2008 Kawasaki ZX-10R Review

[giganto]

..i thought all the post 2000 Japanese liter beasts employed trickery/smog machinations/techno-hoo-ha, to the extent that puppies had replaced children as fuel.
oh well, one way or another, The Children Are Our Future.

[vermicious]

Teach them well and let them fuel your bike?

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by Buzglyd

I find the styling a bit Triumphish.

Good thing they made it smaller. The last gen 10 didn't feel as agile as its competitors.

This is the inevitable result of the search for the fastest bike to one-up the other manufacturers without consideration for the sizes of the riders in the market. If the Big4 want to build these things in this fashion, fine. But they are locking out more and more riders with each generation of these things because they are just too dang small for 6+ footers. Eventually it has to impact sales negatively. Bikes designed for riders at 5'9" or less are locking out a lot of potential US buyers.

[Kenneth_Moore]

Originally Posted by seruzawa

This is the inevitable result of the search for the fastest bike to one-up the other manufacturers without consideration for the sizes of the riders in the market. If the Big4 want to build these things in this fashion, fine. But they are locking out more and more riders with each generation of these things because they are just too dang small for 6+ footers. Eventually it has to impact sales negatively. Bikes designed for riders at 5'9" or less are locking out a lot of potential US buyers.

My friend Brian at work has a Honda 954RR, which I believe is the Honda "liter bike" model of a couple of years ago. He let me ride it a while back, and it was AWFUL! Sure, the speed, handling, brakes were exciting as hell, but my nutz were crushed beyond recognition, my wrists hurt within minutes,...waah waah wahh. HOWEVER, when I got back and told this to Brian, who's about 25 years younger and in vastly better shape than me, he said something to the effect of: DAMN! I thought it was just me!" That bike of his sits in the garage 99% of the time, while the old Ken-ster is happily bumbling along on his ugly DL1K day after day.

[longride]

Originally Posted by seruzawa

This is the inevitable result of the search for the fastest bike to one-up the other manufacturers without consideration for the sizes of the riders in the market. If the Big4 want to build these things in this fashion, fine. But they are locking out more and more riders with each generation of these things because they are just too dang small for 6+ footers. Eventually it has to impact sales negatively. Bikes designed for riders at 5'9" or less are locking out a lot of potential US buyers.

I know it locked me out. In 2005 I was seriously looking at a ZX-10 to purchase. I decided it was just too damned small and bought the Busa. Pretty soon, you will need to be the size of a jockey to fit on one of these things.

[sarnali2]

I'm in the same boat, the last real sportbike I fit on was my '90 ZX10. After that it was a VFR then a Bandit, I sat on a GSXR and an R1 at the bike show but there's no flippin' way.... The ZX14 felt ok but I just don't need a bike like that, in my riding enviroment I'd rarely get it out of second gear.

[Kenneth_Moore]

Originally Posted by sarnali2

I'm in the same boat, the last real sportbike I fit on was my '90 ZX10. After that it was a VFR then a Bandit, I sat on a GSXR and an R1 at the bike show but there's no flippin' way.... The ZX14 felt ok but I just don't need a bike like that, in my riding enviroment I'd rarely get it out of second gear.

One of the reasons I decided not to get the Duc GT 1K was that it seemed so damn small. And it's comparatively big. But after the time on the HD and the Concours, I like the feeling of having a big bike under my arse. And I LOVE the "SUV" seating height on the DL.

[sarnali2]

DL's are excellent. That's one bike that was made for me, I sit on those and have test ridden them and it's like a comfy chair that moves. Maybe I'll have to tryn' trade the Bandit for a used one this spring....

[Kenneth_Moore]

Originally Posted by sarnali2

DL's are excellent. That's one bike that was made for me, I sit on those and have test ridden them and it's like a comfy chair that moves. Maybe I'll have to tryn' trade the Bandit for a used one this spring....

And if you want to know the actual number of threads on the swingarm pivot bolt and their spacing interval in Metric units, there is a forum post out there that has the info. The owners of these things are utter geekazoids...they take photos of how they wash the bike and post them.

Oh wait..."I'm a Nerd too!"

[longride]

I think a bike like the DL draws nerds like honey draws flies.