Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: SapperLdr on November 04, 2017, 09:43:43 PM
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I carry my fob in the same pocket as my cel phone. Lately if the phone is between the fob and bike, the bike will not recognize the fob as present. Has anyone else had this happen?
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No, because I would never carry my phone in my pants pocket :)
But what you describe is perfectly normal. A phone is not only a dense blocker of RF but also a generator of interference too.
Solution- move the key to your zipped jacket pocket (like I do), or at least other side of your body.
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I'm with maxtog here. While I have not had this happen myself, it's entirely plausible that there is interference from the cell phone and it is causing the KiPass system to malfunction. Try changing your carrying arrangement and I think the problem will go away.
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At several different hotels my cell phone has caused my hotel room key to not work when I had them both in the same pocket. I've finally learned ???
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Took me awhile to figure that one out. Always blamed the clerk.
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Lots of RFI out there.
I have been using my Sena and phone lately and noticed it would simply drop [LOCALLY STORED] music playback for a second every time I went inside or came outside of the [HRBT] tunnel. Then I realized why- they have strong, directional antennas at each end blasting a barrage of cell frequencies, FM radio, and who-know-what-else into the tunnels! It just overwhelms the blutooth connection for a moment.
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I didn't notice any RF problems from my FOBS until I installed HID lighting. I used to be able to keep them pretty much anywhere on the bike, including in the luggage. Now I have to be a little more careful where I keep them. Even if it's in a front pocket, sometimes I have to reposition it a bit to get rid of the warning.
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The HID igniters/transformers and the arc lighting bulbs both create a lot of RFI. Fortunately, LED is taking over and eliminates both :)
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At several different hotels my cell phone has caused my hotel room key to not work when I had them both in the same pocket. I've finally learned ???
LESSON LEARNED WELL...
Back in '07 when I bought my C14, and attended the COG National Rally at Canaan Valley W.Va., the hotel had just retrofitted all the door locks on our building with "key cards"... and were on a learning curve..
I carried my cellphone in my shirt pocket most of the time, and never thought about it affecting a card key... which when they handed it to me, I promptly put in my shirt pocket... on the way to the room, I grabbed my bags off the bike and went to the door, and tried a dozen times to open the door.. no go...no joy... card was fouled..
went back to counter lady and told her card was "bad"... and THEN she asked if it was placed near my cellphone... as they had problems with this.. I said "I don't think so..(I lied), why?" Oh, we have problems...just keep the card away from cell phones... they should have told you that.... I responded with "well, I guess they SHOULD have.. but nobody said a thing..."
wiser, I returned, opened the door, and all was good..
I carry a FOB in my pants pocket, and never thought about it.. and it never affected the card going back and forth for 3 days; until I went out to the bike, and put my bags on, and while there, started the bike for another COG'r as he had never seen the new bike yet.. most people didn't at that time.. and after talking, and kicking tires, and having a cig, another person wanted to see the bike running.. which I did for him, then after this, returned to my room to grab my gear for a ride... and No Joy on the cardkey... tried a couple times... and had to return to the desk, again, for my third cardkey... dammit... the lady gave me the riot act over it, and I pulled my cellphone out of my shirt pocket, and my cardkey out of my pants pocket.. (same pocket with my FOB), right in front of her, and said "no way..."
new key in hand, returned to my room, and before I could get my gear on the service guys showed up to replace the door lock... which caused me to stand around for a half hour with my room open, before I could go ride, after getting yet another new cardkey for the doorlock which was changed out... ::)
I still love my Kipass system... cardkey door locks at hotels, not so much. >:(
I'm pretty sure, as I found, the FOB won't ruin the cardkey unless you walk up to the bike, and turn it on...
just carrying it around 3 days was fine until I got into range for the thing to PING.
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Yes, we have heard of that before. A few things that emit RF interfere with the KiPass fob and a cell phone can be one of them. If you separate them and the problem goes away, that probably was the cause.
Also KiPass can and has failed to work (on the RF side only, it always works in RFID mode, it is just the radio link that is being interfered with, not KiPass itself) when the bike is parked next so some Mobil gas pumps due to their 'Speed pass' RF system. The two radio signals 'step on' each other and one or both is garbled to the point where one or both will not function. Just like a distant radio station gets garbled and mashed by closer radio wave sources on nearby, but different, channels. The 'fix' is to either push the bike a few feet away from the pump or use the fob in the RFID mode, where you hold it against the lug on the ignition switch housing.
All RF is subject to this type of interference. But overall, KiPass has proven to be quite robust and rugged, save one minor flaw as Kawasaki implemented it. Some people like it, some people hate it and I think most people are firmly in the 'meh' category but in 10 years of use now, I have not heard of any KiPass failures, other than the two mentioned (RF interference and a stuck activation switch) on any C-14.
Brian
I carry my fob in the same pocket as my cel phone. Lately if the phone is between the fob and bike, the bike will not recognize the fob as present. Has anyone else had this happen?
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A bunch of us in the northeast were at a local rally, in NY I think (but do not remember), and Capt. Bob was there with his C-14, his fob and his well- known views of KiPass. Anyway, we all got room card- keys and it turns out Bob's does not work. He goes back to the front desk, gets another card and.... nope, that one does not work either. Finally hotel personnel go up to his room, fiddle around with the lock for quite some time and end up calling maintenance and THEY HAD TO TAKE THE DOOR OFF OF THE HINGES!!!!. Broken lockset on the door handle of his room.
Later that day, a bunch of us are in the hot- tub at the hotel, along comes Capt. Bob, jumps in the tub and the jets immediately die. Too freakin' funny.
So I ask, is Capt. Bob really having trouble with KiPass or are all the electrons having trouble with Capt. Bob? :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
This is 100% true, and a LOT of people watched it happen, which makes it even better 'cause just one person telling the story and everyone would be skeptical....
Brian
LESSON LEARNED WELL...
Back in '07 when I bought my C14, and attended the COG National Rally at Canaan Valley W.Va., the hotel had just retrofitted all the door locks on our building with "key cards"... and were on a learning curve..
I carried my cellphone in my shirt pocket most of the time, and never thought about it affecting a card key... which when they handed it to me, I promptly put in my shirt pocket... on the way to the room, I grabbed my bags off the bike and went to the door, and tried a dozen times to open the door.. no go...no joy... card was fouled..
<snip>
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He's had issues with all sorts of electronics..
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Yes, but breaking "The Hotel" was a new high on his list.
:rotflmao: :rotflmao:
Brian
He's had issues with all sorts of electronics..
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I don't think I would be on an airplane with him...nothing personal but the guy is bad juju when it comes to electrons.
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I don't think I would be on an airplane with him...nothing personal but the guy is bad juju when it comes to electrons.
Can't you put him in Flight Mode ;)
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Do not know but he can get into Fight mode for certain. :rotflmao:
Bob can be.... passionate. That is why I nick- named him Capt. Bob, after Capt. Queeg, who was also, er, 'passionate', especially about his strawberries. Capt. Bob was similarly passionate about KiPass but he had a far more developed case of it.... ;) ;D
Brian
Can't you put him in Flight Mode ;)
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Its mutiny!!!
Do not know but he can get into Fight mode for certain. :rotflmao:
Bob can be.... passionate. That is why I nick- named him Capt. Bob, after Capt. Queeg, who was also, er, 'passionate', especially about his strawberries. Capt. Bob was similarly passionate about KiPass but he had a far more developed case of it.... ;) ;D
Brian
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It really was: to teach Kawasaki a lesson, he traded his C-14 on a Fudger (FJR) and got a vanity license plate that said KIPAST. ;D Oh yeah, that boy was on a mission. Still is a little bit.
I led a group ride back in '10 I think it was, not too long after Bob got that Fudger, and it was a pretty nice bike and ran pretty well but then I found out and showed him what was allowing it to run.....
(https://i.imgur.com/bsvnfSX.jpg)
Brian
Its mutiny!!!
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It really was: to teach Kawasaki a lesson, he traded his C-14 on a Fudger (FJR) and got a vanity license plate that said KIPAST. ;D Oh yeah, that boy was on a mission. Still is a little bit.
I led a group ride back in '10 I think it was, not too long after Bob got that Fudger, and it was a pretty nice bike and ran pretty well but then I found out and showed him what was allowing it to run.....
(https://i.imgur.com/bsvnfSX.jpg)
Brian
I don’t care who you are. That’s funny s*** right there!!!! :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
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Now see, you would think so- everybody would find that funny. Surprisingly enough though, not Bob. He did not find it funny at all. There were probably 20 people there and 19 found it funny, ranging from mildly amusing to bent over, trying not to have a gastrointestinal accident with our eyes watering. What really made it funny was waiting for Bob to see the fob, which took a couple of seconds: black fob on black plastic does not really stand out.
For its size, weight and cost, I think KiPass has provided the most amusement, hatred, chuckles and frustration of any device known to man. Back in the early days, it was THE topic regarding a C-14. Now it has faded into kind of a shrugged shoulder, yep, there it is kind of thing.
Brian
I don’t care who you are. That’s funny s*** right there!!!! :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
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The C14 was absolutely the wrong bike for Bob, especially in light of his aura for electronics. I like Bob quite a bit. I've rode with him here in Va. But my oh my did he stir things up a bit.