I've got a little over 400 miles on my 14 now. It's hot out and of course you'll feel a lot of heat. The 14 doesn't have as much plastic around the pipes as the 12 does. The plastic around the exhaust on the 12 prevents a lot of the heat from getting to the rider. I think Kawasaki left the exhaust more open on the 14 to get rid of the heat quicker. That's why the rider feels more of the heat. Get going on the highway and the bike runs cool and the heat is gone.
I still have my 2000 ZX-12R. I've been switching bikes once in a while to compare the 2. The 14 is a lot smoother, has much better front brakes, the handlebar position is much better, the seat is a lot softer and a lot more comfortable, my wife said riding on the 14 is so much more comfortable than riding on the 12, and the 14 just glides over bumps in the road whereas on the 12, you could really feel the bumps.
After riding one bike right after the other, the 12 reminds me of a 1970 Dodge Challenger with a 440 6-pak - raw, brute, mind boggling horsepower, especially when I hit the nitrous button. The 14 is like a Dodge Viper, smooth and powerful. After riding the 12 for a while, my butt would get a little sore and I always looked forward to stopping somewhere and getting a little rest. Not so with the 14. It's so smooth and comfortable that I can't get enough of it. It's hard to stop riding it.
Kawasaki did their homework with the 14. It's a real nice bike.
