My 13 zx14r with 3k miles is just about out of coolant. Is this normal? I know the bike runs hot here in hot ass Cali. Seems like alot of coolant used in such few miles.

My 13 zx14r with 3k miles is just about out of coolant

You mean in the reservoir or you mean completely? Cause if you mean completely most likely you either have a leak, or an internal leak leaking into your intake/cylinders or oil. IIRC you just bought your bike new, I wouldn't expect it to even lose any coolant. Maybe it's different in different parts of the country, but even 100 degree temperature doesn't make a whole lot of difference on running temps.

[quote][/"My 13 zx14r with 3k miles is just about out of coolant"quote]
Was it every checked when purchase from the dealer

* Last updated by: SlowmoZX14 on 8/13/2014 @ 4:35 PM *

I mean the reservoir. I've watched slowly get real low. I don't know if it was topped off at the dealer when I purchased the bike. Should i be concerned? I haven't seen a leak, but runs hot as hell.

Like I said woo, if it's normal for your part of the country then I guess it's normal. But you should know if it's SOP where you live or not. Here, that's pretty completely abnormal. I flushed my trucks radiator 2 summers ago and haven't added 1 drop of coolant.

I live in So. CA and my bike doesn't really use coolant, it stays pretty much near the top line
when hot ....

Ok now I'm concerned. The bike almost always stays between 215° to 225°. Freaking hot. Guess I will take it to the dealer and have them look at it.

Hub???????

Do not touch it. Let the dealer make sure that bike is sealed tight. I want a hand pump on that radiator, the gauge needle pumped right into the red and walk away. So first thing, what dealer has a radiator tool with that small a fitting? Snap-on should be in someone's tool box and that be the tool. Do not go to a dealer that does not have one. Waste of time.

Your bike has documents and a paper trail from here on out. Warranty time. Top the rez extra high with same color coolant if you can't tow it there. Personally, I rather not start it. Do this. If you know how to get to the radi cap, better you pour it in there. But first call to see if:

1. Does a tech have the tool?
2. Do you have a pickup service?
3. Can I add coolant or would you rather I get the bike over without running it?
4. Oh well, inconvenienced and it is what it is.
5. Oh shit! I may have to bring it back to my same dealer for not prepping the bike correctly? Alleged that is.
6. Oh don't give me that crap at the drive. Write me up and hand me the pump. You see cars coming in to have their coolant drop at 3k? No. Then I had a prob from day one, were is the green crust/white stain from the coolant. Look under the bike from radi on back.

Thanks Hub. But I did already add coolant to the reservoir. I can siphon it out to were it was before?

Look in the radiator cap. Prolly have to take fairings off. If it is full up to the neck, you should be able to ride it to the dealership. It's not loosing coolant that bad.

I guess I'd syphon it back down to where it was. Call the dealership and express your concern first. They might tell you to put some coolant in there and come right over.

If your going to go through all the trouble to pull plastics, try to siphon coolant, etc etc. I would just go through and make sure all the hose clamps are tight. It may be something as simple as one loose, and enough coolant seeps out and runs down somewhere and burns off without leaving a drip. If that's the case, there should be evidence of it, a trail so to speak to follow back to the source.

As for it running hot, when you found it low and filled it; it may still have an air bubble in the system. Mine only gets to 200-205 after a bit of slow riding, when its over 80/85. Even then the fan kicks on, and cools it right down to under 200.

If its staying above 200 when riding, its got an issue. Are the fans running when this happens? It may still be just an air bubble, but you def want to get that checked.

take it to the dealer.

To get to the rez bottle only had to take off the foreman grill style fairing. I will siphon tomorrow and then call the dealer. I knew the bike was running too hot. Been like this from day 1. Will be pissed if something is really wrong.

Called the dealer just now. Was told that they probably didn't top the coolant off and we're sorry. They said there wasnt anything to be concerned about. They want the bike for a day to burp the system. Hmm a whole day...Will take it in next week. Should i still siphon to the original low level?

No need to siphon if it's where it's supposed to be. You could burp the system yourself pretty easy. The Gen 1 is just tip the bike side to side as far as you dare and tap the hoses with the cap off till you see no bubbles come up. The coolant WILL overflow the radiator while you do this. You let it cool down and top off cold. It's in the tutorial.

I was going to advise that you not worry too much right away when I first read this. If you have been seeing the level go down, there might be a problem or it might just be the coolant was not filled after they burped it the first time. If you feel like taking off fairings, you could check inside the cap. If it's way low you might want to fill to the top.

I never take the bike to the dealer. Can easily be more harm than good if there is no real problem. If they forgot to top off, what will they forget this time? I'd ask to watch while they do the work. Should take about an hour including fairings.

* Last updated by: Rook on 8/14/2014 @ 11:12 AM *

More I ponder on it the more I don't want to go to the dealer. Rook your right, if they forgot that what else would they forget. If all there going to do is burp it I can do that. I don't mind taking fairings off. I need to get comfortable doing that anyway. Then I will watch the cooling system closer.

1. Dealer eats the blown head gasket. And will it happen down the road? My odds say no. I could be wrong.
2. Fan has to come on, water bar is flashing, if not solid water bar and never flashed? Wasn't hot enough.
3. Now to the dealer. Am I going to apologize for a scratched fairing, we couldn't get to it, this is the busy season, it scratched pushing the other bikes in for the night, sorry.
4. I am a hand it over guy or I am a diy kind. Then, I better learn how to service my bike? Thanks but no thanks I can pop the cap, pour and squeeze a hose at the same time?
5. You have the dealer admitting a shoddy pdi (pre delivery inspection), now take it in?
6. Why lookit here, tools under the seat.
7. Why if I knew any better I better no listen to turtle and take it in.
8. What's a tool?

I can't remove this canister that's attached to the right fairing. Anyone knows what it is and how to remove it do I can get the side fairing off?

I can get to the radiator cap. The radiator is full. Once get this fairing out the way I will burp it.

* Last updated by: mrwoo on 8/14/2014 @ 2:41 PM *

Here is how you make money is time is money. Leave it alone. Work the hose and work the water. Let it hang or take a coat hanger and push it away from the work. So you hang the hanger on the bike and bend the hanger so the fairing sits on the hoses. There is not enough weight to stress the hoses, and watch out the canister stays and the fairing drops.

Water topped off? Then start the engine and make sure it bubbles or gets hot, stick your finger in the water so you know the pump is working or guess what? No water pump pumping if water is topped. All that rez did was top off the water when cooled.

Hub I did what you said and just hung the fairing and put towels around. I ran the engine and got it hot. Tapped on all the coolant lines. Did not see a bubble. The coolant was moving. So buttoned her back up. Time to go riding and just watch.

I agree. You could squeeze the hoses to get them to rush the fluid through and hopefully carry any water bubbles with. I think tapping with a screwdriver handle all alongthe hoses is fine. Fill the collant up to the neck if it was not there. Fill when cold! The fluid expands a lot when its hot so filling hot will still end up being low.

Cool woo I hope the best for your baby...I'm sure it's fine good on you for doing your maintenance checks.

I'm gonna go through my bike this weekend and check everything, tighten all the maintenance bolts again. I'm surprised how often I'm finding loose bolts.

Bubbles = Compression escapes thru coolant galleys and up comes a bubbling crude. Crude that is.
Hose squeeze = Purges or pushes the water in a forcing manor.
Tap with screwdriver = It's beginning to look a lot like I need to bust twoo wit one atmosphere. Knock-knock, who's there? Ba-bubble. BaHabubble who? Who can move milk out of a tit, a squeeze or a tap with a screwdriver?

Like C does occasionally, I'm messing with you, Rook.
It's that simple you pushing the penultimate. It's the 'only method' to a burping. Unless you take the radi tool and purge it that way too.

woo, monitor the rez like you have been. Are we sure this ambient outside is throwing you/me for a loop? Are we riding in that heat and finding out we are learning how hot these get, but no so hot it boils over?

The next thing is, who did the first 600mi service? Next thing is, are we checking what is low on coolant and where the level should be? Pg.127. Next is, if coolant was low, we have a loss per say, it can't be up at the top of the filler cap. Loss means a lot gone from the filler neck, sans what the recovery tank does.

Lets confuse the numbers yes or no?:
1. I did not read in the o-m, page 127 where the level should be, so I topped it off to the top line.
2. I know where my level should be and I was low when checked cold.
3. I never saw any flashing lights or noticed both fans on when that temp rose.
4. I really did not add that much, no one serviced the bike @ 600mi first service, so now I look @ 3k.
5. I did not have to add coolant at the radiator filler neck and that is the bottom line, hot eng, etc.
6. I squeezed the hoses but the level stayed the same, so a burp, no joy I still show a topped off neck.
7. I think I scared myself all this time, I just now noticed the coolant drop, the heat of the day, the [alleged] neglect at the first service.

8. "I have no leaks" on the garage floor.

I forgot to ask, what is this white crap on the rez vent hose?

It probably is aluminum corrosion form the coolant that was in your motor and spilled out. I wouldn't call it a smoking gun yet. I have seem traces of white powdery stuff now and then on my bike. Wash it off good, ride the bike and keep an eye on the fluid level. If you are having overflows or the level drop, you'll notice it. Then I'd call it a "smoking gun."

woo - just an fyi I checked my coolant tonight, 1900 miles, it's still tip top full. Granted we do live in different weather climates, but again that's not really a factor as far as I know.

As far as the white stuff, I agree with others it probably is dried coolant. Its difficult to tell but it looks like some of the same white stuff on your engine case, and clutch slave cylinder housing and bolts.