Kawasaki Concours Forum

The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: jtk1531 on November 08, 2011, 08:16:17 AM

Title: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: jtk1531 on November 08, 2011, 08:16:17 AM
hey everyone,
i've been lurking on this forum for many months before i finally traded in my zx10r(2008) for a C14 (candy arabian red, 2012), my first non-sportsbike ever.
i hope i can actually contribute something to the tons of information that's already available here.

i'm using the bike as a daily commuter.
the bike's handling really surprised me by how nimble it is, considering it's size and weight. it handled very well on the stock bridgestone bt021 tyres. i haven't really pushed the bike hard yet since it's still in the break-in period. slow speed feet-up maneuvers is awesome, possibly due to it's heavy weight. reminds me of the balancing pole that tight rope walkers use.

took my significant other for a 10km ride and she's giving 2 thumbs up for the pillion seat. after so many years of sitting on sportsbike seats, this C14's seat feels like a plush cushion to me.

the electronics were mainly flawless, except for the gear indicator. first 50KMs, the indicator seems to have gone completely haywire above 4th gear. if i shift it into 6th, it would be showing 3rd. shift it down one gear, it will show 4th...etc. couple of more rides and the problem seems to have gone away. i've adjusted the gear shift lever downwards a bit to make upshifts more positive.
KiPass has been flawless, even the "credit card" key is pretty convenient to use.

spent half a day taking out every fairing screw and greasing it up to prevent corroded/stuck screws. i can't seem to find any torque values in the manual for the battery compartment cover though.

anyway, looking forward to many trips on this C14 in future, and a big thank you to everyone who has posted tons of useful information. all those info helped a lot on deciding whether to purchase a C14 or not.
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: DonB on November 08, 2011, 08:23:37 AM
Welcome and enjoy your new toy. I bought the same color (they say Red) I don't see it
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: gPink on November 08, 2011, 08:27:53 AM
Welcome to the forum and the C14. I hope your island is big enough to really enjoy the bike.
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: VirginiaJim on November 08, 2011, 08:33:05 AM
Well, the gear indicator issue is not common but we have seen it a number of times.  The dealer can fix that for you.  I think it's the sensor.  Welcome to the C14 world and our forum.
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: DenverC-14 on November 08, 2011, 08:41:16 AM
Welcome :) I think you'll have years of fun with your GTR... And Malaysia should be certainly big enough to enjoy the bike on... or just take it to the F1 track and whip her around there  8)
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: stevewfl on November 08, 2011, 08:59:30 AM
Welcome, congrats on your sweet ride and a pic would be nice!

Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: EpicBadass on November 08, 2011, 09:15:17 AM
Welcome!  As another person that uses the bike to commute im sure you'll grow to love it more as time goes on!
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: kawacop1642 on November 08, 2011, 01:29:42 PM
Welcome jt! Lot's of good info on here, as well as good people. Best of luck with the new bike.

Ride Safe
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: Jeremy Mitchell on November 08, 2011, 01:32:03 PM
Welcome and have fun with your new bike.
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: Flathead on November 08, 2011, 01:36:03 PM
Welcome aboard...
Regarding torque values (sorry about the formatting):
From the Service Manual

The table below, relating tightening torque to thread diameter, lists the basic torque for the bolts and
nuts. Use this table for only the bolts and nuts which do not require a specific torque value. All of the
values are for use with dry solvent-cleaned threads.
Basic Torque for General Fasteners
Threads Torque
diameter (mm) N·m kgf·m ft·lb
5 3.4 ∼ 4.9 0.35 ∼ 0.50 30 ∼ 43 in·lb
6 5.9 ∼ 7.8 0.60 ∼ 0.80 52 ∼ 69 in·lb
8 14 ∼ 19 1.4 ∼ 1.9 10.0 ∼ 13.5
10 25 ∼ 34 2.6 ∼ 3.5 19.0 ∼ 25
12 44 ∼ 61 4.5 ∼ 6.2 33 ∼ 45
14 73 ∼ 98 7.4 ∼ 10.0 54 ∼ 72
16 115 ∼ 155 11.5 ∼ 16.0 83 ∼ 115
18 165 ∼ 225 17.0 ∼ 23.0 125 ∼ 165
20 225 ∼ 325 23 ∼ 33 165 ∼ 240
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: maxtog on November 08, 2011, 04:32:59 PM
hey everyone,
i've been lurking on this forum for many months before i finally traded in my zx10r(2008) for a C14 (candy arabian red, 2012), my first non-sportsbike ever.  i hope i can actually contribute something to the tons of information that's already available here.

Welcome!

Quote
i'm using the bike as a daily commuter.  The bike's handling really surprised me by how nimble it is, considering it's size and weight. it handled very well on the stock bridgestone bt021 tyres. i haven't really pushed the bike hard yet since it's still in the break-in period. slow speed feet-up maneuvers is awesome, possibly due to it's heavy weight. reminds me of the balancing pole that tight rope walkers use.

The first part of the breakin REALLY sucks (< 4K RPM).  If you are impressed with the power now, you will be REALLY happy once you get past 500 miles and can get it above 4,000 RPM.  For a large, high-tech, supposedly lower/mid tuned engine, I think it really is quite "dead" below 3,500 RPM.

Quote
...anyway, looking forward to many trips on this C14 in future, and a big thank you to everyone who has posted tons of useful information. all those info helped a lot on deciding whether to purchase a C14 or not.

Had it not been for this forum (actually the one lost the crash earlier this year), I would not have bought one.  I wonder how many sales this forum inspires?
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: ZG on November 08, 2011, 09:44:03 PM
Welcome and congrats JT!  :chugbeer:
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: jtk1531 on November 09, 2011, 07:48:25 AM
thanks guys!
pic of my bike, i guess it looks the same as every other red 2012 bike. :)
only mod so far: Ram mount for garmin 62st.
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: stevewfl on November 09, 2011, 08:45:44 AM
thanks guys!
pic of my bike, i guess it looks the same as every other red 2012 bike. :)
only mod so far: Ram mount for garmin 62st.

With KiPass it doesn't matter if it looks the same or not its bad*ss!
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: timbo on November 09, 2011, 09:36:39 AM
You definitely need to get the gear position sensor replaced with a new one. It is covered under warranty. My new 2011 did the same thing and the dealer replaced it. It not only shows what gear you are in but they said it also tells the ecu what mapping to use depending on what gear you are in. Need to get it replaced.
Title: Re: newb with a 2012 C14
Post by: Scaffolder on November 09, 2011, 03:22:35 PM
Congrats! Enjoy your new ride.