Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: CobraJock477 on September 07, 2013, 04:08:29 AM
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My C14 has recently developed blistering on the topside of the front gear case cover. I’ve compared it to two other C14 and one of those exhibited similar issues but at a much more advance stages. Obviously Kawasaki has a deficiency or failure somewhere in their manufacturing process. Anyone have any information regarding these symptoms and possible courses of action?
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Almost forgot pics...
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Looks like damage caused by clutch/brake fluid.
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Looks like it was used too much when it was new. ;)
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I'm not sure it's brake or clutch fluid, it looks like corrosion under the paint to me... Geez, now I have to check my bike. It's the first time here we've been made aware of this issue.
What's above that area in the photo? I don't have my bike with me at the moment so I can't look, but that bolt above the area looks as though it's doing the same thing. Is that casing magnetic or is aluminum?
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After seeing those pics I had to go out to the garage and check my bike. Mine's still perfect. :)
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After seeing those pics I had to go out to the garage and check my bike. Mine's still perfect. :)
Is the clutch slave cylinder above or below that location?
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Is the clutch slave cylinder above or below that location?
I'm not going out to the garage again, it's your turn.
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...sigh...I'm at work, bikes not. I'll report back in a few hours. 8)
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I'm not going out to the garage again, it's your turn.
Your garage must be some distance from your home, eh?
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Work? :o
You must be hard at it eh? ;)
I went back out to the garage and took a looksee. Yep, the clutch slave cylinder is right there but it's ahead and below of it. No way it could have dripped fluid onto that case.
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Your garage must be some distance from your home, eh?
It seems that way at times...
I was still enjoying my first cup-o-coffee and couldn't be bothered. I had to get up for my second cup anyways so I took the long hike out the back door to the garage.
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Work? :o
You must be hard at it eh? ;)
I went back out to the garage and took a looksee. Yep, the clutch slave cylinder is right there but it's ahead and below of it. No way it could have dripped fluid onto that case.
Yeah, the joys of being selfemployed.
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It seems that way at times...
I was still enjoying my first cup-o-coffee and couldn't be bothered. I had to get up for my second cup anyways so I took the long hike out the back door to the garage.
Thanks for the effort. I was up at 530 this morning and am on a job at the moment... Hope to be on the road by mid-day or so.
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Never thought of clutch fluid causing the blistering. Although, there's never been any leaking etc so I think not. I believe its poor adhesion of the top coating similar to what you would see in a bad paint job if the base material isn't clean enough. I could see it being a one-off except for the other bike I checked had it worse than mine.
I need to schedule a service so I thought I'd point it out to Kawasaki to see what they have to say.
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And what model year/year of purchase might yours be?
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2011
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Look closely at the pics in post #1 (click 'em twice to zoom). The bolt above the area of corrosion is also a bit corroded and has some green stuff on it, unless that's a artifact from the camera?
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Pics are two different bikes?
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Can't say for sure, but the battery is right above that location. When on the sidestand, any leakage from the battery will flow down to the left side and might drip onto that cover. I don't see any corrosion on my bike but there is some green stuff on the heads of the bolts :yikes: Battery is coming out today!
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Pics are two different bikes?
Yes.
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Can't say for sure, but the battery is right above that location. When on the sidestand, any leakage from the battery will flow down to the left side and might drip onto that cover. I don't see any corrosion on my bike but there is some green stuff on the heads of the bolts :yikes: Battery is coming out today!
You maybe on to something there. That green looks like the same color as the crap that appears on the negative terminal of the battery.
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I'll pull the battery and see what it looks like in the case and let you know.
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Could be just the reason I need for buying a gel battery! 8)
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I have an 08. purchased 7/07, rode it a lot during 3 winters in Va., and it did see some salt.
it is my opinion that your bikes paint was compromised by contaminants on the metal, prior to painting.
I would ask the dealer to document it, get Kaw involved, and have that cover replaced. It is a warrantee item when a corrosion below the paint, which opens to atmospher and WILL continue to worsen, requires intervention.
here's my bike;
(http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u672/MAN_OF_BLUES/old%201/COG%20TECHNICAL%20PHOTOS/IMGP2185_zps41a68a55.jpg) (http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/MAN_OF_BLUES/media/old%201/COG%20TECHNICAL%20PHOTOS/IMGP2185_zps41a68a55.jpg.html)
(http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u672/MAN_OF_BLUES/old%201/COG%20TECHNICAL%20PHOTOS/IMGP2179_zpsce7cc2b1.jpg) (http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/MAN_OF_BLUES/media/old%201/COG%20TECHNICAL%20PHOTOS/IMGP2179_zpsce7cc2b1.jpg.html)
(http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u672/MAN_OF_BLUES/old%201/COG%20TECHNICAL%20PHOTOS/IMGP2182_zpsd811b902.jpg) (http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/MAN_OF_BLUES/media/old%201/COG%20TECHNICAL%20PHOTOS/IMGP2182_zpsd811b902.jpg.html)
(http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u672/MAN_OF_BLUES/old%201/COG%20TECHNICAL%20PHOTOS/IMGP2184_zpsf7ce206d.jpg) (http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/MAN_OF_BLUES/media/old%201/COG%20TECHNICAL%20PHOTOS/IMGP2184_zpsf7ce206d.jpg.html)
I do have some "roughness" of the material sub paint, but now openings, or corrosion, and my paint is adhered well, so I don't have issue.
The Green you see on those bolts, and you can see it on mine, is from a marker they use during assembly to mark fasteners as they torque them, it is basically a sponge with ink, inside the socket of the wrench, which deposits the ink onto the bolt head for visual verification during QC.
I noticed this when I went over the bike top to bottom and checked all the bolts, as per the owners manual, @ 500 miles. I did clean a lot of them to remove the ink, but you can see I missed a spot on one... oooops.
The clutch cylinder is below the assembly, so brake fluid ain't the issue, and also, the sealed batteries have no vent to drip there, although we have documented many, ok maybe not many, but a lot, of instances of the OEM 08-10 batt's venting around the negative terminal, and causing fluffy corrosion there, this was localized, and does not migrate down to this area.
this is the battery Mung
(http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u672/MAN_OF_BLUES/old%201/COG%20TECHNICAL%20PHOTOS/2967590240015463693RaqCJR_ph.jpg) (http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/MAN_OF_BLUES/media/old%201/COG%20TECHNICAL%20PHOTOS/2967590240015463693RaqCJR_ph.jpg.html)
Hope this sheds light.
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Could be just the reason I need for buying a gel battery! 8)
your bike came with an excellent battery, if you really want to replace it, do a search for "battery" and include post by "man of blues", that wil yeild the posting I made for a battery that is a sealed unit, that won't break the bank, and will be at your house about 40 hours after it's ordered....
Gell batts fail also, and when they do, stuff goobers out also...
;)
I didn't buy a battery because my was venting and corroding the terminal, that was caused by a micro-pore believe me, it there was any leak whatsoever, the issue would have been a lot worse looking, that battery got cleaned up, and grease applied around the post, which actually sealed it in lieu of applying glue... it finally died last year, after 5 years, with some extended times of no riding.... and I never used a battery tender till right before it died....
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Look closely at the pics in post #1 (click 'em twice to zoom). The bolt above the area of corrosion is also a bit corroded and has some green stuff on it, unless that's a artifact from the camera?
your comment made me go back and look, not at the green stuff, i already explained that, but i did look at the substrate metal, and also the thickness of the powdercoating that was peling off....
the substrate is totally black, it should be some semblance of gray/grayish white, because it is aluminum... very odd...., now as for coating thickness, generically these coatings are very thick, about 4-5 mils, (at least .005" thick), and when applied in an area like that, they end up thicker due to powder clumping, those loose edges look to be about 1.5 to 2 mils, and applied over metal that was never "pristine".