zx61114
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posted May 08, 2006 07:05 PM
FBA, Jimp I'd like to point out that I'm not bitching about the fan running as much as I'm making the point that it's on. Today it was 94F and the bike was pretty comfy riding in stop & go Traffic. The fan running tells me were drawing some serious power from the battery. Was the 14 designed with an Charging system to handle this kind of drain of the power supply??? I suspect yes but if we have a bunch of people with dieing batteries because the charging system can't handle 6 headlamps and fan running at the same time well we will have to think twice about when to fire up them hi beams. Finding problems before they come....Serious, the VFR charging system could not handle 4 lamps and fan running at the same time for more than a couple mins, you could see the lamps fade away in traffic.
Rob
  
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zermatt
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posted May 08, 2006 07:18 PM
 Edited By: zermatt on 8 May 2006 20:18
Did you happen to glance at the voltage meter with the fan and all lights on? I did when I first got it, but I can't remember what it was now, but it was definitely not at a good "charging" voltage.... may have been 12.6v or so. I can't imagine you would experience any battery issues until the voltage dropped down closer to or below 12.0v.
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'06 Passion Red ZX-14 | Black D&D Slip-ons | Speedo Healer | V1 | zumo 550 | Heli-Risers | PhantomX
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fastestbusaaround
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posted May 08, 2006 07:24 PM
That's only at idle...no problem there...lift the idle to 1300 to increase the charge voltage...my bike came setup at 800 idle speed, which is way too low anyway. BTW Rob, Honda had a recall on the alternators in 02 I think but that was just bad design...they had issues for years with them. The ZX can hande the load, I'm quite sure.
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zx61114
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posted May 09, 2006 04:14 AM
FBA, Yes I bought my VFR in Canada so I have to make the track up to the great white north to get it replaced. As much as I used to ride it never was a problem. I ride that bike every Wed and Saturday so she will see maybe 100 miles a week, we will see if that few miles will keep that puppy charged. Thanks for the information on the volt meter, I think I was seeing 12.6 volts with 6 lights and fan burning as well. I read that Kawasaki has a 2 to 1 gear on the charging system so 3000 rpm is 6000 rpm for the Alt, I hope someone can confirm this. Hey I also wanted to mention the 14 got her first taste of rain this morning, 3 bars being 1/2 way 4 bars is were the gauge seems to sit while in traffic. When it's raining the gauge will stay at 3 bars and only come up to 4 bars at lights. This is the first time I came home and the fan was not on.
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zermatt
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posted May 09, 2006 06:08 PM
More good news guys...
Rode home today in 94F heat and the temp gauge never got higher than one bar above midpoint. Even sat in traffic/lights for several minutes and the gauge didn't move. Interestingly though, the fan would come on and turn off while sitting at a series of traffic lights spaced closely together, with that same 1-bar above mid still lit.
The engine must be loosening up... got 1,198 miles on her now.
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'06 Passion Red ZX-14 | Black D&D Slip-ons | Speedo Healer | V1 | zumo 550 | Heli-Risers | PhantomX
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fastestbusaaround
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posted May 09, 2006 06:10 PM
Ya but...what about what you feel on yer legs?
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zx61114
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posted May 10, 2006 04:37 AM
Matt, FBA,
The other day I was playing with the Inst MPG. I got better MPG when I kicked it to 6th gear even though the rpms were spinning at like 2900 rpms. Well the engine does make about 40-50 mpg but man does it heat up. Dropping to 4th seemed to get the water pump running and the engine cooled down some.
Battery: I'm guessing this updates very 15-30 seconds, and with 6 lamps and the fan running at idle the lowest volts were 12.4. Seems like a sound charging system to me.
Fan: kicks on shortly after the first bar above the mid point (4th bar) is activated. Below the mid point coolant no fan.
Heat: Well the heat I feel is a little closer to my knees. Remember I'm 5 foot 4 inches tall. For the most part it's not a problem, and the more I ride the more I think it will become less and less an issue.
Rob
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zerMATT
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posted May 10, 2006 04:46 AM
Edited By: zerMATT on 10 May 2006 05:48
Rob - 12.4v is the lowest I've seen too. I think the charging system is capable. Do we know what size the alternator on this bike is yet? Wonder if it could handle heated grips or vest with all the lights on too?
FFA - Heat on my legs from the engine wasn't as noticable, but that may have been simply because the ambient temp was pretty darn warm too. I was wearing jeans.
Seriously though, I was thinking about exactly that while I was watching the gauge and sitting in traffic, and I didn't mind the head on my legs at all. My guess is that while my bike was running really hot on that first weekend, that it was trying to expell that heat out onto me. Now that it's running cooler (closer to mid/normal), the heat being expelled isn't quite as bad.
I've never really felt the heat at my knees, but I'm 6' 2" and I ride with my knees out a couple of inches from the tank, so that's probably helping too. I only make an effort to keep the knees in tight while riding hard or fast. Just tooling around town or commuting, the knees are generally someout "out" in a self-cooling position 
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'06 Passion Red ZX-14 | Black D&D Slip-ons | Speedo Healer | V1 | zumo 550 | Heli-Risers | PhantomX
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fastestbusaaround
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posted May 10, 2006 05:44 AM
I get heat on the lower legs/ankles, but I ride with the knees hugging the tank at all times on the highway's...I know when I back them off a bit, no heat...but the bad part is low speeds and stopped in traffic....BTW, the charging system will handle heated grips/vests -- I'm sure about that, worst case is that you raise the idle abouve 1300 to get the output a bit higher...for some reason, it seems they setup the bikes at 800-900 RPM from factory, which IMO is too low in any case.
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zerMATT
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posted May 10, 2006 05:57 AM
My RPM was a tad low when they uncrated it, they set it to about 1000-1100 and I've been happy with it there.
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'06 Passion Red ZX-14 | Black D&D Slip-ons | Speedo Healer | V1 | zumo 550 | Heli-Risers | PhantomX
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zx61114
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posted May 10, 2006 10:07 AM
My Bike's rpm is around 1200-1300 rpm.
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200mphclub
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posted May 10, 2006 07:57 PM
New motors are very tight and build alot of heat because of the friction in the cylinder walls, when motor breaks in or loosens up friction will be less thus less heat. Also remember- bigger cylinders, less room in jacketing between cylider walls and block where coolant runs thus coolant is unable to cool fast enough because it is passing between cylinder walls and block being heated up. Like a chevrolet 400 small block. they run hotter because it is a 350 block with bigger diameter cylinder walls, friction creates more heat being closer to coolant jacketing.
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zx61114
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posted May 11, 2006 05:33 PM
Just wanted to touch on the fact that from time to time I kiss 5 bars on the coolant chart. A couple seconds at say 30-40 mph will take that bar away but I wanted everyone to know that from time to time it's going to happen. No problems with the heat in fact it seems the heat is less than a week ago, not that many miles 675. I changed the oil to Kawasaki's 10W-40 and there is a little voice screaming don't put that crap in your new engine. Hey it's what the shop gave me at costs. Not good enough they jacked me for 500 dollars but then charge me 5 dollars a quart for this stuff. I pay 7 dollars for ams-oil...Just seems wrong. Old oil looked a little green, I suspect this is some kind of brake in Oil. I think my bike is now ready for the Ironbutt.
Rob
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fastestbusaaround
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posted May 11, 2006 06:00 PM
Ironbutt on a 14 hehe...now that's a good one Rob...yer a funny guy man...:P
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zx61114
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posted May 12, 2006 04:41 AM
Yea I do it all the time, I'll post start and finish times with pictures of the GPS unit and Speedo. I have right at 700 miles on the 14 and about 2 AM I'll start making my trip North. I should be home by 5 to 6 PM Saturday. I suspect it will be a little more than 1000, 1100 miles. For those who need proof, the GPS tells the time and date I'm leaving and the completed trip (1000 miles later) will have another picture of the speedo and GPS time and date.
Rob
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fastestbusaaround
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posted May 12, 2006 05:24 AM
I don't need proof; I've done this on my 10R a few times, but I know a few of the Ironbutt riders -- you know the guys that ride 11,000 miles in 10 days, and I thought you were referring to that type of Ironbutt ride, though 1000 miles in a day on these bikes is quite an accomplishment. Good luck and have a great ride Rob! 
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zx61114
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posted May 12, 2006 05:43 AM
Those guys are pretty hard core, The best I've done is 4800 miles in 5 days. I have to work, plus the little women will get a bit peeved if I burn 11 of 15 days of vacation on the bike. Maybe after the kids grow up ;^).
Rob
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fastestbusaaround
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posted May 12, 2006 07:40 AM
that's some serious mileage Rob!
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ZREXER
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posted May 12, 2006 08:03 AM
I picked my bike up yesterday in Calgary and rode back to Edmonton - 325 kilometers/180 miles.
Leaving Calgary in city traffic it was showing 3 bars, no real heat apparent to me, certainly nothing that was uncomfortable. On the highway home 2 bars, and down to 1 bar a lot of the time.
It was only 65 to 70 F, yesterday, but heat off the bike was not an issue.
At no time did the bike show more than 3 bars. Once I hit Edmonton I did get caught in some slow moving traffic as well.
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fastestbusaaround
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posted May 12, 2006 08:20 AM
In those temp's you won't see or feel any heat...this was the same thing I saw at those temps, wait till it gets hotter...then she really starts to cook...we haven't yet seen the 80's here yet in Quebec either. At 76, in slow traffic...you'll start to feel the heat on your shins especially when the fan starts up at 3 bars...I have seen 4 bars briefly at 75 in traffic.
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zx61114
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posted May 12, 2006 09:58 AM
Edited By: zx61114 on 12 May 2006 11:06
ZREXER, congrats on the new bike. What color did you buy?
FBA, ZREXER, I agree with the heat at 76 F. This morning it was 62 F and heat was a minimum. I would note about 80 F is where the heat is allowed to creep into your body area but it not as bad as the ZX-11. I suspect the fan is more powerful than the 11 because the heat does hit the knees and ankles pretty good but upper body seems good; warm not Hot. At 88 F or above is where I seen the 5 bar coolant gauge.
FBA, on the Ironbutt well I just like riding, lts my way of relaxing. I have 3 days at the end of the month to just get out and ride, I'm thinking of going up to Deals Gap, Virginia Beach and maybe St.Louis. I don't mind riding in weather but my schedule is built by the route with the least rain possible.
Rob
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ZREXER
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posted May 12, 2006 01:55 PM
quote:
ZREXER, congrats on the new bike. What color did you buy?
FBA, ZREXER, I agree with the heat at 76 F. This morning it was 62 F and heat was a minimum. I would note about 80 F is where the heat is allowed to creep into your body area but it not as bad as the ZX-11. I suspect the fan is more powerful than the 11 because the heat does hit the knees and ankles pretty good but upper body seems good; warm not Hot. At 88 F or above is where I seen the 5 bar coolant gauge.
FBA, on the Ironbutt well I just like riding, lts my way of relaxing. I have 3 days at the end of the month to just get out and ride, I'm thinking of going up to Deals Gap, Virginia Beach and maybe St.Louis. I don't mind riding in weather but my schedule is built by the route with the least rain possible.
Rob
I got the Candy Thunder Blue......................looks awesome. It is the exact same blue my ZRX was. Got it cleaned up last night and waxed. Going to go out tonight and murder some more bugs.
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fastestbusaaround
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posted May 12, 2006 02:04 PM
quote:
ZREXER, congrats on the new bike. What color did you buy?
FBA, ZREXER, I agree with the heat at 76 F. This morning it was 62 F and heat was a minimum. I would note about 80 F is where the heat is allowed to creep into your body area but it not as bad as the ZX-11. I suspect the fan is more powerful than the 11 because the heat does hit the knees and ankles pretty good but upper body seems good; warm not Hot. At 88 F or above is where I seen the 5 bar coolant gauge.
FBA, on the Ironbutt well I just like riding, lts my way of relaxing. I have 3 days at the end of the month to just get out and ride, I'm thinking of going up to Deals Gap, Virginia Beach and maybe St.Louis. I don't mind riding in weather but my schedule is built by the route with the least rain possible.
Rob
Wife and I were supposed to head to the Gap today, but had to cancel due to business issues and a sick animal at home we have to take care of...my buddies all left in major rain today (Ughhh), but I'm sure they 'll have a great time anyway. We'll make it to the Gap sometime this season for sure.
Never owned an 11 or 12 (oddly enough) so I can't compare, but I'll take your word for it. We also love to ride long days so we're not strangers to the 1K mile day runs either. People always ask me how we do it on these things...but I'll tell ya it's much easier and way more fun than on a HOG or cruiser; at least my back doesn't take the beating on these bikes like on a cruiser... enjoy your ride Rob!
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zx61114
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posted May 12, 2006 06:11 PM
Thanks FBA, I'll post the picks Sunday sometime.
Rob
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