Here's the complete & updated email chain with Kawasaki Australia. They've found a way to wipe their hands of the issue and passed the buck onto myself and the dealer. No reply from the dealer and no actual fluid testing results from K.A. I'm over the whole thing. Just want to fix it up and move on. Sadly, probably to another brand.
"Hi Jeremy.
Thanks for getting back to me again. I appreciate you having the brake fluid tested. Do you have a copy of the results and can you give me the readings?
I also appreciate you pointing out the 24,000km/24 month fluid change period. However, it's quite apparent you have not read the entire correspondence below. My bike has only travelled 7,500km and is only now 25 months old. Are you saying that this would not have occurred a month ago? Hard to believe a few weeks would make such a difference, particularly on such a low km, garaged bike.
Further, knowing the fluid was old and getting low I specifically took it to the dealer the day before the track day for a check and to ascertain if the system was suitable for the forthcoming track day. As I wrote below, "They advised all "good for at least another 6000km & safe for trackday", topped up the master cylinder fluid and sent me on my way.". What more could I have done here to ensure the bike's (& ultimately my own) safety?
It's very disappointing to read your dismissive final comment "we advise that this is the final position of our company and no further communication regarding this will be entered in to." This being the case I'll certainly want no further dealing with Kawasaki and Kawasaki Australia. As I wrote below, I'll now "fully dismantle & inspect all; seals, cylinders, bores, lines and joints myself." I’ll then be repairing the bike and selling.
Regards,
Tim ****
RPEQ no. ****.
From: tsd.support@kawasaki.com.au
To: tim_****
CC: kbservice@teammoto.com.au
Subject: FW: Kawasaki Support Enquiry
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2015 05:06:09 +0000
Dear Mr ****,
Kawasaki Motors thanks you for your further communication.
Our company has employed the expertise of a reputable and impartial independent oil sample testing company to perform a scientific analysis of the brake fluid from the front braking system of your Kawasaki ZX1400FDF.
It has been determined that the moisture content and particulate contamination contained in the brake fluid is exceptionally and unacceptably high and would have drastically reduced the wet boiling point of the DOT 4 brake fluid.
This may or may not have been apparent during normal road type operation but would have been more evident and much more likely to cause a braking system issue when operated in a competition like manner.
We sincerely urge you to consider the ramifications of this situation with your motorcycle in the future and encourage you to always follow the manufacturer’s recommendation that the brake fluid must be replaced every 24,000 kilometres or 2 years whichever occurs first. (Refer Page 123 of your owner’s manual – see below)
It is also important and we strongly advise you that should you decide in the future to operate your motorcycle or indeed any motorcycle on a closed circuit racing course in a competition like manner, that you discuss this with your Kawasaki dealer first and take whatever necessary steps required to ensure that your motorcycle is suitably prepared.
We sincerely and genuinely hope that you understand the information we have provided you with, and that it has been helpful. Please direct all future communications to your local authorised Kawasaki motorcycle dealership and we advise that this is the final position of our company and no further communication regarding this will be entered in to.
Page 123 of the genuine Kawasaki ZX1400FDF Owner’s Manual – Periodic Replacement
Kind Regards
Jeremy Fuller
Supervisor, Technical Services
Kawasaki Motors Pty Ltd
W: www.kawasaki.com.au
Disclaimer: The contents of this email are confidential. This email is intended for the addressee only and no responsibility is accepted to any third party for the whole or part of the contents of this email. If you receive this email in error, then please notify the sender and delete this email. Any views expressed in this e-mail are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of Kawasaki Motors Pty Ltd.
The recipient of this email must not engage (or permit any of its personnel or employees to engage) in any social media or online activity which may cause damage to the reputation of Kawasaki Motors Pty Ltd, its related bodies corporate, employees, officers or contractors. The recipient of this email must remove or require any removal of content that may be posted or published by it or its employees or personnel using the internet, website or a social media platform that relates in any way to the business of Kawasaki Motors Pty Ltd or its related bodies corporate.
From: Tim ****[mailto:tim_****]
Sent: Monday, 24 August 2015 8:29 PM
To: info <info@kawasaki.com.au>
Cc: Alex **** <kbservice@teammoto.com.au>
Subject: RE: Kawasaki Support Enquiry
Hi Allan.
Thanks for getting back to me so promptly.
I’d like to first start by saying that Alex **** from Team Moto Bowen Hills has been nothing but professional & helpful, both in this matter and in all my previous dealings with him. I’m glad to see that he’s recently returned to the Bowen Hills dealership.
However, I’m not satisfied the real cause of my problem has been found. I just find it almost unbelievable that a newish, low km, well-maintained & stored motorbike such as mine can have such a catastrophic fault, while other, much older & harder ridden bikes have no issue. You mention below “may have caused the moisture contained in your brake fluid (which is several years old) to “boil”. This would have allowed vapour to develop in your front brake lines causing the “loss” of front brake”. My bike is only two years old, has been serviced by the book and is well garaged & looked after. When you send someone out on one of your track day test bikes (that’s been serviced by the same schedule?), do you tell them “don’t brake too hard or you could have complete brake loss”? While I agree that it’s quite likely that the fault is related to a combination of heat, moisture and fluid turning to vapour, this fault is normally precipitated by a feeling of sponginess at the lever rather than total transition from a firm lever to no lever pressure at all. At the track I was; not braking hard enough to invoke the ABS, not hard enough to perform “stoppies” (getting the rear wheel airborne) and certainly not as hard as, the admittedly lighter, ZX6Rs & ZX10Rs that swamped me into each corner. It was a cool morning. Only four degrees when I arrived.
Have you put any of this to the K.H.I. motorcycle technical staff in Japan (or elsewhere) for their opinion? If I was them I’d certainly be wanting to be hear about it - and direct from a subsidiary rather then an outside source. No I’m not threatening here.
I’m extremely disappointed that you’re not prepared to look further into this by at least; further disassembling of the front brake system (master cylinder in particular), checking all seals and testing the fluid sample removed from system.
After receiving your email Friday afternoon I picked up the bike on Saturday. On return from my current work in Perth I will fully dismantle & inspect all; seals, cylinders, bores, lines and joints myself. The ABS is a bit of an unknown to me but I’ll be looking into that hardware as well (you say you’ve already checked the software). I'll contact Alex and take the sample of fluid he's saved for testing. I trust this is in a sealed container to prevent further contamination. I’m no mechanic but unless I can find an issue I’ll be repairing the bike and selling. I just don’t trust it. Disappointing, as currently this is my bike of choice, regardless of price.
Regards,
Tim ****.
From: info@kawasaki.com.au
To: tim ****
CC: kbservice@teammoto.com.au
Subject: RE: Kawasaki Support Enquiry
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2015 06:26:35 +0000
Dear Mr ****,
Thank you for contacting Kawasaki Motors with your enquiry and we were very sorry to hear of your accident while on our KTGA track ride day.
Kawasaki Motors has been working closely with Team Moto Bowen Hills who has been investigating your report of “front brake failure”. Alex **** the service manager at Team Moto Bowen Hills has advised Kawasaki Motors Pty LTD, that they have now concluded their investigation on your ZX1400FDF (VIN: JKBZXNF19DA003937) brake system. During this investigation NO manufacturing defects or any other abnormal operating conditions were evident with the brake system installed on your motorcycle, and they were found to be operating normally without fault. Your ABS system has also been checked using the latest Kawasaki diagnostic computer software, which also did not reveal any faults with your motorcycles ABS system.
Alex has also advised us, that the most likely cause of your front brake concerns was actually caused by abnormally high temperatures in your front brake system, this may have caused the moisture contained in your brake fluid (which is several years old) to “boil”. This would have allowed vapour to develop in your front brake lines causing the “loss” of front brake.
Alex has replaced the brake fluid in your front brake system and he has done this under Team Moto “goodwill” with no charge to you, your motorcycle has been thoroughly road tested and is now ready for collection.
Kawasaki Motors would therefore advise remaining in contact with Alex at Team Moto Bowen Hills, as he is best suited to assist you with all your Kawasaki needs. Please also be advised that we have copied Alex in on this email, so he is fully aware of the concerns you have raised with Kawasaki Motors.
Kind Regards
Allan Jenkins
TSD Assistant - Dealer Tech Support
Kawasaki Motors Pty Ltd.
W: www.kawasaki.com.au
Disclaimer: The contents of this email are confidential. This email is intended for the addressee only and no responsibility is accepted to any third party for the whole or part of the contents of this email. If you receive this email in error, then please notify the sender and delete this email. Any views expressed in this e-mail are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of Kawasaki Motors Pty Ltd.
The recipient of this email must not engage (or permit any of its personnel or employees to engage) in any social media or online activity which may cause damage to the reputation of Kawasaki Motors Pty Ltd, its related bodies corporate, employees, officers or contractors. The recipient of this email must remove or require any removal of content that may be posted or published by it or its employees or personnel using the internet, website or a social media platform that relates in any way to the business of Kawasaki Motors Pty Ltd or its related bodies corporate.
From: Tim
Sent: Thursday, 20 August 2015 2:10 PM
To: info <info@kawasaki.com.au>
Subject: Kawasaki Support Enquiry
Image removed by sender.
To the Kawasaki Support Team,
Please find below a support request from Tim *******
Customer Details
Enquiry Type
Product Details
Kawasaki Dealer
VIN or HIN
Dealerhasbike
Kawasaki Model
2013 ZX14R
Enquiry
Total front brake failure on ZX14R.
Hi. I have a 2013 ZX14R a few weeks out of warranty. The bike has travelled ~7500km and is kept in my garage in Brisbane. It as a full service history at the same dealer I purchased this, and my last bike from 15 years ago. On this Tuesday August 18 I attended the Kawasaki track day at Qld Raceway. The afternoon prior I dropped into my local dealer to check the front brakes in preparation as I noticed the master cylinder fluid was below the halfway mark. They advised all "good for at least another 6000km & safe for trackday", topped up the master cylinder fluid and sent me on my way. In my first session on track early Tuesday morning after ~10 laps without issue (no sponginess or notable fading) my front brakes failed completely heading into turn one. No lever pressure at all despite me frantically pumping it hoping for some retardation. Consequently I sailed though the corner, into the gravel trap where the bike dug in & I went over the bars. On picking up the bike I checked fluid level (still good) and lever pressure (still zero, but returned after ~5mins). Luckily the limited retardation available using the rear brake & engine braking had slowed me enough to limit the damage to both myself & the bike, though I'm sure panel damage alone will be in excess of $2K. My main concern however is the catastrophic brake failure I experienced. Please understand I'm no racer or regular track day attendee. I am however a 75kg, 50 year old rider with 33 years constant bike riding ownership & experience. I'm also a Registered Professional Engineer (RPEQ ****) who deals in safety engineering for a living. I have left the bike with my dealer for assessment. They can find no fault except indicating that the brake fluid likely boiled (fluid discolouration was mentioned). I've told them that I no longer feel safe riding this bike on road or track unless a fault is found. In my industry we don't let these things slide. This is NOT a normal failure. If it was there would be dead track day riders everywhere. There were several other ZX14Rs present, most with riders much heavier than I & who rode & braked much harder who had no issue. I need you to contact me to discuss this issue ASAP."