California Spec?

[JerBear]

I bought a 08 C-14 used from the original owner.  I have the angelride videos and was going to take the tank off to see how difficult it was to remove the flies.  Anyway I am puzzled as to why I have a California spec bike.  It has three tubes at the base of the fuel tank.  This bike was purchased new from a Wisconsin dealer and I'm wondering "why would a California spec bike be sold new in Wisconsin.  Also, does this change any maintenance that I need to do to it? 

[maxtog]

Could be a dealer transfer.  That is how I bought mine, because the dealer only had black and I wanted silver.  Seems like a loooooooooong transfer, though from Cali to Wisc     Could also have been an ordering mistake, or a fulfillment mistake.   Or even a special request by a customer or the dealer.

Anyway, I don't think there is any additional maintenance.  Normally the only real difference is a charcoal canister, and that should be maintenance-free.

[Conrad]

I bought a 08 C-14 used from the original owner.  I have the angelride videos and was going to take the tank off to see how difficult it was to remove the flies.  Anyway I am puzzled as to why I have a California spec bike.  It has three tubes at the base of the fuel tank.  This bike was purchased new from a Wisconsin dealer and I'm wondering "why would a California spec bike be sold new in Wisconsin.  Also, does this change any maintenance that I need to do to it? 

Do you have a charcoal canister under the fairing of your bike? Don't all C14s have three tubes at the base of the tank? I can't look at my bike at the moment but I thought that there were three tubes connected to the tank and I'm sure that mine isn't a Cal spec since it doesn't have a charcoal canister.

[JerBear]

I guess the reason I asked was Fred on the video only had two tubes and I think he said Cal. spec bikes would have three and since mine had three I thought it odd since producing Cal spec bikes probably costs Kawi a few more dollars.

[wingrider]

The California Bikes have a canister and the others didn't in 09. I just removed the canister, blocked off the vacuum feed, put a small inline gas filter on the breather line and blocked off the last line. Canister was in the way for installing the cruise.

[rcannon409]

I'm in Utah, and my local dealer claims hes never seen a modern Kawasaki (since the mid 90's) come into his shop ...large bikes.... (new, obviously)  that was not California spec. Based on that, I'd assume Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, oregon and such would see the same bikes, too.  Probably more surrounding states, but I was never very good at remembering my states.   I get mixed up with Washington as our United states has two or three Washingtons, I think...

ANyway, the cal bikes get sold to other places, so its nto surprising you'd see one.

[B.D.F.]

Because a manufacturer cannot know how many of its products will be sold in any given state or area, and because CAL bikes can be sold anywhere, they just make 'too many' CAL bikes and distribute them around the western US. They would actually make only California bikes but they are slightly more expensive to produce.

On the other side of the coin, I am on the east coast and have never seen a C-14 with three vent tubes..... so they don't get all the way across the country. :-)

Brian

I'm in Utah, and my local dealer claims hes never seen a modern Kawasaki (since the mid 90's) come into his shop ...large bikes.... (new, obviously)  that was not California spec. Based on that, I'd assume Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, oregon and such would see the same bikes, too.  Probably more surrounding states, but I was never very good at remembering my states.   I get mixed up with Washington as our United states has two or three Washingtons, I think...

ANyway, the cal bikes get sold to other places, so its nto surprising you'd see one.

[tfly]

Because a manufacturer cannot know how many of its products will be sold in any given state or area, and because CAL bikes can be sold anywhere, they just make 'too many' CAL bikes and distribute them around the western US. They would actually make only California bikes but they are slightly more expensive to produce.

On the other side of the coin, I am on the east coast and have never seen a C-14 with three vent tubes..... so they don't get all the way across the country. :-)

Brian

I unknowingly purchased a new 2011 with Cali specs in CT  . It was a surprise when I went to install my Stebel air horn and found a canister taking up a prime location.

-Todd

[rcannon409]

The fuel vapor vent thing they , on the cal bikes, is really cool. You'll never walk into the garage and smell gasoline. You could leave the bike parked in the living room.

I disconnected mine, but ended up re-installing it just for this reason.

[B.D.F.]

I am really surprised at that too! As I said, I have never seen a C-14 around these parts that was a Cal spec. bike. ??

I will keep an eye open at next week's tech session and see if any bikes there are Cal bikes and try to remember to ask the owner where the bike came from originally.

Brian

I unknowingly purchased a new 2011 with Cali specs in CT  . It was a surprise when I went to install my Stebel air horn and found a canister taking up a prime location.

-Todd

[gPink]

The fuel vapor vent thing they , on the cal bikes, is really cool. You'll never walk into the garage and smell gasoline. You could leave the bike parked in the living room.

I disconnected mine, but ended up re-installing it just for this reason.

Wow, SWMBO lets you park your bike in the living room? 

[VirginiaJim]

I agree...

[katata1100]

Because a manufacturer cannot know how many of its products will be sold in any given state or area, and because CAL bikes can be sold anywhere, they just make 'too many' CAL bikes and distribute them around the western US. They would actually make only California bikes but they are slightly more expensive to produce.

Brian

Bikes sold in Ore, NV and AZ are all CA spec as they border CA. My local dealer told me that it makes it easier to sell bikes as they can be sold to be people in different states. He also said the typical b.s. like "These bikes are so fast that you won't notice the smog stuff" and "They have the same amount of power". That made me curious as CA bikes have a different part number for the ecm. Anyhow, I traveled out of state to CO to get my 49 state '11 C-14. So, at least in CO, they sell them.

[tthompsr]

I am really surprised at that too! As I said, I have never seen a C-14 around these parts that was a Cal spec. bike. ??

I will keep an eye open at next week's tech session and see if any bikes there are Cal bikes and try to remember to ask the owner where the bike came from originally.

Brian

Brian, I bought my 2009 from the now defunct Cycle World in Cherry Hill N.J., they had a brand new California spec bike on the floor. ( but they where also known to buy up other dealers excess inventory to keep up their high volume status) So they might not be that uncommon.

[rcannon409]

I dont think its like it was in the 80's when we lost power if we had cal bikes....I dont see any ecu, or component, differences now, just that vapor thing...

I cut the end off my vapor can so I could hold a 6 inch subway sandwich in it....bad idea......Well, at least the bread had some flavor.

[Kas]

California emission bikes are required to be sold in California and New Jersey. No other states, bordering or not, require the Cal emissions. The only real difference is the third tube on the gas tank that leads to the charcoal canister. Kawasaki distributes Cal emission bikes to other states depending on what the supply is in the warehouses.