I used to have a ZX-12R that I picked over the hayabusa because I prefered its ergos and because I've wanted a flagship Kawasaki since I was 6.
It turned out that if you rode it hard, it was just as fast as the 'Bus but it didn't have the big block massive power everywhere feel of the hayabusa and didn't feel as fast as it was or could be.
Suzuki just had the Cubes vs revs balance down better than the Kawasaki. and it was a more thoroughly developed bike and who could be immune to the aura of a legend?
With the ZX-14, kawasaki seems to have refined the ZX-12 and done the refinement and development it should have had in the first place, and its gone with busa like aeros (low and long), as well as switched to the Suzuki's formula of massive power everywhere instead of even more power but just at the top.
So does this mean I'll be getting one?
nope. ironically, now that Kawasaki has seemingly done it right, I am ready to switch to Suzuki. THe inline 6 stratosphere.
My fascination with Kawasaki started when I saw a picture of a Z1300 when I was 6 years old. It carried on with the GPZ1000RX, GPz900R, ZX-10, ZX-11, ZX-12R, but I still haven't had the inline6 tickle.
After having fallen in love with inline 6 engines and having become a BMW devotee for the company's dedication to inline 6 engines, I get gooey at the thought of a small little inline six in a motorcycle.
So I'm hoping Suzuki will decide to put the stratosphere concept into production. and knowing suzuki, it will be a well developed machine.
I've had the max horsepower fix. now its 6 cyls for me. Till that happens, I'll pick up a nice low mile Superhawk.