RubberSideDown

Here's your quote from the CBR500 thread- try remembering what you posted:

Thanks for the fatherly advice, I'm a bit old for a lecture don't you think!! I'm not talking about a high top speed just a more reasonable cruising speed of around 140kph, also a bit more comfort would be nice!

You don't wear gear because you're a squid- a good rider gears up for the possibility that someone will take him out- a fool thinks that his riding ability alone will keep him safe.

Yes, watch out for me- I always ride 250kph+ in traffic, the busier the better- I tend to aim for unprotected nitwits on Forza scooters because I'm jealous of their skill... There are idiots out there causing tremendous havoc on their Waves and Clicks- they're the ones you need to worry about, not riders like me who know how to read the road and choose their spots.

It is available but i heard a lot of demand for these new honda 650 series and wait is now until june/july.

Cb650f is 205 kg so still fine imo but cbr650f is 210 kg which is heavy a bit and just on the border of my psychological barrier of weight but both bikes has a 17.5 liter tank so a couple of extra kilos are coming from it.

Still center of gravity on these bikes are a lot low so it feels not heavier than a cbr500r somehow!

For z800, it looks superb really and you can get one quicker than a honda if you can live with a 230 kg naked bike.

That's the difference between centralized mass and the additional mass of carry a heavy load or a passenger- it's why 230kg isn't a heavy bike (on the street) if the weight is properly distributed, and in fact feels as light and well-balanced as some smaller motorcycles.

No, it doesn't mean the same thing.

You're not 'asking' anything- you're being obtuse- you're the guy who loves a bike with big power, yet can't understand why someone would want to make modifications to improve their stock bike (which is limited mostly through emissions requirements) in terms of engine output and weight. So you're saying Kawasaki made the perfect motorcycle in the ZX-14R? I own one, and I can tell you they didn't, but it can be made a lot better.

This obviously isn't the bike for you- my comments on this thread regarding mods are directed towards those that either own it or are interested in buying it.

As far as 'driving like a lunatic' goes, you're the guy who cruises at 140kph+ in minimal gear (which you don't need because you're such a safe rider...)

I need to ask, a poster has said the 14 exhausts are hugely restrictive, this is the fastest road bike in the world so I have read, why would anyone want to make it faster by changing the stock exhausts which I assume are part of this very fast bike!! Just asking!

No one said 'hugely' restrictive- please quote accurately.

Changing the system can free up more power (there's no reason to accept the stock output, which is very high but not uncontrollable)- the bike responds very well to the increase, and the 30lbs you can drop (from the 585ib stock weight) makes a huge difference as far as lower-speed manuverability goes.

I'd like to one day go into the engine, do a bit of work, and put about 250hp to the rear wheel without a power-adder like nitrous or a turbo (though in LOS it would be a PITA to set up)- to me, that's the perfect amount of horsepower for an open-classer- rideable and extremely fast, but still within the limits of the bike to where the swing-arm wouldn't have to be extended and you could retain the very good (for its size) handling characteristics..

There aren't too many people who know more about setting up the second-gen 14R in Thailand than I do- this has a lot to do with lack of info in English, and scarcity of aftermarket parts in LOS (also, it took months to get my bike delivered, and I researched it thoroughly while I waited)- if you're interested in a particular aspect and I know something helpful, just let me know.

I meant to ask, how is the engine cooling coping with peak hour, stop & go traffic?

Hehe- that quote sounds kind of arrogant upon reading it again, but it's true- I see so little knowledge of the bike on Thai websites or FB pages- there's really no info here as so (relatively) few 14Rs are around- this wouldn't be the case in the US, Europe, or Australia (the places where the guys I learned from live, who's knowledge puts mine to shame).

I haven't ridden in too much really heavy traffic (which I avoid if at all possible), but on a really hot day I'll see 95* if I'm stopped or slowly riding behind a truck (with reduced airflow), but only for a few seconds- as soon as I start moving again, it drops back to ~90*, or closer to ~87* on a cooler day. It doesn't toss too much heat back on the rider, but it's not the best bike I've ridden in that sense. I don't think it would overheat, and I've never read about it being a problem from guys that ride in hot places like Arizona.

^

The standard I noted is actually US-spec, but I would imagine that it's a de facto world-wide standard (to one degree or another) as all Japanese, European, and American manufacturers use the same exhaust systems on their bikes regardless of where they're sold (with some differences that don't affect sound, like the inclusion or deletion of O2 sensors and catalytic converters, i.e.)- it would seem likely that the same limits are used in LOS.

There aren't too many people who know more about setting up the second-gen 14R in Thailand than I do- this has a lot to do with lack of info in English, and scarcity of aftermarket parts in LOS (also, it took months to get my bike delivered, and I researched it thoroughly while I waited)- if you're interested in a particular aspect and I know something helpful, just let me know.

Which exhaust are you putting on it?

Most likely akrapovic slip on's. That is what Kawasaki is using for the SE edition on other markets, and I guess that they will be availablle in Thailand. As I remember you are using Brocks ? I will be more than happy to hear if you have recomendations. The only thing I don't want is a loud one - but I would like to loose some of the weight and size from the originals.

Well, it's an easier way to go, but you'd drop more weight with a full system, especially a single-sided set-up. You won't need a PC-V with slip-ons, but you won't see much of a power gain unless you change the header (don't believe the numbers any site puts up for its slip-ons or full systems, but you would get a better increase- maybe 10hp- with swapping out everything). If you don't want it too loud, you'll end up using the baffles, which are even more restrictive. I've got the Brock's QuietKore CT Single- he also makes a dual system- it conforms to SAE J2825 dBA standards, but it sounds great. It's a hassle getting it to LOS, but it's worth it, IMHO- the single is $1900 and the dual is $2500 (the QuietKore system adds $100 per can, but no baffles are required and it will dyno within a couple hp of a significantly louder system)- you'll also need a PC-V loaded with Brock's map, which is another $350.

The Akra full dual system is also an excellent choice.

Don't think, 'It's got enough power- I don't need any more'- the ECU needs to be flashed to increase mid-range, and if you chose a 14R to start with, obviously unleashing every pony will be of interest to you- Kawi neutered it a bit (not much, but a little;)) to protect us from ourselves (safety mode, not very aggressive secondary throttle plate opening sequence, etc)- the bike responds really well to a few tweaks.

I used to occasionally hit ridiculous speeds on my Hayabusa, and on various bikes I owned before it, and none of them had ABS- it wasn't that long ago when there was no ABS option for any bike until BMW (i believe) introduced it- we still used to ride pretty hard and fast. I've got it now and it's a great feature, but I'd ride the same way without it- it's just a mechanical back-up to my primary braking system (my right hand foot).

Cheaper, yes, but it still has Sachs, Showa, and Brembo components- not exactly 'budget' equipment, and it runs 1mil, as much as the S1000RR. If I'm buying that bike, I'd want it made in Italy.

There might still be a leftover 2013 at Real Motosports for 785K- the only non-cosmetic difference is no Ohlins shock, but that's 110K cheaper than the 2014.

Are any 'flagship' bikes made in LOS? I don't know of any- I can't see anything with the Panigale name being manufactured here- I think the top-of-the-line Ducatis, BMWs, etc will always be produced in their home factories.

This may have already been answered but I'm being lazy today. Is the thai imported version going to be a restricted, asthmatic shell of a bike?

Nope- it's USA-spec- I had a look at the stock ECU map before reprogramming mine and compared it to the US, Australia, EU, etc (I have all the stock maps on file)- it's the same- dyno tests of 14Rs in Thailand bear this out.

I don't think there's a restricted version of this bike made for for any market- there's not a domestic model for sale in Japan- if you live there and want one, you have to buy it as an import.

Which exhaust are you putting on it?

Surely the bike comes with exhausts?

A heavy, overly-restrictive one, yes.

Are your pipes stock, or do you have aftermarket pipes that conform to SAE J2825 standards? That's 92dBA at idle and 96dBA at higher revs for a V-twin. If the answer is 'no' or 'I don't know' then your bike is most likely too loud, and you have no valid complaint at being turned away.

My aftermarket system meets the specs- I only wanted something that had a reasonable noise level.

Which exhaust are you putting on it?

Who was considering the VFR? If you mean me I was simply saying it was a good deal at the moment.

You said you were very tempted by it, and the deal-breaker was that you couldn't test-ride it- to me, that means you were considering it.

Of course tempted but I am tempted by a lot of things, even at that discounted price it is too much for me, I thought about it, I wrote about it and decided it was a no go, the 500 CBR makes more sense and a great price.

OK, I get it, but that's not what you said on the other thread. The Z800 is a nice bike at 375K- it looks small, but I sat on one at the show and it felt pretty good- it's worth checking out. There's nothing wrong with Honda's 500cc range, or the 650cc Kawasakis, but you've previously indicated your love of the power of literbikes, and the Z800 is pretty close.

Who was considering the VFR? If you mean me I was simply saying it was a good deal at the moment.

You said you were very tempted by it, and the deal-breaker was that you couldn't test-ride it- to me, that means you were considering it.

I have a Wave and an MSX-125 to run to 7/11- we're talking about motorcycles here, specifically ones to tour on.

I'm joking a bit, but the guy was considering a VFR1200- there are several fast bikes in that price-range- personally, I would take a serious look at the new Z1000.

dogpoo, kawasakis are heavy and feel more agricultural if you compare with cbr500r but yes faster maybe 25 km more.

Cannot agree with that at all

Kawasaki is only 30 lbs more than the CBR500 yet has 25hp more.

That is near 1hp per extra pound.

Also 25kph faster is way short too.

With 25 more hp it is going a lot faster than 1kph per hp

But I agree as yo & others have said.

dogpoo should rent both bikes for at least a day each & decide.

It will be money well spent & only then can he know which "he" prefers

without other brand loyalty colored opinions.

just a quick search over google says gps top speed of kawasaki 650 is around 200 - 205 kph and cbr500r is around 180 - 185 kph so...

what gives kawa the edge is nice torque levels not top speed.

so do you really need that much torque or lets say 20 km more top speed to ride a nearly 20 kg heavier bike and use a lot more petrol in central flat lands of Thailand like congested pattaya or bangkok, or should OP needs a light bike that is cheap to run, smooth and mentally light for the traffic which has a great low speed ride and handles better than a kawa, it is for OP to decide.

YES- you need that much torque and horsepower- actually you need way more- the best amount of power you can have is WAY TOO MUCH- you want your eyeballs to flatten and your stomach to drop every time you pin the throttle- on the street, a one-horsepower (or more) increase in exchange for a one-kg increase is a more-than-fair trade-off.

Somebody had to say it...

That sportbike vid really drives home the point of wearing proper gear- I don't think he regrets having spent probably $2500 on high-end cowhide and a quality helmet.

Red Baron had an Aprilia RSV4 (I can't remember if it was a 'Factory' model) within the last year- it was something like 1.2m baht- I don't recall see any others for sale recently.

Screwing around like that was how I had my big crash- 100% my fault and I got out of it more lightly than I deserved- it taught me a valuable lesson that has stood with me for nearly 15 years.

I hope the riders recover- no matter the circumstances, I hate hearing about guys going down on the street or track.

The first pic is an HP4- is that the bike that went down, or was the the S1000RR in the third photo? It will probably pop up on FB soon- the Thai guys love to post crash photos.