This post is actually a test of posting from my iPhone (although I finished it off on the laptop). After cold, wet & windy weather the riding itch really needed a scratch. However, neither Marty nor I had a full day available so we took a short 200km run to an extinct volcano called Red Rock near Colac, Vic. It was chilly, but sunny and calm. Our first stop was at the Inverleigh bakery for a warm drink and then we hit the deserted backroads to the lookouts at Red Rock, near Alvie.
It was a great day to visit and the countryside looked spectacular. From here we headed to Colac for a quick bite to eat and then we took the highway back to Geelong. All up, a short but enjoyable run. I’d recently serviced the ZX14R with fresh oil, an new oil filter and cleaned the air filter. This along with new chain and sprockets made for a really smooth ride on a super responsive motorcycle. The power and yet user friendly nature of this bike is never ceases to amaze me.
PS. Check out these pics of the rubbish in the air filter.
The filter slides into a slot in the beam frame of the bike, fed by two RAM air feeds
I chose OEM sprockets from Partzilla in the USA. Why purchased from the USA? Because Kawasaki Australia did not have an OEM rear sprocket in stock in Aust and the last aftermarket sprockets I used were garbage!
Tarsnakes 
Pretty chilly weather to be riding in Jules. I don’t much like riding when it gets below 10°C.
What brand of Sprockets did you use previously and how many km’s did you get out of them compared to the originals?
Cheers
Steve
Steve, I was mindful of black ice on the roads in the early part of the ride at 2C. My OEM chain and sprockets lasted 50Kkms (sprockets looked good actually but the chain started to ooze rust) and the replacement RK chain and sprockets only lasted 32K kms. Also the OEM front has a rubber backing and it is definately smoother than just a plain steel sprocket. This time around I went with the highest grade RK chain, OEM front and a JT rear. However, people on a forum I frequent reckoned that the JT rear was a big mistake for a ZX14R so I swapped it for an OEM as well. The OEM chain is just out of the question price wise for me. The transaction with Partzilla in the USA was extremely smooth and they sell OEM parts for the main Japanese manufacturers.
I only ever get around about 25,000 kms out of a chain before it needs replacement as well as sprockets. 50K out of a chain and sprockets is unheard of and a supreme effort.
Steve, that pretty much echos the thoughts of the mechanic I spoke to. However, I’m guessing that you ride a lot harder than I do. I really use the ZX14R pretty gently as a sport-TOURER. If I could only get 25,000 kms I’d be looking for a shaftie next!
Jules, you need to be up here in SEQ or northern NSW at this time of the year. Superb riding conditions at the moment. 2C is just too chilly!
Actually, we plan to do the Grey Nomads trip to Qld for winter next year. The problem will probably be that I can’t tow a camper trailer and bring the motorcycle as well.
I’ve actually done a lot of winter riding with the local Ulysses club that I haven’t put on the blog. Lots more ride pics at this link if you are interested CLICK HERE