I'm not fond of the OEM gas capon my 2017 ZX-14R, because:
- it is a bit of a hassle to open and close with the key setup every time I fill up
- It periodically needs lubrication in the key slot
- I wonder what happens if it ever refuses to open with the key
- It is pretty heavy - about 14 ounces or 0.88 lb, and so is a fat target for my ZX-14R weight reduction efforts.

I would ideally like:
- No key or 100% easy & reliable key operation
- No need for lubrication
- No worries about ever not being able to get it open, no matter how wet or cold
- A little subtlety about how to open it, to discourage random acts of opportunistic vandalism
- As lightweight as practical
or, at least as many of the above as I can realistically get within any one affordable product

Rook has described a couple of alternatives: the Lightech Quarter Turn at 0.45 lb, and the EvoTech flat double wing quarter turn at 0.40 lb. Apparently both are reliable, waterproof when it rains, and also vent well, and have reliable overflow systems. But they are very expensive as far as gas caps go (apparently inspired by genuine OEM pricing!)

There are other aftermarket gas caps for the ZX-14R,many of them Asian, that are also about 0.40 lb, look easy to operate and seem to have very little opportunity for acting unopenable. Many are also very inexpensive, some as low as $20.

But, I have read product reviews on Amazon and elsewhere that, at east with some models, mention:
- Rain or washwater leaking into the tank
- Too-easy to cross-thread
- Hard to open or close due to too-shallow "handles"
- Improper or no venting

Unfortunately, I suspect you don't discover which flaws are present until you actually BUY one!

Can any of you who have tried aftermarket gas caps suggest any brands/models that tick at least the majority of the features I listed? Or can you list the ones to avoid?

Jim G

Vortex. Not cheap. Shop around. Anywhere from 117.00 to 97.00 US.
Not vandal proof is the only downside.

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Hub, I actually just looked at the Vortex online, and at least one buyer warned that when he left his bike outside while it was raining, a lot of water apparently got into the gas tank. Is that really possible, or did he somehow mess up the installation?

Jim G

I tried teh cheapo cap.. Liteweight but lid vibrated out as I rode. It happened on the way to the dyno shop this morning and Taylor said he knows several people that have had the same thing occur.. He then showed me a customers bike that had a cap that you had to push and turn ( 1/4 turn) both to open and close . Probably what Rook mentioned above.. very slick and worth the cost whatever they are imho .
If I can get to the track tomorrow, I will get the name..( Sposed to rain AGAIN all weekend)

* Last updated by: chrly on 3/1/2019 @ 7:36 PM *

Hey Chrly, you think RAIN is a problem? Heck, here on Vancouver Island in Canada we rarely get snow - maybe a couple of times a year normally, an inch or maybe two at most, and it melts same day. But, this winter, with the Polar Vortex, we got snow for about 3 weeks straight in February, so no riding.

And, the city went nuts with spreading both brine and salt crystals on the roads! And now, 3 days after the last snowfall, they are still brining the roads just because the temperatures are going below freezing at nightand we MIGHT get precipitation. The roads are STILL white, with SALT! My experienced riding friends here tell me that any attempts to ride on the salty streets will corrode a bike super quickly (they speak from bad experiences).They say it will take a HEAVY rainfall to wash the salt residue away before we can ride again. Argh!

And I just installed a Shorai battery that I cannot test now because of this. I will be installing the new alloy kickstand tomorrow and can't test because of this (don't want to start the engine to test the safety switch activation just to shut it off again without a full warm-up ride). And, my Delkevik exhuast will be arriving Tuesday, and so likely the same install-and-wait routine there. Sigh . . .

Be thankful that all you are facing is some temporary rain whose effects disappear as soon as The Sun heats the roads a bit!

Jim G

I run a vortex. Yes, vent hole is at the cap. Maybe a plastic lid under the seat with a velcro strip on one side and the other strip on the tank. This way no wind blows it off when over the cap.

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Not an acceptable solution for me. I want a gas cap that I don't need to worry about leaking water into my fuel,or carrying a velcroed barrier patch to keep water out.

Jim G

"- It periodically needs lubrication in the key slot"

Asking for a friend... ;) what lube to use for the OEM cap? Graphite powder?

Nightmare: I use a silicone spray lubricant. I simply insert the spray "straw" into the key slot and give it a squirt.

Jim G

There are other aftermarket gas caps for the ZX-14R,many of them Asian, that are also about 0.40 lb, look easy to operate and seem to have very little opportunity for acting unopenable. Many are also very inexpensive, some as low as $20.

I've heard the Chinese cookie jar cover gas caps work just fine. The cheapie I bought was heavier than stock but seems like it will be reliable. The quarter turn action seems to work the same as my Lightech (it actually has a key for the cap).

I tried teh cheapo cap.. Liteweight but lid vibrated out as I rode.

holy crapoli!

Hub, I actually just looked at the Vortex online, and at least one buyer warned that when he left his bike outside while it was raining, a lot of water apparently got into the gas tank. Is that really possible, or did he somehow mess up the installation?

I would say almost for certain, gasket not installed properly. Could be a defect in manufacturing too.

"- It periodically needs lubrication in the key slot"
Asking for a friend... ;) what lube to use for the OEM cap? Graphite powder?

If we're talking the OEM cap, replace it RIGHT NOW!! I used graphite and it still stuck. I next used DeepCreep. I guess I must have got it to turn after bending my key. It's in a box now.

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lol.Here I go again.But I've never had a kawasaki cap mess up.No lubing either.If she's sitting outside in the rain...shame on you.

Grn14: Although my bike NORMALLY spends its time in the garage when I am not riding, what do you do when:

1. You are touring on a multiday trip and it starts raining heavily?

2. You are away from home overnight with the bike and it starts raining heavily?

I think you want to know that your gas cap tank vent, OR your gas cap sealing ring, will NOT leak.

From the discussion so far, it sounds to me that the ZX-14R depends on the gas cap assembly for its venting (i.e. there is no separate vent directly from the tank that bypasses the gas cap).If that is the case, how can a cheap gas cap that has ONLY a sealing ring, and no built-in vent, possibly work correctly?

Jim G

Maybe that is why I lost mine after twenty five minutes or so of riding Tough to hut the sweet spot between too loose and too tight and IIRC less than two full turns to seal it. Anyway, I am back to stock now forever..I think :)

Grn.. Riding for more than a couple hundred miles a day as in cross country Or Iron Butt, it is pretty difficult not to get caught once in a while...Plus here in Northern California we ride year round..

* Last updated by: chrly on 3/4/2019 @ 3:31 PM *

Don't know how the seal stops working.Rain rides are fine.Shouldn't be a problem.Hasn't been with mine...and I've had 6 now Kawis.If some are sayin they've had issues...well,then they've had some issues with em.Maybe I just get lucky on my bikes.IDK.The idea of leaving my bike sit uncovered overnight somewhere just doesn't compute for me.And I damn sure don't want some bike hater gettin into the cap and throwin somethin in there.It'd show damage if someone did that.Guess unlockable caps are okay for some.Just not my deal.I have sprayed some graphite in the key slot a few times.On one of my bikes anyway.Probably not a bad idea to do that.If I can help it at all,I bring my bike into the room with me.I pick places that have no real curb right there.Hey...already had a bike stolen.No fun.Go out to start the new day and have a great ride,poof...nothin there.Just an ugly feeling.

I have ta say.In all the miles and all,I've never had an issue with my Kawis.They've always been reliable.That's pretty amazing really considering the miles and riding styles.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 3/4/2019 @ 10:16 PM *

I hope everyone is pressing down some on the cap while turning the key,open or closed.I have had water get sucked into the ram ducts however.Heavy rainstorm.VERY heavy.Too heavy to be riding actually.But it dried out overnight with the engine heat there and all.

I hope everyone is pressing down some on the cap while turning the key,open or closed.

Yeah that's good advice, I figured that out on my bike early on when it was a pain in the butt to turn the key in the cap. Push down a bit with one hand, turn the key with the other and the cap opens really easily and smoothly.

It's been a long time since I had the OEM gas cap on there but I'm sure I was pressing while turning. A while after I started seeing white specs around the keyhole, it started sticking and got progressively worse.

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"You are away from home overnight with the bike and it starts raining heavily?"...lol.You check the weather for one thing.THEN,you cover the bike OR the tank with something usable for that.

Grn14: And I suppose you tape up the gas cap before washing the bike too?? No way. I want only gas caps that keep rain and wash water OUT without me needing to take special precautions! :)

Jim G

Water proof bearing grease on seal and in lock. Got it at O'Reilly's. Come on, a gas cap is not rocket science.

* Last updated by: BigRed1 on 3/14/2019 @ 3:34 AM *

Come on, a gas cap is not rocket science.

A nice billet quarter turn cap isn't! I don't know about that OEM one.

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BigRed1: It IS rocket science. A gas cap needs a vent. I suspect that on the cheap gas caps on line, the "vent" is a loose seal. No actual vent built in. NOT good.

If you apply a sealing grease to the o-ring:
- It attracts dirt
- It gets dissolved by the sloshing gasoline
- UNTIL it gets dissolved, it "plugs" the only "vent"!

I think Rook is right. GOOD gas caps cost $$$. And apparently, the OEM one does NOT qualify as "good" in the long term (despite it undoubtdly being very costly to replace!). It does vent apparently, but the lock mechanism eventually jams up.

Jim G

If you know it all, why do you keep asking stupid questions and stupid answers to your own questions? Cover bike with your new dust cover and keep it in the garage. Is there a wall At the border where your at, don't want Bullshit rolling down hill into U.S.

BigRed1: I'm not asking stupid questions. I am asking for a gas cap that vents properly, does not leak, does not become hard to open with age, and weighs less than the OEM anchor. That's not unreasonable. I hate to think that I need to spend $100 to $200 to get a decent gas cap, but Rook's experience appears to suggest that that's the price for an aftermarket lightweight gas cap that does all 4 things reliably. In which case, I'll probably just keep the OEM gas cap until it screws up.

Jim G

* Last updated by: JimGnitecki on 3/14/2019 @ 7:50 PM *