My ZX-14R is new, and lats night it got its first wash and wax. I was doing fine until I got to the OEM mufflers (you know, those huge bazookas that you simply cannot visually ignore . . .)

The end caps are plastic (yuck), but the surface of each muffler body is a very rough finish that looks and feels sort of like "asphalt". Its rough surface makes washing it unpleasant enough, as the cloth kept getting stuck on the surface as I tried to sweep it across.

Then it got worse, when I realized I had no idea whatsoever to apply to the muffler surfaces to preserve them (even though they don't deserve preserving, but rather disdain - WHY did Kawasaki use this crummy finish??).

Obviously, you cannot wax them. And I have no idea what the 303 Protectant I use on non-painted plastic surfaces would look like on, or do to, this "asphalt" surface.

What are you supposed to do after you wash the dirt off? (Beyond replacing the mufflers - Graves slip-ons, that will also knock 23.6 lb off the weight, are on order but Graves says they need to make sure first they will work with a center stand (April), and in the meantime . . . ?)

Jim G

I think I wouldn't put any kind of wax or anything on there.Just a 'soft' brush to wash em with.And let em air dry?IDK.Strange having that finish like that.

I find it difficult to wrap my head around trying to pretty up the enormous, obese, OEM bazooka potato launchers, but if it were me I'd wax 'em. If it works, great. If not, meh. Now, on to more interesting things:

I dunno Graves, but the Muzzy slip ons I have, which included new stainless mid pipes, did not have a bracket to 'catch' the center stand when in the up position, so I fabricated a bracket and had it welded on ... see pic below. It goes on the right side mid pipe. In the bracket I fabbed, I drilled a hole the same diameter as the OEM bracket's hole, and popped the OEM rubber stop into that hole. So that's one way to handle it. Another is to buy a different slip on brand: I know some of the aftermarket slip ons do include the center stand bracket. I think Akrapovic does (high $ bux) but maybe Yoshimura ... yeah, check out this system ... you can see the bracket welded on to one of the mid pipes in the 6th pic from left (https://www.ebay.com/itm/142813966290)

Good luck! Post pics when done!

* Last updated by: extrapolator on 1/25/2019 @ 12:41 PM *

WD-40 on everything... test monkey approved.
Clorox wipe w/WD... (especially on pipes) wipe with cloth/paper towel/micro cloth.

Works for me.

Hub:

1. You mean a Clorox wipe with WD40 on it?

And,

2. The paper towel does nto get shredded by the rough surface (my mufflers are both so rough that a cloth snags as you try to wipe with it, so i THINK a paper towel might actually shred!

I wonder: What was Kawasaki thinking with that surface treatment? Maybe it's tougher than paint so won't chip so easily (which is a factor when there is SO much exposed area to chip, and even a small chip will stand out prominently). Or maybe it's for resistance to heat.

Jim G

* Last updated by: JimGnitecki on 1/25/2019 @ 1:50 PM *

2. The paper towel does nto get shredded by the rough surface (my mufflers are both so rough that a cloth snags as you try to wipe with it, so i THINK a paper towel might actually shred!

That seems pretty strange: Mine are smooth, just a semi-gloss or slightly matte black paint. Not rough at all. I actually feel like with some wax mine would be very glossy.

Of course, it could be that Kawi changed the surface ... I don't think I've really looked at the past 3 or 4 years worth of ZX14R's up close / in person.

I believe the DOT would recommend a slurry of bunker oil and tar to seal the assault then maybe toss some sand on them - or better yet toss them in a lake and loose 60 lbs

I would guess damage control and heat control.Love that color scheme.

WHY did Kawasaki use this crummy finish??

Brocks performance sells a bracket for the center stand stop that bolts on. Works great with my Yoshimura R77 slip ons: https://brocksperformance.com/center-stand-stop-kit-for-use-w-zx-14-ct-series-exhaust/ . I used heat shrink tubing on it for padding.

SteveStLaurent: Do you know if this would then work for ANY aftermarket system? (provided that the system does not for some reason put an exhaust pipe right into the same #D space)

It LOOKs like it should keep the center stand BELOW and reasonable exhaust pipe location.

Jim G

1. Yes, clorox wipes and WD mixed. Bike was caught in the rain and is more tan coated in pipe color. Liquid brown dirt dried onto the stainless in other words. Read your thread, said, 'I better get off my butt, go in the garage and test an idea like wiping down the bike with WD, not wash it. So if WD cleaned the bike, why not try the wipe. That worked so I poured WD on the wipe and I liked the finish it made. Passed it along here.

2. Yes, paper away. This way you can see the dirt cling to the paper and not quickly fill a rag up. I've owned the smooth mat finish and now have the paper cling finish. So the paper is minor once you go over it with a cloth or use the cloth to snap at the pipe to whip the paper off it. I ignore it and let the wind take it off.

There is not way the tips are plastic. They are somewhat heavy metal end caps.

If your going to keep the stock mufflers, wet sand and repaint. I think a semi gloss would look better.

Thanks, Hub! I would never have thpught of WD-40 and Clorox wipes!

Eray, I will not be "keeping" the OEM mufflers long-term. Only until I cna get the Graves mufflers in hand. Graves right now is not sure how the center stand would interact with their slip-ons, and won't be able to test until April when they will have a ZX-14R + their slip-ons + the ir guys who do the pipes, all together in one place. I don't want them to ship me the slip-ons until we KNOW they will work with the center stand.

Jim G

* Last updated by: JimGnitecki on 1/26/2019 @ 6:28 AM *