High Speed testing

[JamminJere]

I had a chance to do a few high speed runs on a closed (somewhat) course. I did have 15-20mph frontal cross wind gusts which made the tests slightly un-nerving .

My bike is stock except for: AreaP exhaust, Power CommanderIII, secondary butterflies removed. I did not remove luggage.

1st run was with stock windshield mounted. Top speed indicated 170mph, GPS 158mph. Felt like it was just about done with bags and frontal crosswinds. Bike still very stable at that speed.

2nd run was with CalSci +6 windscreen mounted. Top speed indicated 160mph, GPS 147mph. Not positive if it was the wind or windshield, the bike started to high speed weeve at about 140mph. Was getting worse at top speed and my butt said shut it down. Notably slower acceleration to top speed above 120mph. It was amazing to feel the difference at that speed between the two windscreens. If I get brave enough I'm going to try it again sometime with no winds if possible.. not likely here. I could have been hit by a gust that started the weeve, or it could be the larger screen starts to create a larger dead air space around it and starts to affect handling. It did not happen during the stock screen run, and i didn't change it back and try again. (was still listening to butt at that time)

Either way... pretty damn fast for a bagger!

Jerry

[klb1122]

Nice "testing" Jerry.

Maybe by having my CB installed, it will keep me at sane speeds. It doesn't sound too comfortable at warp speed with a bay window on the front.

[chi-gpz1100]

JJ, in both tests, what positions were the screens in?

Btw, you're nuts for going that fast with the bags on. Good to know they'll remain attached though :)

[Flying Kaw]

I want to know this:

What gear were you in?

[JamminJere]

CHI, In both tests the screens were all the way down. And yeah, I guess I'm a little whacked, but I wanted to see if the bags themselves created any weaving or a wobble like the C10 did at 135. Also, advertised as a supersport tourer, I felt taking the bags off would just be a zx14 test... sort of. :)

FlyingKaw, I shifted into 6th around 140 indicated, I could have wound 5th further, but I wanted to see if 6th would pull or just maintain. I really feel with the bags off, and a smaller screen, the bike will do 170mph GPS no problem. Those bigger screens are nice for the real world, but not high speed for any distance.

Jerry

[ridin'again]

I wonder if Kawi went with the smaller screen so they could make claims about the top speed, for comparo purposes. Seems like most of the comments here agree that to use the bike for any kind of touring you need to go to a taller screen.

[Flying Kaw]

Originally Posted by JamminJere

FlyingKaw, I shifted into 6th around 140 indicated, I could have wound 5th further, but I wanted to see if 6th would pull or just maintain. I really feel with the bags off, and a smaller screen, the bike will do 170mph GPS no problem. Those bigger screens are nice for the real world, but not high speed for any distance.

Jerry

I knew it! I was having same discussion with a buddy of mine that has a FJR. I told him I guessed Cycle World (Psycho Ward) probably did there top speed in overdrive. Not the best gear to choose. I'm guesing out in the desert unde ideal conditions where a fella coul hang with it for a long time the bike would clip 170. But that remains to be seen.


ridin'again

Do you recall the first gen Concours windscreen? Very short but created a HUGE slip-stream . The 2005 I rode recently I could see right over the winshield...but the curled lip on the edge of the screen threw the slip-stream completely over my head. There was no buffeting. Laminar Lip makes an air foil that will attach to the stock screen and create this effect. Also there are people that will heat bend a lip in your windscreen.

I tour long distance about 20,000 annually. I recently went to a short windscreen with a "lip" and love it. I don't plan on going back.

[reesedp]

Jerry, you need to stop! You're killing me when you write about all these cool rides and upgrades!! The only thing on my calendar is next year! Instead of south, we want to go north, so I will eventually be calling you about some cool Pennsylvanian real estate!!

[JamminJere]

Come on REESE!... All those electrical accessory outlets on this puppy?.. Get some electric liners or grip warmers, We ride til the snow flies up here.. and even after if the roads are bare and dry. Murph has a nice grip warmer package for the C10 that I put on my 14 for like 59 dollars. They work great. Last sunday was in the 40's here in the morning, maybe it made 55 in the pm.. A few of the guys from Sport-touring.net got together with me and we went like 250 miles through alot of cool roads around here. You're welcome up here anytime! Just give me a heads up.

Jerry

Jerry

[08CC14]

Originally Posted by JamminJere

My bike is stock except for: AreaP exhaust, Power CommanderIII, secondary butterflies removed.

Jerry, I think you're in denial. You can no longer claim your bike is stock. But that's a good thing!

[austinconnie]

Flying Kaw - how does that lip attach? looks like double sided tape in the pics.
I haven't done any high speed tests with the CB on yet. I would like to to be able to crank it up to 145 or so without issues. The CB looks kinda out of place on the Kawi.

BTW..one of the bike rags had tested a Gt1200 BMW and stated that it's top speed was higher with the bags on (misprint?).

[Flying Kaw]

Austin

Yep ...it's some sort of velcor on steriods. But the lip works well. However I am going to check into having one of these plexi-glass wizards bending a slight lip on a stock C14 wind screen.

[austinconnie]

please keep me advised; I'm not sure if I'm gonna get used to the big CB.

[zimmy14]

Hi Jerri, I had my bike with fully loaded bags and tank bag and a nylon bag on the tailgate in southeren colorado on a non access seamless highway. reached 150 in 5th gear looked down as I BACKED OFF AND WAS AT 9 GRAND AND PERFECT HANDLING NO WOBBLE NO NOTHING JUST A GREAT RUSH and a smooth ride, I have the 6 inch plus shield like yours and it was in the down position, I know that there was plenty of juice left if I had had the brass to use it. best regarrds jim. bike is all stock.

[JamminJere]

Bump for todays topic

[Flying Kaw]

Well...I just got back from west Texas...my old stomping grounds.

I used to do top end runs in every car....bike...and HORSE I ever owned out there. The roads are flat, straight, and no traffic.

So

Sunday afternoon me and a buddy from Houston on his '07 Busa took 67 south of Marfa. On a stretch where the road was flat and straight for well over a mile we rolled 'em up to see what they'd do. We could see about 2 miles down the road where a rise terminated in the horizon.

Sufficed to say I am utterly please with this C14. It is one bad bagger. I dropped the big Kaw into 4th and pinned the throttle. About 135 - 140 I shifted into 5th and kept it pinned. The Concours is amazing how rapido it nails 160 mph. At that speed it was still pulling pretty hard up to 165 mph (indicated on the OEM speedo). From there it took a little longer to climb on up to 170 indicated. Actually it was a hair under 170 indicated. I had my Zumo to record GPS max speed. It may have gone a little more but probably not much. I was running out of road very quickly at that speed. Here's the image I captured off the Zumo:



After the bike seemed to level off on top speed I held it there for 3 or 4 seconds to make sure the GPS calculated an accurate speed. I t appears my OEM is about 7 mph fast to the Zumo. Not surprising since Jap speedos are notoriously "optimistic". But the fact this bagger will bust 160 mph is impressive. It even impressed my buddy on the Busa. he was surprised I could hang that long with him.

However....the Haybusa is unbelievable. He let me take the lead so I was out front by a couple bike lengths. When the Connie hit 160 the Busa started slowly walking away. When I was indicating 165 it was obvious the rate of acceleration of the C14 was beggining to wain because the Big Suzuki really started pulling away. I think his true speed was approaching 175 when mine was 163. And he said his Hay Bus was still gaining speed when he pulled the plug because we were fast approaching a rise in the road.

My bike has had a few mods:

AreaP Dual exhausts with a ZX14 header - no cats at all
BMC air filter
Flies out
PC3 USB with custom map

My bike has been dyno'd at 144+ RWHP and 96+ Ft-lbs torque

Also I had the hard bags on but they were empty. We left all our gear at the room. The bike was very stable at that speed even with the bags on. So who knows...with the hard bags off ya might squeek a little more out of it...probably not much.

Also the road was straight and flat....but it did have a very slight downward pitch. Zumo indicated we dropped about 20-30 feet in a mile...so it was very slightly downhill.


What is it like? Freaky. Things are going by so fast it's all you can do to focus on the road ahead. It's takes alot of concentration to simply glance at the cluster to read your speed. When I pulled the plug (throttle off) it felt like I must have coasted a quarter mile before I touched the brake. Fun? Yes...Un-nerving? certainly. DO it again? Not likely. I've satisfied my curiosity.

Honestly I don't know how some crazy bastidz ride that speed for mile after mile. A mile or two of that and I'm done.

[touchwoodsden]

Originally Posted by zimmy14

Hi Jerri, I had my bike with fully loaded bags and tank bag and a nylon bag on the tailgate in southeren colorado on a non access seamless highway. reached 150 in 5th gear looked down as I BACKED OFF AND WAS AT 9 GRAND AND PERFECT HANDLING NO WOBBLE NO NOTHING JUST A GREAT RUSH and a smooth ride, I have the 6 inch plus shield like yours and it was in the down position, I know that there was plenty of juice left if I had had the brass to use it. best regarrds jim. bike is all stock.

I have that T shirt too :-)
I wonder what tank range is at that speed!