Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

and reeled olf an "easy" run that stopped the clock at 9.65 at iust over 150 mph. Throw rn the estrmated altrtude correcLron that we were working with - Vegas as jusr over 2000 feet above sea level - and that tums into an easy 9.45 at over 150 mph - this from a stone-stock machine! l've been to several t.ack schools for all kinds of disciplines during my iourno careet and I can honestly say that Gadson's coachrng rs amonS the best l-ve experr- enced- The seven-time drag-racing champ has one of the best personalities you could expeft. Of course, he has a l(een eye, and he could spot the mistakes that each rider was making imnrediately. He never got down on anyone - even when we made the same mistakes two or three passes in a row - but rather had an encou.aSing teach- ing style that made you want to do better, not just for you, but for him a5 well. Everyone improved. Rickey Gadson rulesl The problem I was having is the same problem that mort people have in the pur- suit of lower elapsed times: I was too tense, and it was seriousb/ affecting the way that I let the clutch out and rolled the throftle on, which is most critical part of getting off the stafting line in a hurry After watching me Ior several runs, Gadson fig- ured out how to help me put it together. "You know what?" he said, "YoLr're not lefting the clurch out fast enough initially, and that's slowing you down. When the light turns green, I want you to pop it just a lrrde ard thea slow rt down before letting ir out the rest of rhe way. And keep rolling on that throttle the whole time! ' After also exhoftinS me not to stage at as hrgh an rpm as I had been previously, I rolled into the burnout box for one of my last aftempts, pulled to the line and did my best ro remember ro heed Gadson's advice. schnitr held his foot out and directed me where to line up in order to have the tacki- est starting spot. When the laght turned green, I was outa there like a ihot, and I knew lwas on agood pass right up untillthe time that I bumped the rev-limiter just before hitting third 8ear. I was pissed, as I felt like I has blown what would have been my best pass. When I returned for my next pass, Gadson patted me on the back and said, "Too bad you missed that shift, That was Ehe perfect leave. Do it the same way." He lined me up and we tried it again, and again the launch felt much better, and this time I didn't hit the rev-limiter or miss a shift. With the front end just hovering an inch or tlvo off the pavement, I laun.hed missle-straight and hit my shifting points right on cue while keeping the throttle pinned. When I got back, the numbers told rhe tale, 10.20 at 144 mph. lt would turn out to be my best run that day. I only hope that it won't be my last best run on a ZX- 14. By the way, it is interesting to note that each and every .est ZX- l4 at the track got flogged to the tune of over 80 passes dur ing the course of our drag-strip testing - all on the sto.k .lutch. By the end of rhe sec ond day, the units were starting to get a lit- tle cranky, but it iust Soes to show you how beefy Kawasaki made the unit and why. Finall, just a couple more thoughts that occurred to me during my short street ride on the ZX- 14. Firrt, the ergos are just about perfect for a sporting bike, There is a slight forward bend to the riding position, but it's not road-race style, which means that you should be able to ride the ZX- 14 a long way between stops, especially considering how Vbration free the bike is. The seat is quite comfortable, and the pegs aren't as high as a more aggressive, corner-carving sportbike's pegs would be. Also, bike's waistline is very slim. lnside the cockpit, the white-faced analog tach and speedo are easy to read. as is the multifunction LCD trip compurer As the last part of my street ride on the ZX- l4 was in the dark, I aan also vouch for the flamethrower-like reach of the ZX-14's projector-beam headlights. When in hiSh- beam mode. you could just about fry road- kill ifyou were cruising along slowly enough. Overall, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX- 14 is one fantastic motorcycle. Whether you're a street rider, a long-distance hauler or a straiSht-lane acceleration junkie, the ZX- l4 has the horsepower, the handling and the civility to handle multiple roles effortlessly. It is the musclebike for everyone, more than worthy of its flagship sportbike status. The king is back. All hail the king! Cll 2006 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX- r4 LtsT PRTCE..........................--....$t t,499 DtsPLACEMENT........................ I 352cc ENGTNE TYPE..................Liquid-

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