Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: B.D.F. on July 15, 2011, 05:01:22 PM
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Let me start off by saying "YIKES". This post went a lot further wrong than I had thought it might. Now I know the Master Baiter reference was a bit much, perhaps something in the 'R' group while I try to stay in the 'PG' group or even a bit cleaner than that. And I know some people live in a 'G' world and find PG to be offensive. So.... I apologize for the 'baiter' statement aimed at Clyde as it offended him. Now what I am apologizing for is offending you Clyde, not actually using those words as I found them funny as..... well, heck. But I also know that some others are less tolerant of colorful language and it really isn't anyone's job to offend others even if it is because their sensibilities are a little different than mine are. So I apologize for pushing the idea on you and retract those offensive words.
It seems others thought I was offended by what had happened previously and was lashing out at Bob and Clyde. Not so, I was being 10% sarcastic and 140% humourous. As a friend of mine once said as I was shutting off his kill switch while we were stopped at a stoplight. He understood immediately, looked at me and said 'I know, you slay you.' And that was absolutely true- I am having a good time all by myself and others are welcome to enjoy my razor sharp wit although the prime purpose is to amuse myself first.
This whole thread was started with humor as its intent. Of course the Clyde reference about being a "good" baiter was a bit over the top but again, I thought it was hilariousl Referring to the other guy as KiPassZilla also struck me as comical. OK, maybe not so much although it still makes me smile.
I started a new thread because I wanted to know the answer and the other thread was destroyed by KiPaZilla (like Godzilla but not as refined) and his friend baiting him with ('here kitty, kitty' fame).
So to marku8a, does the bike run now? Did you get to the bottom of the problem (as opposed to the problem of the bottom)? Inquiring minds want to know!
And if Jim finds this whole thread offensive, at least I am in before the lock....
:-\
I guess Jim didn't find anything offensive though. ???
And I really do want to know how the original poster's problem works out.
Brian <take 2>, heavily modified this post after receiving serious concerns from some of those involved.
Brian
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No one likes a smart***, Brian. However, in your case, I'll make an exception. Perfectly fine to do what you're doing. I sent a PM to him to let us know what happened and in which case I would unlock it. However, this works just as well. Thanks.
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Well, I'd really like to know what caused his problem. I mean the humor is good and all but I have a vested interest in the operation of a C-14 and like to know as much as is possible about the vehicle so I know what part(s) to kick when I am stuck on the side of the road at night.... in the rain.
One thing the Feejer folks have going for them is an excellent base of knowledge about that bike and its quirks. We were on our way to having the same thing but the database (the old forum) took a big hit this last spring. So I really do want to know what causes any mishaps with the bike as well as any weak spots it may have.
I think the C-14 is a very capable platform and has had a very good to excellent track record in the four years it has been in the marketplace. A solid bank of knowledge would go a long way to supporting the bike in the future.
Brian
No one likes a smart***, Brian. However, in your case, I'll make an exception. Perfectly fine to do what you're doing. I sent a PM to him to let us know what happened and in which case I would unlock it. However, this works just as well. Thanks.
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Not trying to **** in anyones cornflakes here Brian but not knowing your relationship with CB as an outsider looking in reading both your posts and his it seems there is a certain animosity between you and CB regardless of thread subject...I know probably none of my business but both of you post good info... so I would hate it if either of you left...
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Not sure why you would think either of us is leaving but Cap'n Bob is a friend of mine 'in the flesh' as it were- we know each other and see each other quite a few times a year. In fact it was me that gave him that name (I named him after Cap'n Queeg; they are both a little 'off'). We really do differ on the <k-word> but it is not a personal rivalry.
I can understand how onlookers would get that impression but trust me, we actually socialize. With our respective families in fact; I know Mrs. Cap'n Bob and junior miss Cap'n Bob and they are all fine people. In fact Mrs. Cap’n Bob seems to have swayed Mrs. BDF into attending the fall COG rally; we didn't plan on going but I think we are going to attend now. Poke around and you will find pictures of us together- I am the one holding my fob while Cap’n Bob is ‘as fob free as a boy can be’.
Brian
Not trying to **** in anyones cornflakes here Brian but not knowing your relationship with CB as an outsider looking in reading both your posts and his it seems there is a certain animosity between you and CB regardless of thread subject...I know probably none of my business but both of you post good info... so I would hate it if either of you left...
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All is good...
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Like sands through the hour glass... :popcorn: :'(
:grouphug: ;)
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Now that everyone has kissed and made up, or whatever . . . we still don't know why the OP's bike refused to start and what the fix is/was?
Where is he?
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He's around. Not fixed yet. He knows where to post when he finds out what was wrong with it.
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Yeah, I didn't think it was all that funny either.
Kirby
Let me start off by saying "YIKES". This post went a lot further wrong than I had thought it might.
<snip>
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It's Mark, the Original Poster (OP) of "...no fire...". Looks like I missed out on some excitement!
Work has me very busy and I will not be able to get to the bike until next week. It's going to the dealer for repair. I will let you know the problem and fix is when I find out.
Now behave yourselves!
Mark
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b.d.f.
Tis true that some people are thin skinned and cant take a little humor.... Some of us are sharp witted and it comes off as being a smart butt.
I left the other forum because of lack of follow up from some that thought they were more higher up than everyone else.
:yikes:
I see at least one of them is here but maybe he will behave better now. Thank God there is this forum to go with a much friendlier croud.
Let's keep the connies rolling :chugbeer:
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Yeah, now that I think about it, this whole thing is really your fault. ::)
Best of luck at the dealer.
Brian
It's Mark, the Original Poster (OP) of "...no fire...". Looks like I missed out on some excitement!
Work has me very busy and I will not be able to get to the bike until next week. It's going to the dealer for repair. I will let you know the problem and fix is when I find out.
Now behave yourselves!
Mark
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...Poke around and you will find pictures of us together- I am the one holding my fob while Cap’n Bob is ‘as fob free as a boy can be’.
Brian
:o
Brian, shame on you. Holding your FOB in public and taking pictures... tsk, tsk, tsk... ;D
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:o
Brian, shame on you. Holding your FOB in public and taking pictures... tsk, tsk, tsk... ;D
Yeah, but it's small and easy to miss . . . but you never, never, never want to lose it!
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Gee Mom, everybody else was doing it too..... :-[
;D
Brian
:o
Brian, shame on you. Holding your FOB in public and taking pictures... tsk, tsk, tsk... ;D
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Went to the dealer today. Initial diagnosis is a bad fuel pump. I guess I wasn’t listening for the right noise.
I added the RV/motorcycle option to my AAA. The flatbed was at my driveway 20 minutes after calling. With the bike on the truck we were looking at the best way to tie it down. Then it hit me that I had the right gadget in my garage all along. I used it to trailer my sportbike but haven't used it in quite awhile. It’s a product from a company called Canyon Dancer. The link…
http://www.canyondancer.com/Products.aspx (http://www.canyondancer.com/Products.aspx)
This really did the trick. With this and a couple of normal tiedowns the bike is very secure.
Back to you when I get the bike back.
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Well if it is a bad fuel pump that is not so bad- they are fairly easy and quick to change. I assume the bike is still under warranty....?
Thanks for letting us know how this is going. Best of luck getting the bike squared away and back on the road.
As an aside, you might catch some flak for mentioning Canyon Dancer and C-14 in the same sentence. There has been talk around the old forum that the bars on a C-14 are not strong enough to use a Canyon Dancer. The one time I had my C-14 towed (overloaded and popped a main fuse- my fault) the flatbed driver tied the bike down with a Canyon Dancer because that was all the choices he had to anchor a bike in the truck. He pulled down on the front end hard enough to collapse the suspension about 1/2 way and the handlebars (handlebar stanchions actually) survived the tow as well as a bunch of riding miles since. I really don't know if stressing the bars on a C-14 like that is a bad idea or not, just saying that it is 'bad juju' around some forums.... like removing the ignition key (removing the key is fine, talking about removing the key is bad in some circles though).
Brian
Went to the dealer today. Initial diagnosis is a bad fuel pump. I guess I wasn’t listening for the right noise.
I added the RV/motorcycle option to my AAA. The flatbed was at my driveway 20 minutes after calling. With the bike on the truck we were looking at the best way to tie it down. Then it hit me that I had the right gadget in my garage all along. I used it to trailer my sportbike but haven't used it in quite awhile. It’s a product from a company called Canyon Dancer. The link…
http://www.canyondancer.com/Products.aspx (http://www.canyondancer.com/Products.aspx)
This really did the trick. With this and a couple of normal tiedowns the bike is very secure.
Back to you when I get the bike back.
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I assume the bike is still under warranty....?
As an aside, you might catch some flak for mentioning Canyon Dancer and C-14 in the same sentence. There has been talk around the old forum that the bars on a C-14 are not strong enough to use a Canyon Dancer.
Brian
Yep, still under warranty. I bought it new in April.
Thanks for the heads-up on the Canyon Dancer. I had no idea. The tow driver cinched it up very tight, collapsing the forks to within 1/4 of the ziptie that I installed to measure maximum travel (and sag). It survived the 12 mile trip to the shop. Mostly freeway but some bumpy roads. Did I get lucky?
Mark
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I was actually poking a bit of fun at the possibility of a 'forum uprising' rather than pointing out a real problem. I really do not know if a Canyon Dancer is a problem on bikes with cast aluminum handlebars like the C-14 but I kind of doubt it. The big difference with the al. bars is that they will not deform or bend nearly as far as steel tubing bars will, they will simply crack and fail outright. That is an upside as well though because you would notice this immediately and HAVE to replace them whereas in the olden' days, many bikes had slightly 'tweaked' handlebars.
I would not worry about it. It is not the best way to tie <any> bike down but I think it will do. Canyon Dancers are handy and most every flatbed has a set (or more) on board for motorcycles because they are pretty universal and will work on all bikes. It is hard to grab onto some faired bikes, and the C-14 is no exception as straps have to be run up under the fairing to the lower triple clamp. My suggestion would be to not compress the front end beyond 1/2 to 2/3 of the travel both but more to leave the bike with some suspension travel to absorb road shock than to take it easy on the handlebars.
Brian
Yep, still under warranty. I bought it new in April.
Thanks for the heads-up on the Canyon Dancer. I had no idea. The tow driver cinched it up very tight, collapsing the forks to within 1/4 of the ziptie that I installed to measure maximum travel (and sag). It survived the 12 mile trip to the shop. Mostly freeway but some bumpy roads. Did I get lucky?
Mark
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I would not worry about it. It is not the best way to tie <any> bike down but I think it will do. Canyon Dancers are handy and most every flatbed has a set (or more) on board for motorcycles because they are pretty universal and will work on all bikes. It is hard to grab onto some faired bikes, and the C-14 is no exception as straps have to be run up under the fairing to the lower triple clamp. My suggestion would be to not compress the front end beyond 1/2 to 2/3 of the travel both but more to leave the bike with some suspension travel to absorb road shock than to take it easy on the handlebars.
Brian
+1 I personally wouldn't use them IF I had a choice. I don't think they are THAT bad, but that being said. I come from the land of BMW, and not knowing when I might have to get a tow home, started carrying a set of soft ties. You know those pesky little final drive failures can be a PITA! Soft ties are nylon straps with two loops stitched in them. I loop them over the top of the forks on either side (watch the brake lines), and ratchet tie them from there. They are about 12 inches long from end to end, and take up very little space.
The one thing I CAN NOT STRESS ENOUGH is not to over tighten the straps! Over tightening can cause seal damage, and potentially valve damage inside the shocks. I learned the hard way on my dirt bikes. You only need to cinch the bike down just enough to prevent it from rocking. That's it! I run a strap through the rear wheel and behind it to pull back on the wheel. This keeps it from wanting to move side to side, but also keeps the bike from wanting to tip forward.
Get a pair of them just about anywhere. You could even make them. I found them online here http://www.rentonmotorcycles.com/dlrindexsend_pg_catprod_levelcode_28523_catalogcode_7086_partheadernumber_1074163-SOFT-TIE+NYLON+TIE-DOWN+STRAPS.htm (http://www.rentonmotorcycles.com/dlrindexsend_pg_catprod_levelcode_28523_catalogcode_7086_partheadernumber_1074163-SOFT-TIE+NYLON+TIE-DOWN+STRAPS.htm)
YMMV
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So after dropping it off at the shop on Saturday, I thought it was strange that I had not heard from them by now. I have had them work on my other bikes and they always have been good with communication and quick service.
I gave them a call this afternoon. The fellow I spoke with said that they checked the fuel pump and it works. Also checked the fuel pump relay. Good as well. He said that they have spent several hours troubleshooting without finding the cause of the problem. They are going to spend a few hours on it tomorrow. If they can't figure it out they are "going to call Kawasaki". Not sure if they have a repair hotline. The dealer is not a 2 bit operation. They are one of the largest in the area and have been in business 30 + years with a good reputation.
I wonder if they have some sort of lemon policy. If they can't figure it out in X number of hours, do I get a free upgrade to a new 2011? ;)
Mark
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I wonder if they have some sort of lemon policy. If they can't figure it out in X number of hours, do I get a free upgrade to a new 2011? ;)
If you ask Steve you'll get an "upgrade" to the new BMW K1600 GT... ::)
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Well, I got my bike back yesterday. They got it running almost 2 weeks ago but held on to it waiting on a TPS that quit working.
I wish I could report some fantastic story on the problem and the fix. The Repair Order just said "TECH found a short in the wire harness". I tried to track him down to get more specific details. He was off for the day. I will make it a point to stop by again to learn more. My curiosity is killing me!
Mark
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Thanks for letting us know.
We all want all of our problems on complex things like motorcycles to be very complex, intricate and convoluted situation but far more often than not, it is something direct and simple although those can be hard to diagnose too. We tend to want to use an oscilloscope and hours of waveform analysis to determine some <really kewel> problem (technical term) but it is usually a broken sensor, broken wire (like your situation) and similar.
As my brother- in- law the EE used to say.... replace all the charred parts on the circuit board and see if the trouble clears up. Not elegant but it usually works.
Brian
Well, I got my bike back yesterday. They got it running almost 2 weeks ago but held on to it waiting on a TPS that quit working.
I wish I could report some fantastic story on the problem and the fix. The Repair Order just said "TECH found a short in the wire harness". I tried to track him down to get more specific details. He was off for the day. I will make it a point to stop by again to learn more. My curiosity is killing me!
Mark
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the problem with most all forums is that there is too many people trying to be wity and funny.
Some really do have a great wit but most dont .
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the problem with most all forums is that there is too many people trying to be wity and funny.
Some really do have a great wit but most dont .
Now that's funny. To me. Probably not to you guys trying to be funny. there is too many people dimmit
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the problem with most all forums is that there is too many people trying to be wity and funny.
Some really do have a great wit but most dont .
Really?
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the problem with most all forums is that there is too many people trying to be wity and funny.
Some really do have a great wit but most dont .
THat's not right.
Here is the real problem:
cool hand luke (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fuDDqU6n4o#)
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THat's not right.
Here is the real problem:
cool hand luke (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fuDDqU6n4o#)
That's my boy Luke! 8)
One of my fav movies of all time.
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A great movie and all but really it just serves as the base for Strother Martin's appearance on SNL many years later. Anybody remember that one? Where he is a French teacher wearing a beret, gets cranky with students not learning French properly and finally utters .... "What we have here is failure to communicate.... bi- lingually!" Too funny.
Brian
THat's not right.
Here is the real problem:
cool hand luke (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fuDDqU6n4o#)
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I could be more like that if you want..... Wouldn't be as much fun, though.
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Great, my boyfriend and his C14 are stranded in Prince George during their ride from Alaska to Seattle because his bike suddenly wouldn't start at the gas station. He's on day three of his ride with a pretty new battery. The dealership in town is closed today. Please let me know what the problem was and I will do likewise.
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So the starter whirls but it doesn't start or the bike is totally dead? If it's dead then most likely loose connections at the battery itself are the culprit. In which case, a jump from another battery might get it going again once the connections are tightened.
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We could sure use more info. What happens when.....? Key turns? Motor turns over? Message on the dash?
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Holy thread resurrection Batman!
Like Jim said, the starter spins but the bike won't start? Not familiar with that one on a C-14.
But lo' and behold, this IS an interesting thread after all.... all these years later.
Anybody remember Roland? He wrote this little gem back in 2011.
<begin quote, reply #11 in this thread>
b.d.f.
Tis true that some people are thin skinned and cant take a little humor.... Some of us are sharp witted and it comes off as being a smart butt.
I left the other forum because of lack of follow up from some that thought they were more higher up than everyone else.
:yikes:
I see at least one of them is here but maybe he will behave better now. Thank God there is this forum to go with a much friendlier croud.
Let's keep the connies rolling :chugbeer:
<end quote>
The more things change, the more they become the same.
;)
Brian
Great, my boyfriend and his C14 are stranded in Prince George during their ride from Alaska to Seattle because his bike suddenly wouldn't start at the gas station. He's on day three of his ride with a pretty new battery. The dealership in town is closed today. Please let me know what the problem was and I will do likewise.
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Roland the Thompson gunner? I miss him.
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Roland the HEADLESS Thompson gunner? I miss him.
FIFY
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:finger_fing11:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhRRWwH3Fro (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhRRWwH3Fro)
RIP, Warren Zevon.
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Kill switch ?
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Yep, Roland was a good guy. Sold his C-14 and sort of disappeared.
Brian
Roland the Thompson gunner? I miss him.
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Not if the engine turns. There is no condition that a C-14 can be put in via switches or modes that would allow the starter to spin and prevent it from actually running. Kick stand down with the bike in gear, kill switch on (or is that 'off'), bike down sensor- all will stop the starter from engaging.
But no answer to the question from the OP either. First post from a newbie and it is about a C-14 has stranded that person (or close kin). We all have to wait to see how this one turns out....
Brian
Kill switch ?
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But no answer to the question from the OP either. First post from a newbie and it is about a C-14 has stranded that person (or close kin). We all have to wait to see how this one turns out....
Well, we ASSUME it is about a C-14. But that part was never mentioned... and no avatar or signature either. Only that this thread was picked. We are all dressed up and ready to go [help] out and no place to go...
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On a good note, that's a pretty part of Canada to be stuck in;).
I'd offer to come help, but even if I iron butted it, it would still take me four days to get there...lol.
I sure do hope you get it sorted out soon. Good luck!
Rem 8)