Connie14 rearend trouble

[FJReady]

Did Kawi sub out design work to BMW?: https://www.concours.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=35075

Bummer for the new 14 owners. Hope it's solved quickly and without further rider damage.

 

[protondecay123]

This stuff can really put some stress on a new owner. I waited around til 05 to buy the FJR, in the face of the"ticking" fiasco. By then it had become relatively clear that Yamaha would fix them at no cost so I plunged in. I still listened to my bike in the garage for minutes after a ride for ticking. At one point I got some spoons and forks and placed them in a pan a rolled them around as that was ascribed to be somewhat like the "ticking" sound. I'm more relaxed about it now, but still keep my ears open.

I wonder how many miles they put on that driveline in "mule" testing?

:blink:

 

[Kevin Daly]

I cant imagine that such a cataclismic failure is a defect by Kawabunga. I would bet that there was some issue on the assembly line when that bike was in production. has there been more reports like this??

 

[snikr]

I didn't know that Kawa had BMW design there rear drive units. I love my FJR.

Tom

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

Man, what a bummer. I'd hate to buy a bike, fall in love with it (or the opposite order as was with the FJR) and then have something like that happen so soon. It would taint the remaining time I had on the bike, how could you trust it after that unless they found the answer was a simple mistake that was rare. However, that thread having two issues with the rear end so soon isn't a good sign. I really hope Kawi and BMW fix these issues. To me, they take away options just in case GenIII comes out riding like a touring bike instead of a sport touring bike.

(shameless plug: Yamaha, please don't make the FJR less sporty, if anything, increase the lean angle)

 

[Warchild]

Yeah, I wouldn't get too worked up about it quite yet...... a single incident is hardly a trend of any type.

From the description of the incident, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if the bike somehow failed to have final drive fluid installed off the assembly line. Still, I am mighty curious to learn what the actual cause was....

 

[airboss]

I dunno, doesn't sound normal for Kawasaki, I'm on my second shaft drive Vulcan. Rode the first one to pieces 90 some thousand miles, and 14,000 on the second one. Never a proplem with the final drive, altho like Yamaha they don't like to lube the shaft from the factory.

 

[twowheelnut]

Connie14 rearend trouble

:huh:
Might I suggest:

 

[bramfrank]

Apparently this is the second one reported to have failed.

But it could be as simpe as the fact that someone forgot to fill the rear drive with black gold.

 

[James Burleigh]

I knew the Connie 14 was a piece of junk.... ^_^

 

[painman]

Was I reading the same post you guys were? The guy who supposedly had the problem from a dealer that doesn't exist and Kawi has no record of the events? What gives here, was it a hoax :blink: ? PM. <><

 

[brazos parker]

Was I reading the same post you guys were? The guy who supposedly had the problem from a dealer that doesn't exist and Kawi has no record of the events? What gives here, was it a hoax :blink: ? PM. <><

My thoughts exactly...after reading the entire thread. A non-existant dealer...and, even Kawa HQ is unaware of this failure, i.e., no replacement parts ordered and no authorization to repair a failure over $500. Enough suspicious "facts" to make me wonder...

 

[Fencer]

I say its a hoax. too much that doesn't add up. Cudo's to Fred not wanting to jump. But the dealer who sold him the bike accounts for the 3 he sold, the fixing dealer does not exist and no parts in route for repair. He is a cleaver troll but a troll none the less :angry:

 

[markjenn]

The C14 has a clean-sheet new rear drive design that is fairly unusual, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if there are some initial isolated problems. As always, 1st year buyers of a new design always do a little bit of the final testing - nature of the beast.

- Mark

 

[Last Chance]

KETCHEM? Of the firm Dowe, Ketchem and Howe?? :lol:

Very suspicious!

LC

 

[twowheelnut]

I think that whole deal was proved to be pretty much a troll. Skooter musta been bored or sumpin'...