sands
Expert Class
Posts: 151
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posted October 14, 2007 09:50 PM
 Edited By: sands on 14 Oct 2007 22:51
Another ZX14 frame with a crack where the suspension mounts!!!
Got this from zx14ninja.com...This guy went to find a solution to his engine noise and after discovering the source of the problem and fixing it he looks at his frame and it is cracked in the same spot where the other frames have broken....There may be something to this folks!
http://www.zx14ninja.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=8035&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15&sid=41972f1ec126c87a04511ff0d85f3520
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www.nonationalid.com
  
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Ojref
Expert Class
Posts: 336
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posted October 14, 2007 10:15 PM
Edited By: Ojref on 14 Oct 2007 23:17
Well, the bike was stretched with quite a long arm - a pretty decent torque pivot. Add some NO2 powered runs to mix, and you have a helluva lot of stress in an area that might be marginal on some frames with the stock arm on. This isn't coincidence, but I wonder if over time this will prove to be a weak point. It would be advisable to gusset that area if you're going to put one of those ridiculous 1/8 mile long swingarms on.
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2006 Kawasaki ZX-14 Ninja, Red now with mo' Brock's in my lyfe
1991 Yamaha Vmax - Because I need a mule to carry the manhood
2002 Ford Lightning - Ford GT Aluminum block engined, 802HP 911TQ now WhippleCharged
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sands
Expert Class
Posts: 151
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posted October 14, 2007 10:33 PM
Good point...The modifications are definitely somthing to consider...Still it's interesting that it's in the same location...
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www.nonationalid.com
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mink
Novice Class
Posts: 45
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posted October 14, 2007 10:53 PM
thats my bike with the frame cracked
dont get me wrong i am a kaw fan but this is bullshit
i dont think everyones frame is bad and im sure my arm and suspension setup didnt help but never the less its still bullshit
in my opinion kawi built this bike as a drag bike hints fact. launch and shift lights so they should have designed more strength were needed, since most fast bikes are extended
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kawasaki_rick
Zone Head
Posts: 512
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posted October 15, 2007 04:12 AM
Well shit, mines cracked 2. i only have 1000 miles on my bike. And its been a good bike.Im glad you guys posted, i just thought it was a fluke. Im gonna see what kawasaki has 2 say about this. bullshit for sure.
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stevewfl
Moderator
Posts: 27920
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posted October 15, 2007 04:46 AM
Great, maybe someone can now make things clear for us. It'll be nice to see some documentation on what Kawasaki says the problem and solution is.
So far all we've seen are a few pics and an "Internet" chatroom rant or two
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2010 Concours14
'08 R1 YAMAHA
ZX14 gone!
CBR600RR track bike
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smokinzx14
Needs a life
Posts: 10197
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posted October 15, 2007 06:09 AM
quote:
Well shit, mines cracked 2. i only have 1000 miles on my bike. And its been a good bike.Im glad you guys posted, i just thought it was a fluke. Im gonna see what kawasaki has 2 say about this. bullshit for sure.
Rick yours is cracked also ??? Can you post up some pictures ...Thanks Smokin...
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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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smokinzx14
Needs a life
Posts: 10197
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posted October 15, 2007 06:18 AM
quote:
thats my bike with the frame cracked
dont get me wrong i am a kaw fan but this is bullshit
i dont think everyones frame is bad and im sure my arm and suspension setup didnt help but never the less its still bullshit
in my opinion kawi built this bike as a drag bike hints fact. launch and shift lights so they should have designed more strength were needed, since most fast bikes are extended
Mink thanks for the post and the link to the pictures ....
Mink now comes the bad news ... When you show this to Mother Kawi they are going to say your arm caused it AND we ( zx14 owners ) know that is not the case or the cause !! ..
The question is >>> What as zx14 owners can we do to force Kawi to repair or recall these 06 and 07 frames ?? Smokin ...
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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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stevewfl
Moderator
Posts: 27920
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posted October 15, 2007 07:25 AM
I'm still wwaiting to here what Kawi has said about ANY frame breaking? Problem/solution/ or telling us to screw off. Of course I'm not disputing these Internet post facts in any way....
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2010 Concours14
'08 R1 YAMAHA
ZX14 gone!
CBR600RR track bike
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Ojref
Expert Class
Posts: 336
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posted October 15, 2007 08:05 AM
Edited By: Ojref on 15 Oct 2007 09:13
I'm pretty sure KHI can prove that stretched swingarms can exceed the stress tolerances of the frames in the locations we've seen fatigued thus far. This evidence won't help with building a case. What will is instances of STOCK bikes with frame fatigue. Kawasaki might even go so far as to say that a pipe and a remap would cause the motor to output more power and induce stress exceeding frame's design limitations.
I went round and round with Subaru and a 5th gear synchro issue on my 04 STi over a fucking K&N panel filter in the stock airbox. They claimed that it caused the motor to exceed design limitations on the gearbox, causing the synchro to fail. It took a long time, a lot of lawyering and about 6 documented cases of 5th failing on completely stock cars maintained by Subaru exclusively before I could get them to fix the shit, which happened to get a TSB magically assigned to it after they fixed mine.
The best thing to start with would be documented cases of failure or pre-failure on totally stock bikes. This would deter the excuses and dismissal that KHI could use.
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2006 Kawasaki ZX-14 Ninja, Red now with mo' Brock's in my lyfe
1991 Yamaha Vmax - Because I need a mule to carry the manhood
2002 Ford Lightning - Ford GT Aluminum block engined, 802HP 911TQ now WhippleCharged
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NinjaNick
Needs a job
'08 ZX14 (Blue)
Posts: 4558
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posted October 15, 2007 08:35 AM
quote:
Got this from zx14ninja.com...This guy went to find a solution to his engine noise and after discovering the source of the problem and fixing it he looks at his frame and it is cracked in the same spot where the other frames have broken....There may be something to this folks!
http://www.zx14ninja.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=8035&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15&sid=41972f1ec126c87a04511ff0d85f3520
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fish_antlers
Administrator
The Truth is Out There
Posts: 21894
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posted October 15, 2007 08:42 AM
Make sure you have your failures reported!
Ensure that your dealer reports any failures along with your VIN # to KMC. This is the only way KMC can track anything and determine how and why each specific event occurred.
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What business is it of yours where I'm from, Friendo?
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stevewfl
Moderator
Posts: 27920
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posted October 15, 2007 08:56 AM
quote:
only way KMC can track anything and determine how and why each specific event occurred.
How do we find info on cracked frames being tracked by KHI?
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2010 Concours14
'08 R1 YAMAHA
ZX14 gone!
CBR600RR track bike
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smokinzx14
Needs a life
Posts: 10197
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posted October 15, 2007 09:05 AM
Edited By: smokinzx14 on 15 Oct 2007 10:07
The first two bikes were stock wheel base and they said it happened because of a bump or pot hole on the road ....The stretched swingarm bike made no claim of hitting anything ....Having a stretched swingarm myself i noticed that my bike rides a lot smoother in the rear ...Hitting bump on my stretched swingarm bike is half the shock than it was at stock wheel base. The reason for the smoother ride is in spring eating up more of the hit or shock, so i think there would be less shock and stress to the frame ..At my weight the frame would see very little stress compared to lets say a 220 pound rider ..
I really don't have an answer to the cause but seems to me that a stock wheel base with a heavier rider hitting a pot hole would be at the biggest risk to breakage ....But we all know what kawi , zooky or even honda would say >> ABUSE caused the problem ... All three of these zx14s owners should report this to mother Kawi AND the National Transportation Safety Board .. The NTSB is the one that can order a recall .....
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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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fish_antlers
Administrator
The Truth is Out There
Posts: 21894
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posted October 15, 2007 09:17 AM
quote:
How do we find info on cracked frames being tracked by KHI?
As a consumer you can't... the thing that's really important, whether it's a cracked frame or any other issue you have with your bike is that you get your dealer to record it against the VIN and report it to Kawasaki (or any other brand you may own). Remember - Bikeland is NOT Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha etc etc. Talking about a problem here is not an "official" complaint about a problem. There is a mechanism in place to deal with problems and the front line for that is your local dealer.
Talking about stuff on the Internet is fine, but make sure that you follow proper procedure and let your dealer and the OEM do their jobs 
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What business is it of yours where I'm from, Friendo?
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stevewfl
Moderator
Posts: 27920
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posted October 15, 2007 09:22 AM
This phenominon of broke frames is a trip. If someone doesn't mind posting comments/findings/solutions from KHI it will be great info for us.
Other than that all I've seen is a very select few frames broke by a select few folks, and nothing more than a lot of Internet ranting, assuptions, and speculation.
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2010 Concours14
'08 R1 YAMAHA
ZX14 gone!
CBR600RR track bike
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mink
Novice Class
Posts: 45
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posted October 15, 2007 09:59 AM
quote:
quote:
thats my bike with the frame cracked
dont get me wrong i am a kaw fan but this is bullshit
i dont think everyones frame is bad and im sure my arm and suspension setup didnt help but never the less its still bullshit
in my opinion kawi built this bike as a drag bike hints fact. launch and shift lights so they should have designed more strength were needed, since most fast bikes are extended
Mink thanks for the post and the link to the pictures ....
Mink now comes the bad news ... When you show this to Mother Kawi they are going to say your arm caused it AND we ( zx14 owners ) know that is not the case or the cause !! ..
The question is >>> What as zx14 owners can we do to force Kawi to repair or recall these 06 and 07 frames ?? Smokin ...
smokin buddy whats crazy is i didnt hit any big pot holes or nothing that i havent hit on other bikes the roads here arent perfect but decent
also my big concern is ill bet a thousand dollars there are more frames broken just like mine but the lower motor mount bolt is holding it together when not under a load and people are overlooking them
i will show kaw this but im going to fix it my self and yes they will contribute it to my arm but we all know better
you guys seriously check your frame closely might even try putting two people on to put a load on there and check it that way
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motormania
Parking Attendant
Posts: 19
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posted October 15, 2007 11:19 AM
quote:
quote:
thats my bike with the frame cracked
dont get me wrong i am a kaw fan but this is bullshit
i dont think everyones frame is bad and im sure my arm and suspension setup didnt help but never the less its still bullshit
in my opinion kawi built this bike as a drag bike hints fact. launch and shift lights so they should have designed more strength were needed, since most fast bikes are extended
Mink thanks for the post and the link to the pictures ....
Mink now comes the bad news ... When you show this to Mother Kawi they are going to say your arm caused it AND we ( zx14 owners ) know that is not the case or the cause !! ..
The question is >>> What as zx14 owners can we do to force Kawi to repair or recall these 06 and 07 frames ?? Smokin ...
Put the stock stuff on it and take it in for Kawi to look at. Why tell em you had arm on it.
The thing should be built strong enough to handle it. Its a drag bike for goodness sake!!!!
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fish_antlers
Administrator
The Truth is Out There
Posts: 21894
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posted October 15, 2007 11:30 AM
quote:
Put the stock stuff on it and take it in for Kawi to look at. Why tell em you had arm on it.
The thing should be built strong enough to handle it. Its a drag bike for goodness sake!!!!
Why lie?
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What business is it of yours where I'm from, Friendo?
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kawasaki_rick
Zone Head
Posts: 512
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posted October 15, 2007 11:57 AM
Well i got good news, i got home from work today, ready 2 pull the engine out and get to welding and gusseting my frame. So i raise the bike up on the rack and take 1 more look at what i thought was a crack. It turned out to be a little grease line slung up on the frame. I was bummed all day at work thinking wtf am i gonna do, screw with kawasaki or fix it myself. If it was an act of god (thank god) . Anyway i cleaned everything with brake cleaner, cant fint no cracks. I still might weld in gussets 2 give me piece of mind. As i said i love my bike. And dont want 2 ride anything else. Sorry for the red alert. But im gonna check mine everytime i go 2 the track.
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bigdtd
Needs a job
Interceptors
Posts: 4209
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posted October 15, 2007 03:55 PM
another false alarm
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2006 Black ZX-14,6 inches over,16/42, flies out,BMC Street Filter,Brock's Street Meg,Brock's Radial Mount Strap,PClll with Race map,Dynojet LCD w/Techmount, ZX-14 fender eliminator,Pilot Power2CTs,Speedohealer,Pazzo Levers,Cox Radiator Guard, Garmin Nuvi 265WT
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mink
Novice Class
Posts: 45
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posted October 15, 2007 04:21 PM
been telling everyone around here and one of my buddys wifes 14 is cracked in the same place almost identical her bike is stock wheelbase stock everything except for lower links and muzzy pipe
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smokinzx14
Needs a life
Posts: 10197
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posted October 15, 2007 04:24 PM
quote:
Well i got good news, i got home from work today, ready 2 pull the engine out and get to welding and gusseting my frame. So i raise the bike up on the rack and take 1 more look at what i thought was a crack. It turned out to be a little grease line slung up on the frame. I was bummed all day at work thinking wtf am i gonna do, screw with kawasaki or fix it myself. If it was an act of god (thank god) . Anyway i cleaned everything with brake cleaner, cant fint no cracks. I still might weld in gussets 2 give me piece of mind. As i said i love my bike. And dont want 2 ride anything else. Sorry for the red alert. But im gonna check mine everytime i go 2 the track.
Good to know Rick .. Thanks for the update ...I cleaned mine today and took a hard look at mine also ....No cracks so far !!!!!!!!  Smokin..
____________
Smokin Performance Cycles..
Tampa Bay , FL .. Brocks Performance Dealer ..
Gen 2 ZX14R Best ET 8.43 , Best MPH 164.95
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slates
Expert Class
Posts: 377
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posted October 15, 2007 06:41 PM
I pm'd Smokin on this earlier...All I know is after hearing about the second one of these so called "frame" cracks under "normal" use, I contacted one of the most respected and knowledgeable individuals on the 14, because of my concerns and not wanting to leave my kids fatherless over some broken frame.
He stated in an email that these frame breaks were bs, and that people where trying to get reimbursed for crashing their bikes. He said the issue was cleared up a while ago. I'm assuming this to mean Mother Kawi ruled out design/manufacturing flaws. I'm not sure what caused their breaks: pot holes, twelve o'clock wheelie landings, etc., but this thing wreeks of bs.
If one of these breaks came from a long-term, and trusted member, I might be more inclined to believe it. It would be nice if one of our entrusted zx-14 experts would post on the subject. I'm not going to speak for the individual I contacted, but I believe him.
I don't post often, but I've read every post since beginning of the year in 2006, and have had my 06 since March of the same year.
No cracks.
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black zx14 - Brock's Gen3 Carbon, PCIII, no secondaries, Carrozzeria wheels, Sato rearsets, Pazzo levers, GPR V4 steering damper, Puig windscreen, Tiger Racing chain guard
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billeason
Zone Head
Posts: 711
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posted October 15, 2007 07:16 PM
frame cracked
quote:
been telling everyone around here and one of my buddys wifes 14 is cracked in the same place almost identical her bike is stock wheelbase stock everything except for lower links and muzzy pipe
If you would could you send pictures of your bike and your freinds bike, I have been in touch with nht, about the other two bikes. WE have traced thoses bikes and are in the process of getting at the problem. I will send a pm with all the info you will need to help us process this problem also there will be complete security proven for any info you see fit to share with us. I hope your assistance will help get to the bottom of this! Thanks bill..
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bill eason
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