I only have 260 miles on the R and I always clean it up after a ride with spray cleaner /polish.

Put it away on Thursday evening and cleaned it as usual. Noticed no marks on the fender or anywhere else either, for that matter. Then we got a few inches of snow and I haven't ridden since.

Today as I came through the garage I noticed that some snow melt splash had splattered onto the front wheel by the garage door. But, when I cleaned the dried splash off I discovered a hairline crack in the center of the front fender. It starts at the front tip and extends a couple inches up the center of the fender. It is invisible until you put pressure on the fender and then it separates.

I will take it to the dealer tomorrow and ask them to consult Kawasaki about the issue. If Kawi will replace fender, I will probably do that; but after I let the dealer inspect and document the crack, I will use some Welder glue to fix it from the underside. That may be all it will take to be a permanent fix.

I gotta wonder if anyone else on this list with a new R has had a similar issue? Especially if you ride in freezing or near freezing temps, I'd like to hear from you. There is absolutely no sign of any impact to cause this crack and you would never see it unless you put manual pressure on the fender and caused the split to open. Left untreated, I would expect it to grow vertically up the fender; neatly bisecting the fender lengthwise as continued riding forces would stress it, especially at higher speeds.

Thanks for any input in advance.

* Last updated by: PaulAB on 3/4/2012 @ 2:18 PM *

i got caught in the rain last friday and now mine is filthy. Probably will wash it on wednesday and take a look at the fender. Mine is the same color too.

Ive checked mine afew times and havent found anything cracked, broken or missing. I normally PM the bike everytime Ive ridden it and theres no quality or defect issues I can see. Only thing Im dealing with is folks asking me what paint color scheme that is. So short answer is not a single issue with it yet.

Hub if your reading this.. "thanks for putting up a proper link for that video...

Creeps.

Yeesh....IDK...sorry about your fender.VERY unlikely it just cracked.There's absolutely NO sign of something pushing into it?Like maybe they moved it and hit it under something else?Or...as in my case...a rock strike?Not on my fender...but at the lamp seam on the front cowl.Friggin pebble nailed it right at the lens/cowl plastic.Nicked a little half moon shaped deal in there.FU%@!!!!I took a razor blade and shaved the downshaping cowl plastic just right there....it came out(THANK GOD)okay.You can't tell anything ever was amiss.Geez....quite a stunner though when I first noticed it.Like...WTF?????Of all the places for a pebble to hit...it'd have to be right there!

Cars are made out of plastic. Cars would crack all over the place if weather was a factor. That crack is a factory flaw if there is no sign of a paint scrape, divot near the beginning of the crack. I think this falls into workmanship of part(s). Either it was stressed on assembly, stressed thru service, no matter what, it is more a warranty claim... Let them call the ball.

Yeah if that was by the bolts you'd be eating it but this sounds like a lemon fender. They should simply give youa new one. Don't let the shop install for you.

* Last updated by: Rook on 3/4/2012 @ 8:45 PM *

IDK Rook...something like that..maybe it would be best to let em install it?That way...any cracks develope around those front bolts there...or that one after the fork,they'd have to replace it as well.I know I broke one on my 07 by getting those rear fender bolts too tight.Crushed the plastic(didn't realize it).Doesn't take much overtightening to get a crack started.Once those vibes start happening...she can crack really fast.

Ah well...keep the torque in spec...shouldn't be any problem at all.I'm like you...do it myself!

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 3/4/2012 @ 8:58 PM *

HEY PAULAB IN IL, WE HAD TWO BRAND NEW 14RS OUT OF THE CRATE, SHOW THE SAME THIN CRACKS HERE IN MICHIGAN, DEALER SAYS MOST LIKELY IMPROPER CRATING OR SHIFTING, BUT KAWASAKI DIDNT EVEN FART THE WRONG WAY, THEY FIXED IT ASAP, ALSO YOU NEVER KNOW HOW OR WHO UNCRATES THE BIKES AT THE DEALERS, ITS ALWAYS THE OLD SAYING I DIDNT DO IT. GOOD LUCK, KAWASAKI WILL DO YOU RIGHT.

Grn, go out and check your fender. If they use the same cast, it may say there is not enough plastic or the curve is loading up at that center area? Too many bikes out of the crate where no fenders on the first gen were being pulled from the same crates. No, I'll assume this is a quality/crapsmenshit. Remember, I said, ass soon as I say something it's alleged?

I don't know how they assemble these on the production line but when you remove the fender you have to twist and flex it a bit to get clearance for the left side brake line retainer bracket. It's just a small plastic bracket but it protrudes greatly into the fork so it can be difficult to gain clearance.

If these are assembled at the factory with the brake line retainer installed (there are three of them) then it's possible that a ham fisted assembler could easily crack a fender on assembly.

For future maintenance I may just remove the brake line retainer from the fender prior to removing the fender and install a new retainer on reassemlby. They cost $2 and you only need to remove the one to make the whole job simple. If it alleviates the possibility of cracking a fender then it's well worth 2 bucks.

Hub said..."GRN...go out and check yours"....geez...I KNEW someone would come up with that....I don't WANT to!!!!!!!Okay...f it...here goes.There better not be any friggin crack in that fender.

WHEEEEE!!!!...(sorry for you guys who have a cracked one)...mine's okay.Shit...the fairing damage to mine on uncrating...a fender crack would have been a blessing!

I was just noting that fender as I was checking it...you know,IF a guy grabbed that front fender like at the tip and was pulling the bike into the crate or something just with the fender,I can see how it could flex upward right there and cause a hairline crack that probably wouldn't be noticed.I'll almost bet that's what happened.It will flex right there pretty severely if it's pulled on.Imagine having your thumb on top,and your fingers under the fender lip right there...and pulling.The force goes right in the center starting at the tip,and bends that radius pretty good.

I'll say something else concerning the bodywork on this new baby.If I didn't know better,I'd say Kawasaki reformulated the plastic compounds to make these parts.IDK what they did.But to me...the plastic 'seems' to be more brittle....somehow.IDK.Not cheaper...just lighter somehow.Even the metal frame fittings are way lighter in construction.More like aircraft quality weight.

When you go to remove those upper ram duct covers on there,to get that tank cover off or whatever...the tabs at the very frontmost part of that piece that go into the tank cover slots...WATCH THOSE CAREFULLY!!!!!!!Me and Smokin both snapped those off tryin to get that ram duct piece off of there!It hasn't harmed anything...those being gone...she still fits nice and tight in there...but just a heads up to you guys.They will snap off very easily.IDK why Kawasaki even put those on there like that?????I couldn't make heads or tails out of the instructions on HOW to slide those out...seriously.The whole piece can't really move forward even with the screws out...she's sitting right up against the inside of the front cowl up there by the tach.It can't 'slide forward'.??????I think the manual instructs..."slide to forward'....

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 3/5/2012 @ 1:10 PM *

Thanks for the feed back guys!

@robbylow 1102: Good to have that info about similar in Michigan. May be good to have dealer's name later if I run into confirmation issues?

Off to my dealer soon to show them the problem crack.

UR the best.

PaulAB

Just back from the dealer (and a short ride in the cold and snow patches). He took pictures and I left him copies of my thread initiator letter up above and the information about similar in Michigan and the issue of twisting to install.

He could see that the fender had no impact or chips and that the bead on the leading edge of the fender was itself undamaged.

He said he would order a new fender immediately anticipating Kawasaki's response and contact the factory with the pictures and details of the defect.

So that's easy and all good so far. I said I would like to glue the current fender from the underside to prevent more
growth in the crack while I was waiting and riding. He said not to do that since some glues would weaken the plastic and could cause more damage than good. OK, then, I will just keep an eye on it and tape it if necessary.

Now we will see how long it takes to get this fixed.

Thanks again for the immediate response and good advice from you forum members; it is much appreciated.

PaulAB
p.s. Grn: I wish I could have been there to see you go out to check your bike's fender! As much as you have worked with the fairings and the painting of your pipes and so forth; I would be greatly surprised if you would miss even a hairline crack like this one. I had to show the dealer where it was in the darker lighting of the garage before he could find it. You almost have to flex the fender near the center line before it becomes visible; then it separates and is easily traced up the surface.

Nah...you can bet I checked it carefully.I did.No crack PS...I did flex it just a bit...nothing.She's good to go!

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 3/5/2012 @ 10:46 PM *

Replaced already. Got a call today, a little less than 2 days to the hour from the time I took the problem to my dealer. The new fender was in and Kawasaki had OK'd the replacement. Stopped over late in the afternoon and 20 minutes later, I drove off with a new fender installed.

I haven't even had time to examine it closely as I had an appointment to go to with the wife as soon as I got home.

Will give it a good look tomorrow, but I expect it to be perfect.

Love this dealer, they are the best with service and they stand behind their work. Good on Kawasaki for no quibble fix.

Thanks to you guys again for the info and informed opinion when I asked you all for any knowledge of the issue.

Put another hundred on it today and found it takes 50 mph wind gusts pretty well and better than the old model to my recollection. Of course that could be due to improved fairing design or it could be due to increased rolling mass.

PaulAB

p.s. Coincidently, just this minute, I saw a 30 second ZX 14R commercial on the Velocity channel; looked good but the audio was pure teenage macho. First one I've seen! Hope they make a few that are for those who have "been there and done that" as opposed to the squids still getting by on wet dreams.

What your experiencing is "new bike syndrome"......You know...when what you know is happening is actually....made up in yer mind.That's what I was told anyway .Think it was from the same one(s) who said the 14R was just a rumor...even after I'd placed my order

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 3/7/2012 @ 11:13 PM *

Put another hundred on it today and found it takes 50 mph wind gusts pretty well and better than the old model to my recollection. Of course that could be due to improved fairing design or it could be due to increased rolling mass.

The faster she rolls...the sweeter the ride!!!!!WHEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!