In last month's installment of Project Garage we showed you a sneak peek of the Gale Speed Type R forged aluminum racing wheels we planned to install on our ZX-14 test bike. We recently received one of the very first sets that Gale Speed (www.acv.co.jp) tooled up for this all-new Kawasaki model direct from Japan, and initial inspection of these gorgeous pieces showed they were well worth the wait. Due to the unique physics of steering and accelerating a single-track vehicle like a motorcycle, reducing the rotating mass of the wheels by even a few pounds will have a very dramatic effect on the bike's handling, braking and acceleration. The heavier an object is, the more difficult it is to change its direction. Since riding a motorcycle is all about moving those tall 17-inch wheels around, fitting lighter wheels will instantly result in quicker acceleration, better stopping and less gyroscopic effect, making the bike much easier to turn. They're not cheap, but aftermarket racing wheels are definitely worth considering if you're serious about improving your bike's performance.
Gale Speed wheels are made using a unique combination of hot and multi-form forging, mixing high temperatures, 6,000 tons of pressure and a multi-directional forging process to create wheels that are exceptionally light and strong. Gale Speed offers its wheels in two different styles: five-spoke "Type-C" or 10-spoke "Type-R." We opted for the Type-Rs, which rely on 10 thin bladed spokes and are, according to Gale Speed, 10 percent lighter than the Type-Cs. Because forged construction results in a very dense metallic structure, the Gale Speed wheels feature much thinner walls than the stock cast Kawasaki wheels to save weight while still maintaining strength. And indeed, the Gale Speed Type-Rs are light-the rear wheel (with cush drive) weighed in at just 14.7 pounds, and the front tipped the scale at 9 pounds, compared to 19.5 pounds rear and 12.1 pounds front for the stock wheels. This all adds up to a substantial 7.9-pound total savings in unsprung, rotating weight after replacing the stock wheels.
Much of this weight savings is related to the elegantly simple cush drive mechanism incorporated into the rear wheel, which relies on six full-size cush drive rubbers (to adequately isolate driveline lash) in a radically pared down housing that minimizes the material used. Another weight-saving feature is the "partial hub" forging design. One common problem with forged wheels is that the density of the material makes bigger parts of the wheel (around the hub, for example) weigh more than they need to for a given strength. To solve this problem, only the Gale Speed wheel's outer hub flange is part of the main forging-the inner hub/bearing carrier is actually a separate (and much lighter) machined aluminum piece that bolts into place to keep the hub weight as low as possible. Intelligent stuff.
Everything about the Gale Speed wheels is top-line, as you would expect for wheels of this price: all wheel spacers are made from aircraft-grade 7075 alloy, the sealed bearings are name-brand Koyos, and each wheelset comes complete with a hard-anodized 7075 rear sprocket from AFAM (you specify the tooth count). Even the included valve stems (polished stainless) are bling, and the manufacturing tolerances are spot on-all the holes for the rotors and sprocket line right up, and the wheels slide right into the swingarm and fork with no trouble, a perfect fit.
We selected gold-a new color for 2006 from Gale Speed-and it looks great against the ZX-14's factory candy thunder blue paint. Other available colors include gunmetal, bronze (very close to the factory Kawasaki wheel color), pearl white, black metallic or polished aluminum finishes. The suggested retail price is $1,888.90 per pair for all colors except white or black, which sell for $50 less. Best of all, you don't have to call Japan to get your own-Gale Speed wheels are now available in the U.S. through Tucker Rocky distribution, so your local dealer should have no problem getting you a set for your sportbike.
Beyond the big-bucks wheels, a few billet bolt-ons are pretty much the only other mods we made to the bike this month. The ZX-14 is a new model for this year, and as such, the aftermarket parts pickings are still pretty slim, as companies are still gearing up new parts. One of the few parts providers to have a good stock available is Roaring Toyz (www.zx14parts.com), who received a pre-production ZX-14 to get a head start on tooling up a line of parts for the new model. Roaring Toyz sent us a handful of its cosmetic covers that hide some of the exposed hardware on the ZX-14 for a cleaner, more finished look. On went a pair of black-anodized, CNC-machined billet fork caps (with engraved ZX logos, $79.99), as well as a matching set of caps to cover the swingarm pivots ($59.99) and a ZX-engraved oil filler cap to replace the cheap plastic stock piece. Roaring Toyz also set us up with a set of its too-cool "Arrow" billet bar ends ($59.99), which literally screw on in seconds to dress up the handlebars, and finally, one of its clever rear peg-mount tag brackets ($249.99) to relocate the license plate to the rear passenger peg, allowing you to shave off the shovel-like combo rear fender/plate holder that comes stock on the back of the ZX-14. CNC-machined and engraved with the Roaring Toyz logo, this bracket mounts the plate inside with all hardware hidden on the back for a super-clean look. Relocating the plate beside the tire also makes sure it's out of the way when you slam and stretch the back end of the big ZX-14, which we plan to do with this one very soon.
Finally, in anticipation of running this bike at our Top Speed Shootout at Maxton, North Carolina, we contacted Altered Chrome (www.alteredchrome.com) and ordered up one of their chromed steel chain guards ($124.95) to comply with ECTA rules that require a metal chain guard. Laser-cut with the Ninja logo and triple-chrome plated, the Altered Chrome chain guards look brilliant and bring a little bling to an oft-overlooked area of the bike. Matching ZX-14-logo heel guards ($59.99) do the same for the footpeg assemblies, replacing the cheap-looking stamped pieces that come stock on this bike. Excellent stuff.