Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: mikeeitup on August 19, 2014, 05:22:24 PM
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Hey guys. I noticed my bike was smoking a few days ago on start up if I let it idle for about a minute. It was coming from the radiator area but smelled like oil. I took my side panels off and noticed right off that my coolant levels are not changed and that the lines seem to be perfect. I did notice that all behind the headers were dirty and covered with what looks like oil and dirt. I started up up and it was smokin pretty bad from that area but I can't locate where from. I am kinda new to this so I'm not 100% sure where I'm lookin. It looks like it is coming from the headers (probably from dripping on it). There are other threads about this but I figured I would post and see if there is any new input. Thanks! Ask me anything if you need more information to help me out.
Mike :-\
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The common oil leaks I know of are the valve cover gasket and the cam sensor o-ring.
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Thanks! Yeah I took 'er apart and am overwhelmed. Gonna have my techie buddy help out. Hey I like your tag line. "...slowly...inexorably...sliding into the loving embrace of big brother" Holds true.
Mike
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Most likely the cam sensor o ring.
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Cam 'O' ring and some C10 valve cover caps and seals will fix the valve cover.
Read this thread:
http://forum.cog-online.org/index.php/topic,52884.msg381297.html#msg381297 (http://forum.cog-online.org/index.php/topic,52884.msg381297.html#msg381297)
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Talk to Man Of Blues for a slightly larger O-ring replacement for the cam sensor.
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=16507.msg203130#msg203130 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=16507.msg203130#msg203130)
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I figured mine was from the Cam Sensor O-Ring, but the dealer did the tear-apart and found it was the valve cover seal. I don't know why it would start leaking after only 18k miles on it and never being touched, but what do I know? I had asked them to take pictures to show what the leak was but the tech that did the tear-down got in early and was done with that before anyone got in and asked him to document it.
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I figured mine was from the Cam Sensor O-Ring, but the dealer did the tear-apart and found it was the valve cover seal. I don't know why it would start leaking after only 18k miles on it and never being touched, but what do I know? I had asked them to take pictures to show what the leak was but the tech that did the tear-down got in early and was done with that before anyone got in and asked him to document it.
How much did that run ya? I had a look with a buddy and can't even convince him to help (diesel mechanic). He says it hella crowded under there. Workin 6 days a week and have very little garage space so I am kinda forced to pay someone to do it for me. Thanks.
Mike
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Wouldn't that be covered under warranty?
Might as well check the valve clearances while you are in there.
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Wouldn't that be covered under warranty?
Might as well check the valve clearances while you are in there.
:thumbs:
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It cost me $773 to have it done. See this post and a few after it:
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=15195.msg187901#msg187901 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=15195.msg187901#msg187901)
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HALP?
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HALP?
http://youtu.be/PTgvFdx8wxo (http://youtu.be/PTgvFdx8wxo)
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Yeah Halp=help. Just a dumb way of saying it. I took it to my guy. He is VERY fair with price so it wont cost me 700+ bucks but I can't imagine it being too cheap either. HEY may I have suggestions as to what else I should ask him to do while it's apart? simple mods? Maintenance.... yaddah yaddah
Mike
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Yeah Halp=help. Just a dumb way of saying it. I took it to my guy. He is VERY fair with price so it wont cost me 700+ bucks but I can't imagine it being too cheap either. HEY may I have suggestions as to what else I should ask him to do while it's apart? simple mods? Maintenance.... yaddah yaddah
Mike
Before you have someone rip all the stuff out to replace a gasket, get the mess cleaned up and determine if it is the gasket or the camsensor o ring, that is a quick and simple job comparably, and it does goober the area up with oil just like a cover gasket...if the valve cover has not ever been removed, it IS more likely to be that o ring, I've sent out hundreds of them.
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Before you have someone rip all the stuff out to replace a gasket, get the mess cleaned up and determine if it is the gasket or the camsensor o ring, that is a quick and simple job comparably, and it does goober the area up with oil just like a cover gasket...if the valve cover has not ever been removed, it IS more likely to be that o ring, I've sent out hundreds of them.
And that's why I specifically asked them to take pictures when they did mine since the valve cover had never been removed. But alas, they didn't and I paid almost $800.
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This topic about the valve cover/cam position sensor oil leak is a topic that is too common for it to not have been solved by Kawasaki a long time ago. Its the reason why I will never buy another Kawasaki.
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This topic about the valve cover/cam position sensor oil leak is a topic that is too common for it to not have been solved by Kawasaki a long time ago. Its the reason why I will never buy another Kawasaki.
I hear what you are saying but relative to other bikes I've had it's been pretty reliable. Yes, after 50,000 miles I have the oil leak and plan to tackle that this winter. On my 97 Honda Valkyrie I have read that it is one of the most reliable bikes on the planet but at 50,000 miles the clutch went out. It was the rivets on the damper plate that worked out and turns out to be VERY common on that bike. At 70,000 the spline on the drive shaft wore out as well as the bucket. Turns out to be very common on that bike. On my 2001 Suzuki DR650 at about 5,000 mile the cylinder base started leaking. Suzuki made that bike for years and years before fixing it in 2003, until then EVERY Suzuki DR650 ever made before 2003 WILL leak at the cylinder base between 5000 and 10000 miles. Have I been unlucky? Or is that just the way it is?
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Might be a bmw in your future? ::)
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Might be a bmw in your future? ::)
:goodpost:
(http://www.bmwmotorcycleclubcape.co.za/sites/bmwmotorcycleclubcape.co.za/files/images/shaftfire.jpg)
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And that's why I specifically asked them to take pictures when they did mine since the valve cover had never been removed. But alas, they didn't and I paid almost $800.
understood, my direction on that was to the O/P.
This topic about the valve cover/cam position sensor oil leak is a topic that is too common for it to not have been solved by Kawasaki a long time ago. Its the reason why I will never buy another Kawasaki.
WELL...WHY DON'T YOU CALL KAWASAKI UP AND COMPLAIN TO THEM, AND THREATEN THEM ABOUT NOT BUYING ANOTHER OF THIER BIKES....
::) ::) ::) ::)
:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :deadhorse: :thumbs: :hail: :hail:
heheheh, I'll tell you that i have contacted them 2 different times, thru various internal contacts I had when I was Tech Editor, explaining this issue, and giving them the rquired o-ring data... no followup on thier part has taken place.....YET.
but hey, when I badgered them way back in 07/08 about other issues, they DID commit to recalls.
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:goodpost:
(http://www.bmwmotorcycleclubcape.co.za/sites/bmwmotorcycleclubcape.co.za/files/images/shaftfire.jpg)
Damn is that mess still burning?
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Damn is that mess still burning?
Yessir, it sure is. The good news is that the valve cover gasket hadn't leaked a drop. :o
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Yessir, it sure is. The good news is that the valve cover gasket hadn't leaked a drop. :o
:rotflmao:
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:rotflmao:
Hey Gary, I tell it like it is and people hate me for it...lol.
These "problematic" Kawasaki's always make the other brands look so darn reliable.
Rem :o
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Hate is such an ugly word. :)
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Ah, this reminds me of the Soviet method of damage control: cover up a disaster with a catastrophe. The Soviet economy was a shambles by the mid- 80's.... but then Chernobyl happened and no one was concerned with the economy anymore. :o
BMW appears to have noticed this- we (non- BMW owners) used to be wary of the final drive. But now that BMW has produced a bike that the rear suspension shears off of.....well, that flaming final drive is startin' to look kinda' good. :'(
I do agree that probably Kawasaki should have tweaked the valve cover sealing problem by now but on a scale of all things, that is not such a bad problem to have. And even when they do leak, they do not leak badly (almost never leave drips on the ground). Mine has leaked three times and I have stopped the leak three times. And it is leaking again. I am working on a possible solution to this problem on the next major maintenance cycle which will happen this winter.
Brian
:goodpost:
(http://www.bmwmotorcycleclubcape.co.za/sites/bmwmotorcycleclubcape.co.za/files/images/shaftfire.jpg)
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Agreed- and I personally do not measure the 'goodness' of a motorcycle by the occasional repair. My bike has 100K miles on it, I have had numerous failures occur, all corrected promptly and correctly under warranty (final drive leak (hold the flames), gear position indicator failure, melted gauge needles and a bunch of things I cannot remember). But I LOVE riding this bike!
I believe the most reliable motorcycle made today, especially for high mileage use, is a GoldWing (a Hondapotomus). I have the greatest respect for the company and that model. I test rode one and it was magnificent and did every single thing I expected of it and did each one very well. But riding it just did not 'do it' for me. Meh. So the fact that I might get a bike and put 75K miles on it without anything breaking would pale to something like a C-14 which has required more repair perhaps but I absolutely prefer to ride.
Brian
Hey Gary, I tell it like it is and people hate me for it...lol.
These "problematic" Kawasaki's always make the other brands look so darn reliable.
Rem :o
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Agreed- and I personally do not measure the 'goodness' of a motorcycle by the occasional repair. My bike has 100K miles on it, I have had numerous failures occur, all corrected promptly and correctly under warranty (final drive leak (hold the flames), gear position indicator failure, melted gauge needles and a bunch of things I cannot remember). But I LOVE riding this bike!
I believe the most reliable motorcycle made today, especially for high mileage use, is a GoldWing (a Hondapotomus). I have the greatest respect for the company and that model. I test rode one and it was magnificent and did every single thing I expected of it and did each one very well. But riding it just did not 'do it' for me. Meh. So the fact that I might get a bike and put 75K miles on it without anything breaking would pale to something like a C-14 which has required more repair perhaps but I absolutely prefer to ride.
Brian
Well said! :thumbs:
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understood, my direction on that was to the O/P.
Yeah, I know, I was basically reiterating the point for ya!
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Haha thanke for the input guys. I love this bike and I realize that it's got some flaws. I had a Ninja 250, a vtx 1300. Rode my friends Buell XB9S, Road King, Ninja 650, shadow 750, gsxr1000, Duke 1198 and outta all of them this bike has my heart. So well rounded! I have a friend that charges next to nothing to work on my bike so paying him to have this done really does not bother me. I'd MUCH rather have this problem over what my Buell buddy is currently having. (Gold colored oil change last week. He's been crying into his pillow).
Mike
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Where's Steve when you need him? This thread delivers! :finger_fing11:
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I think he is working on a pair of cars. Want me to say it for him....?
KiPass Rocks!
There ya' go.
Brian
Where's Steve when you need him? This thread delivers! :finger_fing11: