2007 Kawasaki ZX-14 | Lost & Found

I will be taking my talents to South Beach. Have you heard that one before? In this case, we’re not talking about LeBron James but bike builder George Hatziyianis. George relocated from his native NYC to Cape Coral, Florida in 2003 and shortly after opened FAT300 Custom Cycles. Open for business, the shop’s first project was a wide body ‘Busa with a 300mm rear. Fast forward to 2006 and a new king of speed was on the block. The ZX-14 hit and FAT300 jumped at the opportunity to create another hot showpiece.

A red and white Special Edition ’07 was the starting point for a build that got put on hold behind growing the business and raising two baby girls. It sat collecting dust until just recently. The theme was to stay true with the pearl white paint but add some shop style. The paint might look basic but when you break it down you really notice the details. “We wanted to keep it stock looking but with our twist. The bike is best in person,” said George. Real gold flake drapes down the diamond graphic covered backbone while the molded windscreen and undertail are both lit up in matching paint. The frame was paint matched too while the old frame slider holes were filled and completed with paint matched fairing screens. A custom nose vent splitter was also molded in to add an aggressive glare while the stock front fender was cut up to match the one-off metal fabricated chopper inspired hugger out back. Running all of the bikes under lighting including the NOS purge mounted under the lower triple is a three-switch controller installed on the left clip-on. Kustom Seat Kreations created a new seat that fixed what George felt was visually old school, “The 14 still to this day has the stupid banana seat on it and what this did was make it more of a solo seat.” Throw in a complete red anodized list of dress-up bits and spike bolt kit with made-in-house matching levers, foot controls and a tasteful amount of chrome and you have more than enough to look good when the kickstand is down. For the sake of performance, the engine was cracked open to further the customization.

Take a closer look at the motor and you’ll find some extra bite behind the bark. At a claimed 235 HP before nitrous, the bike can get up and give the dual chain jackshaft a workout but that wasn’t what it was built for, “It’s a show bike, we weren’t shooting for numbers and dropping 10ths at strip,” said George. Contrary to what he said, internal engine mods include a bored block and larger circumference throttle bodies compliments of Carpenter Racing, JE Pistons nitrous pistons and WEB camshaft for race-grade power. A FAT300 custom 22-inch over stock swingarm holds a 330mm Avon tire on a stock rim. Happy with the factory wheel appearance, custom billet hardware was used to stretch the rim and cush drive to fit the wide tire. An extra stiff aftermarket spring was dropped in to help with swingarm squat and add comfort lost with a strut. The 14 will propel past slow-driving retirees and welcome sun-tanned vacationers with the sound of Voodoo Industries shorty pipes but has yet to see much past the showroom floor as it still has less than 1,000 miles on the odometer.

George’s big Ninja sat untouched for years, was built in three months and now acts as a parked calling card for his business. “Bolting on parts and calling yourself a custom bike builder is not an option anymore, being innovative is the way the industry is moving. We left no bolt unturned and took this bike to that next level.”

2007 Kawasaki ZX-14

Front End: Custom cut fender, powder coated fork tubes, Avon tire
Rear End: FAT300 22” swingarm with 330 kit, 330mm widened OEM wheel, custom chopper fender, aftermarket spring
Motor: 50-shot nitrous system, Carpenter Racing bored block and throttle bodies, JE Pistons nitrous pistons, WEB camshaft, velocity stacks, Brock’s Performance clutch mod, DynoJet PCIII, Voodoo Industries exhaust
Paint: TC Concepts
Accessories: JDA Customs spike kit, custom FAT300 footpegs, levers and shifter, chrome control housings, aftermarket grips, triple tree, mirrors, gas cap and custom clutch cover, Sportbike Lites light kit, headlight halo kit and front vent lighting, Kustom Seat Kreations molded seat
Owner/Builder: George Hatziyianis, FAT300 Custom Cycles Inc.