Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: orangewingnut on July 28, 2012, 10:21:01 AM
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Hello.
i have an '11 concours. Took a little spin to Blacksburg, Va from my home in NJ last week. It was the first time i had been on the bike for a few weeks due to work and the summer heat. When i stopped for gas, i removed the large ignition key and when i went to open the gas cap, it was hard going in and then wouldn't turn. When i tried to force it, the plastic handle started to rotate around the key. I noticed the key hole looked corroded and pitted. I finally got it open and it did get slightly easier although never seemed right as the key never popped back to vertical when i closed the cap.
I sprayed the keyhole with wd-4o when i got home (i know it's not the best thing to use) and was able to loosen it up a bit.
The only thing i can think of is that after washing the bike, water got under the tab that covers the keyhole and went to work corroding the lock,
Has this happened to anyone else?
Thanks,
Bill
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In the old days we had a report or two of this condition. One of them was from a member in SC, (Tjhess?). Don't remember the outcome. I would take it to the dealer first to see if they'll fix it.
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My bike is an 08 and the lock became a little hard to turn in 2009 and was slightly corroded. Since than one a year I apply a few drops of oil to the lock and than rotate the key several times to work the oil in. I than apply a nother drop or two. If you do this with the cap in position the excess oil will drop in to the gas tank(this will not cause any problems as its only a drop or two). I have not had any problems since. Please note that I usually depress the gas cap when turning the key to releive the pressure on the lock mechanisim. I hope this helps.
Fred
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I have a 2011. When i went to open the gas cap, it was hard going in and then wouldn't turn. When i tried to force it, the plastic handle started to rotate around the key. I noticed the key hole looked corroded and pitted. I finally got it open and it did get slightly easier although never seemed right as the key never popped back to vertical when i closed the cap. Has this happened to anyone else?
Yes. The same thing on my 2011. There is even a kind of white debris that is around the keyhole metal. It is getting harder and harder to get the key in and out and turn the lock. Has been present for over a year. Haven't done anything about it yet.
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i removed the large ignition key
:yikes: :loco: ;)
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I'm f....g lazy so I don't wash my bike, perhaps once a year or so... ;D (my car even every couple of years...)
But this comes in handy because reduces the risk of corrosion! ;)
I have seen few Harleys that have discovered rust underneath plates or tanks or other hidden spots that are reached by high pressure water.
And you know that Harley people wash their bikes a lot!
(BTW even when I had my HD I didn't wash it! ;) )
I'l carefully watch around the gas cap, anyway: you never know, also because rain IS water! :o
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I'm f....g lazy so I don't wash my bike, perhaps once a year or so... ;D (my car even every couple of years...)
But this comes in handy because reduces the risk of corrosion! ;)
+1. No good can come from washing the bike... I knew that there were other reasons besides laziness. Thanks! :thumbs:
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I only wash mine once a year. I ride it all spring, summer and fall and I have the same corrosion problem you have. The rain gets in it causes it. Just add a bit of graphite power or a couple of drops of oil as suggested above. I also ad a squirt of wd-40 to the moving parts inside the tank.
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Happened to my '09 in Phoenix.
Not so sure water is to blame. ;)
When it gets sticky I clean it up with WD-40. Cap slightly open with a clean rag underneath to keep runoff out of the tank.
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Yes. The same thing on my 2011. There is even a kind of white debris that is around the keyhole metal. It is getting harder and harder to get the key in and out and turn the lock. Has been present for over a year. Haven't done anything about it yet.
yup, mine also had the white debris. I'm thinking of replacing my gas cap with one of those non-locking ones. It's kind of a pain to have to unlock it for fill ups.
Bill
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yup, mine also had the white debris.
I wonder what is going on?!!
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Some think it has to do with ethanol fuel. Some think it's in the air. Some think the metal is crap. Some think it has to do with aliens. I'm leaning towards the aliens myself.
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Some think it has to do with ethanol fuel. Some think it's in the air. Some think the metal is crap. Some think it has to do with aliens. I'm leaning towards the aliens myself.
^^^that^^^
or maybe aliens
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every kawasaki bike i've owned does this. oiling the keyhole doesn't work for long either, the petrol fumes probably dilute the oil and i'll be back at square one very soon. i just oil it once a month these days.
pushing down on the cap before turning the key helps too.
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Some think it has to do with ethanol fuel. Some think it's in the air. Some think the metal is crap. Some think it has to do with aliens. I'm leaning towards the aliens myself.
Would that be a lean to the left or the right?
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Floundering or is it Flip-Flopping????
Anyway, back on topic. I replaced my fuel cap with a billit alu non-locking cap.
I just bumped the thread where this was discussed. So check it out in the C14 Accessories section.
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I've had this happen too on my '11. Little wd-40 worked it loose then followed it with a graphite spray. I believe it happened from a combination of water (rain and/or washing), fuel vapors and the dis-similar metal the lock/cap assembly is made from.
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Would that be a lean to the left or the right?
Depends on what side of the bike I'm standing next to...although typically I would be looking up to the sky....Darn pesky aliens screwed up my fuel filler again!
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every kawasaki bike i've owned does this. oiling the keyhole doesn't work for long either, the petrol fumes probably dilute the oil and i'll be back at square one very soon. i just oil it once a month these days.
pushing down on the cap before turning the key helps too.
My '98 ZX9r didn't, but my Zx14 and C14 both did it.
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- do cut some spare keys for the fuel cap and panniers.
- that way the knob-key never needs to be removed
- and yes , some oil in the locks gently worked into the action with the key helps alot
.
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The corrosion sucks but to prevent it from being hard to turn it is important to maintain the lock. Use graphite on it regularly and it will stay free. I too use the stove key and have no issues, provided I keep it lubed with graphite.
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I have a 2012 with 2K miles on it, and I noticed the white stuff in/on my gas cap keyhole last time I filled up for gas.....
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I replaced my gas cap with a threaded one...problem solved. :thumbs:
(http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa308/saleen308/Connnie14gascap.jpg)
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I replaced my gas cap with a threaded one...problem solved. :thumbs:
No need of a key to lock/unlock it???
Well, you turned your C14 into a Harley!
;D
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I replaced my gas cap with a threaded one...problem solved. :thumbs:
(http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa308/saleen308/Connnie14gascap.jpg)
That looks pretty nice, now get rid of that sticker man! ;)
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now get rid of that sticker man! ;)
+1...
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I apply a few drops of oil to the lock and than rotate the key several times to work the oil in. I than apply a nother drop or two. If you do this with the cap in position the excess oil will drop in to the gas tank(this will not cause any problems as its only a drop or two). I have not had any problems since. Please note that I usually depress the gas cap when turning the key to releive the pressure on the lock mechanisim. I hope this helps.
Fred
I like to work mine in and out simultaneously as I add oil and that usually creates plenty of lubrica.........................
Oh wait, you guys were talking about gasholes, not......................nevermind [whistling to my self as I back away slowly].
;D
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I like to work mine in and out simultaneously as I add oil and that usually creates plenty of lubrica.........................
Oh wait, you guys were talking about gasholes, not......................nevermind [whistling to my self as I back away slowly].
:o
Not that there's anything wrong with that (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj3VphK9AMk#)
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I like to work mine in and out simultaneously as I add oil and that usually creates plenty of lubrica.........................
Oh wait, you guys were talking about gasholes, not......................nevermind [whistling to my self as I back away slowly].
;D
:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
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The white corrosion is on mine too. It looks similar to the corrosion on the anodes (I think they're called) on the bottom of the boat motor. Looks like a dis-similar metal issue. I clean it with some light weight oil and also put a drop or two into the hole and work the key in and out a few times to free it up.
To keep the key working easily, I also open the cap and place a drop or two on the two locking cogs. Then I rotate the key a few times to work the oil into the mechanism. Do that about every month or two and you'll have no problems.
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(http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa308/saleen308/Connnie14gascap.jpg)
Where did you get this? Any mods or just an easy plug and play swap?
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Here you go Gumbi. http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=7741.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=7741.0)
I'm liking the one I got a lot.
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The white powder is aluminum trying to return to its natural state (an oxide). I deal with this alot on Navy/Marine Corps jets that see a much worse environment than a bike would. We use various corrosion prevention compounds (CPCs) and I'm sure one of the water-displacing oil-based ones would work great on a gascap.
One thing I do to prevent the cap freezing up is to not let the bike sit with a low fuel level. If it did there would be airspace that holds moisture against the locking tabs and begs them to weld themselves to the underside of the tank ring. Simple prevention and interval maintenance will fix it.
By the way, do the threaded caps allow the vent system to work properly?
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By the way, do the threaded caps allow the vent system to work properly?
Yes, it works fine ;D
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Can someone post a link to one or more of these keyless gashole covers.
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Can someone post a link to one or more of these keyless gashole covers.
This was a topic back in March...
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=7741.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=7741.0)
Mark
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This was a topic back in March...
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=7741.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=7741.0)
Mark
with posts like this folks might start employing the forum search tool (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/bigthumb.gif)
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Can someone post a link to one or more of these keyless gashole covers.
I have already mentioned two time (post #15 & #31) in this thread where you could find this information . ::)