Kawasaki 1400 GTR

1400 GTR - All Models => Introductions => Topic started by: viper on January 09, 2012, 11:04:05 PM

Title: Intro
Post by: viper on January 09, 2012, 11:04:05 PM
Hi, own a 2010 Gtr, member of a few bike forums and have moved over here from the gtr org site as its a ghost town :)

Done plenty of mods on my machine including electronic cruise control being the most challenging. Currently working on a heated seat installation for about £40 and also in the middle of an aluminium top box mount that is a mixture of the original gtr toytown rack and the givi box rack.
next month going to start a home made back ret.

has anyone done anything to combat the serious amount of water and mud that sprays up from the back wheel, this is the worst bike ive had for up spray!


so far

Vario screen with laminar lip
venture film set
radiator cover , homemade
keyless fuel cap
audiovox cruise control
zumo plus better positioning than the gtr mount
60 watt dual heated seat
lower rear pegs and rubber grips
front fender extender
neoprene shock tube
audiovox intercom
homemade fusebox
additional helmet locking points
magnetic sump plug
indicater alert
tank bag using  plastic hooks on tank top
aluminium hybrid top box rack

to come

Adventure bars
some sort of rear fender mod to carch the crap
michelin pilot 3 tyres
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Winston Smith on January 09, 2012, 11:31:22 PM
Welcome to the site = most sites seem to have succumbed to Face Book nowadays, but this one is livelier than most!
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: cpettifer on January 10, 2012, 08:48:28 AM
Hi there and welcome to the forum.

I've got a rear hugger, but still get a lot of spray at the rear of the bike in the wet. I was quite surprised to be honest. The hugger I have (not sure which as my dealer just got one in and fitted it for me!) isn't actually very long, so I wonder whether another one might be better? I cleaned my bike one day, next day it pissed it down with rain and the rear of the bike came back muddy, but the front, not so much. Very odd washing it again afterwards.
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: viper on January 10, 2012, 06:23:32 PM
the hugger is only designed to protect the rear shock and rectifier. to protect further back the hugger would have to come right over, some have used and mud flap design thing which hangs from the rear number plate. I really like what bmw use, would this work ?

(http://www.sportouring.com/itemImages/image/r1200gs_2010%20muffler.jpg)
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Lonewolf on January 10, 2012, 08:22:56 PM
Viper, welcome to this Forum. I've had a hugger on for a while now, I think mine is a Pyramid creation and it appears to work ok. I see you have this neoprene shock tube, I have seen those on Ebay. How do you rate it?
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: viper on January 10, 2012, 09:59:30 PM
the shock tube is ok, the quality looked good and after 2k miles has not come off and still looks good. Cant comment on its effectiveness as id have to take it off to see how clean the shock actually is.

talking on huggers, motrax do one which seems to cover right round the top of the wheel where as the skidmark one only does a third

(http://www.motax.fr/1400GTRgdbD.jpg)
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Kwikasfuki on January 10, 2012, 10:03:11 PM
Hi viper and welcome the the forums.

Interested in your seat heating mod. What did you use and how much power does it consume? I have a spare GTR seat lying around dying to be butchered ...

I like the look of the BMW hugger. It probably could be made to fit

Edit: I see you live near Manchester. That's my daily route to work!
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Lonewolf on January 10, 2012, 10:27:53 PM
This is my hugger. It appears to come quite low towards the shock which actually looks quite clean for a change.

(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Fingers/100_1694.jpg)
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: viper on January 10, 2012, 10:37:57 PM
Quote from: Kwikasfuki on January 10, 2012, 10:03:11 PM
Hi viper and welcome the the forums.

Interested in your seat heating mod. What did you use and how much power does it consume? I have a spare GTR seat lying around dying to be butchered ...

I like the look of the BMW hugger. It probably could be made to fit

Edit: I see you live near Manchester. That's my daily route to work!

I purchased 2 heat pads off ebay for 1 car seat ( £40), they are the carbon fibre ones so can be cut to fit. They are rated at 60 watts and are pulling about 4.5 amps when on full and about 2 amps on low, ive tested these figures for myself.
Ive also got a spare seat in which i lifted the vinyl and got the pads in side. went out the other day at 6 degrees and these pads were actually too hot on the number 5 setting, turned down to number 2 they are ok, wired direct to the battery via a relay and a switch in the spare cig lighter blank on the dash.
Once ive had the seat re-covered at tony archer with an additional layer of dense foam for comfort and better heat dissipation i will post up a how to thread.
Any mods i ever do i tend to post threads with pics, its kinda my thing. Ive been on zzrbikes for several years and have published a few. just done one for the cruise control instal
im also considering the bmw hugger
Im near denton
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: viper on January 10, 2012, 10:40:19 PM
Quote from: Lonewolf on January 10, 2012, 10:27:53 PM
This is my hugger. It appears to come quite low towards the shock which actually looks quite clean for a change.

(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Fingers/100_1694.jpg)

I think yours is the shorter skidmarx hugger, i think i prefer the longer motrax, my pillions bottom half was completely pebbledashed with wales best grit, i need to solve that,   
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Boomer on January 11, 2012, 12:18:57 PM
The Motax Hugger does look better but it's still not long enough.
Most of the dirt on my bike ends up plastered all over the underside of the topbox.
What is needed is a full length mudguard that mounts at hugger distance from the tyre but covers from -90 to + 120 degrees (where zero is vertical) so that the dirt is kept from the shock & Rec/Reg as well as from the rear of the bike.
I guess it would need some support going rearwards from the rear axle (rightside) and bevel box (left side) as well as the usual hugger type brackets.

Undertrays rather than mudguards are great for reducing unsprung weight but are wasted on non-sportsbikes.
I'd rather see a decent mudguard on the rear,... and on the front.
I have never understood why manufacturers always seem to fit front mudguards that are too short.
Again on a sportsbike it makes sense, but on an ST it's just silly.
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: lamin on January 11, 2012, 02:00:06 PM
Viper, where did you get your exhaust from, and how much did you pay for it ??
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: viper on January 11, 2012, 08:21:16 PM
Quote from: lamin on January 11, 2012, 02:00:06 PM
Viper, where did you get your exhaust from, and how much did you pay for it ??

what exhaust are you referring to ?...confused !
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Rusty on January 11, 2012, 09:33:35 PM
Hello Viper and welcome  ;D
I see you are already making friends with all the technical chaps here ... degrees, amps and heated stuff !!!
Enjoy and keep up the love of the GTR !
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: viper on January 15, 2012, 11:35:00 AM
Bingo,
I think ive finally found a GTR site with a pulse, im a member of gtr org which is currently in a Coma, dont think anyone has posted in a week , most content is just from the admin guy .Also a member of zzrbikes for the last 9 years. mainly usa members and an absolute fountain of knowledge for all things technical. Ive learnt so much on that site, all these mods im putting here have all been inspired from that site and when I had my zzr1200. They have a tech section for the C14 but its not very lively.
When i post stuff here i actually get a response, help and feedback.

looks like you are stuck with me :P
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: viper on January 15, 2012, 11:44:32 AM
oops
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Lonewolf on January 15, 2012, 01:06:49 PM
Yep, Viper. 99.9% percent of folk on here are very friendly and informative.  The other 0.01% know who they are!

Only jesting,  ;)  this forum is a godsend, everyone seems to get on with one another and help each other out. Long may it continue.  ;D
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Rusty on January 15, 2012, 02:38:42 PM
Well it's nice to have you along old bean .... the chaps here know that I am one of the most UN technical people on the planet but if we all put in our bits and bobs then the whole site ticks along nicely ... which I think it does !  8)
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Kwikasfuki on January 15, 2012, 02:55:33 PM
Quote from: Lonewolf on January 15, 2012, 01:06:49 PM
Yep, Viper. 99.9% percent of folk on here are very friendly and informative.  The other 0.01% know who they are!


So what do the other 0.09 get up to? Or shouldn't I ask?  ;D
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: mecki on January 15, 2012, 03:36:35 PM
Quote from: Kwikasfuki on January 15, 2012, 02:55:33 PM
So what do the other 0.09 get up to? Or shouldn't I ask?  ;D

Lurking?
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: 100milesaway on January 15, 2012, 03:43:24 PM
Welcome to the funny farm mr Viper :). I'm sure you will be in your element on here, plenty of gadget geezers 8) and techno buffs, 8) You are obviously  far more technically  minded than most of us on here BUT in one of the pictures of your  bike it appears that you have misplaced your exhaust can, if I were you I would retrace my last journey as soon as possible to see if you can locate it, which should not prove to difficult as it is the size of a small village ::)Anyway enjoy your stay with us, there is no shortage of help and advice, or indeed a bit of fun.    cheers Geoff ;) :D
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: viper on January 15, 2012, 04:56:33 PM
Quote from: 100milesaway on January 15, 2012, 03:43:24 PM
in one of the pictures of your  bike it appears that you have misplaced your exhaust can,


this is not my bike, Its got Motax stamped across the image

(http://www.motax.fr/1400GTRgdbD.jpg)
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: 100milesaway on January 15, 2012, 05:02:52 PM
Ah yes silly me. My only excuse is that I am old and confused. I'm 64 ya know Mr Viper. ;D
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Rusty on January 15, 2012, 08:02:34 PM
Old, confused, blind AND 64 ya know  ;D
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: 100milesaway on January 15, 2012, 08:33:20 PM
Quote from: Rusty on January 15, 2012, 08:02:34 PM
Old, confused, blind AND 64 ya know  ;D
Oh yes sorry I forgot (amnesia) about the blind bit :o
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Lonewolf on January 17, 2012, 04:43:56 PM
Quote from: 100milesaway on January 15, 2012, 05:02:52 PM
Ah yes silly me. My only excuse is that I am old and confused. I'm 64 ya know Mr Viper. ;D

I thought you were 63...have you had a sneaky birthday?
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: 100milesaway on January 17, 2012, 05:14:12 PM
Quote from: Lonewolf on January 17, 2012, 04:43:56 PM

I thought you were 63...have you had a sneaky birthday?
Yes 15 january 1948 in the Royal Oldham hospital to Vera and Frank a boy Geoffrey  6lb 9oz a brother to  Michael, thanks  to all nurses and staff on M A T 1. Welcome to the world little fella.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SO   I'm 64 now ya know. ;D
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Lonewolf on January 17, 2012, 06:38:59 PM
All right, all right, no need to go on about it!!  ::)

Congratulations to you then.  ;D   How your wife puts up with you I've no idea.  ;)

Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Boomer on January 18, 2012, 12:54:40 PM
Nah, it's nobodys fault really.
Max had some problems with the server it was hosted on and we ended up losing the 1400gtr.org.uk forum for over a month.
At that point many of us went looking for an alternative and found here.
I am still active on both as well as on two US forums and one French.
Forums are a self reinforcing thing. The more people the more posting, the more posting the more people.
Title: Re: Intro
Post by: Kwikasfuki on January 18, 2012, 01:17:39 PM
I post on all of them. You can never have enough knowledge. I even post on other forums even though I've sold the older bikes.

Life would be boring if there was just one forum