Hi, I'm Lew and new to the forum. I am about to have Chris Jones install a stage 1 Garrett 2860r turbo kit on my C14. Does a ZX14 (not 2012) have forged or cast pistons. I know the OEM pistons for the ZX14 (more expensive) are 12:1 CR and the C14 pistons are 10.7:1 CR and they have different part numbers. I understand cast pistons don't play well with turboes or nitrous. I have heard the ZX14 has forged pistons and the C14 has cast. It seems that reliable information on the subject is not easy to come by even from dealers, Kawi Corp. or their brochures/literature/specs. However, Chris says the ZX14 does not have forged pistons and he has a ton of experience building turboed ZX14 Super Street race bikes and winning with them. I know of only 2 other C14's that are turboed. The owners of both of them have very recently reported piston failure and say they discovered the pistons are cast. I saw a pic of a damaged piston and it appeared to have burned and broke the upper land at the intake. It looked to me like a lean running problem and I suppose that could burn a forged piston as well. I told Chris to go ahead and order JE 9.5 CR ZX14 turbo/forged pistons, although he didn't include the pistons in the quote he gave me and originally didn't think they were necessary. Chris recommended (not included in the kit), and I agreed to, upgraded cam chain tensioner, clutch and valve springs, and head gasket. Just trying to find out if both models have the same pistons material/make-up. Anyone have the knowledge? I'd appreciate hearing/reading it.

BTW, I told Chris my goal was to check off my bucket list (age 74) and have a C14 that would comfortably carry me, my Yorkie dog Punky, a passenger, carry all our luggage and tow my Leesure Lite Excel camping trailer or with a twist of the wrist calling for boost, being faster than the stock 2012 ZX14R in the 1/4 and hit 200 mph. Punky has ridden with me to the ends of the world in the western hemisphere (from the bucket list too). Later, amigos. Lew

Basically if you quick read cast vs. forged:

Cast:
1. Dissipates the heat evenly.
2. Is more precision in expansion and running clearance
3. Would you conclude that the best O/L is cast?
Cast might be used since day one for piston design and close/predictable tolerances.

Forged;

1. The stronger of the two.
2. The heat deal.
3. The casting is not predictable on expansion... Sort of.
Forged might be strong for detonation and such, but to control heat [evenly] and then demand it does not [blow down] being not too seal-able, because the cast is not as stable in expansion as cast.

That is why some around here use stock pistons for heat transfer and better cylinder sealing. Go check out burned forged pistons as opposed to burned cast pistons. It seems you either need to monitor a set of pistons from a box, match them to the cylinder heat expansion.

Heat kills, so why are the stock pistons living longer for a street bike kind of over doing it are we? Install 14 pistons and toss the lower compression ones out of the C model. Both are 1352cc, right? Keep the stock gasket first. You can always run the thinner gasket, you find the 14 pistons are too much [knock] in the block.

Hi, I'm Lew and new to the forum.

Welcome Punky And Lew. Your first thread and it's in the Boost section. That's Great lol.

I am about to have Chris Jones install a stage 1 Garrett 2860r turbo kit on my C14.

Awesome take lots of pictures.

I told Chris my goal was to check off my bucket list (age 74) and have a C14 that would comfortably carry me, my Yorkie dog Punky, a passenger, carry all our luggage and tow my Leesure Lite Excel camping trailer or with a twist of the wrist calling for boost, being faster than the stock 2012 ZX14R in the 1/4 and hit 200 mph. Punky has ridden with me to the ends of the world in the western hemisphere (from the bucket list too). Later, amigos. Lew

Age 74 going Boost, Awesome Lew. I would love to see your Dyno Sheet when Chris is finished working his magic. Cheers.

Found a 2009 thread from Bikeland's forum that shows very good pix of ZX12R and ZX14 pistons. Clearly the 12R pistons are cast and the ZX14's are forged. The underside of the pistons told the story. The ZX12R piston has a very rough surface indicating a poured mold and the ZX14 piston is very smooth from being pressed. Anyway, it seems the forged pistons will be stronger and the real answer to reduce chances of piston failure under boost is in proper tuning/mapping and control of boost, AFR, timing (pre-detonation) and CR. The smaller forged piston warms up and expands, so I don't see the problem with the smaller piston's fit to the cyclinder wall as long as it is designed properly. Chis Jones designed the JE ZX14 9.5 CR pistons he will use. I decided to pay the extra $$$ to a top pro turbo engine builder/installer like Chris and, hopefully, get a well behaved, stealthy and dependable street bike that goes like hell, when I want it to. Thanks for the replies. Lew

* Last updated by: punkynlew on 1/5/2012 @ 9:10 AM *

Yep, I read the 14's are forged for strength [use] in a hi/po engine. Punky answered his own question. Just for giggles; I walked someone thru the penultimate question. He understood what I was saying. He then gets his buddy who is very sharp to hear him.

I said, hey, what is the number inside the exhaust pipe? What is the number of this? What is the number of that? I confused him so much, he got pissed off like they do on the net. He could not answer my questions as they walked as they talked. My buddy opened up his mouth being, we had a 3-way phone conversation, he gave him the answer. The guy is really getting pissed off, can't answer my next question, nor the next. He's like Grn, I gotta go.. (((Click)))!!!

Later, I'm washing up at the sink. I started busting up for 3 minutes straight seemed like? Tearing out the eyes. It was brutal!! Too bad I didn't video tape the discussion. It was Classic!

My buddy goes, I'm telling him your name is so and so. I said no, say its Dev for Devin. Dev Resinep tell him is me name. He gets on the phone, says my real name, then says Dev, he blew it! Then, the guy goes, I need to know you whatever so I can set the piston compression... Guy is a turbo wiz. How much boost? He gives me a number. I said, if I port a head... He goes, what is this all about?

I said, this is to see if you know what you're talking about, I have your hands holding your ankles I can tell... I get a phone call back from my buddy. He said the guy got pissed about some comment I made about the ankles. I forgot how I said it, butt you get the drift, right?