Hi all,
I have written to Kawasaki regarding the poor lifespan of the front brake discs. The bike is a 2010 model and covered 23000 miles. I basically got the reply I expected, saying that the discs are a consumable item and there are many factors regarding wear rates etc..... the usual bollox, although the problem with mine is that one has cracks at two points on the same disc, so quite dangerous and a MOT failure. This to me is not acceptable for 23000 miles, the pads and callipers being in good nick, ant the bobbins free to turn.
I'm not expecting Kawasaki to do anything about it, so I was wondering if anyone had tried either Viper or Armstrong discs?
I would've tried the Chinese discs on ebay due to their reasonably good reviews, but I need them within the next two weeks, making the import option out of the question.
Regards
Mark
ive had the Chinese discs in the past , on a zzr1200, and was very happy with them . In your situation Id buy some used zzr1400/gtr1400 discs off ebay ( some on now ) to get me legal and then id buy the Chinese ones, keeping the OEMS as a fall back. try to find the Arashi brand
I have fitted Armstrong wavy front discs ,and they seem fine ,the Chinese ones you would have to sure that they was going to be good ,they could be made out of anything at least with a reputable brand you have some comeback ,mine last 8000m the kawasaki ones before they warped,
Quote from: nightrider on August 23, 2014, 03:49:54 PM
I have fitted Armstrong wavy front discs ,and they seem fine ,the Chinese ones you would have to sure that they was going to be good ,they could be made out of anything at least with a reputable brand you have some comeback ,mine last 8000m the kawasaki ones before they warped,
when I received my first set of arashi branded discs , I soaked them in a high salt solution bath for a few days to test the level of Stainless steel in them, there was no rust signs at all. My oem ones at the time had slight rust traces on them . I figured at the time that cheap Chinese was a bit better than cheap Japanese that kawa no doubt use !
This does seem to be an ongoing problem. You may recall I went through the OEM discs in 15000 mile Big K basically said PO!!!
I went with OEM again and have currently done another 18000 with no problems
Tom
:banana: :banana: :banana:
I've written to Mr K twice now, not expecting anything though. They admitted that they had some warping issues, but no issue with wear rates! I've told them that there are a lot of people on the forum that have had to get new discs due to them wearing out prematurely. Mine have also cracked. I have been asked to offer my opinion of what's wrong with them, and I have said that they're either made of poor quality materials, or they're underrated for the size and weight of the bike..... I await their reply!
My Arashi discs have now done 20k, although i probably brake less than most.
At £120 a pair thats not bad if i chuck them away now, but theres loads left on them.
Kawasaki are well aware of these problems, over the years I've genuinely lost count of the number of GTR owners who've commented & complained about 'defective' discs, whether through warping, cracking, or excessive and premature wear. Some owners have even had multiple issues re the same problem, i.e. warped discs and still Kawasaki dig their heels in and cause people untold grief.
It might be of some use if they actually read some comments on here. Certainly head in sand comes to mind.
I've been having a think about the reply I got from Mr K, so have asked him to come onto the forum, and ask for some real life honest feedback, after he asks for Asif's permission of course. Can't see it happening though.
Don't know if it's o.k. to post a link to another forum (if so feel free to admin delete) abeit a zzr1400 one but there's loads of info re discs in this link -
http://www.zx14r.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=524
I personally tried the Stealth discs (sh*te) & ended up with a pair of PFM's. Was more than happy with them for the 30,000 miles I used them on the ZZR, no wear to speak of etc. So impressed in fact that I put the warped OEM ones back on when I traded the ZZR in & have the PFM's sat on the shelf ready to fit very shortly as at 28,000 the GTR discs are about shot.
Shaggs, trust me...I happen to know for a fact that those at Kawasaki UK have previously been on this forum, cant say any more on here. :whistling:
Quote from: The Wolf on August 27, 2014, 05:19:07 PM
Shaggs, trust me...I happen to know for a fact that those at Kawasaki UK have previously been on this forum, cant say any more on here. :whistling:
I'm amazed that any member..should think that Kawasaki (in this case) don't take note of what owners say about their product through the medium of a forum.
It's good factual and free of charge information providing valuable research data to them, why would they ignore it ..... cummon guys get a grip :help:
Quote from: O.C. on August 27, 2014, 07:32:04 PM
I'm amazed that any member..should think that Kawasaki (in this case) don't take note of what owners say about their product through the medium of a forum.
It's good factual and free of charge information providing valuable research data to them, why would they ignore it ..... cummon guys get a grip :help:
You say that but the new style shock has been on the GTR since 2010, we're now 2/3rds of the way through 2014 and yet despite numerous warranty claims and disgruntled customers there have been to the best of my knowledge no suggestion of changing the design of the shock.
Then there's the screen, the top box rack, the TPS system and probably numerous other aspects of the bike. I certainly wish our voice wasn't ignored.
Its certainly showing your no longer an owner ! :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol:
Quote from: The Wolf on August 27, 2014, 08:30:00 PM
You say that but the new style shock has been on the GTR since 2010, we're now 2/3rds of the way through 2014 and yet despite numerous warranty claims and disgruntled customers there have been to the best of my knowledge no suggestion of changing the design of the shock.
Then there's the screen, the top box rack, the TPS system and probably numerous other aspects of the bike. I certainly wish our voice wasn't ignored.
I've spoken with a individuals at Kawasaki GB on several occasions and I know for a fact that Kawasaki GB
do take note of comments and feedback from Forum members, feedback from owners/users is vital to them in terms of identifying potential issues and providing feedback for the design of future models.
KHI will be aware of product issues...they may not wish to launch any resulting recalls (for example) that would be their decision based on the accuracy of the information to hand and whether the 'issues' are related to product malfunction/poor design or in many cases are the result of 'improvements/modifications' made by owners of said product.
Additionally Steve, having worked for many years within the automotive industry, 15 years of which with the major importer of German cars (at Senior Management level) into the U.K I can assure you that all accurate customer feedback is gratefully received and in most cases put to good use
The GTR is undoubtedly due for a revamp due to its now somewhat dated specification.
BTW I had absolutely no problems with the discs, top box rack, rear suspension or TPS on any of the THREE GTRs I have owned :ohplease:
Quote from: Ant on August 27, 2014, 11:06:54 PM
Its certainly showing your no longer an owner ! :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol:
And you wonder why :mfr_lol:
Quote from: O.C. on August 28, 2014, 06:28:30 AM
BTW I had absolutely no problems with the discs, top box rack, rear suspension or TPS on any of the THREE GTRs I have owned :ohplease:
I reckon you have been lucky, then. I've had 2 GTRs, done only 10000 miles, yet replaced discs, TPS and a rear shock
Quote from: Ant on August 27, 2014, 11:06:54 PM
Its certainly showing your no longer an owner ! :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol:
You're* :whistling:
Don't no what you mean debs lol
Quote from: Débs on August 28, 2014, 10:24:11 AM
You're* :whistling:
Gotcha Debs, I hadn't noticed :mfr_lol:
14 plate both TPS @ 4000 miles 09 plate lost me topbox due to rack breaking @ 2500 miles no discs yet but watch this space lol
did I imagine this or do Kawasaki recommend that a topbox is not fitted to the GTR, hence the crap rack ?
It might do, but 2500 miles like this says its fine :mfr_lol:
Roger I'd have another GTR in a flash, even with the current issues, I've had two in the last 5 years approximately. Outstanding machine, I've even been looking at this....http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kawasaki-GTR-1400-/291210535335?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item43cd8021a7
but my heart at the moment is set on a K1600 just to give one a go.
Hope you get one Steve,,,,,,,,lifes too short to keep saying " i wish i had... "....do it while you can.
And if you do get one, a trip across the water may suit you to get on some decent roads.
Ant, its a question of when rather than if, I'm prepping the garage floor as we speak, ripped the old cracked floor up whilst there's no bike in there, hardcore being delivered tomorrow, and over the next couple of weeks get it whacked down and re-concreted.
Then take delivery of a bike...... :clap:
Quote from: The Wolf on August 28, 2014, 10:20:34 PM
Roger I'd have another GTR in a flash, even with the current issues, I've had two in the last 5 years approximately. Outstanding machine, I've even been looking at this....http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kawasaki-GTR-1400-/291210535335?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item43cd8021a7
but my heart at the moment is set on a K1600 just to give one a go.
That looks like a nice machine Steve, I don't know that dealership (Edinburgh) although I seem to think that I once met someone or saw a posting from someone who purchased a bike from them
I say you should try the K1600, I've alwas said that we are all different and have differing tastes and that you 'cant knock a bike till you've tried it'
Personally I would wait to see what KHI have to offer in respect of future models of the GTR as it is long overdue for a 'facelift' obviously any new model GTR will potentially have an adverse effect on existing residual values :yes:
Good luck with your search :yes:
Well..... getting back to the subject of the disc brakes, I decided to get a new set of Armstrongs due to the time constraints before the Euro trip.
I'll let you know how they feel on the 3000+ mile test ride :scooter: :banana:
Well, wear to begin....
Warped or bent the carrier on a front rotor by placing said rotor with the weight of the tire in the back of the pickup....doh!
Warped front rotor after a sudden stop...ABS did engage.
Bought EBC front rotors. Mucked up the installation by not removing brake fluid from the master cylinder (new pads). Overheated them, I did. Doh!
Since then have always had a judder when stopping..like the pad(s) were skipping or not holding properly.
Cleaning off the residue today for new EBC pads and found a nubbin of metal in the middle of one rotor. It was standing proud of the surface. Ground it off with my dremel.
Will check them for warps this week after I get the front back on.