightly disagree(though it is down to rider and rubber) is the cornering.
I feel like mine corners just as well as a 600. I run a riding group with fair number of experienced riders and being Tasmanian based, there is no end of hairpins and hills.
Out of corners you are spot on, it hauls. But going IN to corners, i find myself wearing the corners/toes of my boots out LITERALLY. You wont find any chicken strips on my rear either.
I cant say that i have experience brake fade but i do rely on gears alot too.
Fuel economy? Well haha. I am quite an aggressive rider for the most part and on a good calm day i can see 300-350kms to a tank. On the not so good days, ill chew through a tank in around 200-250kms. As with any vehicle, it comes down to ride style.
I have been running Dunlop RoadSmart 2-3's on mine, the grip like all hell and i have managed to get 10,000km out of a pair so i'm not disappointing.
Temperature... YES... They do heat up and create some engine heat for sure. Mine actually had some foam sections between frame and fairing to stop hot air from the engine seeping out onto the riders legs, but i did leave them out when i was working under the fairings so i do feel it, especially in summer.
One thing about mine that slightly annoys me is the gear display... Its not always accurate. its spot on for 1st, N, 2nd and 6th but the rest tend to be a little random sometimes. Is this something you have experienced?
You sure have yourself a nice looking bike.
Stay Safe, Stay Upright.
Had no issues with the gear readout at all, hopefully it stays that way, they do corner very well , just a bit harder to manage in the tight stuff,atleast i find it to be anyhow,fuel econemy is about what your getting, ofcourse you can hold off it a bit to get better econemy but thats no fun 😁
Mines in for paint right now , matt black fairings with gloss black badges.
Thx for the feedback , love the 14's, ride safe
@@fearnobeer9077 haha cheers for the reply mate. Yea riding economy is kinda pointless for them. They love the throttle ALMOST as much as me 😂.
Mine is a gorgeous metallic red over gloss black. Wish I could post a pic here.
Yours sounds like it will look the part.
My 2006 Did 78,000 kays in 12 years. Would have done more also had a vtwin cruiser. Traded for a Zx14r which...in 2021.... i believe are appreciating in value. These bikes are great all rounders....though be nice yo have an Autobahn in West Australia. They will cope with city use. I live in middle of nowhere and these bikes handle the rubbish roads at high speed. The heat keeps you warm n dry in winter.
Thank you for the honest review, I hope to get one some day.
MAD MAX brother!
I FEAR NO BEER. :)
Those Yoshis look lush.
@FEAR NO BEAR, I don't think you'll need to replace your cam chain tensioner, it's hydraulic, always in spec. If you've got a little rattle at start up it's because the CCT is not still up to the required hydraulic pressure. Nice black Zed. Wouldn´t mind at all mine was black. Cheers.
My ktm dirt bike has same sort of thing, but it still needed a new one, put a new one in and rattle gone
great review my fellow Ozzy. you got me sold :D
Love it when you said, 'engine gets hot... and I live on the Gold Coast of Aus😂. Come to the bracing Yorkshire coast where engines stay cool!
good vid , yah the zx14 cooks ya legs in traffic. 40000 on my 08 SE so I know I got alot of smiles for the miles left to go.
Great bike for sure,have the exact same model.
I'd have to disagree on the handling. The handling will suffer if your suspension sag isn't set...Once it's set to about 30% of travel, adjust the damping to suit the roads, and the style of riding you do. Also a 55 profile rear tyre makes a huge difference....that's why most supersport bikes have them 👍
Thanks for the good video. Currently selling my ZX10R and Multistrada to buy a 14. Best of both in one package I reckon
Where did you get that awesome luggage rack?
Mines identical to yours but only 11,000 ks on it. Also got a 05 blackbird..and 1800 boulivard.
Im 6,2 and put risers on it feels gr8. My only issue is the seats a bit hard.
Good review
Hello, I just got myself an 07 zx14 like you have, what seat is that and where would I be able to find one? The one on mine does not have space for a passenger and is a plastic hump.
It's the standard seat for that model,I also have the towel for it for solo sessions
Nice review quick question would you buy a 66,000k one for a good price ?
100%
Hi. What was your major issue with this bike? it's going to be 14 years so there might be some issue with rubber or brake disc.
I have a 2006 with 140k km/87k ml, bought in 2015 when it had 80k km/ 50k ml. Major issues I had were: a shorted battery once firing it up @95k km/ 59k ml, a front fork seal and rear wheel bearings @ 115k km / 72k ml, a city light bulb (small upper lights on the front) @ 126k km / 79k ml and twice an "IMMOBILIZER ERROR" message on the dash when I switched the bike on which were solved by turning the bike off and back on
Had my 2006 12 years. no issues. had zx24r 3 years no issues. Big motor you don't need to peak rev to get it flying.
Good review mate. I”m sold.
Purchasing an 06 in Tasmania with only 6000 original km on it immaculate condition for $10000 hard to find older models with that many km in Australia
What’s up folks I’m looking at a 06 with 6k miles and seriously thinking of taking it home but the heating up in traffic soooks me a bit. Is that from trapped heat due to no airflow or does the engine coolant temp actually get into dangerous territory? If the engine stays within operating temp in town at red lights and slow traffic I can deal with radiant heat sitting still.
Never gets in dangerous territory, keep in mind im in a tropical climate in Australia and its bareable easily,just wanted to note they do put out heat, there really isn't many faults to pick with the 14.
Nice rig
Cant wait to get my 2008 kawasaki zx14
Cracking bike bud good review 👍
Good review. Glad to hear a review after some real mileage put on it!
How many kilometers are you getting per liter please? I'm currently on an FZ1 and would love one of these to be my next bike.
It really depends on how you ride it,ive never done a distance test, but it would vary dramatically from week to week,cause you really goto open ner up every now and then.
@@fearnobeer9077 ok gotcha. Fair enough!
I have a 2006 Gen1 with 140k km (87k ml), bought it with 80k km (50k ml) , so I rode 60k km (37k ml). From my experience, the most I filled up the tank with was 23,5L (over the tank neck, almost up to the filler level) and the farthest I rode with a tankfull was 395km taking it relatively easy, on national roads, at around a steady 120km/h (75mph), like cruising. In hot weather, with temperatures above 30ºC (86ºF) consumption drops by about 0,4-0,5L/100km. My best in a tankfull was 5,4L/100km (18,5km/L / 44mpg US / 52mpg Imp) on a hot summer day (35ºC / 95ºF) cruising with a pillion on motorway @140-150km/h / 87-93mph. My average for 60k km (37k ml) is 6,2 L/100km (16,1km/L / 38mpg US / 46mpg Imp) .
Did you put a few shrimps on the Barbie during this video ?!
No we have prawns here,they are much bigger then your shrimp , I've never bbq'd one in my life.
How does the blackbird compare to the zzr1400? Currently having a bb too.
The blackbird is a great bike no doubt , still is , the stopping power on a 14 seems more aggressive, but realistically it would pull up near the same as a BB, i hated CBS on the birds so had it disconnected so it was just like a normal bike , the seating position on a 14 is a little more sporty and more of a stretch than a BB but it's an all round bigger bike so it's to be expected, the ride is very comphy though , great seat and suspension right from factory.
The 14 is a bit harder on tyres but with that being said the BB's are not slow by any means,but the 14's are much quiker, it's hard to believe because the BB's are very fast ,but in a race the 14's smoke the birds.
If your looking for a worthy replacement for the CBRxx the 14 will make you feel good about your decision.
Awesome!!! Thanks so much
Having a bb and now a zzr1400,I have almost the same thoughts as Fear No Bear. Zzr its faster but not that much to justify 3-4x times the price,I mean if you're the buget,cbr 1100xx is a verry good option. Now,I know FNB said the zzr is more streched position than bb,but I didnt find it,matter of fact,the zzr is more confy for me than the bb.
What is a KM? Is that like a pound or something?
Kilometre like 100km is equal to 60mph.
Those looks gen2 1000 on a lot of steroids. always had a soft spot for those 14rs in my heart
Awesome review 👍🏾💯🏍🇬🇧
Useful video. Well done.
👍👍👍
Super late on this video but what back rack is that could I get a link
It's a Ventura rack
What exhausts are they ?
Tri oval yoshis
Imma good boy
Well i am :)