Recently returned to bikes. 2012 zx14r purchased with 7000 miles. Now has 35 plus. On a 95 degree day will not run above 3000 rpm. 65 degree in the morning runs better. It has never gone above 205 on the coolant temp gauge, and then only in traffic on a 90 plus day. No engine codes. Runs best when cold. No contamination in coolant or engine oil. Idles great. I thought it was the fuel pump because one of the drain tubes running through the tank had rusted through and the screen had a lot of rust. New pump. New tank (used but rust free). I did not replace the whole fuel pump assembly, just the pump and screen. I pulled the throttle body rack and cleaned the injectors. Any suggestions for where to look next would be appreciated. As a senior citizen my life seems without meaning if my shift light does not flash. Thanks.

Welcome to the club... I too have SCS, but hot flashes in another way.

Let's talk history. Less than 3.8k each year. Maintenance is when:
1. Yes or no, air cleaner has been changed how many times?
2. Yes or no, valves have been checked at least once between the 35k miles?
3. Yes or no, spark plugs are changed every 7,500k as per book intervals?

Top off the tank when it sits. Condensation exposed on the raw metal is going to rust up and you'll be [pun] tanking me later with the simple trick v. nature's constant corrosion eating capabilities. That, or dump the tank, spray bomb a can of WD40 so it coats everything inside... Done deal.

What sold me was watching some car carb hound with the 4-barrels, experimenting using two sets. Both were clean and bare, but only one sprayed with WD. A year later he brings it down from his attic. Uncoated the linkage rusted. WD'd was rustless.

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Thanks for your reply. I purchased the bike from a Kawasaki dealer in AUG 2016 with 8000 miles. It ran great all winter until the local spring rainy season. I had to go out of town for work so I took it back to the dealer for a new back tire and fix the drivability issues. I also informed the service manager that any more than half full of fuel it would drain out one of the vent tubes. I did not know what the problem was at the time but I think they did and just enjoyed my company. That means $649 for an on sale rear. tire mounted and balanced and drain the tank and put a gallon of $8 gas in. He did save the fuel to show me how much water was in it.I wish I was told about the interior tank drain tube problem.It did run well for a few months, provided if it was rained on I drained the tank. I can do this very quickly, thanks to House of Kawasaki. Wedmans is close by but they are always too busy as this bike is not only my daily driver, it is my only driver. That being said, it was not purchased new from HOK. They paid cash to the previous owner so I do not know if the valves had been adjusted before they sold it to me. It had a new rear tire when I got it but it needed one at 11700. I had not been on a bike for a while. I have also learned to change and balance my own tires. I always liked big bikes. I am about to check the valve lash, and before I bust out the feeler gauge I will check all connections again. Is the no trouble light, not a sensor issue a good rule to believe in? While it may have had fuel issues 15k ago, now it seems when warm some exhaust valve are not closing fully. Do you concur or is there something else quicker I can try? Only on my second air cleaner but I clean it often. I live in a dust bowl. Thanks again.

* Last updated by: pfroessler on 6/16/2021 @ 2:34 PM *

Is the no trouble light, not a sensor issue a good rule to believe in?

Yes. It's self diagnosing. It goes like this:
1. Wire out of connector - that breaks the loop and a code light pops up.
2. Connector not connected - that reads like wire out of connector is the broken loop that again, lights the code up.
3. Signal out of range/short to ground/short inside sensor. See how it breaks a loop and the light says to go check these variables? So no codes no wire/connector/sensor problems.

While it may have had fuel issues 15k ago, now it seems when warm some exhaust valve are not closing fully.

I concur. That's what I thought of. Expands and opens the valve(s)some; and power is lost. I believe that might have a phantom 'tick' on and off going on. Hear it tick cold or hot? Kind of there but intermittent. That's a sign of a tight ticking valve lash. Sound familiar?

... or is there something else quicker I can try? Only on my second air cleaner but I clean it often. I live in a dust bowl.

Pull the air cleaner element, bring it up to the sun and can you see any daylight, or does it look dust packed? You can't let the wallet squeak on many oil/filter changes and many air cleaner replacements, not blowing dust about to be eaten by the engine.

The quick guess is to clean the air cleaner cage with water and wipe as much around the track on the outside, so that does not jump the track and get sucked into some quick ride, as you whack the throttle open and was it the air cleaner kind of quickie fix, power back?

* Last updated by: Hub on 6/16/2021 @ 9:15 PM *

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Another quickie:
Tank problems you say? My quickie would be to take the seat off. See the blue dot and that hose attached? That's your closed loop tank cap vent hose. No vapor leaving out some old style gas cap. This loop is emission related and it's for the charcoal canister to clean the vapor so much and let a cylinder suck the rest in and burn it off.

So I'm thinking off the wall here, and my dissecting a fuel pump as to seeing how fine rust can get. And once knowing the baking powder size rust granules that can clog or slow down the vapor lock at the gas cap? I'm chasing straws here without my assensing what's up?

I'll assume your tank hose connects at the dots are just two. Left [green dot] is for the rain drain below the neck filler. Right [blue dot] is the vent to emissions parts. I'm thinking, yeah it can open so as not to implode the tank, but more demand still won't collapse the tank if it still feeds and not drops dead, but runs slow.

So we are without element and tank hose connected on the test ride... and that's a quick before you are out of 1st gear we go nose diving.

* Last updated by: Hub on 6/17/2021 @ 10:56 AM *

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