quick question...
am in the process of getting familiar with my new ZX14
as i was pushing her up the hill with a good acceleration in 3rd gear, the engine had a series of hickups around 5000 rpms
i first suspected the traction control, set on '2', but none of the KTRC intensity bars were visible on the control panel
as i was able to reproduce this behavior, i now wonder whether this could be due to my power setting, which is still on 'low'... is this the way the power limiter works?
sorry for asking... but this is my first hi-tech Ninja ;-)

Yes. Change to F-1... Test ride ... Change diaper.

got it... thanks Hub!

so am now running with an F power setting
... and to my disappointment, there is still a blind spot when i rev up the engine, typically going uphill in 3rd or 4th gear, while overtaking a car

not as bad as before, but what seems to be a loss of power between 4500-5000 rpm
... could this be a mapping issue?

bike is still stock, just over 3000 kliks

doesn't the ktrc operate singly on it's own with three settings?been a while since i rode my 14.try 'f"....'off'...no,that's not a joke.you should be able to turn the ktrc off...only when the bike is not moving...then it stays off till the key is cycled again...so you have to turn it 'off' everytime you stop the engine.or restart i should say.that was one of the flashing settings...remembering the 'last setting' to avoid having to deal with that.

'2', but none of the KTRC intensity bars were visible'....the ecu reads the situation and if it senses a problem,it will react.so you may not see anything there.if it kicks in before an incident,it may very well not show any bars...i mean....i think so.i could be wrong.the ktrc is supposed to be intuitive...so that means it'll intervene before a situation arises...which may or may not show up on the display.... i would think it might show a partial bar or something...very quick.you might not notice it at all.how's the tire?good tread?

try it with ktrc 'off'.see how that works.it sounds like the ktrc is stepping in on your rpms.mine never coughed or anything.but i ran mine from day one ktrc'off'...power..'f'.it may also be possible with the ktrc on say,2,that the system simply cuts the ignition and doesn't show any intervention.idk.i mean,the ecu knows what mode it's in,so it may simply cut the power without showing anything.???good questions.I'll have to try out your settings when i get out again.Thanks.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 2/26/2017 @ 10:10 AM *

thanks for this Gm14!
must say i first suspected the traction control kicking in, as it was set on 2, but acceleration was nothing extraordinary, road was dry, rear tire not worn out and asphalt with rough surface
kept looking for those KTRC intensity bars to show up on the screen, but not a fraction of an inch to be seen
will test today with traction control 'off'
sorry for this rather basic question, but as i have been climbing up the Ninja ladder, first with a 250, then the 650, and a 1000, never had the KTRC feature...

back from the test ride, with KTRC off
the plot thickens... blind spot still there

in every gear, between 4500-5000rpm, while accelerating
but not on flats or downhills, only when going uphill...

when twisting the throttle, power just seems to vanish, rpms stall
when releasing the throttle, power is back to a certain extent, rpms rev up

am running on premium 98 petrol
what could it be?

Are we talking about a 2006-2007 zx? The subs are closing down during higher rpm movements. That lag was eliminated in 2008. The fix for that is to remove the subthrottle plates or run a remote stepper motor and sub sensor like my setup. You wire the shaft open with the sub plates still screwed on the shaft. No sub controlling the flow in.

thanks for this Hub
my bike is relatively recent, 2013

air filter?And you say it starts missing when load is added.okay...how are you 'adding the load'?Wide open?...adding steadily?Doesn't do it on flats or downhills,yes?hmmm...does it do it if you downshift then punch it?

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 2/27/2017 @ 12:07 PM *

happens definitely only when accelerating uphill
without going crazy on the throttle, just letting rpms rev up comfortably

downshifting and pushing forward would still hit the same blind spot
say am in 4th, losing power around 4500rpm, downshift to 3rd, throttle up, blind spot again

hmmm...sounds like fueling...but i don't have a clue as to a remedy other than a dyno?see what's goin on right there.i would 'suggest'removing the secondaries...but...idk how viable that is on your newer model.it could be i suppose.hard to say if it's an ignition cut or a fuel deal.

your gearing is stock,yes?

all stock... now wondering whether this could be a factory setting for new bikes, to prevent damage during the break in period?
got the first service done at the local Kawi dealer, not the main one where i got the bike from
the local guy had never handled a ZX14 before, so he would not have the technical background, and would not know...

i live on an island, the main dealer is in Sumatra, 24 hours by ferry and another half-day on the road
will give them a call... am planning a road trip in a couple of weeks anyway, for sure will stop by their place to get the bike checked
still under warranty, so am a bit reluctant to grab my toolbox at this point...

I'd be reluctant to touch it. Wait for the warranty to laps. Try some injector cleaner. Makes the bike run very smooth. You're more a doctor applying a conservative approach rather than opening up the patient to find what?

'Try some injector cleaner'....agreed.i wanted to say that...but it sounded too simple. hub

you said only going uphill...you don't suppose it could have a touch of water in there do ya?hell,idk

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 2/28/2017 @ 7:51 AM *

thanks for this guys... injector cleaner done
now the water... this could happen, considering the way fuel is being delivered to petrol stations here

happens definitely only when accelerating uphill
without going crazy on the throttle, just letting rpms rev up comfortably

downshifting and pushing forward would still hit the same blind spot
say am in 4th, losing power around 4500rpm, downshift to 3rd, throttle up, blind spot again

What speeds are these?

I'm guessing 50-60mph

Stop babying this thing, all this talk of being in the 4000rpm range in
3rd and 4th and slowly comfortably rolling on the throttle.

Get the rpm's up and stop being a afraid of the bike.

This is a super sport bike, not a cruiser.

Drop it to 2nd and pin it to the throttle stop! At this point
you will either be trying to keep the front end down or the rear might
be spinning up either way you will forget all about these dead spots.

2nd gear is capable of 100mph.

Then report back.

* Last updated by: piken on 2/28/2017 @ 8:41 AM *

So living on an island in the tropics whats the chance you got a load crap in the gas that's reducing fuel flow?

As GRN said, sounds like a fuel (flow) issue at certain load and map conditions. Not really that hard to pop the tank and pump/filter and take look and clean out the tank. If it was me I'd try that before a journey to the big dealer.

If you can answer yes to all of these... nothing is or looks wrong at this time.
1. Does my bike start up fast either dead cold or hot if say I stop, take a picture and take off again? Yes.
2. Does the bike excel faster and does not fall on its face after this 4,000 rpm range? Yes.
3. The bike does not stall at any time, holds perfect idle, revs out in neutral past 4,000 rpm? Yes.

If all answers were yes, then it's not a fuel pump delivery problem, not water in the fuel, it's not the ECU, it's not any aftermarket parts installed, and not a dirty air cleaner that would cause a stumble at a lower rpm as well.

Hub, yes / no / yes
Crude, getting crap from the bottom of the petrol station's storage tank is always a risk
Piken... well, that's what am trying to do, getting to higher rpms

spent some time today trying to deconstruct the problem:
a) bike has momentum, flat or downhill, no issue, can get to 6000rpm and beyond
b) bike accelerating uphill, hits the blind spot around 4500rpm... want to be brutal and twist the throttle, the bike starts shaking with a bunch of serious hickups, till i reduce the throttle
c) bike accelerating uphill, hits the blind spot, with slow and steady throttle twist, can get rpms to ramp up to 5000, but more throttle will push the rpms back down to 4500... less throttle kind of brings them back to 5000... by playing throttle up & down, can gradually get over that blind spot to the 6000 nirvana

am i right to assume that by now water, if any, would have been chased out of the system?
maybe a clogged pump/fuel filter?

am i right to assume that by now water, if any, would have been chased out of the system?
maybe a clogged pump/fuel filter?

Though I'm thinking a clogged air cleaner would hez at a lower rpm, and who knows if you ride in the rain, let's see what the air cleaner looks like? Wetting dry dirt and then it dries, how many pleats did we clog up?

Say I'll narrow it down to:
1. I sanitize the air intake system because I'm going to run without the air cleaner. I want the cover plate off and fairing piece out of the way, so the air enters more at the cleaner door opening, than pull in what dirt I could not reach. I now WOT the throttle and if it revs up past that 4k rpm window; without a stumble = Clogged air cleaner.

2. The air cleaner did not help. Same issue is still there. It's back to a fuel problem if it falls on its face. Too bad you couldn't swap tanks with someone. There is a fuel pump test in the book, but haven't looked. See what happens with the air cleaner removed.

3. Next would be an ECU for electrical, not fuel related. I'm more familiar with a stumble at a sustained rpm. You are not complaining about an engine miss at a certain rpm, yours is more a lag then falls on its face the more you open the throttle. Swapping out the ECU can eliminate this too. If I rode it, it would give me a place to focus on, but this is more all generic on the component elimination; without riding it.

bike accelerating uphill, hits the blind spot around 4500rpm... want to be brutal and twist the throttle, the bike starts shaking with a bunch of serious hickups, till i reduce the throttle

Guess I was not understanding the term "Blind Spot" shaking with a bunch of hiccups is
a little different story.

I'd be back to the bad gas / moisture etc.

Pull tank, drain. Fresh fuel.

thanks a bunch guys, for your input!
have decided to empty the tank, fresh refill and run through a couple more bottles of injector cleaner... see what happens...
if no change, will make it a warranty job... playing it safe, in case a major discovery is made
my Sumatra road trip is only 2 weeks from now, first stop will be at the main dealer... will keep this thread updated

Full Power with Sport Mode 2 works for me on the streets of the jungle.

... so here comes part 2 of the story
a week or so after my last posting, one morning when starting the bike, the screen flashes all kinds of warnings, yellow engine error light, etc...
the self-diagnostic gives two error codes: 54 = Stick Coil #4 and 62 = Valve Actuator Throttle
the engine is running now on 3 cylinders, not a nice feeling...

because of a change of ferry schedule, the trek to the Sumatra main Kawi dealer now takes 3 days...
this is where i am now, with the answer to the error message, and most probably the reason for that mysterious power blind spot: the electrical cable harness has been trashed by a mouse with sharp teeth
still trying to evaluate the extent of the damage, while splicing cables, etc...
now am wondering what measures to take, for preventing this from happening again... naphtalene balls perhaps?