You know how it will always happen to someone else?
Famous last words...

Some history.
I bought my 2007 ZX-14 second hand from my local Kawasaki dealer around two years ago.
There was only one owner before myself and just over 12,000kms on the clock.
It had been originally purchased and had a perfect service record from the same dealer.
Since I purchased it I also serviced the bike meticulously always again by the same Kawasaki dealer.
I also made the below changes to the bike at the bottom of this page.
The bike never missed a beat on many trips away with the boys and was always an absolute pleasure to ride.
It now has around 36,000kms on it.

Forward to last Wednesday night when my brother and I were in my garage and I started my 14 to let him hear the purr.

We were having a chat while the bike was idling when all of a sudden a loud metallic banging noise started. It sounded like a chain being rattled from inside the engine. I immediately shut the bike down.
My brother and I looked at each other and after a quick chat we checked the oil level. All good. The bike was on a race stand so it was perfectly upright and easy to get an accurate reading.
After another quick chat and no further ideas I decided to restarted the bike quickly to see if anything had changed, with the same resulting horrible noise. The bike didn't run for more than 1 second before I shut the engine down again.

The next day I called my Kawasaki service guys, explained what had happened and had the bike transported to them via a motorbike transportation company.
After checking the bike, they got back to me regarding the results.
After putting a camera down all of the cylinders via the spark plug holes, it was found that there were pieces of metal on top of one of the pistons. The valves had been smashed and bent.
They advised that maybe the timing had gone out and caused this issue.

Their resolution options were

1. Rebuild the engine. Cost. Worst case scenario $6,000. Best case $4,000.
2. Buy a wrecked second hand bike engine and install. Cost. Around $4,000.

How could this happen to my pride and joy?
Why so much damage when this all occurred at idle at not at high revs on a race track?
Why did this happen to a bike fastidiously serviced and maintained?
After stories of these engines easily running for 130,000kms, why did it happen at all?
The dealer contacted Kawasaki at my request.
Their response was "We have no record of this issue with any ZX-14 engine. If the engine is torn down and a component is found to be faulty we will replace and contribute to rectifying. However as the warranty has long expired there is nothing further Kawasaki Australia can do". However they would not clarify what "contribute to rectifying" entailed.
And no record of this with any ZX-14 engine?
They bloody well have one now!

In the short time since this happened I have tried to find answers by speaking to riding mates, knowledgable motorbike guys, other dealers and anyone who will listen. The answers are all the same.
Unheard of, unbelievable, unlikely on any motorbike engine let alone a Japanese built one, are you sure you didn't over rev the engine? (at idle???), a mystery, etc.

To say I am shattered is an understatement. I have put so much effort into getting this bike exactly as I want it and so don't want to discard it and start again due to repair cost restrictions.

So any feedback, ideas, comments, or just two cents worth would be appreciated as I have no idea where to go from here.
Also thoughts on perhaps what my Kawasaki dealer and Kawasaki themselves should be contributing here if anything?

P.S.
Here is the picture sent to me from my Kawasaki service guys.
Not too clear but all I have.

* Last updated by: yannih on 7/11/2014 @ 7:00 AM *

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Your profile pic has you with a number on the fairing/s windshield and you are hooking it pretty good too. Are we a trackday rider? Ever miss a shift down the straights? Ever miss a shift at all? If the valve broke it means manufacturer flaw, why not more valves then? Because the one valve could not take the stress the others could.

Only way parts let loose are stress cracks already formed thru manufacture, or stretched parts that are over revved, or poor assembly happening within minutes. Where do we fall into place? Be honest. I started the bike up so my brother can hear it idle or some rpm given to it?

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G'day Hub,
Thanks for the reply and I've enjoyed reading several of your posts in the past.
However your comment "be honest" is disappointing.
What do I have to gain by stretching or not telling the truth?
Everything that is written is exactly as it happened.
No reving of the motor. It was idling and nothing more.
Could I have done damage before this incident? Of course.
Have I missed gear shifts? Of course. But who hasn't?
I truly don't believe I have done anything that your average rider hasnt done.

It's the reason I just don't understand what has happened..

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After stories of these engines easily running for 130,000kms, why did it happen at all?

Could it be the first example of the infamous cam chain tensioner rattle allowing the timing chain to slip a tooth? If the chain was rattling, it was not at the proper tension. Even so, that scenario seems unlikely. Half of the Gen1 CCTs rattle at startup but I've never heard of this before.

Have I missed gear shifts? Of course. But who hasn't?

I agree. I've done that at high rpm several times on my 08 and I've revved in N to 9k rpm on several occasions. As far as track days, this bike was made for drag racing which is a hundred times harder on a bike than road racing.

Sorry to hear this happened to you Yannih. I'm glad you were not riding when it did. Nothing you could have done to avoid this. Just one of those freak incidents. Looks like the motor is all stock except for the clean air block. I'd think insurance would cover this under comprehensive.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/11/2014 @ 7:33 AM *

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G'day again Rook.

Insurance?
Would this be covered?
I have full comprehensive but is mechanical engine damage not resultant from an accident of some kind that will no doubt be deemed as natural wear and tear be covered?
I never considered this as I didnt think this was an option...

* Last updated by: yannih on 7/11/2014 @ 7:41 AM *

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Just checked my comprehensive insurance paperwork.
"We will not pay for mechanical, structural, electrical, electronic or other failure or breakdown."

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Sounds like the cam tensioner went bad. They work off of oil pressure, I have seen them make motors make noise until the oil pressure built up but I have never seen one not work and eat a motor.
Maybe there was somthing blocking the oil passage way? Best bet and cheapest way out is to find a used motor and swap it out.

However your comment "be honest" is disappointing.

Be honest, is that you with the number on the windshield looking very sporty? Same parts is parts for gp kind of factory kit bikes and spare parts, where the race manual stresses, 'after 5th race, teardown, inspect/replace this laundry list of parts to look over or change out at this time now!'

So with the 12k on the used bike, we do not know how that bike was ridden during those miles, we now map it, and this being a sequential map kind of stock bike, you cannot go into the ECU and click some default of running the bike out of sequence is to flash it say, whereas with a pc you cannot. So you are up against altering a fueling process with the pc. If stock, there would be no question about the 'everything you say/show in photo or sig line with all the mods,' can and will be used against you' once bulletproofails.

That kicks a fuel [variable] into this one questionable cylinder. Think of me as the dealer rep of so many dealerships in a district around the country. I have to visit shops out of state and all that, just to make sure warranty is comprehensive [among other things], but once a number falls on a windshield, all bets are off like the pc. So, are we in detonation mode with one cylinder?: because of a map in question [any map but theirs] is their point of view, not mine. See the list growing? The abuses of missing shifts, is one more red flag of abuse. The number on the bike, this rears one more 'disappointment' that the current list keeps growing against him. That is one big poop on the reach around, I checked my policy now, not the one that is truly comprehensive with the engine, harnesses, and telemetry: did I get hootered (been there done that).

Do not disappoint me, I'm not on your side, nor the factory side. I'm looking at the evidence presented vs. hours on the parts. Have we had the bike on a closed course, yes or no? Kawi sold this bike as a street bike with lights, not a race bike with a racing manual calling the ball for teardown/replacement time, once the bike enters this [race/high speed] environment. They heat treat and machine out the same parts, [some parts a touch lighter], but they call the hours of replacing those special parts. So under stress, change out a piston, etc., would be a production dirt bike (no winkers/lights) but a bike that is going into service [stress environment for so many hours] and yes, you can get away with running the parts out, but it's going to catch up to you in performance (compression) or eventually in breakage as we have here.

Once I add up the assumes [you revved the engine] and you come back with a no, it still assumed you missed a shift and that is more like a down the road kind of stress that takes time. All I'm doing is pointing out your Catch22 Dis Say Points Out and it may not be your fault: with those previous [unknown] hours of a split second it takes for that one stroke [out of 4] to cause it to fail.

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Just checked my comprehensive insurance paperwork.
"We will not pay for mechanical, structural, electrical, electronic or other failure or breakdown."

Bummer.

I'm sure that missing shifts and a few track days put more wear on the engine than would be if those miles were spent commuting. but I think we have a pretty strong president set by at least half of the ZX-14 owners that occasional hard use is not something that should cause engine failure. You'd hear of more of these bikes blowing up if that were the case. If the previous owner was into drag racing, maybe the engine was exposed to more hard use than we think. I'd imagine there would be some engine performance issues long before something let go though.

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Hi Hub,
I understand your concerns with my usage of the bike and what it was designed for though I have no idea why you persist with me to be honest.

So some more history.
Yes. My avatar shows me at Eastern Creek Race Track in Sydney. However that is the only time the bike has ever been on a race track.
It is not a track bike. It is a registered road bike.
But it doesn't stop there.
The bike is not used as a comuter vehicle. I have a car for that and I find riding in city traffic extremely boring.
But I don't have to be asked twice twice to get away with the boys and once out of the city and onto some of the great quieter country roads the riding becomes "very spirited" and the rev levels are not unlike a racetrack. Straight line speeds do not interest me that much although the bike will get a good push now and then on long clear straights. It's the corners we search for and these can include very short diameter twisties to long high speed sweepers.
But do I believe the way I have ridden the bike is of any major concern as to what has now happened to the engine?
Absolutely not.

Kawasaki designed this bike as one of the most powerful and fastest production bikes on the planet to combat the bussa. It is a hyper sport bike with insane power.
You make out as if I should ride the bike like it is wrapped in cotton wool.
If I was only going to ride at the 60 Km/h city speed limit I would have bought a bloody scooter instead.

You persist with miss shifts. I said I have. But these have been extremely rare and once in a blue moon. Plus when I have I have never thought "whoa, that was nasty". Not even close.
Have I constantly over revved the bike? Unlikely. I have a gear change light set well below red line and this very rarely flashes.

Now can I guarantee how the bike was used before I bought it. No. Of course not. But it was purchased by myself in 100% stock standard configuration with no high performance add ons. Plus in Australia we don't have anywhere near the same interest in drag racing as the US so this is extremely unlikely. And from memory the chicken strips on the tyre were substantial so that would say a lot as well.

Lastly I am 51 years old that has learnt over the years how to treat and maintain anything I own. I am also a private pilot and take the same procedural, sensible and deliberate mentality into anything I operate.
I am not a raw 19 year old rev head.
Again, I dont believe I have done anything substantially out of the ordinary on this motorbike that your average ZX-14 rider has not done.
It is why i am so disappointed, confused and frustrated that this has happened.

Hub, you sure you weren't a protective Kawasaki executive in a past life?

* Last updated by: yannih on 12/21/2016 @ 10:39 PM *

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Hub, you sure you weren't a protective Kawasaki representitive in a past life?

No Yanni, I first want to make sure we shove the bike back up mother teapot's ass, before we find out you abused the bike since day one. So that says, have a clear table once we tear that thing down and see what caused what? Call in the district rep, show him the part(s) and get involved with this. If this service was at the dealer, that puts you out of the loop and the dealer and kawi back in the loop.

Like you said, this is mother tea's 'top dog,' 'top shelf' and if this bike keeps blowing up due to a failed part, we go back to someone not catching an x-ray'd part and that lands back on kawi. Your next step is to cross your fingers, have kawi meet you in the middle with a, 'good will' gesture of paying for parts, you pay the labor.

So this back and forth was for more if you have a case or not. And to me so far, looks like you were not that abusive with the bike, if one trackday shows you haven't touched foot peg down, fairing down as if hauling ass. More a sport ride without looking in the mirror for a few minutes.

Where are we at? Let the dealer get involved, pay for it to be torn down and we have our damage estimate. Next is to see if the dealer will help with or without the factory involvement. After all, they did the work, so now I question them. Without that engine torn down, we'll just go back and forth with this.

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Thanks Hub.

P.S.
There are both peg and fairing scrapes on the bike.
But only on the left hand side :)

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I guess my view on this is "stuff happens". Sometimes there is an obvious cause, other times there is not. You may be entirely at fault from something you did or didn't do, but more likely it was just a defective part that made its way though Kawasaki's quality processes. In quality you have a "bathtub" effect with a larger number of failures happening early in the life of a product and then a very steep drop off until later in the life of the product where wear starts to show up. But your bike sounds like it's in the "middle" of the tub so-to-speak, but the failure rate never drops to 0. That's because none of our human processes are 100% perfect and there is always the possibility that a defect will cause a failure. The good news is that you were not injured.

As far as the bike? I'm not sure what the market is like where you are but I don't believe I'd be looking at paying someone to repair or replace an engine in a 2007 ZX-14. IF this were mine, I'd probably take a shot at rebuilding the engine myself. Pull the engine and open it up and assess the damage. If it's too bad, start looking for a complete engine from a wreck.

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Hi jwh20,

Yeah, it has not escaped me that this happened in my garage rather than on the road and in the middle of no where!
And you are 100% correct in that if this occurred at a reasonable speed there was a chance of the rear locking and a very poor result all round.

So your attitude is spot on and although I already knew it you have reinforced that there is a lot to be thankful for in this poor situation...

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If you do all the work yourself and it blows up again, that would be a huge wist of time and money. Get a new motor and put it in yourself. I'd be thinking about fitting a 14r motor in there. That's what I'm going to do if mine ever blows up. And I have run the crap out of mine plenty of times. Hit the rev limiter fairly frequently before installing the quickshifter, missed shifts, banged it back in, small wheelies all the time. Most of the miles are commuting and touring but why else would I want this bike if I can't ride it hard now and then? OMG, people have this bike at the track and launch from 6k 0load on the engine and miss shifts, then turn around and use it for a daily driver. You can't tell me they are tearing the motor down after every race day.

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That's my biggest issue Rook.

I am not confident, mechanically savvy or experienced enough to take on a project like this on my own.
I am trying to figure a way to get Kawasaki Australia and my local dealer to work with me on this one.
All though the bike is out of warranty it simply should not have happened.
I am not asking them to do everything. I know i need to be involved and responsible as well.
But we support products that are reliable have good backup service.

I had a 2005 Honda VFR800 for 5 years before the ZX-14 and rode it virtually exactly the same way with zero issues.

Even though the Kawasaki ZX-14 is the best motorbike I have ever ridden, I will re evaluate where my bike dollars go if there is no support from the big boys to resolve this.

I would not be posting these points if in anyway I felt I had done something with the bike that may have caused this.

As I said, I know I am primarily responsible for this. I just expect support from my dealer and Kawasaki in the process.

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A seven year old "drag bike" shouldn't expect to last forever. Don't expect Mama Kaw to cover your repairs 6 years out of warranty. You have no clue how that bike was treated before you took delivery. If you take your time, you can swap in a new engine in no time. It's just nuts and bolts. Bummer it happened though. Don't give up on the big K. They build the best stuff.

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A seven year old "drag bike" shouldn't expect to last forever

Did you read the same thing I did? One track day, and some aggressive street riding. If that type of riding will grenade a motor than I better start looking for a new motor.

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I love this forum and the guys on it.
Everyone has been so helpful on past upgrades i have worked on with my bike and I will listen to their opinions regardless of whether I agree or not because the combined experience levels here are massive.

But wfozx14, I thought I was going nuts till your post.

I thought it was just me thinking that this seriously should not have happened.
I consider myself nothing more than an average ZX-14 rider.
If we were on a CB250 site I might say I was in front of the game compared to most.

Why did we choose the bikes we all did and surely they were designed for the typicaly aggressive nature of the purchaser?
And there is no doubt that the vast vast majority have shown a very sound design.
But when one fails to perform as designed in such a serious way, surely some sort of support from dealer and manufacturer is warranted. I am not trying to get something for nothing. I understand that the vast majority of this cost will be bourne by myself.

Anyway, I've bored everyone way too much already about this.

Thanks to all who have responded and it's now time for me to bite the bullet, do what needs to be done and fix the issue as best as I can.

It happens...

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A seven year old "drag bike" shouldn't expect to last forever. Don't expect Mama Kaw to cover your repairs 6 years out of warranty.

I agree with everything Jimmy said, I'm just cutting his quote down to a mixture of, 'race' to it. I'm seeing 6 years down the road, a second owner that joined a small fraternity with a great avvy. This is a very small group of sportears, you are going to cry paying the price using the bike as intended.

"I scrape the pegs and fairing, how do you think I look so go no fully cranked over." Oh, so he can haul ass and that means a lot more rpm's than the average JOEApply. So you do apply more pressure or a demand to elevate your own riding ability is a, 'Thrasher' like some of us that take it to a different level than most here.

Yanni, don't chew be throwing the sheet over my eyes being humble and all, when I can sort of tell within a few posts we have a decent rider with some riding capabilities. Talent enough to ring its little neck out. Lets mix this all together so we are credible to our dealer and if the factory wants to get involved.

Your photo may have given you away, I don't know? I see one of these snowflakes drop out of circulation, there is this percentage in the field that just takes a shit. Way too many years gone by, we go out and ride 80-90% on a trackday, on the street we run 10-15% below that no one is looking.

We do not become that proficient around corners, but being somewhat of a hooligan to survive on one of these out on the street. So you know what this bike is capable of, we are in a constant ring it out, pound it hard mode, or is that only me doing this to the bike?

Of course not. So when you play you pay, right? Here's something to look up. Were the plugs changed when you received the bike? Technically, they were due at 12km. Your dealer says the chain jumped. Lets walk out the dealer diagnosis.

Scopee: Yanni mate, year there?
Yanni: Yes, yes, I'm listening.

Scopee: Well, I got out my high dollar scope a dope and I cam to the conclusion you jumped chain withe shit, lookey.
Yanni: I'm looking, but my brother and I...

Scopee:... I paid big bucks for this now you are going to pay me to fits it.
Yanni: That's what I said. I'm about to have a fit you are not listening to my brother and I...

Scopee:... I can tell you right now it's going to be a new valve seat and a cut or we try to salvage the head.
Yanni: I'm heading over to trade in the bike, lets start all over.

Scopee: Oh, but this is a big job and a lot of parts. If you listen to my diagnosis I want you to forget you and bro.
Yanni: My bro and I wanted to listen to it a second time and it lit up. Is that just one damaged cylinder?

Scopee: You better go on line an ass that hubeershitsteer guy only one cylinder looks like this the cam jumps.
Yanni: He was bringing out a clown suit and wanted me to ask you what size you wear from head to toe so give it up...

Scopee:... The what did I say? I said the chain jumped and did you say you started the bike back up with 14 valves that were not bent it started did you say?
Yanni: Yes, now lets start with the shoe size.

Scopee: Y U Moe There Fuk Ear!
Yanni: Waste line?

Scopee: 36
Yanni: Arms?

Scopee: Dragging on the ground with calluses on me knuckles.
Yanni: I'm in big trouble!

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^^

Let us know how it all turns out, Yannih. I think you could get the engine bolted in and then it's just a matter of a bunch of wires and throttle bodies and a chain and...i'm sure a few other things...exhaust, for one.... ??? ...and throttle cables.... ?? ...clutch line... ?? the list is growing.

If you have the time, I'm sure you could do it but I bet it would easily be over a hundred hours for you (or me).

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I have a buddy with a machine shop that rebuilds motors. He has 15 - 20 motors to rebuild in his shop at all times. I'm sure 90% of those owners said "What the f#$^ when theirs blew. Nothing lasts forever....period. It sucks, but nobody to blame. Parts wear, fatigue, stress fracture, bend, break, and just plain fall off. I had a motor blow in an old winter beater. Driving down the interstate at 60, tick..tick...tick...TICK...TICK...CLUNK...CLUNK...BANG...BANG...BOOM! I pulled the dipstick to check the oil, and the bottom 3" of the dipstick was gone. Sheared clean off. Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of a motor. Not everyone has the time, skill, know how, tools, or commitment to rebuild or replace a motor. No shame in that. Count your blessings, sell it for parts, and buy an upgrade you can afford. Sorry, best I can do.

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Easy, Yannih. I think Hub wanted you to verify all four pistons hit their valves or just one piston got struck.

One scenario is jumped timing... the other is not timing related.

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Hubber, Yannih,

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You don't speak in clear and concise launguage but in riddles because you are a sad little man who craves attention and wants people to read and re read your posts to try and work out their actual meanings.

One thing that is different about me is the Walden's Pond of hearing the beat of a different drummer. No matter how I got you there, you figured out what I said, right?

I can take you disagreeing with my point of view

I am in a neutral corner, not taking sides, agree that some metal part should not have let loose this soon or at all.

I can take you accusing me of not telling the truth

Either the bike explains the condition of itself or we explain how the bike got into the condition it is in now. Clear everyone's assumptions. I'm just as puzzled as you about the head damage. I can see rods, but the head is a new one on me.

i can take you challanging my very limited technical knowledge

This helps me help you gain confidence or we both understand our limitation$$$

and I can take you poking fun at my expense

I know how expensive it is to even get the bike on a closed course these days. I more envy what you are doing but I won't say it. So far, we have established a length of time out of warranty. Good luck! I am asking about the plugs, because if say one of the plugs cracks off a porcelain piece of an 'original plug?' Did you say you have a paper trail of the bike before purchased? I'm thinking about failure and where did it start? We both run the piss out of our bikes, what took yours out? Let me think about an original plug scenario, I'm poking fun at your expense is I'm trying to keep your wallet closed. You might be missing the signals I'm pointing at.

but because I mention my brother once as he was there when the engine issue occurred, you add him into your sarcastic little rant.

You took it as a rant, I took it as a "witness." Look how credible the both of you look vs. 'cam skipped.' The dis went to the abstract. His conclusion was cam jumped timing, and does he look credible as a mechanic? Where is the leakdown test? I have a scope but not a leak tester buy the same company? I'm sure I stretch parts and abuse my bike as equal or more than your one time at the track, blown more shifts and and all that. Just saying.

Your bike like the other bikes with blown #3 or #4 rods out the case is just one more bike vs. a 6 year production run of the engine family we are discussing. From where I'm standing, I'm running my own forensics and coming up with unknown variables. I thought of original plug debris entering into that chamber. Something has to snap that tulip off the valve stem.

The point of you riding that bike in the garage and turning it off says compression. Starting the bike up and hearing some noise, the restart, me thinking about how easy the damaged plug came out. It may not be so torn up. And where are those plugs? The cylinder in question, where is that plug? How new do the tips of the plug electrodes look?

Like hag stated, I'm on your side. I'm on the dealer's side and I'm on the factory's side. I'm about as neutral about this as it comes. All I'm trying to establish now, is how well that diagnostics is going? I could be wrong, but it sure sounds strange not all the valves tagged each other down the line, just the one with the photo?

* Last updated by: Hub on 7/12/2014 @ 11:56 AM *

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