hey guys, and girls lol, I'm new here, but figured this would be and is the best place to start..
I picked up an 06 zx-14 from a dealer, 11k miles, i've been having some major issues with the bike the list is endless, i've got pics of the problems and video as well..EVERYONE knows about the recall of course on the 06-07 models, so i decided to look at mine, tell me what you guys think, i've already got my own assumption, a blind man can see that in these pics... the first one is the CLUTCH side of the bike, the area thats prone to crack or break.. look at the factory weld.... the 2nd picture, well should speak for itself.. what do you guys think? go ahead and let it out lmao...
http://www.zx14ninjaforum.com/userfiles/06kawi/20140604_150238.jpg
http://www.zx14ninjaforum.com/userfiles/06kawi/20140604_150208.jpg

* Last updated by: 06kawi on 6/4/2014 @ 3:44 PM *

I would hope the dealer would have inspected it for the recall before they sold it. Mine didn't look cracked to me, even with a magnifying glass, but the dealer found a crack with dye, so I wouldn't guess by a pic. On inspection, if the engine mount is over-torqued, and there's no evidence of a crack, they just re-torque. I would contact the dealer and verify that they inspected it for the recall. You should be able to check with Kaw if it was inspected by vin #. You can also check the torque yourself to see if it's correct.

IF it's been checked....you look at the steering stem unit(frame)and you SHOULD see two small punch divits on the right hand side somewhere in there....does it have those?Course...alg8er is right...you can look your bike up via VIN #...and see if it is okay;)

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 6/5/2014 @ 4:43 AM *

I entered the VIN # on Kawasaki's website the other day, it said there weren't any recalls for my bike, so I'm completely lost especially looking at the welds on the frame where they are notorious for the cracking and what not.. And the issues with the bike are driving me nuts, the head shake at 40-50, yes I've had a brand new set of tires put on front and rear, head shake is still there, the front tire when removed was knotted up all around the tire as to why I got a new set put on, the dealer kept the bike for 15 days and said they installed steering head bearings, but yet still the head shake is still there..oh and they "straightened" up my rear wheel because it was crooked they said, but they were the ones that installed the tire lol.. It's just not adding up to me is all, because my adjusters in the rear are WAY off, chain popping like crazy and jumping around and whatnot.. I have some pics of the adjusters on both sides showing how jacked up they are, and a short video of the bike running on a rear stand and the chain going crazy, but it won't let me add them from my phone, I'm at work

Your adjusters should be right about midline....chain flopping with no load could be normal.Headshake?Usually new tires correct that....IF you can raise it by putting a jack under the motor....just enough to lift the front wheel slightly off the ground(you'll need a rear stand to hold her upright)...you could check your steering bearings and any free play.May just need a small tightening of you steering stem nut.You really can't tell when the front's on the ground.There is a section in the shop manual on how to raise her up...and check for slop in the steering unit.The welds look fine to me....not on the recall....she's good to go then;)

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 6/5/2014 @ 8:32 AM *

If you are using a swing arm pivot stand, that will definitely make your chain run rough because there is no tension on the chain. If its a spool stand, that should add tension but not as much as it would with the weight of a rider. If it runs smooth with you on it, that's all that matters.

The head shake might be rotors or a bent wheel.

Check the chain tension

http://www.zx14ninjaforum.com/messages.cfm?threadid=6AE7FFEE-D56B-84E2-15072A3BDDB69729

wheel and rotor runout

http://zx14ninjaforum.com/messages.cfm?threadid=FD2A4FD7-1372-66AE-3BACEDB7D6E3004F

steering play

http://www.zx14ninjaforum.com/messages.cfm?threadid=44F2EE8E-D56B-84E2-1BA7F40F0997C0E5

If what you mean by "jacked up" is the that the rear axle is not adjusted to the same place on both sides, that is the first thing I would try. It is definitely wrong whether or not it is causing the headshake or the chain roughness. Align the rear axle and adjust the chain to proper tension.

* Last updated by: Rook on 6/5/2014 @ 10:38 AM *

Check to see if the shaft for your front sprocket is bent. I had a bike that I couldn't figure out why the chain was jumping around so much and the front shaft was bent. I would spin the wheel and the chain would "jump around" or "loosen and tighten" as the wheel spun. It also created a vibration. I'm no expert but it sounds just like the problem I had.

If your chain adjusters are way off, and that's the way the dealer set them to "straighten" the rear wheel, I'd check the alignment to make sure nothings bent.

wheel alignment

Or you can lay a long enough straight edge across the rear wheel, measure distance from side of front, and compare to the other side. My KZ900 had a head shake on tight curves, and a weave on slow curves. Frame was bent. It doesn't cover every possibility, but it's an easy, quick, cheap start.

* Last updated by: alg8er on 6/6/2014 @ 1:44 AM *

I hope this doesn't turn out to be another dealership service fukup story.

If it is, maybe they will give you a free oil change.

I'm not trying to be an ass to you, 06kawi. I just have read so many threads about bad service at shops (and had bad experiences myself) that I'm totally put off it. I decided never to bring my bike there.

* Last updated by: Rook on 6/6/2014 @ 7:49 AM *

Looks like casting flash and not a crack. If it was a crack it would have let go already.Chain it dry and what is in between the plates looks like shinny metal specks.

I'd look for crash damage to see why it handles so funny? Bars go one way and the front end looks like it's pointing another way? That's a throwaway. Frame recalls were within a certain production run is my guess. You's might not be in the recall range.

1. New sprockets
2. New chain
3. New tires

Not much more you can do to bulletproof. Sans the crash out of the way, handling comes down to wheel alignment and fresh rubber.

Sorry guys that I'm just now getting back to your replies.. I appreciate all the input and knowledge you guys are throwing out here for me.. I can't upload pics here from my phone as to why I haven't posted the pics of the adjusters on each side of the bike.. The bike is at a shop right now, I requested a full written inspection report be done on the bike, also I asked for the frame to be checked for possibly being bent, the swing arm, and wheel alignment.. I don't exactly know the rules here, so I'll ask before I do, am I allowed to post a link to another forum that I've been visiting? I've posted all my pics there and will give you guys a better idea as well

http://zx1441r.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=1953

Sorry in advance if this isn't allowed.. But here is the thread on another forum

My GOD, I've posted links to busa.org and nobody said anything! Here's 06kaw's thread at 1441r.com thy're good folks, I hear.

http://zx1441r.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=1953

I see what you mean about your adjusters are jacked up. Indeed, the left is at the third mark and the the right is at the fourth mark. For anyone not familiar with chain tension adjustment, turning the adjuster bolts 1/6 of a turn or less is usually all that is needed to tighten a loose chain. The difference between one whole mark must be at least 5-6 whole turns!!!!!!!

Check the axle nut torque. It looks to me like what happened is that the axle on the throttle side slid backward in the slot. I think the adjuster bolts look like they are both adjusted to the same spot. If the block was contacting, it probably would be on the third mark like it is on the clutch side.

It is VERY strange that the axle would slide backward. The force of the drive chain tends to pull the wheel forward against the adjusters.

One of two possible scenarios here:
#1 They pulled the axle way back on the right to compensate for a bent wheel and forgot to set the adjuster.
#2 The adjuster locknut is loose and the adjuster bolt has vibrated into the swingarm, away from the adjuster block.

Either case, that is quite rigjob. I can't believe they would send it out and call it fixed.

I think you should get a balancing stand and check wheel runout.

How the hell does misaligning the axle compensate for a bent wheel anyway? If it's still bent, now it is bent and misaligned. A wheel that is crooked is crooked in one spot and a misalgined wheel is pointed the wrond way all the way around. If I'm wrong, somebody please speak up.

My .02, DON'T GO BACK TO THAT SHOP. Find another if you must but these guys are stroking you. might as well check that rear wheel before you bother with anything else. That could easily be the whole cause of the head shake. I'd suspect the front wheel but obviously there is something very amiss with the rear.

* Last updated by: Rook on 6/6/2014 @ 6:41 PM *

06, if your wheel was held fast through the axle hole and one side was bent left and the opposite side bent right, I can see how misaligning the axle would compensate. Still majorly fukked work. That wheel runnout is way out of spec. Check it and replace it. If they were reefing on your wheel that hard that they bent the spokes while the hub was held fast through the axle hole, I'd want to check those wheel bearings too.

I can't see how replacing a tire would bend a whole wheel. Maybe the rim where the tire beads but not the whole wheel. I used tire irons on my OEM rim and it is very strong. Also on my aluminum rims and no bend there at all.

We need a "getting stroked" emoticon.

Thanks again for the replies guys, and thanks rook for input lol, a getting "stroked" emoticon needs to be in the works for sure..

I agree with you, this bike was a half assed hackjob to say the least, when the "dealer" kept my bike for 15 days, they were told to check steering head/neck bearings, wheel bearings, cam chain, figure out why it has headshake at 40-50 mph and so on.. the way you see my bike now, in the pics and stuff is the way they sent it out the door, on a 120 mile ride home, it felt good, for a few miles anyways, till the problems came back shortly after i left there, i was too far down the interstate to turn around because my girlfriend had to be at work by 5 and we were pushed for time as it was because the dealer took over an hour after i got there to get me my bike... like i said before, the only thing i can tell they did to my bike was raise the bars up front, thats it.

Sadly though, the bike is still under the dealers warranty, but i've already told them, they aren't touching that bike again, that's why it's at a local shop now getting a full inspection done from head to toe.. Like i said on the other forum, they "the dealership" said they replaced the steering head/neck bearings, they didnt replace wheel bearings because they felt that "straightening" the rear wheel would fix my chain popping and jumping issue, when the parts guy seen my bike when i first dropped it off at the dealership, he said "you're running crooked, i can see that, we will take care of you" blah blah blah.. yea, fukk them that's for sure lol, but i did demand them to email me the work order that was done on my bike while they had it for 15 days, i've asked 3-4 times with no response, figures huh? dickheads.. but i do have it in an email, from the owner, what they did to the bike, just not an official work order so that will have to do

HUB, i wasnt saying that the frame looks cracked, i was saying that the frame looked like it had cracked before or something and someone had welded on the frame, instead of doing a recall or taking it in to check, to me and alot of people, looks like it was done by hand instead

And as far as the chain jumping around, the bike was on a rear stand, with no load, and it was terrible!! and the reason why i had it on the rear stand in 1st gear letting it just idle along, is because on my way home from the dealer, i left a stop sign, and that damn chain, jumped, popped, snapped, almost the whole way through first gear, so i just decided to put it on a rear stand, let it run and take a video of what its doing, its alot worse when it is under a load, like the stop sign issue i mentioned... like i said, it's just turned out to be a nightmare, and then the dealer emailing me because i left a bad review on their facebook lol, and offering to buy the bike back for $5500 and me take one hell of a loss, he's nuts, i will not be the one taking a loss thats for sure, and damn sure not a $2000 loss for riding a bike 3-4 times, the rest of the time its been at a shop

06Kaw....the tire mfg's always say.....'break your new tires in"...meaning...and they mention this....DO NOT do any hard breaking until 100 miles has passed.The new rubber has to go through a few heat cycles to get chemically optimized.You can set your tire up for a not so great performance by running the s*** out of it too soon.Also...cornering...you may not see any cupping or wear...but a shaking steering head....especially at 40-50 mph...is a pretty good sign of improper tire wear.That's why a lot of zx 14 owners have experienced this...and replaced the front tire.Break in of that tire is CRITICAL on how it will perform later on.Once you begin riding it...on new tires...they're on the soft side until the heat cycles firm up the rubber...if you have a wear problem...the broken in tire will remain intact...and it won't EVER go away until it's replaced.Like I said...you may not SEE the wear visually.And it sounds like you need to readjust your chain....It's obviously too loose.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 6/6/2014 @ 8:20 PM *

I guess my tires get worn in pretty much the way manufactureres suggest because I'm not comfortable corbering hard on a fresh tire...so I never had any trouble with shakey tires. Kruz says he wears his almost to the edge right away and he has never had this problem either. I don't think it's the tires. There's too many other signs that the rear wheel is messed up.

A misaligned wheel could cause a chain to run rough. Also cause the silver specs in the chain that Hub noticed. The rear sprocket may have accelerated wear from running crooked to the front sprocket.

It's definitely not my tires, I had a brand new tire installed, less than 100 miles on it, and I'm not hard on anything, I've laid a bike down in the past, my days of being stupid are done, I just cruise around and every now and again open it up on a straight stretch, no hard corners, no knee dragging lol or anything else, the 100 miles on the new rubber was a straight line.. Now, on the other hand, when I changed the front tire, the one that came off was jacked up to hell and back, it looked brand new but had knots all over it that you only could feel with your hand, which is why I replaced the tire, thinking that was the head shake problem, but no, it's still there..

Agree with Rook, there is way too much other shit going on with that bike that is causing all the problems.. I can't wait till the tech gets back with me that has the bike now, knd of like a kid on christmas, I'm gonna take that asshole dealer to cleaners

If it come to litigation, they will say that you must have caused the damage/problems yourself after taking the bike from them. It will be up to you to prove that you didn't. If they didn't admit to bending the wheel (and it is in fact bent), that might be a tough point to prove. It still would be worth while to be a pain in their arse as much as you can. Looks like you already nailed 'em with the facebook review. I'm sure they deleted it but hopefully it was up for at least a couple hours.

Man I hate hearing horror stories about people getting screwed by the dealer. The dealer is supposed to be the best place to take your car or bike. Especially because the dealer here is really good. They aren't perfect and I love supporting them by giving them buisiness, but I hope you get it all sorted out in your favor man.

When I got my brand new 2011 home from the dealership, I found an after-market battery installed when I went to hook up the battery tender wires. When I put her on the tender, it took over 12 hours for the battery to come up to a full charge. I took the after-market battery back and demanded the OEM Yuasa I bought and paid for, and they made it right. Oh, and get this, they had installed the after-market battery backwards, and just showed the plastic top cover in there. Needless to say, they will never work on my bike.

Depending on what battery tender you are using, 12 hours may not be unusual. I would not be surprised if it's the BT Jr.

I did not have a Yuasa in my 08. Worked for 2.5-3 years which is typical. It was heavier than a Yuasa though.

Oh, and get this, they had installed the after-market battery backwards, and just showed the plastic top cover in there. Needless to say, they will never work on my bike.

I suppose they stretched the rubber band over the top of the battery? If not, go back and get free rubber band from them.