kawpower
Zone Head
Mr kawasaki 2 you!
Posts: 887
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posted July 11, 2006 04:13 AM
zx14 puking coolant
Rode the 14 yesterday temp was 86 humidity was 60 , rode on the highway at 70 mph for 40miles and the temp gauge never went under the 3/4 mark and the fan never shut off , finally stopped at rest area temp gauge went up full bars and bike started to puke coolant, this sucks, a bike u cant ride in the summer, my bike has 1500 miles on it and i am starting to regret selling my 12r.
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navigator

Expert Class
Posts: 308
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posted July 11, 2006 04:35 AM
quote: Rode the 14 yesterday temp was 86 humidity was 60 , rode on the highway at 70 mph for 40miles and the temp gauge never went under the 3/4 mark and the fan never shut off , finally stopped at rest area temp gauge went up full bars and bike started to puke coolant, this sucks, a bike u cant ride in the summer, my bike has 1500 miles on it and i am starting to regret selling my 12r.
I understand that you are frustrated. Problems with new stuff piss me off too. Now be realistic. The fact that the fan kept running should have been your first clue. You were probably low on coolant to start with. Find out why. Do it yourself or take it back to the dealer.
I ride my bike daily at temps 95 and above in stop and go traffic. The humidity sucks. I think it's monsoon season right now. The bike has not overheated and has been forced to idle for some very long periods. I have 3K miles on the odometer. If it hasn't happened by now, I don't think it will be a problem.
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kawpower
Zone Head
Mr kawasaki 2 you!
Posts: 887
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posted July 11, 2006 04:45 AM
My bike is inspected before every ride, coolant level to specs, I am a kawasaki tech, so i should know when something is seriously wrong with a unit, i will be on the phone with kawi when they open today to discuss this issue, and the 40to50 mph head shake too.
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navigator

Expert Class
Posts: 308
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posted July 11, 2006 05:16 AM
Define Kawasaki tech please? Are you a certified motorcycle mechanic?
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Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
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Tool Man

Needs a job
Posts: 4493
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posted July 11, 2006 05:22 AM
I ride in 100F+ all the time (in Phoenix) no over heating here!!
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Lilrock04blue12

Parking Attendant
Posts: 30
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posted July 11, 2006 05:33 AM
There called lemons, it happens to ALL mfgs. If your a certified tech you should have noticied yours was built on a Friday and opted for the Wednesday model.
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iflyphi

Zone Head
Posts: 542
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posted July 11, 2006 05:38 AM
I rode my bike 15 miles in heavy traffic, temp 90 humidity about 80, and the fan never came on. Because I forgot to hook it back up after installing the Muzzy fan, and the bike never overheated. Yea, it got really hot, but never puked coolant, and never flashed the "H" telling me it was hot. I thought it was running hotter than normal, but never suspected the fan wasn't working until I got home. Fan is important in traffic, on the highway without the fan, bike never went about 1/2.
Maybe you got a stuck thermostat?? Probably just low on coolant.
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bigbore4
Zone Head
Posts: 806
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posted July 11, 2006 06:53 AM
Sorry Kawboy, but you sound more like a service writer rather than a "certified" tech.
Any wrench worth his salt would investigate the problem before going off and bashing the bike.
And one would certainly look into it before calling Kawasaki.
Headshake between 40 and 50 too? Are you just trying to be funny?
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fastestbusaaround

Needs a life
I eat Fish...
Posts: 7889
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posted July 11, 2006 07:56 AM
No problems here either...runs hot...but never hit overheat. Sat in traffic for an hour on Saturday...hit 5 bars, but came right back down and never came close to overheating...I'm now using Redline Water Wetter (Say it 10 times fast...) and water only...one bottle and the rest water...makes a slight difference...not huge.
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speedgene
Zone Head
Posts: 996
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posted July 11, 2006 08:07 AM
Edited By: speedgene on 11 Jul 2006 09:08
Did you pull the radi cap off and not send it home? Did you make a coolant change... maybe missing a trapped bubble one more squeeze to the coolant hose would have caught? Did you "Blitz" the panel cover back on the bike, and maybe collapsed the recovery overflow tube?
Does that certain mph head shake have a worn front tire; inducing an oscillation with hands off the bars?
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E-tard
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SteveWFL

Moderator
Posts: 27920
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posted July 11, 2006 08:15 AM
I've heard of isloted cases of the 14 bikes overheating... mine hasn't come close, although it does run warm and makes good use of the fan. I ride in FL heat, sit at traffic lights, etc. without the first clue of a problem. Sure the bars go up, but it hasn't overheated. My old '99 ZX9 was much worse. I'd turn it off at red lights to avoid true overheating.
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2010 Concours14
'08 R1 YAMAHA
ZX14 gone!
CBR600RR track bike
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fastestbusaaround

Needs a life
I eat Fish...
Posts: 7889
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posted July 11, 2006 08:41 AM
Wazzup with the headshake? I never saw any bike do that at those speeds...not even my HOG...
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FYYFF!!!
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marco383
Expert Class
Posts: 145
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posted July 11, 2006 10:28 AM
Just got back from a quick 50 mile ride in 93 degree temps, including some highway cruising at 80-90 mph and some stop-and go. Three bars max, certainly no puking of coolant, just the usual gas venting music when I shut off. BTW, I finally hit 1000 miles today. It would of come a lot sooner, but I can't stay off my 10R.
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smokinZX14

Needs a life
Posts: 10197
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posted July 11, 2006 10:36 AM
90s+ here and i'm allways stuck in traffic 3 bars moving and 3 bars if stick a long time at a light .........Head shake ?????? NOT on my zx14...
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Smokin Performance Cycles..
Tampa Bay , FL .. Brocks Performance Dealer ..
Gen 2 ZX14R Best ET 8.43 , Best MPH 164.95
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sj1400
Novice Class
Posts: 96
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posted July 11, 2006 10:50 AM
kawpower,
Did you check the actual level in the radiator ?
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Bronze Star Racing

Expert Class
Posts: 152
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posted July 11, 2006 12:04 PM
Mine runs at 3 bars on the coast in the cool night air. Plus when I stopped at the gas station and turned it off, then back on The gauge was pegged. Didn't spit out coolant but it was hot. (Fan doesn't run with the key off) I know, not the point.
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SteveWFL

Moderator
Posts: 27920
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posted July 11, 2006 12:55 PM
quote: There called lemons, it happens to ALL mfgs. If your a certified tech you should have noticied yours was built on a Friday and opted for the Wednesday model.
whoa...wait.... I thought kawi and Toyota are LEMONPROOF heheheh
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2010 Concours14
'08 R1 YAMAHA
ZX14 gone!
CBR600RR track bike
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shawnski

Pro
Posts: 1809
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posted July 11, 2006 01:15 PM
quote:
quote: There called lemons, it happens to ALL mfgs. If your a certified tech you should have noticied yours was built on a Friday and opted for the Wednesday model.
whoa...wait.... I thought kawi and Toyota are LEMONPROOF heheheh
no honda is lemon proof :d
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MATTZ14

Expert Class
Posts: 282
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posted July 11, 2006 02:32 PM
I sat in stop and go traffic @ a car show three separate times for 2 hours a piece @ 85'. The fan ran and it hit 4 bars but thats it. My fan doesn't run with the key off either. The OM says it should.?? Head shake? It's called buffeting of your helmet due to turbulence.
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Later days, better lays
07 BLACK ZX14 Getting customized waiting for the white stuff to go away
06 BLACK ZX14 GONE Recall was a little late.
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Bronze Star Racing

Expert Class
Posts: 152
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posted July 11, 2006 02:41 PM
No OM says nothing, Just saying temp goes up after bike is shut off.. Pretty wierd and can't figure it out
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shawnski

Pro
Posts: 1809
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posted July 11, 2006 03:01 PM
Edited By: shawnski on 11 Jul 2006 16:02
temp goes up when engine is off because the coolant does not cirtculate. this is right after you turn off the engine.
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HiMile14
Expert Class
Posts: 424
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posted July 11, 2006 03:28 PM
I ride in 90-95 F weather all the time and never had a problem. I have hit 5 bars waiting for a crash to clear, once moving along 30-40 mph the temp quickly fall back to 4 bars.
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mugsymd

Expert Class
Posts: 169
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posted July 12, 2006 08:57 AM
Yeah, my bike runs hot, and yes sitting in traffic for minutes at a time the bike hits 4 bars, I have never overheated. My legs are at times burning - I'm in the Tidewater area of Virginia - and it has been HOT here. When on the highway I'm at 2-3 bars, in traffic 3 bars when moving, and 4 bars at times when stopped - but o/w okay.
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1987 Red/White Ninja 750
1988 K1
1991 FatBoy
2004 VROD
2005 K1200S
2006 ZX-14 - Red
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Tool Man

Needs a job
Posts: 4493
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posted July 12, 2006 11:21 AM
With all due respect!! You guys are all a bunch of winers. It has been105F- 112F here for a weeks now.
I ride almost every day in stop and go evening traffic. For at least 45min to 1 hour.
THE BIKE DOES NOT OVERHEAT!!!
If yours does there is most likely a problem with air lock in ypour coolant system. Get it looked at by the dealer.Warranty is the word I think. Yes there is a lot of heat coming from the engine. 175 hp I think will do that!!
Enjoy the bike, I really REALLY like mine MY
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fastestbusaaround

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I eat Fish...
Posts: 7889
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posted July 12, 2006 12:10 PM
quote: No OM says nothing, Just saying temp goes up after bike is shut off.. Pretty wierd and can't figure it out
Sure it does, because the heat is just sitting there with no more cooling..all my bikes do that...it's quite normal in any engine cooling system...bike or other. That's only heat accumulating at the sensor; it doesn't represent the actual system heat. When you turn the engine back on and run it for a few secs, the temp goes back down.
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FYYFF!!!
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