I got a chance to ride the ZX-10 and CBR back to back again yesterday, CBR has got the low end/midrange thing covered and very smooth powerband, ZX-10 pulls your arms off when you get into five digits. Both are a lot of fun to ride ...just different. If I was on a tight track I think I'd go with the CBR, somehting wide open the 10.

Romans, you gotta get a 10 to complete your collection!

My fender eliminator came in Friday but I haven't been motivated to go out in the cold garage and install it yet. I popped the back seat off yesterday thinking the connectors for the turn signals would be right there but no such luck. Looks like the whole back end of the bike is going to have to come off to get to the connectors.....sigh!

ZX-10 pulls your arms off when you get into five digits. Both are a lot of fun to ride ...just different. If I was on a tight track I think I'd go with the CBR, somehting wide open the 10.

May I ask.... If you were to pick one for street and track, U know best combo, What bike would you choose ? If most of your riding is street "arms being pulled off" has a nice ring to it lol...... No ?

Romans, give me another 6 months (and some warm riding weather) and I'll be able to answer that question. It takes time to sort things out and sometimes your initital impressions can change. I think the 10 definitely has more of that intangible "excitement factor" to it. The CBR is one of those bikes though that fits you like an old pair of slippers, you can just get on it and go fast right from the start with complete confidence.

Hey Romans, stop by ZX10r.net if you get a chance and join up. Rook has joined and I'm over there stirring stuff up and pissing people off as usual. There's a nice Ivan thread going on over there, maybe you can add your .02. Hope to see both of you guys adding a 10 to your stable soon.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 1/13/2010 @ 8:52 AM *

^^I still have my eye on that blue 08. I went in to see it and i had to shake my head and do a double take--the price tag went from $8300 to about 11.5 K $!!!. WTF? I asked about it and he gave me a price of $8800 OTD, Prep, tax, lic -- everything. He will store for me free of charge until Spring. I just can't bring myself to do it now though. Somebody else go and buy that thing before i crack!

Can you imagine-- 3 bikes in under 2 years and all of them would be an 08! 08 was a crappy chapter in Rookster's life but what a great year for bikes!

Can you imagine-- 3 bikes in under 2 years and all of them would be an 08! 08 was a crappy chapter in Rookster's life but what a great year for bikes!

Good times ahead Rook, just have to pin it and get there first.

It's up to you, Rom. The bike sat through last month with a retail price marked at 8300. No buyer. I'm not quite ready to budge yet......or i would have kept my mouth shut and my wallet open.

Going to the bike show Saturday in the Am.... I will see if Ricky has any info on 2011 if I get close enough. I only wish us Canuks could get a zx-10 for those prices mentioned above. It's all about the bum up here in the North $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Let us know if you get the inside scoop from RG.

Rook...sent you a PM...

^^didn't recieve an email from you. Might have inadvertently sent to another member?

Just resent Rook

Got it.

Rook that's $1500 less than then I had to pay for mine, I'd be all over that deal. Put it on lay-away and pick it up in the spring when finances are more agreeable, you can't ride now anyway. Trust me, you want one of these...you'll park the 14!

Speaking of riding, weather here was gorgeous yesterday and forecast to be in the 70's all week... I knew there was a reason I stayed in Texas! I got the fender eliminator on Saturday and it does clean up the tail on the 10 real nice. I had a couple problems though, only two out of the four bolt holes lined up, the other two were way off, like 3/8" off, not even in the ballpark, last time I buy off Flea-bay! Oh well, the price was right at $26.

The OEM blinkers will not work with this setup and I had to make a mad dash to the local bike shop and purchase a set of Lockhart-Phillips LED blinkers......arghh...another $27! They've got that carbon fiber look and really compliment the bike but they are not real bright.... at night they're OK but I would say marginal in the daylight at best. I'll get some pics this afternoon and post.

I've got a little over 200 miles now and took the 10 up near redline yesterday and got my first taste of headshake. With the throttle pinned in second gear, the front end came up by itself at 108 mph and starting wagging like a puppies tail. Not a vicious arm wrenching shake mind you but just enough to let you know the next money spent needs to be on a steering damper that actually works! Wound to the max the stock Ohlins damper is worthless, just a decoration.

Pipe and PowerCommander will have to wait, this thing has too much power already. It's a gloriously intoxicating ride even though it scares me a bit, especially when throwing it down in a corner. I don't quite trust the front end yet although the chicken strips are about history now. I'm quicker on the CBR in the turns, that bike you can almost sleep through the corners it's so competent, hopefully it's just a matter of more time in the saddle and learning to trust the front end grip.

One final thing, the 10R does buzz a bit.... as in vibrates, kind of a course vibration at 3000 rpm and then again around 5000. After that she runs smooth to the redline although I did notice a touch of vibes when hard on the throttle and passing through 8000. I normally cruise at 6000 rpm in 5th gear at an indicated 90 mph and she is really smooth right there.

OK, that's it right now for the weekend 10R report. The rest of you guys need to get one (Romans, Rook) and help take up some of the slack.

Rook that's $1500 less than then I had to pay for mine, I'd be all over that deal. Put it on lay-away and pick it up in the spring when finances are more agreeable,

I don't see the financial sitiation changing too much. It could be more a question of "how long can i keep this bike" rather than "should i buy this bike." Ayeee-yae,yae

I got the fender eliminator on Saturday and it does clean up the tail on the 10 real nice. I had a couple problems though, only two out of the four bolt holes lined up, the other two were way off, like 3/8" off

Were you able to just drill some new holes in the eliminator so it matched up?

With the throttle pinned in second gear, the front end came up by itself at 108 mph and starting wagging like a puppies tail. Not a vicious arm wrenching shake mind you but just enough to let you know the next money spent needs to be on a steering damper that actually works! Wound to the max the stock Ohlins damper is worthless, just a decoration.

I'd see if that damper would work with one of those ZX-14 adapters Brock makes for an Ohlins damper. It wouldn't work any better on the 14 but it would look cool.

I think the WOT, peak rpm breakin would be better avoided by me if that's gonna happen. I'd be shaking too hard after the first wheelie to do it two more times. How fast do you think 13000 rpm is in third gear and do you think it would wheelie going to WOT from 6000 to 13000 rpm in third gear?

Cleaner Rook, yes, no? I'm thinking about shooting the can satin black and calling it good for now, I don't need anymore power. No I didn't bother to install the two front bolts, the two rear ones (6mm) are all you need, I don't thing the whole assembly weighs more than about 1 lb.

I removed the left side passenger peg and strut and on the right side just the peg, the strut serves as the muffler mount. I couldn't believe how heavy all that stuff was, especially the fender strut, lights etc. So far I've removed 6 lbs of stuff from this bike. Titanium pipe should save close to 10 more pounds.

Still have the paper tags on there, will look better with a real plate on there.

The lights are pretty tiny but fit the overall look pretty well, not crazy about the exposed wiring on the bottom though. Can't get away from it with this style turn signal. Maybe I can go back in and route up them against the undertail and enclose them in black heat shrink.

I didn't try third gear but I have no doubt the front end is going to get light there too, wheelies are not going to be a problem with this bike!

I still think I like the tail feathers on this one best, the rear end looks strong and solid.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 1/18/2010 @ 1:16 PM *

The tiny directionals look great. I'd like to see them mounted right up tight to the bottom of the tail someday but I wouldn't bother with that for now. The job is done. I would hacksaw the bottom off square so nothing sticks down lower than the lic plate. Looks like that may be a sort of mini rear fender to protect your taillight. I'd run it for a while and see if it looks like anything is hitting the back of that plate. Maybe cut it off. I really like the looks of those passenger peg struts so it makes a nice looking support for the exhaust. Looks great with strut removed from sprocket side too.

Anyone who thinks the ZX-10 looks weird just doesn't like literbikes. They're all funny lookin' until you get used to them. that black ZX-10 is the hottest one. b-b-b-bad.

Rook, thanks for the commentary. Unfortunately the tag below the license plate is the state motor vehicle inspection sticker and must be displayed right where you see it. Some guys stick it on the swingarm but when I tried that on my 14, Johnny Law pulled me over. I know it's ugly but it's gotta be there.

I agree about the 10 looking baaaaaad. This bike was made for black, I like the way light reflects off all the various, gloss black, satin black and flat black surfaces. You're going to love the blue one, I was very drawn towards that one as well.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 1/18/2010 @ 2:17 PM *

I like the blue a lot but the black is best by far. I'd be thinking about painting any G3 (it's a g3, right?) zx-10 black like yours. That color fits that bike. It would almost be worth while to look at going somewhere else to get a black.

Rook, I can see you on the black one but to tell the truth, I don't think there's really a loser in the bunch. If that is the color you want though, find it or you will always be second guessing your purchase. For the record, I think the blue is pretty awesome and the green was cool too. I stood there staring at all three for about 30 minutes before deciding on the black.

Let me know if you want to go black and I'll do an internet search and try to find one close by. The '08s are disappearing fast though, I was lucky and found the only dealer in the DFW area that had any left and he just happened to have one of each color.

Worst case is you can go with an '09. In black it's almost identical to '08 except for the goofy silver painted fairing right below your knee. I thought about the '09 cause the difference in price was only about $300 but that silver thingie turned me off. I suppose rattle can black could have fixed that though.

Anyway, I'm happy and that big pipe is starting to look better to me all the time, maybe I'm going blind...Yikes! Seriously though, getting that monstrous tail fender off there makes the pipe much more bearable. I'm finaly starting to dig on the looks of this bike.

I'm pullin for you get your 10 Rook, it'll be fun comparing notes.

I'd drop the rear turn signals and get a split signal integrated brake light,
they are inexpensive and clean things up even better. Visibility is not an issue with them IMHO.

A cheap mod that will make both your liter bikes absolute beasts is a 520 chain and sprocket conversion, the zx10 is geared way too high. I'd definately put an aftermarket steering damper that allows for adjustability.
I bought the active Hyperpro for my gsxr and the difference from the oem damper is like night and day.
These bikes develope violent headshakes, a good damper should be one of the very first upgrades.

I dunno Mass, looks WAY better to me already.

Shoot the can with some of this stuff and I'm done for now...oh yea I'll have Dan Kyle Racing mod my Ohlins damper.

http://www.superiormcsupply.com/m95123.html

* Last updated by: Kruz on 1/20/2010 @ 2:06 PM *

Yeah, I'd just wash it and spray it. No sense in sanding to create a better bond. That would just make it harder to restore if you want to sell the bike stock some day. You'll probably change that exhaust before long anyway.

Yup, etch it a bit before squirting paint on there. Rook, look at those pics again, that pipe looks a lot better now that the fender atrocity has been removed, at least to my eye. I think if I shoot it solid satin black it's going to look sinister.

I noticed you were posting on ZX-10r.net today, did you buy it? The suspense is killing me!

* Last updated by: Kruz on 1/20/2010 @ 3:54 PM *

lol- nope. I didn't buy it. Just preparing myself in case i do. I'm toying with the notion of a 600 or 750 too. I doubt if I would get one for much less that the 10 though.

I know it's out of the question but some gold colored rotors would be really cool. Like this R1:

http://yamaha-r1-r1.info/wallpaper/Yamaha-R1-Black/

dark gray/black rotors would be hot. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as black metal.

* Last updated by: Rook on 1/20/2010 @ 7:42 PM *