Anyone have pics of their install, the instructions are not that great. thanks

i just installed them last week. not hard, just time consuming due to the limited clearance. get the longest 5mm 90degree Allen you can find. after taking off all your fairings remove the 4 Allen head bolts from the covers on your reed valves. disconnect the electrical connection attached to the top of the left plate (left as you sit on the bike). tape up the connector (that is attached to your bike) to keep water out. remove plates and hose connections leading to bottom right side of air-box (just slides right out). I plugged my air-box with an expansion plug. the kind plumbers use to plug gas lines. you can get em at a plumbing or hardware store. leave the reed valves in place and put your new plates in place of the other ones. make sure and replace the four pieces of additional mounting brackets that are placed on top of the plates but under your bolts. one on each plate that keep the radiator side mud flap attached and then one on each plate on the intake side to keep electrical components attached.

i don't know how to post pics on this site, but post your email and ill send em to ya.

Hey thanks alot, if you don't mind send them to redline806@yahoo.com

Thanks for the info. I've been thinking about installing Ivan's block off plates on my 2009 as well. I have yet to talk to anyone who offers a complete engine setup to include the pipe with calibrated fuel tuner (such as Power Commander, Bazzazz, etc) with a street airbox filter and also include the block off plates.

Brock's has a race filter with their pipe/Power Commander kit, but they STRONGLY suggest that the race filter is NOT used for the street. Brocks does not use the block off plates, though. My bike will be used on the street. I am looking for more performance, but not at the expense of reliability, especially from something like inhaling rocks and insects.

I have the block off plates installed on my 2006 R6 and I thought they were worth the effort.

Any thoughts out there as to how well the block off plates work on the 2008-2009 ZX14 models?

Any thoughts out there as to how well the block off plates work on the 2008-2009 ZX14 models? Works the same. This is emissions as if you can destroy matter. So, does it matter you breath in solid, liquid, gas?
Performance wise, the fuel has been fired off. The PAIR being on or off would be good for wight savings. What you save is what would have been burned off. Look at it like that.. ha-ha. No need for that air sucker. Are you going to ruin the bike? No. But the carbon build up in the exhaust will close the port ever so slight where if you left it alone, the one port would burn cleaner. Now you have matching ports that will cause the one clean one to carbon up some.

If you run cats, I would leave the PAIR in. This is because the unspent/unburned carbon may clog the honeycomb surface openings, slow the ride or shut you down it can't send the air out the hexagonal is gonall the power.

* Last updated by: Hub on 1/30/2010 @ 11:08 AM *

OK, HUB. I plan to run Brock's new CT SERIES™ SINGLE FULL EXHAUST SYSTEM ZX14 (06-09)
SKU: ZX14-CT-S

Here is a link to the pipe. There won't be any CAT's in the pipe.

http://prostores2.carrierzone.com/servlet/brockracing/-strse-2604/ZX14-%2806-dsh-09%29-CT-SERIES%E2%84%A2/Detail

So as I understand it, if I do run the block off plates, my engine ports will burn cleaner? This pipe does not have any catalytic converters, so I should be fine, huh?

Also, I'm guessing that according to what you are saying, I won't need to change the Power Commander downloads to accomodate the block off plates?

So as I understand it, if I do run the block off plates, my engine ports will burn cleaner? This pipe does not have any catalytic converters, so I should be fine, huh? Hot is lean and clean. Your ports are cleaner with PAIR. The PAIR air, heats and burns what would have caused more carbon. Without cats, without PAIR, you should be fine.

Also, I'm guessing that according to what you are saying, I won't need to change the Power Commander downloads to accomodate the block off plates? To take advantage of the PC, use it to is full ability, you will have a dyno sniffer that will recognize the PAIR is missing and sniff the difference. You tune from there. Or why own the PC.

What you'll feel is a slight lag in the throttle climb. The PC type piggies fill in that gap or lag. If you are looking for peak performance changing a pipe, you add the PC as one more gain to peak the bike out for max performance. If you have zip for a lag, feels good without the PC, you do not need the bike to be on the ragged edge, then no, you do not need, meaning yes, you and can get away without a PC, if you both remove the PAIR and/or change pipe [with muffler, mind you] not open pipe with guts removed.

And when you have a preset like the bike is normal, no PC, you will cause that lag somewhere in the rpm range [open pipe]. So as to keep the same stock tune, exploit the PAIR, exploit the removal of the cat and muffler guts is gut the pipe now. We induced a big time lean lag. What we do now to loophole the lag is to slow the air down on the intake side.

OK, you know those pizza tables they use in the middle of the pie so the cheese does not touch the collapsed steamed cardboard? You punch these through the air cleaner element and glue the rips the legs caused being pressed through the fiber. Keep filling the element with pizza cheese tables till the lag disappears and dare ya go! Air tuning trick is fug dem piggies.

* Last updated by: Hub on 1/30/2010 @ 1:13 PM *

Wow, I can't even begin to understand what goes on inside Hub's mind. He starts out completely lucid and begins to express an opinion and make points showing what he thinks, then by the end, he is off the end of the earth and out into outerspace showing no connection to reality.

To be Hub would be to be part of the outer limits, no doubt.

* Last updated by: privateer on 1/30/2010 @ 2:08 PM *

Somehow, someway, I think HUB knows what he is doing, it's just that when he goes to write it down, somehow, someway, he is not quite getting it across so that I can understand it.

The pipe I want, which is pictured above, is sold by Brock's with a Power Commander V that is already downloaded for that specific pipe. The Power Commander does not need to see the dyno or the track at all for optimal performance right from Brocks, as I know Brock's will have a good download already in it with hours and hours of development on the track and dyno.

The question is, specifically, if I add the block off plates (remove the smog pump or air pump, whatever you want to call it - and I'm assuming that HUB calls it the PAIR), along with some type of ignition retarder and a BMC STREET air filter, will I still need to mess with the Power Commander, or will these changes (block off plates, ignition retarder, and BMC STREET air filter) make that much of a difference that I would need or should mess with the Power Commander for best results?

I know that Brock's has put in a lot of time to get the Power Commander right for that pipe, but Brocks does not have any downloads specifically for that pipe with the block off plates, ignition retarder, and BMC STREET air filter. Hell, Brocks doesn't even sell a BMC STREET air filter. Brock's only sells the BMC RACE air filter.

I'm guessing that no one has had any previous first hand experience with this yet.

Also, I will not be removing any baffles, or cutting or modifying the pipe in any way. It will be Brock's pipe, right off the shelf.

* Last updated by: KneeScraper on 1/31/2010 @ 1:49 PM *

... specifically, if I add the block off plates... along with some type of ignition retarder and a BMC STREET air filter, will I still need to mess with the Power Commander, or will these changes make that much of a difference that I would need or should mess with the Power Commander for best results? My guess is, Brock did not tune for the retard signal. You might run the map without the hack see how it goes. Set the retard and if the bike still feels good, then no map change needed. The change in air cleaner should not effect the tune. Once again, you have a choice of removing the steel screen off the stock filter to add more air speed to compensate, or if you need to run the street filter, it might flow in the middle of the stock mod and the race filter. My guess is, no need to mess with the commander for that slight air speed change either.

... Brocks does not have any downloads specifically for that pipe with the block off plates, ignition retarder, and BMC STREET air filter. Hell, Brocks doesn't even sell a BMC STREET air filter. Brock's only sells the BMC RACE air filter. Well, the above was... IF... Brock had the race filter and block off plates, you could get away with the rest is what I meant above. This changes everything, meaning, a slightly better map combo if the time was put into your combo that is.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The old lady comes in the room, something on the Grammy's show she wants to tell me something about. I read her, private's last sentence, and she goes, "No kidding."

KneeScraper, the reason Brocks doesn't sell a BMC Street filter is because they have proven it makes no difference over an OEM Kawasaki air filter. The BMC Race filter makes a very small difference, valid for say, a real drag bike.

On the street, you'd just be wasting your money, unless you can get BMC Street or Race filters cheaper than OEM filters. Heh.

OK.

Thanks, HUB and Privateer. I appreciate the feedback.

Hi KneeScraper

think of the engine as an air pump. The more air you can move through it, the more power it can make, as long as you adjust the fuel to to match the air flow. That doesn't necessarily mean adding more fuel, that means adjusting the fuel injectors to inject the optimal amount of fuel for the best fuel/air mixture at any particulalr throttle opening.

the stock ZX 14, 2008 and up, has three catalytic convertors, one in the header collector, and one each in the mufflers.

to aid the catalytic convertors live longer, a stock ZX 14 has a fresh air system that introduces fresh air into the exhaust stream after the exhaust port, but before the cats. This fresh air system is what Hub is referring to as the PAIR system. It is not adding fresh air into teh engine or combustion process, it is simply adding fresh air into the exhaust after the exhaust leaves the combustion chamber, having no effect at all on how the engine runs or performs.

the source for that fresh air to be added to the exhaust stream is a hose from the air box chamber. Pulling that hose out of the hole in the air box chamber disables the fresh air system. Obviously you need to put a plug in the hole in the air box so it doesn't suck unfiltered air in through the hoel, and similarliy you need to plug the hose leading to the fresh air system.

the catalytic convertors need this fresh air system to aid in their longevity. If you have removed the stock exhaust system, then plugging the fresh air system makes sense, as it is only needed by the cats. Also, plugging the fresh air system stoos the introduction of fresh air into the exhaust stream, which added fresh air results in inaccurate readings by an exhaust gas sniffer. So , stick on an aftermarket exhaust, plug the fresh air system, and you will be able to get accurate exhaust gas readings, which you can then use to adjust the amount of fuel. The Power Commander allows you to adjust how much fuel the injectors are injecting. The fuel map for the Power Commander is simply the amount of fuel to be added or subracted at any particular throttle opening, which has been arrived at by taking the exhaust gas reading with a wide band oxygen sensor to see what the fuel air mixture from the stock fuel injection settings are.

Power Commander offers an accesory for the PC V called an a AutoTuner. That involves installing a Bosch wide band oxygen sensor in the exhaust pipe by welding a mounting bung into the pipe. The AutoTuner then reads from the wide band oxygen sensor to tell you what the air/fuel ratio is at any particular throttle opening and rpm, and you can use that information to then adjust the Power Commander fuel map.

Removing the fresh air sytem isn't really necesary after you plug the hose. It doesn't sap any power. Personally I just plugged it and left it on the engine, to avoid the exercise of trying to remove it in cramped woking conditions, but if you are ambitious it doesn't do any harm, or any particular good, to remove it and install block off plates.

a higher flowing air filter is the intake side of the air pump equation. Will installing a less restrictive air filter result in more air flowing through a motor, when the only changes are an air filter and an exhaust system? Maybe, but not much. K & N claims a few horsepower gain by installing one of their air filters, for example. I don't really see how, it is suction/pressure differential that is resulting in air flow into the engine, and changing the air filter isn't going to do much in that area. Removing the air filter entirely is probably the only way to ensure you have removed any restriction int he intake path to the air box, but who wants to run an engine sucking in dirt and debris? Not me.

So, plugging the fresh air system will enable accurate exhaust gas fuel/air readings to be obtained using a wide band sensor, that will then enable informed and accurate changes to be made to the fuel map, that is about it, no magic power gains to be obtained by plugging the fresh air system.

Kawasaki appears to have set the air/fuel mixture on the ZX 14 on the safe side of rich. Safe in that a rich engine, while not making the most power, isn't going to melt or blow up. Oddly enough, tuing for the best power may involve using the Power Commander's ability to interfere with the stock fuel injection signal to actually lean the fuel mixture, reducing the amount of fuel be added to the incoming air. That is particularly true at larger throttle openings, where the stock fuel mapping from Kawasaki is so rich the engine is drowning in a arich mixture. Keeps warrany claims down, I guess, but not optimum for either emissions or best power, oddly enough.

Paul

* Last updated by: laverda1200 on 2/4/2010 @ 10:50 AM *

Thanks for the info, Laverda. I read your post and it was very informative and well written.

I posted up another thread detailing what I have decided to do with my 2009 ZX14. You can read about it here:

http://www.zx14ninjaforum.com/messages.cfm?threadid=91094980-D56B-84E2-136452FEA9CFC8B2

I may or may not go with the actual block off plates. I'll have to trear it apart and look at how much room there is above the cylinder heads. It took me a while to get the air pump off my 2006 R6, but I liked the way the R6 ran after I was done. Thanks again!

Laverda failed to mention the reason most folks bypass the cold air injection system.
Changing to a higher flowing exhaust setup results in backfiring / "popping" when cold
air gets sucked back into the system on decel. This is worsened by the extra cold air
getting pumped into the front of the cat system.

If you disable the polution control cold air system, backfiring is significantly reduced
(not eliminated, but definitely improved)

Reason for the system: when unspent fuel vapor and gases flow across the super hot catalytic converter,
they tend to burn off. But, without oxygen, no burny burny. (inefficient combustion)
When you roll off the throttle unspent gases get dumped into the exhaust and the PAIR reed valves open up and dump air into the mixture so the catalytic converter achieves an efficient burn. Exhaust emissions go way, way down.
Great for meeting Euro3 and California standards. How may tree huggers ride a zx-14?

If you have an aftermarket exhaust and want less popping, plugging the line from the air intake is the cheap and easy way to get there. Block-off plates do the same thing, just resulting in a cleaner less crowded engine bay, because it allows you you yank all that crap out of the top of the engine.

Now everyone can decide: a) stock exhaust, why fruck with it?
if popping of an aftermarket exhaust bothers you.
b) a cheap ass that wants to be easily reversable can
just disconnect line from air intake and plug each end. BAM. It costs $5 and 15 minutes.
c) mechanically inclined peeps that want a cleaner engine bay
(making future maintenance like throttle body synching and plug changes easier).
time for block off plates.

This is worsened by the extra cold air
getting pumped into the front of the cat system.

I've often heard the cats could be damaged if the PAIR is blocked and it should only be done after installing a catless full system.