Kawasaki Concours Forum

The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: Durandal on June 04, 2011, 09:17:05 AM

Title: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: Durandal on June 04, 2011, 09:17:05 AM
Before anyone tells me to RTFM, rest assured I did; cover to cover.  I just want to make sure I'm reading the maintenance chart correctly.  The one for my old bike was much easier to read. 

Do I read it correctly that the oil & filter interval is 7500 miles?  I assume there are some guys here that do it sooner than that?

Title: Re: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: Gsun on June 04, 2011, 09:42:10 AM
Periodic maintenance chart 2-5 in the manual. That is the C-14 manual. It varies. The longest is 7500 KM not miles. Most change it more often. I aim for 5000 KM. - about 3500 miles at the most. Pretty dirty by then.
Title: Re: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: VirginiaJim on June 04, 2011, 11:34:41 AM
My 08 manual specifies 7500 miles or 12000 kilometers.  Is it different in Canada?  I change mine every 5000 miles.  Note the manual has it specified (7.5).  The legend on the top has the following:

x 1000 km
(x 1000 mile)

Hence the 7500 mile change interval...  Numbers in parenthesis are in miles x 1000

If everything were in miles it would be less confusing.
Title: Re: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: Gsun on June 04, 2011, 12:22:29 PM
Actually you are correct! 7500 miles. Seems like a lot.
Title: Re: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: B.D.F. on June 04, 2011, 01:04:26 PM
Yes, 7,500 miles for basic service intervals including oil and oil filter changes.

The manual gets a lot more confusing once you look at things like valve lash check intervals because the recommended intervals are different depending on what countries you are in. The bikes sold in the US and Canada require valve lash checks every 15,000 miles. But the bikes sold everywhere else in the world only require the same check every 26,000 miles. Now here comes the good part: the valve trains between the two bikes are identical. We have been debating about this for years and we still don't know for certain why there is that difference.

Brian


Before anyone tells me to RTFM, rest assured I did; cover to cover.  I just want to make sure I'm reading the maintenance chart correctly.  The one for my old bike was much easier to read. 

Do I read it correctly that the oil & filter interval is 7500 miles?  I assume there are some guys here that do it sooner than that?
Title: Re: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: Pokey on June 04, 2011, 01:09:10 PM
I do oil every 3500/4500 miles and will not check my valves till 20,000
Title: Re: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: S.Ga.Rider on June 04, 2011, 01:18:39 PM
I try for somewhere between 4-5k miles.
Title: Re: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: Corpssgt on June 04, 2011, 02:21:47 PM
Every 5K it doesn't require much math at all to figure out when to change it.  Of course it had 4 changes before the first 5K miles but after that its been every 5K. 
Title: Re: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: VirginiaJim on June 04, 2011, 08:09:08 PM
I do oil every 3500/4500 miles and will not check my valves till 20,000

Don't ride your bike much, do you....  ;)   You're such a risk taker!
Title: Re: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: Pokey on June 04, 2011, 09:21:58 PM
Don't ride your bike much, do you....  ;)   You're such a risk taker!

Dont forget that I have 2 bikes to ride. :P
Title: Re: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: VirginiaJim on June 04, 2011, 11:01:29 PM
Dont forget that I have 2 bikes to ride. :P

Ok, ok, you need to ride the C14 more..
Title: Re: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: So Cal Joe on June 05, 2011, 07:10:30 AM
I change the oil & filter every 3,000 miles, old habits are hard to change. I know it's a waste and should probably stretch it out to 5,000 miles, that's still more often than required by the book.
Title: Re: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: Sea Level on June 06, 2011, 07:21:52 PM
The maintenance chart in the Owners Manual is the most confusing, perplexing and obscure piece of documentation I have ever seen. I pick it up whenever I can't sleep and the next thing I know, it's morning and I see nothing but dots in front of my eyes.
Title: Re: Stupid newb question re: service interval
Post by: VirginiaJim on June 07, 2011, 04:11:15 AM
You must have excellent eye sight to see those pixels in the manual..