Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: MGvalerio on June 02, 2012, 08:09:56 AM
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With only the removal of two internal bulkheads front hull and the 2 fringes internal to the hull, we obtain a greater cooling of the engine and a very good extraction of heat due to the new channel for the air, inside the hull, which under 'effect of inertia of the bike and will result in proportion to the speed with excellent air flow to the engine.
Even so we have a better result for the excessive heat at the ankles, as we know this happens in summer.
If we apply heat near the KIT anti ankle area will not have an overheating engine, this is due to the flow of air that we created inside the hull.
MGvalerio "Informa" 8)
http://youtu.be/DVu8AgCnTfg (http://youtu.be/DVu8AgCnTfg)
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Interesting.... I wish I spoke Italian so I could understand everything he was saying.
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Excellent point about the stock foam pieces. I was waiting for a reason to delve into fairing removal to discard those foams, but may do it now. The radiator foams forcing all air into the rad at speed seems a bit of over-kill anyway, and prevents air blending past the engine and out through the fairing exits.
What little sound control they may provide would make no matter to me. Less appears to be more, from the experiments I've done, by removing the fairing side air deflectors.
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I wonder if there is any issues of air flow thru the radatior at idle speed & stop / go traffic.
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Could possibly bring the fans on a bit sooner... We shall see!
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Texrider, I've got the same bike as you. If you remove the panels, please post your results.
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Not sure what he is trying to say/relay, but it seems it might be specific to the older (gen 1) C-14 only. In the summer, I don't have much problem with engine heat (unless I am stopped for a while), my problem is just not enough airflow hitting my body (arms, lower torso, legs). This was not a problem on my naked ZRX, although I was frozen solid when temps were below 60.
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This is definitely a gen 1 issue. Mine (09) is warm but I deal with it. I had the block off panels but they just moved the heat around (from lower legs to tank & crotch). I'd rather have the heat lower & not warming the gas tank so much. I've thought of removing the panels in question to increase overall airflow but didn't want to make the issue worse. I think by removing the panels airflow across the motor would be closer to a naked bike & overall it would run cooler. But I'm not an engineer & don't have those answers. One more thing, would the motor run too cool in colder temps... ie. 30's, 40's or 50's?
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Yeah, yeah... but where did he get that center stand??
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My ankles are fine, I wear boots.
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My ankles are fine, I wear boots.
Don't we all?
But they can still be hot!
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Don't we all?
But they can still be hot!
Nope everyone does not, and I have no issues at all with excessive heat on my 08.
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My 08 gets a little warm, but nothing compared to My old 99 Connie
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Yeah, yeah... but where did he get that center stand??
Mia creatività e produzione. My creativity and production
(http://i45.tinypic.com/35nalom.jpg)
(http://i49.tinypic.com/161ncsg.jpg)
(http://i47.tinypic.com/ftdo3b.jpg)
(http://i49.tinypic.com/2aa0mj4.jpg)
(http://i48.tinypic.com/351xp8m.jpg)
(http://i48.tinypic.com/30b1jt1.jpg)
(http://i46.tinypic.com/9i4nj5.jpg)
(http://i47.tinypic.com/5bfh3.jpg)
MGvalerio. 8)
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I wear boots & gear too. My 09 is on the warm side but part of the problem is I'm in Fl. & the high humidity, high temps & sun baking down all combine to magnify the problem. When I'm up north in Ohio it's really not much of an issue. This looks like it could very well help out as long as it doesn't stall the air around the radiator & cause the bike to overheat or create too much heat loss in the winter. If anyone else has done this mod please speak up & let us know if it worked for you.
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may be worth a try removing these panels. but depends on driving. its seems that after city driving I get massive heat boiling out on both sides but the right side is hotter. If I can get 15-20 minutes of no stop drive time it cools down and is acceptable but still warm. but for winter time its awesome having a bike with a heater on it. ;D
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gonzo..... sounds just like my bike....
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Nope everyone does not,
I was being facetious. Of course not everybody does, but everybody should.
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Everyone should just like everyone should wear a helmet. ATGATT. I was hit from behind on my 08 Gold Wing, bike went down on it's left side I was doing about 45 and the Harley that was trying to pass on a curve doing about 75 hit me and knocked the back tire out drug my left boot and leg a long way, Good thing the Wing has great crash bars and my leg wasn't torn off, just my boot were destroyed. not my foot
(http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d600b3127ccec7be60c5c1d900000040O01CcNWzly0Yg9vPhw/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/)
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Everyone should just like everyone should wear a helmet. ATGATT. I was hit from behind on my 08 Gold Wing, bike went down on it's left side I was doing about 45 and the Harley that was trying to pass on a curve doing about 75 hit me and knocked the back tire out drug my left boot and leg a long way, Good thing the Wing has great crash bars and my leg wasn't torn off, just my boot were destroyed. not my foot
Yep. But just as important as toe/heel protection, boots will offer ankle protection, something most shoes simply will not do. Yet, every day I see the typical urban hot-shot on some sports bike, wearing a T-shirt, no gloves, no jacket at all, flimsy pants or even shorts, and tennis shoes. Sometimes even flip flops. It is probably no coincidence they also appear to be the most flip, aggressive, and reckless drivers, too.
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Yep. But just as important as toe/heel protection, boots will offer ankle protection, something most shoes simply will not do. Yet, every day I see the typical urban hot-shot on some sports bike, wearing a T-shirt, no gloves, no jacket at all, flimsy pants or even shorts, and tennis shoes. Sometimes even flip flops. It is probably no coincidence they also appear to be the most flip, aggressive, and reckless drivers, too.
That's all part of the d-bag uniform.... backwards baseball hat, corona t-shirt & white nike's.... hey as long as the helmet is strapped to the side of the bike it's all good.....
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Do any of you guys understand what he's saying in the video?
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My 08 gets a little warm, but nothing compared to My old 99 Connie
I find the faster I go the cooler it gets unless it's terribly hot outside. Therefore, I avoid 'parades' and slow riding as much as possible. I also get bored and tend to fall asleep when going slow.
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I was being facetious. Of course not everybody does, but everybody should.
Facetious - Word of the Day.
adjective 1. not meant to be taken seriously or literally: a facetious remark. 2. amusing; humorous. 3. lacking serious intent; concerned with something nonessential, amusing, or frivolous: a facetious person. Origin:
1585–95; facete (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/facete) + -ious (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/-ious); see facetiae (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/facetiae)
Related forms fa·ce·tious·ly, adverb fa·ce·tious·ness, noun non·fa·ce·tious, adjective non·fa·ce·tious·ly, adverb non·fa·ce·tious·ness, noun
I like it. Good word.
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Not sure what he is trying to say/relay, but it seems it might be specific to the older (gen 1) C-14 only. In the summer, I don't have much problem with engine heat (unless I am stopped for a while), my problem is just not enough airflow hitting my body (arms, lower torso, legs). This was not a problem on my naked ZRX, although I was frozen solid when temps were below 60.
My gosh, I'm a GEN 1 now?!?! I prefer "original model" ridden by those that had the courage to buy the first ones... Next month is 4 years already. Maxtog, whats the real name anyhow? I'm Darren.
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Or EA (early adopter)..
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Alpha Customer (or male if you really need it)
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I removed the four pieces, and modified the trailing edges of the lower fairings. Seems to have eliminated the few small hot spot areas I had noticed with them in. Very pleasant riding in todays mid 90's. I like the look of the fairing mods. ;D
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Has anyone tried removing the pieces MGValerio specified? It looks like texrider removed the lower rear foam which seem to still be on in the video.
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I have not done anything with mine, but am wondering if anyone else has done it as well.
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They all are removed from mine, just their brackets remain. I'll get those out next time I have the fairings apart. For now, I just colored them black with a permanent marker. The overall comfort is greatly improved with the increased airflow, and other limiting factors of riding in 105 degree weather now trump. 8)
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Yeah, yeah... but where did he get that center stand??
you had to ask? :battle:
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So, Texrider, do you see a need to put them back in at any point? Probably a dumb question.
Also, do you ride in much stop-and-go traffic where you are not moving much? Just wondering if you feel the bike gets any hotter when not moving as much and not getting the air-flow.
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I took my lower foam pieces out last year and felt quite a difference in the bike. When I rode with tennis shoes (very rare) I could feel more heat on my right ankle and foot. My tank felt noticeably cooler though. I will probably take my Zsteves heat shields out for my 2600 mile trip next weekend due to the fact that I will always have heavy riding clothing on, so the heat blast down low won't bother me as much as a hot[ter] fuel tank.
Keep in mind that the heat on my C14 is in no way unbearable or excessive IMO.
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Mine will be staying out, and I may find some additional areas to whittle away on the lower fairings... ;)
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Pulled mine out this past Monday night and would you believe it's rained every afternoon. Finally got a chance to ride a little today but the rains earlier today had cooled the temps to the low 80's. Nevertheless, my 09 most definitely puts less heat on the rider but the under the tank area is much cooler also. More air is moving out the side exit vents - a mixture of "clean" air and radiator filtered air. Seems like the additional clean air is creating a turbo effect in pulling the warm air out. I'm now anxious for an upper 90's day to get a real comparison. I have the upper front foam pieces out, the lower front foam and plastic shields off, the mid fairing/underside of rear of gas tank double insulated, and Zteves heat shields. Looks like this may be the best combo. Sitting in traffic some heat can now escape out the front around the fork area which is not noticeable to the rider. I'll report back after a high Texas temp day ride.
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Interesting. I just put zsteves sheilds in and love them but i noticed the foam pieces up front and pondered same that its restricting some airflow. Gonna try to take front pieces out. I like what zstvevs heat sheilds do ofr blocking heat from my feet.
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Pulled mine out this past Monday night and would you believe it's rained every afternoon. Finally got a chance to ride a little today but the rains earlier today had cooled the temps to the low 80's. Nevertheless, my 09 most definitely puts less heat on the rider but the under the tank area is much cooler also. More air is moving out the side exit vents - a mixture of "clean" air and radiator filtered air. Seems like the additional clean air is creating a turbo effect in pulling the warm air out. I'm now anxious for an upper 90's day to get a real comparison. I have the upper front foam pieces out, the lower front foam and plastic shields off, the mid fairing/underside of rear of gas tank double insulated, and Zteves heat shields. Looks like this may be the best combo. Sitting in traffic some heat can now escape out the front around the fork area which is not noticeable to the rider. I'll report back after a high Texas temp day ride.
Update: Finally a day with temps in the low 90's. The good: There is absolutely NO warm air blowing on you while traveling down the road. Stop and go traffic heat is much improved. My theory is the heat is escaping out the front around the fork tubes. The bad: There is still some warmth where your knees touch the gas tank (actually just below the gas tank) area. It's not any worse than it's ever been but it's still some warmth. This is not noticeable if you have a riding style that splays your knees out a little from the tank but if you are a "knee gripper" you'll notice it. Conclusion: I think this setup is the best and will be leaving things as is. YMMV
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I think I will have to do this before my big ride coming up in September...
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I pulled the foams and front fairing pieces yesterday. I think that Kawasaki intention to block the heat just doesnt work in 85 plus temps. I will test out today.
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I can't get the video to work on my PC. Can someone please post some pics showing what's being removed &/or modified please. I figure I'll have to do some dismanteling of the fairings in order to install the canyon cages I have ordered so that would be a good time to perform some additional mods. Thanks to everyone for your help.
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Since I removed the foams and just went out, mine seems hotter than before.
I may try pulling the lower black fairing piece next.
Hmmmm
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I can't get the video to work on my PC. Can someone please post some pics showing what's being removed &/or modified please. I figure I'll have to do some dismanteling of the fairings in order to install the canyon cages I have ordered so that would be a good time to perform some additional mods. Thanks to everyone for your help.
Face the front and on the inside of the fairing at radiator level you'll see a black plastic cover (sort of triangle shaped) and wide foam strips on each side of the radiator. The plastic covers are held on by 2 bolts and a top plastic rivet under the headlight area. The foam strips can be removed by a loooonnng phillips screwdriver from the side fairing gills (3 screws per side) and carefully wiggled out. A magnet retriever is handy because the screws, washers, and sleeves WILL fall in unhandy crevices. The top foam pieces I refered to are actually above the radiator on each side and the mid fairings must be removed. Side note: The LD Comfort riding tights really do lessen the hot spots on the inner knees. I didn't believe it but thought what the heck, ordered a pair and they work. I feel NO heat on my inner knees while riding in them with vented mesh pants.
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I'm kinda wondering why Kawasaki did all that work redesigning the bike in 2010. Blocking the rider form the heat. All they had to do was talk to this guy in Italy and remove a few parts. What were they thinking? ???
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Judging from owner reports, seems fair to say the 2010+ design works well at blocking airflow with the fairing. All the large exits are moved forward.
The first design really doesn't lend itself to effectively stopping rearward flow. What some of us are finding is that more airflow, rather than less, is an avenue worth pursuing.
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Keep in mind that this is a liquid cooled motor and those front fairing pieces are there not to block air but to direct air across the radiator and also to help support the other fairings.
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Keep in mind that this is a liquid cooled motor and those front fairing pieces are there not to block air but to direct air across the radiator and also to help support the other fairings.
Non sono d'accordo sulla sua diagnosi,Il tutto serve per il periodo invernale per tenere una temperatura d'esercizio del motore costante.
MGvalerio. 8)
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To save others time going to google translate:
Non sono d'accordo sulla sua diagnosi,Il tutto serve per il periodo invernale per tenere una temperatura d'esercizio del motore costante
I disagree on his diagnosis, Everything is for the winter to keep a constant engine operating temperature
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To save others time going to google translate:
Non sono d'accordo sulla sua diagnosi,Il tutto serve per il periodo invernale per tenere una temperatura d'esercizio del motore costante
I disagree on his diagnosis, Everything is for the winter to keep a constant engine operating temperature
I keep google translate open, just for MGv. Maybe I should shoot the link to him... ::)
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Here are Pics of black fairing removed. It helps greatly with the heat. Looks good IMHO.
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Thanks for the pics! Was thinking of keeping the lowers, but adding a few more air slots to them. 8)
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Um, yeah, I will be leaving the lowers on. Like the looks better that way.
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As a final thought (at least from me! ;D) The temp of the motor remains the same (or very, very close) no matter what mod I've done to divert heat from the rider. YMMV
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My 08 was hot as hell on my ankle area so I bought Zsteves heat shields , my 09 is not! So apparently the foam pieces in the lower fairing were changed or were never install right on some models?
I do have a lot of heat swirling out of the side vents, they should stick out more to the side to help this.
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Holy shades of thread resurrection, Batman! I salute you sir for looking through the threads to find this one! :finger_fing11:
The heat management system wasn't changed for the 09 models. That only started with the 10+ models. Some 08/09s were hot as hell and some were not. Could be that the heat management (what little there was..open to some debate amongst the knowledgeable) was out of place on the 08 and the factory did a little better on the 09 but there wasn't anything changed per se.
I do know that windshield position has a great affect on ankle heat, believe it or not. A shield all the way down restricts air flow over the front sides while up a bit (at least an inch or so) does not. Counter intuitive, I know, but it works as I can tell the difference in the air flow.
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Holy shades of thread resurrection, Batman! I salute you sir for looking through the threads to find this one! :finger_fing11:
The heat management system wasn't changed for the 09 models. That only started with the 10+ models. Some 08/09s were hot as hell and some were not. Could be that the heat management (what little there was..open to some debate amongst the knowledgeable) was out of place on the 08 and the factory did a little better on the 09 but there wasn't anything changed per se.
I do know that windshield position has a great affect on ankle heat, believe it or not. A shield all the way down restricts air flow over the front sides while up a bit (at least an inch or so) does not. Counter intuitive, I know, but it works as I can tell the difference in the air flow.
+1
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Just one more idea... Because of the mirror(s) location and windshield, little to no air reaches the area where your knees hug the tank. A low - I mean really low - windshield will allow air to "tumbleweed" over and move some air in the area around the knees. I cut down a Calsci shorty tinted screen another 4 inches which makes it about that much lower than the original 08-09 factory screens. Try a ride with no screen to get the effect. YMMV 8)
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Just one more idea... Because of the mirror(s) location and windshield, little to no air reaches the area where your knees hug the tank. A low - I mean really low - windshield will allow air to "tumbleweed" over and move some air in the area around the knees. I cut down a Calsci shorty tinted screen another 4 inches which makes it about that much lower than the original 08-09 factory screens. Try a ride with no screen to get the effect. YMMV 8)
Thusly? :thumbs:
[smg id=349]
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I put the lower fairings back on but left the internal stuff the man from Italy said to remove . Too hot here too test for me tho , plus ninety this week.
My latest cool project was to put the stock low windshield back on and since it was far from perfect , painted it flat black and added orange duck tape to add in being seen by cagers and it looks great !
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Conrad, looks VERY similar! ;) I would have cut mine down another inch or so if I had it to do over but it's made enough of a difference that I rode in 109 degrees a couple of weeks ago without issues. Not to mention, I'm now NOT thinking about trading for a 10 or newer model! ;D
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I cut my stock '09 screen very low, just above the dash.
It works, keeps me cool from just above the waist up, almost like riding a naked bike.
However, from the waist down only a small improvement?
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(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t86/st2sam/IMG_0001_zpscb470865.jpg)
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(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t86/st2sam/IMG_0001_zpscb470865.jpg)
The black wrap around the top is a nice add! :thumbs:
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I have the Zteves heat shields installed which do a nice job of blocking heated air on the ankles but the area where my knees touch still gets warm (of course!) so the low low shield allowing air movement in this area is significant, at least it is for me :)