Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: Jaxter on April 13, 2014, 06:42:46 PM
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My gear indicator has gotten sluggish. A few months ago I started to notice that when shifting into 6th gear (OD) that sometimes it would continue to display 5. Interesting, but not earth-shattering until Saturday morning it indicated 1st gear when it was really in 2nd gear and when I started to pull out into traffic it dogged down unexpectedly and it surprised me. My question to the massive brain trust out there is this...is there an adjustment to the linkage which will correct this?
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No adjustment but quite a few of us have had issues with the original gear position indicator. It is not all that robust and is likely malfunctioning. Mine was replaced under warranty quite a while ago, as were many others. If your bike is under warranty, I would suggest having a competent dealer take a look- the sender is probably bad. If the bike is not under warranty, you might want to consider a new sender (the neutral switch) along with the plungers and springs that go with it- I believe they are on a different fiche and really go with the main shift fork shaft.
Brian
My gear indicator has gotten sluggish. A few months ago I started to notice that when shifting into 6th gear (OD) that sometimes it would continue to display 5. Interesting, but not earth-shattering until Saturday morning it indicated 1st gear when it was really in 2nd gear and when I started to pull out into traffic it dogged down unexpectedly and it surprised me. My question to the massive brain trust out there is this...is there an adjustment to the linkage which will correct this?
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Mine is doing the same thing..
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Mine is doing the same thing..
Put a piece of tape over it....
Fixed it for ya!
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Put a piece of tape over it.... Fixed it for ya!
No, that is what you do to the high beam indicator (well, at least 90% of it) else it will blind you at night those times you need to use them.
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My 08 was doing something like that. I cleaned the contacts after removing it and it's been ok ever since.
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No adjustment but quite a few of us have had issues with the original gear position indicator. It is not all that robust and is likely malfunctioning. Mine was replaced under warranty quite a while ago, as were many others. If your bike is under warranty, I would suggest having a competent dealer take a look- the sender is probably bad. If the bike is not under warranty, you might want to consider a new sender (the neutral switch) along with the plungers and springs that go with it- I believe they are on a different fiche and really go with the main shift fork shaft.
Brian
Brian has hit the nail on the head here;).
I've had a couple of these apart on other Kawasaki's (ZX10R), and the C14's gear indicator mechanism is the same.
There are two spring loaded brass plungers in the left end of the shift drum, and the outer one, the one that moves along the individual gear contacts wears down and gets dull on the end. The contacts also get dirty, and the springs weaken with age/use. I've swapped the brass plungers...put the dull one in the center, and then the 'sharp' one in the outer socket, and it will make better contact. (Installing new springs and plungers will remove any doubt if you don't mind waiting for them to come in.)
However, 'adjusting' or replacing the plungers will do no good if the sender itself is actually bad. It has to be tested with a good digital multi-meter.
Testing and/or replacing the gear position sensor is a fairly involved job, so I wouldn't recommend it as a DIY task. If the bike is still under warranty, then you don't have to touch it at all;).
Cheers,
Rem 8)
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No, that is what you do to the high beam indicator (well, at least 90% of it) else it will blind you at night those times you need to use them.
Isn't that the truth. The thing is way too bright. :yikes:
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Isn't that the truth. The thing is way too bright. :yikes:
I mean, the time to use the high beams are when you are out in nowhere, with no street lights, and (of course) no oncoming traffic. It is very dark in such situations. And that super bright blue indicator is just BLINDING in those conditions. Maybe it is because my eyes are getting older, but I have trouble with bright vs. dark and adjustment time.
My ghetto solution is a piece of black electric tape covering 90% of the indicator. I keep saying one day I will find some nice black "cling" vinyl or something to make it look better... hasn't happened yet.
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I mean, the time to use the high beams are when you are out in nowhere, with no street lights, and (of course) no oncoming traffic. It is very dark in such situations. And that super bright blue indicator is just BLINDING in those conditions. Maybe it is because my eyes are getting older, but I have trouble with bright vs. dark and adjustment time.
My ghetto solution is a piece of black electric tape covering 90% of the indicator. I keep saying one day I will find some nice black "cling" vinyl or something to make it look better... hasn't happened yet.
yeap, it's like if somebody at Kawasaki HQ calculated the amount of extra light gained by engaging the high beams, and calibrated that blue led to blind you by the exact same amount. The end result is a net 0% gain in vision :banghead:
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Sounds like the guy that adjusted my headlights at the factory..
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Sorry to keep feeding the thread that's gone sideways.
I recently dismantled my cluster, took a black sharpee to the high beam LED and put it back together.
It's the perfect brightness now. Not blinding at all but still completely visible in day and night.
Back to the original topic.
:)
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Sorry to keep feeding the thread that's gone sideways.
I recently dismantled my cluster, took a black sharpee to the high beam LED and put it back together.
It's the perfect brightness now. Not blinding at all but still completely visible in day and night.
Back to the original topic.
:)
Is it difficult? I don't get along with electronic stuff...
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No it was pretty easy.
Here's the procedure from memory, and my memory isn't very good. :o)
Remove windshield. Remove panel behind windshield that gives access to speedometer bolts.
Remove 4? nuts and unhook one electrical connector. Lift out speedo.
Remove all the phillips screws on the back.
After that it just comes apart.
No serious work required.
Black sharpee works AWESOME!
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looks like even I could manage. Thanks.
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Just got bike with 10 miles and gear indicator bad. Seems dealer didn't really do prep right. Same thing though gear all over place OD comes on in any gear and others don't display at all sometimes. Now just waiting for parts.
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10 miles and the gear indicator is bad? What year bike? And what does prepping have to do with the gear indicator going bad? Are you saying that after you rode it out of the dealer it started messing up immediately? One would think that with 10 miles on the bike someone would have noticed that...
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Just got bike with 10 miles and gear indicator bad. Seems dealer didn't really do prep right. Same thing though gear all over place OD comes on in any gear and others don't display at all sometimes. Now just waiting for parts.
I would take it back and tell them to give me a bike without problems out of the crate.
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http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=5256.msg61128#msg61128 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=5256.msg61128#msg61128)
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Yes dealer prep should include test ride to make sure every thing working. Considering the price they charge for it. Unfortunately I picked up at closing time. By time I went back they were closed. And to make situation worse bike would not start next morning due to battery terminals not tightened and negative wire was reversed so they couldn't even properly install battery cover. To make story short they ordered new part and waiting for it to come it. It's a 2014.
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Are you saying the dealer sent the bike out the door with the battery cover that is behind the plastic missing? :o
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Yes dealer prep should include test ride to make sure every thing working. Considering the price they charge for it. Unfortunately I picked up at closing time. By time I went back they were closed. And to make situation worse bike would not start next morning due to battery terminals not tightened and negative wire was reversed so they couldn't even properly install battery cover. To make story short they ordered new part and waiting for it to come it. It's a 2014.
And the sad part is the dealer charges hundreds of dollars for this "setup" they do incorrectly. Add to the typical list the headlights pointed straight in the ground and the tires horribly under or over-inflated. Oh, and often one of the "keys" (fobs) missing (usually the passive one). Lots of such dealer stories here over the years...
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They prolly stripprd the bolt holes on the cover mounting also.... very common, and shoddy workmanship...
Reversed calbles... seen that before also....
You need a rebate for the prep money you paid them... and also the owner of the dealership needs a rundown firsthand pointing this crap out to him...
Please post up here the dealer location, name and their contact info....so we can put him on the wall of shame....
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More on Hi beam indicator... Those who may remember stereo equipment 35-40 years ago, will remember that it seemed that most switches and buttons had bright RED LED's that indicated when those controls were being used. Really messed with listening to tunes in total darkness. It's a trip, especially lying on the floor, between the speakers. Anyway, I recommended to my customers that the LED's be covered with black round adhesive Dots.
The same can be done for the 14. Dots are available at office Depot or Max stores today.
Simply place a dot on the instrument panel clear cover at your riding line of sight. It will cover the direct brightness, but will shine around the dot, from the reflection off the clear cover. 1/4 -1" sizes will change how much reflected light you will see when riding. Electricians tape does work, but the 14 deserves something more befitting of its high level of quality. ;D ;D
For you young ones who have never experienced listening as we did back then, turn out all the lights, lie on the floor, and play this album as loud as you can, and enjoy the experience... The vinyl album is much better than this, but it will have to do for now... Best Prog rock album of all time, period. . . FWIW, I had what would be equivalent to around $50k today, in audio equipment then, too.
http://www.wat.tv/audio/album-king-crimson-in-the-f6ji_2g6bl_.html (http://www.wat.tv/audio/album-king-crimson-in-the-f6ji_2g6bl_.html)
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Put a piece of tape over it....
Fixed it for ya!
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/lol8.gif)
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Still waiting on Dealer to get parts in to fix gear indicator. Does it usually take better than three weeks for parts. Just put FXR in Tuesday to replace fork seals (under warranty) and they called little while ago to say bikes ready. As far as Battery cover since neg wire was reversed seems like they just set cover on top of battery. Larger bracket on end wouldn't let cover snap down. Very happy with speed Harley dealers here repair bikes....ok they have lot of practice I guess. Always seem to find warranty work on my metric bikes turns into month long ordeal though. Is it just my luck or others have same issues?
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Still waiting on Dealer to get parts in to fix gear indicator. Does it usually take better than three weeks for parts.
Is it just my luck or others have same issues?
No, it shouldn't take 3 weeks, but anything is possible. The gear indicator mechanism has a very low failure rate, so they may have had to wait for one to come from Japan, but I doubt it. I've ordered a lot of Kawasaki parts over the years, and they seem to be very hit and miss...some stuff is in-stock at the warehouse, and some items are not. I've had back order dates change on me before...multiple times.
These bikes are very very reliable, and I think that most dealers work on them so infrequently, that when they DO have a problem, it's like learning the alphabet all over again...at least for some dealers...lol.
Rem
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Well bike in shop for fix. Parts had been in for while but guess was overlooked. Said may be few days. Followed advice on here and removed sensor and two contacts and springs and cleaned it. Helped some but still erratic at times and fourth gear bounced between 3 and 5 on indicator.