This ever happen to you? Out for a ride and you are not out runnin' hard or anything.. just going at an easy pace through freeway traffic. Yes you are passing the cages and semis... you are a God on a ZX-14 for Christ sake... why shouldn't you be passing? The truth is, it is a hard bike to ride at the speed limit.. truly is. Anyway.. you come up on some do-raggers... they are all tucked in nicely with all the cages and 40 ton trucks like good little sheep.. but you wiggle your way through the clot and safely move through to the front where you are safe and free.. only to get evil stink eye from your chrome clad brethren as you do this. Makes me feel like I am some 20 sumthin', gixxer squid doing wheelies on their neighborhood street in a school zone with children in the crosswalk. I am 41. I get these looks all the time, even when I am just taking it real easy. If they only knew what I could actually be doing on this bike... the amount of restraint I am showing is colossal. Does donning the Harley costume also inject one with self-righteous indignation? Just something I have noticed lately.... mostly cuz I have slowed down and take it easier these days. ;)

I thought I was the only one that got looks like that. I have even had cagers try to run me off the rode because I weave to the front, and do raggers try to speed up and keep up with me. LOL. Crazy Cagers! That reminds me, I was in my CTS V (First Gen that is, since most ppl don't know about them) yesterday weaving through traffic and this fool in a regular Cadillac called himself trying to race, me. I could do nothing but laugh.

Ok, what are do-raggers? I'm afraid I'm weak on many common terms due to living in the God Loving, Tree Hugging mountain lands of Western Maryland and West-by-God Virgina.

"Do-Ragger"...one who has no personal care for the condition of their brain.One who feels.."it's my head...I'll smash it if I want...I don't give a rat's azz if the taxpayers have to foot the bill for the ER tech's that have to TRY and put my melon back together.It's not my problem....I'm a badazz...I don't need to think about such things".

"they don't LOOK cool"....but sitting in a wheelchair being fed through a tube and having to have your loved one take full responsibility for you does...now that's cool."Born to be wild".... You get to have "your way" for the rest of your(and their) life.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 6/22/2011 @ 2:34 PM *

^^^Dudes on cruisers, especially Harleys, who don't wear a lid except for a do rag to cover their heads.

We have a million of them here in Harley capitol, USA. The cruiser riders a couple hundred miles away are a lot cooler.

Rook, whats Harley capital, what city ?

Ok, I got the do-rag thing. Lots of them in PA when we ride there. The only ones I pay attention to have 1%-er patches.

Hey.. I am all about freedom to choose.. really, I am. Your head... wrap it in whatever textile makes you happy or look cool. I was only using the term do-ragger so you get a clear picture of the type of rider I am talking about... do-rag, brain bucket, whatever.. the "Biker Costume" crowd is what I am talking about here. I hate to be so general.. cuz the last thing I want to be is judged by others so I ain't judgin man.. I swear... but man.. it just seems like those are the ones giving me the looks. Maybe they are just afraid? I really try to give them a wide berth.. don't want them to panic and ditch those tractors they are still making payments on. :) Well... I still get waves when I am going opposite direction.. it's just the sharing of the travel lanes that becomes an issue I guess?

One o'my favorite things is to ride up on Harley riders...just quietly cruise on up.You know,follow for a while.Amazing how ya see em start getting itchy.Funny as hel^.I love it.Virtually every one I come across....they end up pullin over(no shi%) and wavin me by.I just wave to em while they're watchin me in their rear views there,I wave em on...like.."nah,it's cool...you just ride on ahead"...they don't know WTF to do!Then,eventually,I get tired of cruisin at 65.Light the candle...yep...I'm off and around with a hearty "see ya" wave...FUN MAN!I really don't get any dirty looks.Actually,they usually look kinda bewildered...kinda like..."shi*,wish I had a badazz ship like THAT one.Dude just passed us like we were standin still"....And truthfully...I get VERY FEW waves goin the other way...unless it's like...the LAST guy(or girl) on the ride there...they'll usually wave when they think their buds don't see it!

It's just GREAT ownin the best bike out there.If I DID have a badge...it'd have to be the fact that I wear full gear every ride.I think sometimes the dirty looks you get there Moto may be from their guilt about NOT carin enough to at least suit up like they "might" wreck.You got yer chaps,yer leather badazz coat...you know,the fringes and all...very classy.And then,to top it all off......NO FRIGGIN HEAD PROTECTION!Nice.Smart.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 6/23/2011 @ 2:23 AM *

They are just mad because you insist on driving like sport bikes are the cool thing when everyone knows the Harleys are ones that should be gettin all the attention and passing (when/if they can). No man likes being one upped and that goes exponentially for a man willing to spend $30K on a slow, noisey, brakin down trailer queen.

Edge, I have a lady at work, she and her husband ride Harley Davidson motorcycles. They don't do much real riding, maybe to a couple of HOG events a summer.

In my mc, I have a number of HD riders. Those bikes are not trailer queens, and don't break down (much), but they uniformly wear pretend-helmets and do-rags when we pass into PA, for example.

But they also don't give me any guff, because I've rolled from stop signs at turns where the group got far ahead (traffic, red lights) with them behind me, and for a while I just leaned her over and lit the rear tire up and then waited 20 seconds for them to catch up.

Now I don't have to, ever since the day one of them said, "I wish I had a 4 cylinder engine like yours".

Once they ride with us a while, the bs goes away, because they see how the bike handles, and performs, and can't come close to matching it.

I have no problems with them, long as they keep up.

I love do-raggers, middle age dude with a pot belly wearing a pirate costume on his 900 pound, chrome plated butt ornament.....yea I love to blow by those clowns like they're chained to the pavement.

I know, I know, I'm being intolerant here but I am so tired of the whole Harley scene. How can it be cool to be seen on the exact same machine as everyone else? I see a thousand Harleys for every ZX-14 and I like it that way, fortunately 98% of the Hardleys are parked down at Redneck Heaven, their owners swilling Bud Light from a can.

Daddy, I wanna ride!
I want someone to ride me!

secretly, I want one. just so it can sit in the garage and my harley(always type it with a lower-case 'h') friends can ask why I bought it and never ride it with them. lol

Hel*...most of em are cool.Truly.I joke around with several that come into the store and buy stuff.They "love" their Harleys ya know.Hey...my 2000 Heritage was a sweet bike...limited,but still,with a breather kit and pipes...she got up and went.Course,even then,I never rode that bike like yer typical Harley owner.The low RPM deals...cruising with the engine seemingly just about to lug an stuff.Nah...I never rode mine like that.I remember the first real ride I went on...up to the Angeles Crest Highway.I was rollin pretty good through those twisties...and they ARE twisties there.Man,come around this one bend,leanin as far as I dared...floorboard hit the asphalt.Friggin almost lost it right there...scared the shi^ outta me.Made the curve though.It weren't no zx,no way no how...but she did like to run in the upper rpm ranges(for that engine).Almost completely opposite of any riders that I've seen on a Harley...it's like...they're afraid they're gonna break something if they hit 3500 rpm!That twin cam 88B was a sweet new motor for that model.Very smooth and strong.Not near as smooth as my baby...but...for a Harley,it rolled nicely.She did want to "high speed wobble" however at anything near or over 100mph.It really wasn't a stable bike at those speeds.I think way back then....they actually got sued for having a potentially dangerous motorcycle behavior.I'm pretty sure they did.It kinda got hushed up if I recall...I never really looked into it that much.But something was definitely not okay with the design or suspension or something.She did get squirrely a few times!Kinda get yer attention when yer straddlin a 700+lb iron pony...all nice and relaxed ya know...then..."SHI&!WTF is THIS shi^????"Ya....nice freeway bike for what it is.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 6/23/2011 @ 1:32 PM *

Hub yer crackin me up...

BTW..I take back everything I said about folks in pirate costumes....

* Last updated by: Kruz on 6/23/2011 @ 2:06 PM *

The Hardley riders here do that too, only to everyone, even other Hardley riders. It's the "frown" thing that they all do to try to look like a badass. I don't pay any attention to them, other than an occasional laugh when I see one that looks lamer than most. Mostly just pass 'em and go on.
Even some of the metric riders try to "frown" too, they're even funnier.

* Last updated by: HillbillyTom on 6/25/2011 @ 11:44 AM *

I am in a sportbike club and alot of them get real weird when I pass them, because of my colors....but I dont even slow down unless the passing lane is congested. I just watch them in the rearview.

The guys in the sportbike club here would blow you away, killa. They have some brand new ZX10Rs that will eat a ZX14 for lunch. And a couple turbo-charged 'busa too. But all in all, a good bunch of kids. Just sick fast.

"Brand new 10's that will eat you for lunch"....maybe YOUR bike Bro....not mine .Sorry to hear they're stompin all over ya As for that Busa....he BEST be friggin fast.Certainly wouldn't be able to hang around here.
Hey Killa....you just keep them squids in yer rear view....GOOD on Ya!!!

* Last updated by: blue07 on 6/27/2011 @ 4:42 PM *

They would blow you away Blue. Remember, the new ZX10R has almost as much HP as you do, maybe more, and weighs a lot less, and has better acceleration, and every bit as high a top speed, and way better in the corners and exits.

Not sure why you think as you do, but is ok lol :)

Privateer, most bikes are so similar in performance now...it is the rider that I compete against. Most dudes are not willing to hold the throttle at 165+ and ride. There are a few 10R's in my club and no one walks on the 14. You are right though, the 1000's may get out there a little faster but I walk them down! LMAO!

I don't know about who you ride with, but one of the guys in the sportbike club here is also an employee at my dealership, and he can walk a 10 around on the rear tire in the parking lot and stay up as long as he wants. I promise you, you'd chicken out before he let off the throttle, and the new 10 will break 200mph in a heartbeat.

OEM geared, you are right, it won't beat you on a drag strip. But anywhere else, like the mountains, or on the track, or even on Blue's easy long meandering empty roads, that new 10 in the hands of a good rider will be more than a match.

Just go Motorcyclist or Cycle World (online) and check the specs, its got as much HP as a ZX14. At about 150 pounds lighter right? Actually I just looked it up. 197 rwhp, 207 due to ram air at 160+ mph.

I love my ZX14, but I'm not going to delude myself that my 600 pound bike is faster than a 450 pound bike that has as much HP or very darn close to. Thats just silly.

I had a ZX10 once, old tech, and I think my ZX14 is a much better motorcycle. I'm not going compare it to a new 10 though. There is no comparison.

* Last updated by: privateer on 6/27/2011 @ 7:10 PM *

The new 10r has a limiter that has only recently been bypassed. Everyone that had claims of breaking 200 on the 10r were exaggerating. It is a strong bike, no doubt. But not the beast everyone is making it out to be imo.

I aint' scurred

Me neither Slow!200 hp...NOT."holding the throttle on at 165"....WHOHOO!!!Trainedkilla....you hit the nail on the head baby!Aint seen ONE guy on a sportbike up here willin to roll hard.Not really.Ya..that new 10 might get out there 1st...ya....maybe twist a tad better through some really tight stuff.The 14 aint made to be a "quick twistie" ride.Just too big for that.But for everything else...Someone commented about the "rider".That's the key here with these two bikes.THE RIDER.Poppin a wheelie is easy on those lighter bikes...ya...it is.But poppin wheelies doesn't prove you can ride.Just like goin fast in a straight line(non-drag)doesn't prove you're a good rider.

These "easy meandering empty roads(curves)" here....you better have yer head screwed on pretty tight.Some of em may look "easy"..ya...at 70.Try em at 140.Or faster.Aint gonna be so "easy" then.Left many a rider behind...not purposely...but...well...you know.I've never even come close to tryin to max my bike out on the street..just too many possibilities to kill someone else.Not worth it.But IF I KNEW there wasn't gonna be any traffic...ever...it'd be a different story.Plenty of times I KNOW my baby would fly much faster through this turn or that turn...but ya can't...just too risky for someone else.

Ah...besides...there's ALWAYS someone better than ourselves...always.Me anyway.Put me on a track...with my 14...I'd probably wreck the first lap!!!And THAT'S no shi^ there!Truth is...I honestly don't know HOW to ride this big bird...it's been all by reading books and watching videos!!!!!I've been very lucky so far.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 6/28/2011 @ 1:17 AM *