Do anyone know if there is an optional alternator (or aftermarket) for the ZX14 ?

The stock one on the 08 I have (per the shop manual) is 35 Amps at 14 volts, or about 678 watts. 140 of those watts get chewed up by the HIDs when hi-beam is on. I'm guessing another 100 watts (to be conservative) is used for the instruments, ECU, harness, engine, GPS, XM antenna, and so forth.

So of the 678 watts available, probably close to 240 of them are consumed at worst case (hi-beams on, flashers on, engine running). That may not be a good estimate, its a wild guess.

So that only leaves about 12-15 Amps left over before the battery starts to drain instead of charge.

One heated jacket liner from Kustom Komfort (lowest possible Amp draw on the market, excellant heat) is going to draw max 5 Amp, average 3 Amps.

Still ok.

Grips, probably 5 Amp average.

Getting close.

See where this is going ? I don't think the stock alternator has enough umph to get into a pair of heated pants liners, gloves, not to mention passenger.

Ok, so its a supersport machine. Not meant for the use I'm putting it to. But still.

So if I can find a higher output replacement alternator, I'll buy it and put it on.

If I had put 55W HIDs in, I wouldn't be able to see much better in the mountains, but it would draw all but an Amp or two of my total output if I'm riding in cold weather. Too close for me.

What about having a specialty shop re-wind it? I have heard of it being done with cars, not bikes.

* Last updated by: zxinit on 6/21/2011 @ 1:46 AM *

Thats an idea, and we have a place in my little city that actually does that. I'd just have to pull it off and the bike would be down for a couple weeks until they got around to it. So it would be a winter project.

Thanks for the good idea, its why we throw ideas out here, so someone like you can say, "What about this?"

I would imagine that the alternator from a Concours 14 Police edition bike would probrably push enough for your needs...same engine.

wow only 35 amps? Jeesh. Why don't you give it a shot first before you assume you'll have a problem? Otherwise I was thinking have it rewound as well. Probably not as expensive as it sounds. It's a quick process.

Well, I know the watts/amps of the stuff I want to run, and so I know most of my total output is used with about 5-8 Amps reserve, worst case.

That *should* be good enough, but I'm also going to buy the Australian-made electronic cruise control for the ZX14 and that will pull some wattage too, since it has a mechanical actuator (essentially a stepper motor).

Thanks for the idea, big !

I've got calls into Ricky's Stators, RM Stators, etc. etc. to see if anyone has, or can, rewound a ZX14 stator.

Called Kawasaki, they don't have a clue if the ZX14 rotor and stator are the same "size" as the C14 version. The C14 has 41.5 Amps, which would be just fine. So even if I could get a Police-version stator/rotor from the C14 Police bike, I don't know if it would fit.

The local alternator shop doesn't want to have anything to do with it, because its not an automotive style unit. The stator and rotor are completely seperate, and don't have a housing, per se.

I'll get it done, and its not the first vexing problem/challenge I've solved on this journey to sport touring nirvana.

Well, that was fast. I got a reply from rmstator in like 5 hours, with a link to their web page, and lo-and-behold they have a High Output alternator for the 2008-2011 ZX14 and its 20-25% additional Amps (PERFECT) and is a simple R&R installation.

Couldn't ask for an easier solution.

Hey Priv, do you have a link or part number for that HO alternator? Sounds like something to look into...

the Privmeister says:

they have a High Output alternator for the 2008-2011 ZX14 and its 20-25% additional Amps (PERFECT) and is a simple R&R installation.

...so that's the same as the C14, right? 20-25% would be 7-8.75 amps. Puts it somewhere around 41 amps.
You love your doo-dads, Privy. And I thought I was bad. But then if I had the money to spend I would find something to spend it on too.

I'll post the link when I get home, its in my mail client at home. Not at work.

Edge, its 1 Amp or so higher than the OEM C14 alternator, because 35 + 7.5 = 42.5 and the C14 is 41 Amps OEM.

https://www.rmstator.com/en/motorcycles/kawasaki/1400~zx-14/stator/high_output_stator_for__1400~zx-14_/2006_to_2009/5626.htm

But... before you pay, call them and ask if they actually have them. Seems they get 1 or 2 at a time, and then are out for a while.

I may have "spoken" too soon, RM Stator advertised the HO ZX14 stator, and lets your purchase it from their website, but apparently they don't have any and don't know when they will.

At least I paid by PayPal, so I can get some muscle to have them either ship what I paid for, or refund the money
completely.

Just put in a request to another place, so maybe they will be able to do it. Heck, RM Stator might be able to, and just have some flaky staff working customer service today. PayPal will straighten them out. :)

RM Stator refunded the payment, which is why I love PayPal. Vendors who use PayPal agree to deliver or refund, no questions asked.

But... Tricked Out Cycles, who are big on light show bikes and the light kits, produce High Output Stators and Regulator upgrades for all makes, and they are developing a quote for me to give me a High Output Stator and the upgraded Regulator / Rectifier to handle the additional amperage.

So maybe I'll get this done yet. LOL what a journey through the jungle.

Thanks for the link! Thinking of upgrading charging system for future mods.

Tricked Out Cycles shipped my high output stator and upgraded regulator / rectifier today. So I will have them in before it gets cool in the fall and I want to start wearing heated gear.

By the way, Kustom Komfort has great kits to turn liners and such into heated gear, and they are a) very sturdy and reliable, and b) quite effective.

These kits are what KK has been using for decades to convert polar and mountain rescue gear into heated gear. It won't short either. Combined with their variable heat Kontrollers, you've got a potent heated garmet for probably less than the cost of the jacket liner itself. I'll just send them the liner for my Tourmaster nylon jacket (its waterproof to start with anyway, and reasonably windproof) and get them to install the heating elements and put a coiled cord on with a BMW male socket.

Then I have to decide what I'm going to do about heated pants. Gloves are a no-brainer, I'll just buy those.

Well, Price, was it a drop in, how long to install, any problems?

Prices: $190 for the high output stator, $150 for the upgraded regulator/rectifier.

Drop in for the stator, you just remove the cover, unbolt the stator, disconnect the plug, and swap in the new one.

The regulator is easy too you just remove the old one and replace it.

Haven't gotten it yet, should be here any day now, and it won't go on for a couple months because I've got rides for 25 days of August and September, so its not a good time to be messing with the engine.