Busa vs. ZX14 (NEW)

dayum good info.

I assume they were both stock.

Its really to close to call in my book.
 
I went to buy some oil and a filter for the Busa today at a dealer that carries both. One of the employees had bought a black one and put chrome wheels on it and I have to say, it looked nice! They had them (ZX-14 & Busa) on the showroom floor just a couple of bikes between them and from the front, the Kaw is starting to grow on me. Don't get me wrong, I love my Busa and have no intention of going to the Kaw, but it did start looking better to me. Especially in Black as those grills tend to blend in more.
 
Let's make sure all the info is on the table...

The whole comparison

Last words from MC USA:

After seven years of ruling the streets, the Hayabusa has been deposed by the more-powerful and better-refined Kawasaki ZX-14. The big Ninja took a clear win in two out of three categories, so we must anoint the 2006 Kawasaki ZX-14 Ninja as the new king of the street.[/Quote]

That being said, I'll take a 'busa...
 
(jzdad @ Sep. 09 2006,18:42) Let's make sure all the info is on the table...

The whole comparison

Last words from MC USA:

After seven years of ruling the streets, the Hayabusa has been deposed by the more-powerful and better-refined Kawasaki ZX-14. The big Ninja took a clear win in two out of three categories, so we must anoint the 2006 Kawasaki ZX-14 Ninja as the new king of the street.

That being said, I'll take a 'busa...[/Quote]
Ok, so there is a new King. I can accept that. I just think that the old King is much better looking. I think the new one will grow on me but the old one has a place in my heart that none other can take.
 
(Shanling @ Sep. 09 2006,17:40) I went to buy some oil and a filter for the Busa today at a dealer that carries both. One of the employees had bought a black one and put chrome wheels on it and I have to say, it looked nice! They had them (ZX-14 & Busa) on the showroom floor just a couple of bikes between them and from the front, the Kaw is starting to grow on me. Don't get me wrong, I love my Busa and have no intention of going to the Kaw, but it did start looking better to me. Especially in Black as those grills tend to blend in more.
What if the ZX14 only produced 140hp and topped out at 155 or so? Would it still "grow on you"? I think you're only diggin' it because it can match the Busa. It's butt ugly, though.
 
Seen this before.. Great comparo.. I can't wait to see what Suzuki has in the wings to answer Kawi's ZX-14 challenge....
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Still amazed that an 8 year design held up that well.. Gotta love that Busa!!
 
good point the first time i ever saw the busa I fell in love but the first time i saw the zx-14 i almost barfed, i mean its so fat and swoopy it seems like the busa would have a weight and areodynamic advantage than the 14
 
(PaNDeM1C @ Sep. 09 2006,20:14)
(Shanling @ Sep. 09 2006,17:40) I went to buy some oil and a filter for the Busa today at a dealer that carries both. One of the employees had bought a black one and put chrome wheels on it and I have to say, it looked nice! They had them (ZX-14 & Busa) on the showroom floor just a couple of bikes between them and from the front, the Kaw is starting to grow on me. Don't get me wrong, I love my Busa and have no intention of going to the Kaw, but it did start looking better to me. Especially in Black as those grills tend to blend in more.
What if the ZX14 only produced 140hp and topped out at 155 or so? Would it still "grow on you"? I think you're only diggin' it because it can match the Busa. It's butt ugly, though.
You could have a point there. Perhaps the fact that something else has approached the Busa's mistique does have me starting to like it. Kind of the way another hot sexy lady can turn me on in addition to my girlfriend?
 
The 14 may have won 2 out of 3 catagories but it is not like it just came and blew the BUSA off the throne.

This was the case when the BUSA originally came on the scene. The world had never seen a production bike like that before. Now this 14 comes along and gently surpasses some numbers and people act like the bike is like the speed of light! ??

I do not believe Suzuki will let this go idly by.

The 14 is still butt ugly. I wonder how stable it is at top speed?
 
(tpbio @ Sep. 09 2006,19:05) The 14 may have won 2 out of 3 catagories but it is not like it just came and blew the BUSA off the throne.

This was the case when the BUSA originally came on the scene. The world had never seen a production bike like that before. Now this 14 comes along and gently surpasses some numbers and people act like the bike is like the speed of light! ??

I do not believe Suzuki will let this go idly by.

The 14 is still butt ugly. I wonder how stable it is at top speed?
+1

1.Both bikes de-restricted, the Hayabusa came out with the higher top end speed..

2. Kawi needed approx 53 more cc's to outgun the 8 year old Hayabusa..
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Again.. I love my 05 Silver and Black...
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What is up with all the mogs though. I was browsing through a few at the store and in none of the magazines, that I have seen the Busa tested in, it has even hit it's limiter.
 
(chrisarrington @ Sep. 09 2006,20:17) What is up with all the mogs though.  I was browsing through a few at the store and in none of the magazines, that I have seen the Busa tested in, it has even hit it's limiter.
I know. I read that on CW.. (Busa not hitting limiter).. So far, I only read the de-restricted testing in "SportRider" magazine.. 188.3 (ZX-14) and 188.9 (Busa) De-restricted... Restricted 184.5 (ZX-14) and 184.0 (Busa)..

I can only attribute the Hayabusa edging out the ZX-14 on the very top end (de-restricted) by having a more aerodynamic design...
 
Cycle World...Sept. Issue....page #43...sidebar column entitled......"Metered Power".....in the ZX-14 VS Hayabusa article entitled...."2X2 Speed Kings"....final paragraph by "Don Canet".......

"So what does this mean for ZX-14 owners? Doyou bang an upshift before pulling out to pass a truck? Not quite, but you may want to avoid a 3rd gear roll-on contest with a 'Busa for pinks."

and i'm not gonna lie here as i feel i am neither a busa zealot nor a fan of kaws latest battleship..but i am more sportrider than anything else and the thing that atracted me most towards the busa was it's stunning combination of V-twin like low end grunt coupled with the top-end rush of the hottest of in-line fours..with HUGE torque numbers "across the board"...so?..naturally?....I just hadta smile when i read Mr. Canets final line.
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and?...L8R, Bill.
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(JINKSTER @ Sep. 09 2006,23:13) Cycle World...Sept. Issue....page #43...sidebar column entitled......"Metered Power".....in the ZX-14 VS Hayabusa article entitled...."2X2 Speed Kings"....final paragraph by "Don Canet".......

"So what does this mean for ZX-14 owners? Doyou bang an upshift before pulling out to pass a truck? Not quite, but you may want to avoid a 3rd gear roll-on contest with a 'Busa for pinks."

and i'm not gonna lie here as i feel i am neither a busa zealot nor a fan of kaws latest battleship..but i am more sportrider than anything else and the thing that atracted me most towards the busa was it's stunning combination of V-twin like low end grunt coupled with the top-end rush of the hottest of in-line fours..with HUGE torque numbers "across the board"...so?..naturally?....I just hadta smile when i read Mr. Canets final line.
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and?...L8R, Bill.
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Maybe that's why Suzuki never changed it's website proclamations about the Busa being the fastest...

But oh!!! The 14 has better brakes! Because it has better brakes let's all go out and buy one!

LOL! It's not like we can't just fix our Busa brakes or anything...
 
i looked at a 14 before buying the busa, in the end i went with time tried and proven reliabilty in the busa. on the plus side i got a better looking bike, easy to modify, the busa repuation is awesome, maybe the 14 will have that in a few years, maybe not, from what i have seen the 14 is a good bike,just not qualifed to be called the king.
 
To me personally not impressed with the Kawi, But glad they raised the bar! Yes, it is a superior bike to our beloved Busa in the race to big HP. However only in stock trim and that is where the comparisons end..... Suzuki and this platform have been around for sometime which as we all know means lots and lots of goodies to make your bike ANYTHING you desire. Top Speed, HP, Looks, Bling, etc... Kawi, just doesn't have this or the proven reliability of a eight year platform
 
My friend bought a black 14 and yes, it's much better looking than the blue one I'd seen before. Chrome wheels sounds interesting. As far as performance, my '05 with HMF duals, PCIII, 42T rear sprocket walked away from his stocker starting at about 60 in 3rd gear. We  let out at about 130 and I'm pretty sure I was still pulling him. Once he de-restricts, gears, exhaust etc, the story may change  
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. I don't really care; I really like my bike and it's more than fast enough for me.
 
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