Ok I was initially experiencing the wrong gear on the display and from reading multiple topics it pointed me to the GPS being the issue. Somewhere down the line Kawasaki changed the design of the GPS because it doesn't look anywhere similar to the ones I viewed in other threads related to ZX14(R) GPS issues. Anyway I was able locate and remove it and there was a small amount of oil in the cavity, which I heard is normal. I cleaned all parts associated with the GP sensor but now I'm experiencing an oil leak which I have verified is coming from the GPS. I've disassembled and assembled the unit at least 6 times, and each time after I go for a ride and get back home there's oil dripping from the GPS. I even used some gasket maker which didn't work. The larger O-Ring that goes on the holder that's inserted in the cavity is loose and doesn't grip the holder like I would assume it should do. Does anyone know if the O ring is suppose to fit snug around the GPS holder, or is it normal for it to have some free play.

I'm not sure if I'm doing it correctly but I tried placing the O ring onto the GPS holder and then insert it into the cavity, but no dice because it doesn't grip the circumference of the holder and falls off due to limited space. So I ended up just inserting the O Ring into the cavity and made sure it was flush and then inserted the sensor. I'm not sure if I just have a bad O Ring or if the way I'm assembling the unit is the cause to the oil leak. Like I said I've been down there at least 6 times and nothing has worked other than replacing the entire unit. If I had known that this issue was coming, I would've just dealt with the incorrect gear indicator since it was sporadic but was just more of a nuissance.

Thanks

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Just following up with this issue that I finally resolved and the oil leak is gone. Although this was the first time I've ever had to access the GPS, both O rings were shot and needed replacing. You'd think that you can just clean up the sensor and reuse the existing o rings, but in my case once I disassembled the GPS the o rings must've exposed their weaknesses. With the older style GPS unit there was only 1 o ring to deal with but with the later model GPS units there are 2. One that seats around the sensor itself and another larger one that fits into the GPS holder cavity. The larger one is the one that was giving me grief and it's near impossible to find a replacement for the larger O ring at your local hardware or automotive stores due to its odd size, 27.2mm x 2.4mm.

Figured this may help someone that may encounter this issue in the future, especially if you're deciding to tackle the sporadic incorrect gear indicator reading that happens with the ZX14's from time to time. Like I said there were no leaking issues prior to disassembling the unit to correct the sensor reading issue, but once I did this I opened a can of worms that was eventually remedied by purchasing 2 new O rings which cost me a total of $6 through Partzilla.

* Last updated by: siroht on 9/23/2025 @ 11:49 AM *

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Yep, I found out reusing o-rings can be a bad idea. They leaked on my Hayabusa oil cooler. It eventually stopped leaking but I would have preferred to just put new o-rings in there like you're supposed to if you disassemble.

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It has been my experience that Japanese O-Rings have a short life. I had a 1992 Lexus SC400 the Power Steering Pump O-Rings leaked by 30,000 miles. The water pump O-Rings leaked by 50,000 miles.
My 1989 ZX10 Ninja Starter O-Ring leaked at 5,000 miles.
My 2003 FZ1's O-Rings on the Main Jet Holder were rock hard in 2 years. I installed an Ivan Jet kit and found them hard and brittle, leaking air, too. I called Ivan and told him that he should include O-rings in his kit. Yamaha only sold the O-ring with the main jet holder for $20. I got 100 O-rings for $9 from Mccaster. They are 5.5mm, an odd size. Anybody need 96 O-rings?

Amercian made O-Rings last longer. My 2005 F150 that I bought new all its O-Rings are still holding.

This defintely taught me a lesson when dealing with this bike...any parts that need to be disassembled and they include O Rings, I'll be ordering OEM O Rings before servicing the part so that when I'm ready to reassemble the part(s) I'll already have new O Rings on hand to replace the old ones. I was surprised that the existing O rings weren't no good when this was the first time I've ever accessed and disassembled the Gear Position Sensor.

I did everything possible to stop the leak with no luck that I had broke down and contacted the dealership and made an appointment to have it fixed. I told them what I had done and where the leak was coming from and that I just need a "professional" to fix what I messed up. They quoted me $180 for a diagnostic test and a minimum of $280 to fix it if it was indeed the problem. I asked them why would you want to perform a diagnostic test when I clearly know where the leak is coming from, but they were adamant and suggested a diagnostic check first. That motivated me even more to fix the problem myself, and at the end of the day it saved me $500 for a simple fix and I was able to cancel the dealership appointment. :)

* Last updated by: siroht on 9/23/2025 @ 11:46 AM *

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I was surprised that the existing O rings weren't no good when this was the first time I've ever accessed and disassembled the Gear Position Sensor.

I imagine an o-ring will wear out eventually but probably, they're good for a very long time. If the original seal gets broken, they probably don't flatten as tightly as they should if used a second time.

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O-rings seal an outer bore hole so as to squeeze in between the OD hole and the machined inner bore cage (for a better name) were the o-ring lays and becomes an interference fit. Rubber has memory up to a point of many heat cycling. Whereas, they flatten square at their touch(squeeze) points.

Last month my nephew had a shift seal leak and only changed the outer o-ring. I said look at the other side of the shaft where the other ring fits and look at it as to being round or flat? For sure it was flat and told him to change the inner o-ring as well. Leak solved.

So basically you broke the seal or it went belly up flat and leaked from there. Open a shop manual and look at blowout renderings and find an o-ring. It will show a line and a circled R to "Replace" it. So again, R means replace it, for it usually goes flat and memory is lost.

A 500 dollar lesson saved.

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Spot on Hub!

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