So, I have had the ZX14R for about 4 months. I have ridden it on the expressway, in the city, on country roads and around very testing mountain bends and have already put nearly half as much mileage on it as it had before I purchased it. The only addition I have made is to fit a rear seat cover.
I also reset the suspension setting both front and rear to be much firmer as it was initially set to soft.
As I mentioned in a previous post I was a little under whelmed when I first owned the bike. I was impressed with the instant performance that to be honest is far beyond what is required for the road (but what fun!), the handling and the brakes. The fit and finish was also very good.
However, I was having difficulty forming a relationship with the bike, it is difficult to explain but I suppose it comes under the general heading of "lack of character" I suppose.
Stepping off the ZZR and getting on the ZX emphasized the lack of emotive sound from the exhaust, the induction and the mechanicals. There was no sense of riding the worlds most powerful production bike. Just the whine from the Fuel injection.
I have now got used to it and I am beginning to get a sense of its own character. It is a "Silent Assassin. It does not announce to the world what it is capable of. It just gets on with it without any fuss. Ok, race the GTR. Done. Humble that Porsche. Done. Make that Ferrari look like a Fiat. Done and most fun of all, show that Ducati the way home. Done.
It is very comfortable and to be honest it is difficult to find anything to complain about. It also requires nothing other than regular oil and filter changes, brake pad changes and chain oiling. Thats it. Just turn the key and ride. As I mentioned in the previous post, it is a handful on wet roads.
Nothing seems to trouble it. It is very thirsty, much more so than the ZZR.
When I swap to the ZZR the sound from the exhaust and the induction sound is wonderful. What I find really interesting is that when I ride the ZZR, in a country where any big bike causes interest among passers by and small bike riders, the ZZR gets far more attention than the ZX. It is very noticeable.
Maybe the ZX is just a little too civilised