Hi Guys, just me again :-)
I bought a usb plug today for my gps and took the seat off to access the battery, (this is where i expect you to laugh as i did).
The battery isn't under the seat is it :-)
The manual says its under the right side cover but is very vague in saying how to access it.
Im scared to break a clip or tear a grommet or something.

Can someone tell me from experience please, How do i get to the battery ?

Sincerely
Ms Maddy xx

* Last updated by: Maddy on 10/25/2015 @ 5:19 AM *

Hmmm...I'll try.

1)remove large silver bolts at rear of side panel.
2)remove small allen bolt at the front inside rubber tab attachment.(black screw).
3)remove quickrivets(2)on that rubber piece attached to plastic inner part.
4)Pull rubber 'boot' forward and over plastic tab on side panel to clear the tab.BE CAREFUL not to snap that tab off.I use a thin allen key to get under the rubber lip and peel forward over the 'flange' on the sidecover tab where the screw goes through).You don't need to completely remove it 'over' that tab...just enough to allow the tab itself to move rearward when you start pulling back on the sidecover.
5)grasp rear part of side cover with left hand.Slide left hand under the sidecover and pull gently outward to clear the two projections in the sidecover.You'll feel em pull free as you pull this piece towards you...Rock downward to clear the upper edge tabs in the midfairing/tank cover.Don't overdo this.Just down far enough to clear the tank cover there.It will still be attached at the front of the sidecover/midfairing pocket(the four tines and 'plate').
6)Gently move the side cover up and down while pulling rearward with left hand,and right hand supporting and holding(pulling as well)at the front where it goes into the midfairing slot(s).Go easy with this.Rock and pull rearward at the same time.It'll come free..just might take a couple of tries though.
7)Battery cover is the black piece with the one silver large bolt in it.Remove bolt.Pop cover off(pulling towards you.It also has a projection on it(behind).

THIS is CRITICAL....when reinstalling the upper silver bolt in the sidecover and tank cover seam...DO NOT push that bolt in there.Insert it lightly to get it in the right spot..then turn carefully into the wellnut.DO NOT PUSH it into the wellnut(VERY lightly is okay).Turn and allow the bolt to start threading.Then continue tightening...without pushing with the allen key.That wellnut CAN pop free to the inside of the metal tab it's attached to.And into the airbox...trust me...you don't want that to happen.

When reinstalling the side cover..slide sidecover back into front pocket.At the same time,make sure the upper edge tab(s) are going under the lip(tank cover and midfairing)and that the front forward facing tab on the sidecover is sliding UNDER the rubber piece there.Once in place,push gently where the projections are at(use a bit of spit on the projections prior to reinstalling sidecover).It will pop onto those projections and be flat along the contour of the body panels.Recheck upper edge of sidecover to make sure the small tab is in the upper piece tab slot.

Reinstall quickrivets.Reinstall black small screw.Reinstall large silver bolt(lower one in sidecover)and give a final tighten to the upper wellnut bolt.

When reinstalling that rubber piece over the front tab..there's a flange on it(along the outside edge)...that sits 'on' the plastic fairing piece there..not tucked underneath it or 'inside' of it.Look how it's sitting on there(over the fairing piece) prior to removing with the sidecover installed.

The manual has about 5 steps to doing this...but they don't really explain the smaller details.They're assuming a tech is working on the bike..not the owner.It sounds complicated a bit how I described it...but after a try or two...you'll get it easily.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 10/25/2015 @ 7:02 AM *

I'm going from memory as if you've seen one panel you've seen them all. Look at the finned side cover. Study the panel, find every bolt or hex head that holds the cheeze-grader in place. That's the bolt side of it. The next is the rear of the panel. Those are used with the panel having an extension that pops into a rubber grommet. The last is the way the panel is 'fork slotted' at the front.

So as you study the 3 combos:
1. As Grn has stated, the wellnuts used can pop into the frame>>> if forced inserting the bolt. Same goes for tightness. The rubber acts as a cushion and a tension holder. These are hand finessed on along with a snug fit, not crack the plastic, but tight without moving the wellnuts.
2. The molded in tab behind the panel. You're going to use vaseline at the grommet. This way, the pull at the plastic is less drastic. Easier service door call it.
3. Here is where the fork slots at the front panel are snapped into the side panel. That's pretty much your 3 moves at the panel. Find the hidden screws; pop the back panel out of the grommet; pull the rear panel out a few inches to clear; left hand on the rear panel, right hand near the slots, pull back or snap back out of the slots. Any angle from square is going to tag the next fin down or up.
4. Remove the heavy ground cable first. Note that this is the frame with a threaded hole. No sacrificial hole for the ground. So this bolt going back in also has that tightness you know at soft metals that are used a lot.
5. At the base of the battery case, find both 8mm [head size] bolts, remove the band holding the tray, slide the whole tray out to access the battery.
6. This is the time to use vaseline at the battery's nuts, bolts, and cable ends. Take a flat edge razor, scrape the top of the lead posts clean and shinny. The accessory eyelets if not new looking and shinny. Razor off to clean metal; the bottom of the cable's eyelet. Use plenty of vaseline around the shinny contact points, threads at the nuts and bolts, fill the nut cavity under the battery posts. Lots of chemical reaction happening around that magnetic field so the crystallization finds its way under the contact points you scrapped off. All of a sudden no start you didn't prep the battery posts. Ask me how I know.

* Last updated by: Hub on 10/25/2015 @ 9:28 AM *

That wellnut CAN pop free to the inside of the metal tab it's attached to.And into the airbox...trust me...you don't want that to happen.

1. As Grn has stated, the wellnuts used can pop into the frame>>> if forced inserting the bolt. Same goes for tightness. The rubber acts as a cushion and a tension holder. These are hand finessed on along with a snug fit, not crack the plastic, but tight without moving the wellnuts.

I can't speak for the Gen2 but the Gen1 has a similar quirk. I've never heard of a well nut getting pushed into the air box on the Gen1 but I have heard of them splitting from tightening that fastener at the back peak of the tank cover. The more you tighten, the more the rubber of the well nut expands to squeeze into the hole it fits in. The well nut will eventually expand so much that it will split against the thin sides of the hole and then the inside portion of the well nut will fall inside of the airbox. The Gen1 has a trough to catch water and any possible debris right below the wellnut so that is where it would safely fall. I'm sure the Gen2 must have the same setup. If that ever happens, I would get it out ASAP anyway. That entails removing the fuel tank and the air box access doors. Lots of work for a chunk of rubber and brass. The moral is, don't tighten these nuts. finger tight and then another turn and a half or two is good if you use an L shaped allen key. The compressed rubber keeps these fasteners from vibrating out and tightness is unnecessary and just deforms the rubber of the wellnut. I follow that rule on all the wellnut fasteners. ...like if you take a swig of your Coke and you screw the cap back on to save in the fridge for tomorrow...that's about max tight on a wellnut (I was going to use a nail polish bottle example but thought better of it ).

definitely no wrenches on plastics fasteners. Absolutely no LokTite on wellnuts ever or you'll never get the screw out. A little blue LokTite on fairing fasteners that do not have wellnuts--I don't use the LokTite every time because the stuff seems to be good for 2-3 uses--it can get built up to the point that it is a little hard to tell if it's LokTite or if the screw threads are crossed/binding so I feel it's good to let the stuff wear out before reapplying.

Maddy

Here is a thread with the Link to the factory service manual.
http://zx14ninjaforum.com/messages.cfm?threadid=A6D9C5D1-D56B-84E2-1AC877781E3CF7AC

Jet

...but don't stop asking questions cuz those SMs are sometimes misleading or perhaps plain old mistranslated in some cases.

X2 ask away.

Just wanted to give Maddy a option if she was in a hurry for answers. I'm normally wrenching at night while you jokers are sleeping. ;)
So, I downloaded the manual to my thumb drive.

Jet

Yep got to it, Thanks guys,

Now i can wire up my usb and my trickle charge plug.

Those little rubber grommets worry me, especially dry.
I put a smidge of rubber grease on them when i re assemble and anti seize every nut and bolt.

Big Battery, 12AH :-0

Thanks for the Manual Jetfix , thats 173 pages of good reading, im going to get it printed and bound, so cool but i will still be bugging you guys even with a manuel, nothing like real knowledge.

I would have been too scared to do that without your help guys,
Big Thank You once again.

Maddy xx

Hey Maddy, we're always here to help. Now go find your air cleaner....

Mad

I'd check the price of a Kawasaki Service manual for your bike. It might be about the same price as having it copied (if you can find a print shop that will copy copyrighted material). Just make sure it's a genuine Kaw manual and not a knockoff. I just go with the free downloads.

"I would have been too scared to do that without your help"...uhh...you're riding the baddest big bike out there..."too scared"...I somehow can't picture thatLOL.

Dont get me wrong, i can get the knee down and i wear chicken nipples off tyre's going down the street
(especially if there is a shoe sale on lol)
but i love my 14 soo much i dont want to break any bits working on it.

Maddy xx

Maddy,
Great job working on your bike. I found this in the forsale threads a while back and orderd the manual for my 06. $10 plus shipping. I just checked the site and they have the 08-11 manual for $10 also. I didn't see the 12-? in there. I was very impressed with the quality. These aren't cheep nock-offs. Full blown reprints of factory service manuals. Search manuals in this forum and you can read the thread if you want.

Dave

http://www.service-shop-repair-manual.com/brands/Kawasaki.html

Thanks Dave. I might have a look at that too. An affordable hard copy is always handy.

http://www.service-shop-repair-manual.com/brands/Kawasaki.html

Here's the 08-11 zx14. Holy crap, save $80!!

http://www.service-shop-repair-manual.com/2008-2011-kawasaki-zx-14-zzr1400-abs-part-99924-1389-04-service-shop-repair-manual/

These are new, dealer/factory service/shop repair manuals just as the dealers have and use. NOT a CD manual and NOT derived from a CD manual! Why pay more?
.........

DO NOT buy other non factory generic junk.... it's useless! Beware the CD version, it only covers general concepts shared with OTHER VEHICLES. Beware of the CD version of the NON FACTORY service manual... garbage! Besides, you will strain your eyes trying to read the crooked scans on the computer screen.

I see the H2 SM is there for $10, Grn.

* Last updated by: Rook on 10/28/2015 @ 9:25 AM *

"I see the H2 SM is there for $10, Grn."...thanks Rookster.Already have one however...came with the bike;)