Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: Caffeinated on December 07, 2012, 08:19:46 AM
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Crappy commute home yesterday...ended up rear ending a car that had stopped at a crosswalk coming off a very busy bridge in DC. The ABS did their job, and I ended up running the front fender into the lower plastic of their fender...tore up my fender, and then I dropped the bike on the right side. The Cages did their job, and make the bike much easier to pickup.
Anyone know where I can get another 2011 silver front fender for cheap? doubt I can afford a brand new one!
MCE need to make a cage from the front end...could have pushed the car out the way....
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Bummer about the wreck, but chalk another one up for money WELL spent on the cages.
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No damage to the mirror?
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Sorry to hear about the crash. Were you following too close or not paying attention, maybe both?
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However you look at it you got away cheap. Rear ending someone in traffic is a big hit to the ego though!
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Yea, money well spent indeed. I was going to take off the rear guards, since i usually don't ride with the bags on. Good thing i'm lazy and procrastinate!
No damage to the mirror... The Cages did their job, and the bike did not roll. Damage to the ego is another thing. I was probably following too closely, but this area where it happened is dangerous to begin with, with traffic coming off a circle, and it was dark out with lots of traffic.
Any recommendations on what to do with the marks on the cages? Light sanding and some good paint? Don't want them to rust!
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Any recommendations on what to do with the marks on the cages? Light sanding and some good paint? Don't want them to rust!
Sharpie, and don't stop with the cages color the whole bike... ;D
Sorry, couldn't help myself. :-[
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Sharpie, and don't stop with the cages color the whole bike... ;D
Sorry, couldn't help myself. :-[
Why would I want to make the bike slower? :-)
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Why would I want to make the bike slower? :-)
Um, see the first post. ;)
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sorry about your wreck, but those cages definitely work. With mine, I lightly sanded the scrapes and then shot some flat black rattle can on them, holding a piece of cardboard right behind to catch the overspray.
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To Ryan from MC Enterprises if he's monitoring, great job on a great product!
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Caffeinated, so sorry about your crash and happy your not hurt. But thanks for the real world testing on this product.
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If I ever go down and scratch up my bars, I'm going to use some of the high friction bed liner spray to create a new cover on the contact patch.
Um, see the first post. ;)
I don't care who you are, that there is funny! :) Well played, Conrad.
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Um, see the first post. ;)
Touche.... :'(
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To Ryan from MC Enterprises if he's monitoring, great job on a great product!
Yes! shout out to Ryan and MCE great product and well worth it....
I was thinking, there would be no damage to the bars if I had wrapped those parts of the bar with some kind of heavy tape...maybe black heat tape?
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Yes! shout out to Ryan and MCE great product and well worth it....
I was thinking, there would be no damage to the bars if I had wrapped those parts of the bar with some kind of heavy tape...maybe black heat tape?
Maybe some of that spray on bedliner stuff? You could use some of that now to cover up the damage perhaps?
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Um, see the first post. ;)
:rotflmao:
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Maybe some of that spray on bedliner stuff? You could use some of that now to cover up the damage perhaps?
Yea, I'll have to try that stuff and see how it works/looks.
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If you are planning on doing this again you could try these:
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sorry about your wreck, but those cages definitely work. With mine, I lightly sanded the scrapes and then shot some flat black rattle can on them, holding a piece of cardboard right behind to catch the overspray.
That is assuming they are black (which is not a horrible assumption, since probably 98% of them are).... When they are chrome, like mine, you are screwed (yep, it was a mistake, should have gone for painted). I guess if it happens to me, the silver steel would be a close match to the chrome and I would just coat it in something clear at that spot to prevent rust, or maybe some chrome-like touchup paint. :/
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Hey Chris,
One helluva extreme way to tested a helicoil. ;)
Glad it was just paint and plastic, not skin and bones.
Robert
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Yes! shout out to Ryan and MCE great product and well worth it....
I was thinking, there would be no damage to the bars if I had wrapped those parts of the bar with some kind of heavy tape...maybe black heat tape?
I have seen videos of riding schools where they wrap the bars on the big cruisers with pipe insulation and duct tape to protect the bars during the slow speed practice sections. The only way to know where your limits are is to go beyond them a time or two.
If I rode where you ride I would paint the entire bike Hi-Viz green and have Hi-Viz helmet, jacket, gloves, etc. Some blue reflector license plate holders are a nice addition as well. Makes the cages wonder if you are a cop when they get the blue reflection back.
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Hey Chris,
One helluva extreme way to tested a helicoil. ;)
Glad it was just paint and plastic, not skin and bones.
Robert
No kidding. glad I got that Heli-coil in there before I did this!
Seems the new fenders are not that crazy expensive...I can get it for around $150-160. I'll have to see if shipping kills it. Unfortunately I have the long fender extender, so I'm not sure I can pry it off and re-glue it to the new fender...otherwise that is another expense.
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I have seen videos of riding schools where they wrap the bars on the big cruisers with pipe insulation and duct tape to protect the bars during the slow speed practice sections. The only way to know where your limits are is to go beyond them a time or two.
If I rode where you ride I would paint the entire bike Hi-Viz green and have Hi-Viz helmet, jacket, gloves, etc. Some blue reflector license plate holders are a nice addition as well. Makes the cages wonder if you are a cop when they get the blue reflection back.
I've got lights to combat the traffic. Front: A&R HID's, MM10 LEDs on the fender. Rear: BikerViz LED brake modules, License plate LED strip with run and flash on brake. Once I get a new top box, I'll add LEDs to that as well.
I like the blue reflectors. I'll have to add those the rear fender....
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Sorry to hear about your fender bender. ***t Happens. Lucky you were not going fast. Is the fender extender attached with strong double stick adhesive? If so you could squirt some Goo Gone in between the 2 pieces to detach. If I was going to reattach it to a new fender I would use some 5 minute epoxy. That stuff is strong, provided you want it permanently attached.
Broz
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If I was going to reattach it to a new fender I would use some 5 minute epoxy. That stuff is strong, provided you want it permanently attached.
Broz
Epoxy wont stick to ABS. You need ABS glue. YOu can buy it at Ace hardware. That will melt the two pieces into one piece.
I have seen abs epoxy but it is new and not easy to find.
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Epoxy wont stick to ABS. You need ABS glue. YOu can buy it at Ace hardware. That will melt the two pieces into one piece.
I have seen abs epoxy but it is new and not easy to find.
Currently the one on there was ABS glued, so i may not be able to get it off, but i'll have to see.
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Currently the one on there was ABS glued, so i may not be able to get it off, but i'll have to see.
Since you don't care about the fender, just grind off the extra fender material until you get to the ABS glue.
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To get off the subject a little regarding, Canyon Cages, I have been reading this Forum for a couple of months now, and am quite interested in purchasing a set of Canyon Cage
Bars for the front and rear of my new toy (new to me 08 in Silver Grey if that's the right description of the color) I have followed along with all the posts and the help that was given here in the design by the members, so I know they must work well.
Search as I might on this site or on the MC Enterprises site, I have not be able to find a picture of a 08 in Silver with the bars installed. I know that the Fairing bars must be "three point", but I still can't get a clear picture of them installed. I live in Canada, and before I spend the money, the shipping and more than likely the duty on them, I would really like to see a set installed on a machine, mainly how they are installed. I know bars are the way to go, as I have rode a BMW GSA for years and can really attest to the need for crash bars it you want to save money.
So to make a long story short, I would really like to see a good picture of the Bars on an 08.
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Reply 301 +
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=9353.msg123645#msg123645 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=9353.msg123645#msg123645)
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gPink Thank you for the location of the pictures, I guess I missed page 21 of the forum. Now that I see how they are mounted I will be getting mine on order. Not that I plan on riding very far until next April, it's starting to get a little chilly right now and if (when) we have our first snow fall that mean salted roads and salt just loves aluminum .
Again thank you.
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gPink Thank you for the location of the pictures, I guess I missed page 21 of the forum. Now that I see how they are mounted I will be getting mine on order. Not that I plan on riding very far until next April, it's starting to get a little chilly right now and if (when) we have our first snow fall that mean salted roads and salt just loves aluminum .
Again thank you.
Thanks for all of the kind words, gentleman! I'm glad to hear the Canyon Cages are doing their job. I'm going to work on a "rework" price for you guys on Monday. That way those of you who drop your bikes and want to get the finish fixed can ship the damaged side of your guard in for us to strip and repowdercoat for you, if any of you are interested.
Regarding your guards, old jack: Give me a call at the office anytime Monday - Thursday, 7am - 4:30pm PST or email me and I'll be glad to help! Our toll free office number is 866.886.2368 and my email is rnichols@mcenterprises.com. I can answer any questions you have as well as email you additional photos or the mounting instructions if you'd like.
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Thanks for all of the kind words, gentleman! I'm glad to hear the Canyon Cages are doing their job. I'm going to work on a "rework" price for you guys on Monday. That way those of you who drop your bikes and want to get the finish fixed can ship the damaged side of your guard in for us to strip and repowdercoat for you, if any of you are interested.
Regarding your guards, old jack: Give me a call at the office anytime Monday - Thursday, 7am - 4:30pm PST or email me and I'll be glad to help! Our toll free office number is 866.886.2368 and my email is rnichols@mcenterprises.com. I can answer any questions you have as well as email you additional photos or the mounting instructions if you'd like.
That's the spirit Ryan. A crash guard subscription service. :thumbs:
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And this is why I am so happy I bought the cages from MCE. Not only are they a great product that does what they are designed and sold to do while still looking great but you get world class customer service from very nice people to go along with them.
Thanks Ryan.
Caffienated,
Sorry about your mishap and glad you're okay.
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(new to me 08 in Silver Grey if that's the right description of the color)
silverdammit ;D
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That's the spirit Ryan. A crash guard subscription service. :thumbs:
That's actually not a bad idea! I should have a rework price for you guys this afternoon. I'm thinking it'll be around $50 ballpark though. The way it'll most likely work is this: If you drop your bike and would like to get the bar redone, you pay to ship the guard to us (since it's not a warranty issue, it'll be up to you to get the guard to us), we'll strip, polish, and rework for you then we'll cover the shipping for the guard back to you. It should be as simple as that! I'll let you guys know once I have a firm price, though.
And this is why I am so happy I bought the cages from MCE. Not only are they a great product that does what they are designed and sold to do while still looking great but you get world class customer service from very nice people to go along with them.
Thanks Ryan.
Wow! That's extremely nice of you to say, Kinetic! Thank you very much and I'm glad the work we do here doesn't go unnoticed and unappreciated! Cheers!
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OK, it is my turn now. I knew it was just a matter of time. After almost two years, I dropped the C-14 for the first time. And not for any good reason either :(
This was going to be my coldest ride ever on a bike- 100 miles to visit mom and 100 back, I so pulled out ALL the stuff I have- acrylic long underwear, acrylic/wool socks, thick winter gloves, heated underjacket, helmet chin, heavy leather chaps, etc. (Man it is hard to move with all that stuff on). I made a CRITICAL mistake- I completely forgot to check traffic maps.
Sure enough, I was stopped by one of the typical, stupid, never-ending accidents at/near the tunnel. The first several minutes were OK... then I realized I had a big problem- overheating. All the electric stuff was off, opened shield, unzipped main jacket, etc. But after 20..... 30.... 40 minutes, I was very uncomfortable and also wet. I was zoned out a bit and was trying to adjust jacket or something and the bike tipped just a tiny bit too much and me with my short legs simply could not stop it and it fell, slowly, but without much breaking from me, on the right side.
I was unhurt but quite upset... there had never been so much as a scratch anywhere on the bike. Traffic was still stopped on the interstate, anyway. I then tried do to the "face away from the bike and try to use legs to stand it up" thing- yeah right... not at chance. Before I could put too much effort into it, two guys jumped out of a truck and came over to help. One guy said "what happened?" I said "I honestly don't know, I just tipped over a bit too much" the other guy said "don't worry about it, I ride a Harley, this stuff happens." It was quickly righted. I was so wet and upset I knew the bike trip was out of the question, I used my emergency flashers and drove on the shoulder the 1.5 miles to the next exit and went home. Waited a while then took the car.
Today I got a better look at the damage. It is no surprise where it touched the two bars, as you can see in the photos. But I am concerned that it did apparently touch the edge of the lower fairing- I don't think anyone has mentioned that before. Of course, if I didn't have the bars, the damage would have been far worse.
Now I have to deal with my stupid decision of getting chrome bars instead of painted. Maybe I can put a bit of clear paint or silver paint on the scuffed section to prevent any rust.
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That sux Max, sorry to hear it bro. :'( :grouphug:
Do you think it was all that extra weight from that massive potato laucher on that side that pulled it over? :-\ :-X
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Sorry to hear this. It doesn't look too bad. You look pretty sad in picture 2. The bars saved it a lot. It didn't hit the mirror?
I dropped the 08 I had twice in 44,000 miles. Before finally totaling it. I never dropped my 2010 at 38,000 miles.
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Sorry to hear this. It doesn't look too bad. You look pretty sad in picture 2.
I had to look at the photo again to see what you were talking about. I guess you CAN see me in the reflection of the rear bar, taking the picture with my phone.
The bars saved it a lot. It didn't hit the mirror?
Oh yes, it would have been much, much worse without the bars. It did not touch the mirror. Supposedly the only way it would do that is in a much higher energy fallover that would cause the bike to "roll over" the front touch point and land horizontally on the whole front Canyons.
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Nobody will ever see the scratches but you.
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Sorry to hear Max.
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Glad to hear no serious damage was done, but if you are like me that is all you will see every time you get on the bike. Next time you have the fairings off take the Canyons to this guy and have them powder coated, he can do any color you want and a great job. http://www.jandjpowdercoating.com/Even-More-Pictures.html (http://www.jandjpowdercoating.com/Even-More-Pictures.html) my bike is on the page, tell him I sent you.
I absolutely hate the HRBT, drove across it for years before I just moved to avoid it. Good luck.
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I don't know much about chrome, but that is what I chose too. Can't you buff that out and get them chromed again? I know MC Enterprises said they would look at the repair for the powdercoated ones, maybe the chrome ones as well?
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The spots are so minor, it really doesn't need refinishing, just a touch of something to prevent rust. Honestly, to me it doesn't even look like it got completely through the chrome to the base metal. (Apparently this is some seriously high quality chroming). If there was a large section of damage, I would probably consider sending it back to MCE.
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A quick way just to protect would be clear fingernail polish.
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OK, it is my turn now. I knew it was just a matter of time. After almost two years, I dropped the C-14 for the first time. And not for any good reason either :(
I hate those tunnels. Anything can happen at any time. Glad you got it upright ok with some help. And is there any good reason to drop the bike whilst stationary? ;)
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And is there any good reason to drop the bike whilst stationary? ;)
Yes, there is. When a guy cuts a left turn onto the side street you are sitting at and is surely going to clip you. Fortunately, when I stood up to jump off, my MIL SPEC vest caught his attention and he veered off into the yard on the right and chit his britches before continueing on.
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You're right. Very good reason to jump off of a perfectly good bike while stationary.. I imagine it was a close call with your britches as well.
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(Apparently this is some seriously high quality chroming). If there was a large section of damage, I would probably consider sending it back to MCE.
We use one of the top chromers in California, actually. After all, what's a good, strong product without a decent finish? Anyway, I'm glad to hear you're okay, Maxtog, and that the damage was relatively minor. If you do decide to send it back to us to get refinished, just let me know and I'll get it taken care of for you!
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We use one of the top chromers in California, actually. After all, what's a good, strong product without a decent finish? Anyway, I'm glad to hear you're okay, Maxtog, and that the damage was relatively minor. If you do decide to send it back to us to get refinished, just let me know and I'll get it taken care of for you!
8)
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Good to hear it was minor Max! My lower fairing never touched when I dropped mine, but I never really looked that closely. I'll have to take a look. I've yet to sand and touch up my bars...too damn cold now.
One thing that I've noticed though that is bothering me is that the stainless steal bolts on the bars are rusting. You can see in Max's photo there is rust inside where the allen wrench goes. This should not be happening...right? Should different bolts be used?
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One thing that I've noticed though that is bothering me is that the stainless steal bolts on the bars are rusting. You can see in Max's photo there is rust inside where the allen wrench goes. This should not be happening...right? Should different bolts be used?
Yes, I did notice that but have not asked MCE yet if they think that is "normal" or if I should be requesting replacement bolts.
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Yes, I did notice that but have not asked MCE yet if they think that is "normal" or if I should be requesting replacement bolts.
It shouldn't happen but it does from time to time. It has to do with the chroming process itself. Due to the shape of hardware (especially some nuts and most bolts) the chrome tends to settle unevenly in some spaces. The hardware we use is extremely high grade, rust just tends to happen from time to time especially if you live in a humid or wet environment. If you guys would like some replacement bolts just shoot me an email or call me and I'll get some shiny new replacements sent out to you at no charge.
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It shouldn't happen but it does from time to time. It has to do with the chroming process itself. Due to the shape of hardware (especially some nuts and most bolts) the chrome tends to settle unevenly in some spaces. The hardware we use is extremely high grade, rust just tends to happen from time to time especially if you live in a humid or wet environment. If you guys would like some replacement bolts just shoot me an email or call me and I'll get some shiny new replacements sent out to you at no charge.
I'm going to see if I can find some small hole plugs that will fit. All 4 of mine (front and rear) have rust on them, and new bolts will probably do the same thing.
Thanks Ryan for offering replacements.
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I'm going to see if I can find some small hole plugs that will fit. All 4 of mine (front and rear) have rust on them, and new bolts will probably do the same thing.
http://projektd.com/product_info.php?products_id=181&osCsid=2f1fd72b14149e0a183cf3d3bacd3fb2 (http://projektd.com/product_info.php?products_id=181&osCsid=2f1fd72b14149e0a183cf3d3bacd3fb2)
http://projektd.com/product_info.php?products_id=185&osCsid=2f1fd72b14149e0a183cf3d3bacd3fb2 (http://projektd.com/product_info.php?products_id=185&osCsid=2f1fd72b14149e0a183cf3d3bacd3fb2)