Kawasaki 1400 GTR

1400 GTR - All Models => 1400GTR Discussion => Topic started by: Moogus on March 17, 2021, 07:41:20 PM

Title: Idle speed?
Post by: Moogus on March 17, 2021, 07:41:20 PM
The last two days have been out on the GTR, with Mrs Moogus, and have noticed the bike really thunks into 1st gear. Its idling at 1100 rpm, which i believe is slap bang in the middle of the preferred range.

Looking to delve into your vast experience of the GTR...is 1100 rpm good?, are GTR gearboxes generally clunky? and will a lower idle reduce the 1st gear selection clunk?

I've also noticed its a bugger to roll the throttle on smoothly. May have to investigate a remap ...maybe  :wacko:
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: Tynesidebob on March 17, 2021, 08:57:57 PM
How many miles on the clock?
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: Boomer on March 17, 2021, 09:40:20 PM
All Kawasaki gearboxes have a heavy clunk when going from neutral to first with cold oil. Totally normal. Once the oil has warmed up the clunk should disappear.
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: O.C. on March 17, 2021, 10:03:14 PM
What George said, personally I prefer tick over set at 1150 - 1200 rpm 
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: Moogus on March 17, 2021, 10:09:58 PM
Mileage is 31680, fresh oil and filter. It clunk's into 1st whether cold or hot.
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: nobody on March 18, 2021, 01:28:49 AM
.
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: Moogus on March 18, 2021, 08:50:28 AM
I'll try that Daisy, thanks.

Do you do that every time you select 1st or only when the engine is cold?

Found a race bike engineer, Kawasaki specialist, who can remap my bike next week....and he's only 4 miles away!....Happy days 😀
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: Tynesidebob on March 18, 2021, 11:05:03 AM
By 30k Kawasakis often need a clutch overhaul.
The clutch plate fingers wear indentations in the clutch basket fingers so when you compress the springs but the plates don't separate properly due to being trapped in the grooves in the basket fingers.
It is an easy job to pull the clutch cover off and remove the plates and file the basket roughly smooth again.
EBC clutch plates have fingers which are twice as thick as standard so they wear the basket less and don't fit into the groves left by the original plates - smoother changes.
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: Moogus on March 18, 2021, 06:55:18 PM
Thanks for that Bob. I'll have a look into the clutch plates.
Will I need any specialist tools?
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: Tynesidebob on March 18, 2021, 08:32:07 PM
A small file, a new gasket, a large flat blade screwdriver/scraper to remove the old gasket, some thread lock and a small torque wrench for putting it all back together.
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: Moogus on March 18, 2021, 09:14:40 PM
Thanks Bob, I'll have a gander at the workshop manual download (assuming the gen 2 is the same process as in the gen 1 manual)
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: nobody on March 19, 2021, 01:21:43 AM
.
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: Moogus on March 19, 2021, 10:46:59 AM
Wow 200k!
That's made me feel a bit better. Perhaps I'll persevere this summer and look into it over the winter...along with the engine tap it's developed  :undecided:

I deployed your method yesterday whilst putting the bike back in the garage from cold, it did feel/sound less clunky.
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: Moogus on April 04, 2021, 10:17:34 AM
Having looked into/read more about this, I'm thinking this maybe isn't the clutch needing a fiddle with.

I've had the bike out on a couple of rides lately. When warm, the idle is around 1200. The clutch, apart from the 1st gear clunk, operates as it should. Its suggested a clunk cure is to swap the oil for fully synthetic 15/50 and set the idle at 1050.

Has anyone done this on 2nd gen models and noticed a difference?

It also appears that the clunk is perfectly normal on all Kawasaki's ....apparently  :smiley:
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: O.C. on April 04, 2021, 10:29:08 AM
Every Kawasaki I have owned (there have been plenty) feature the 'clunk' into first gear    :yes:   
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: O.C. on April 04, 2021, 10:29:36 AM
.
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: Moogus on April 04, 2021, 11:53:18 AM
Quote from: O.C. on April 04, 2021, 10:29:08 AMEvery Kawasaki I have owned (there have been plenty) feature the 'clunk' into first gear    :yes:   

Perhaps I'm just being a fanny and worrying too much....
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: GLA55Y on April 04, 2021, 01:44:05 PM
Quote from: Moogus on March 18, 2021, 08:50:28 AMI'll try that Daisy, thanks.

Do you do that every time you select 1st or only when the engine is cold?

Found a race bike engineer, Kawasaki specialist, who can remap my bike next week....and he's only 4 miles away!....Happy days 😀
Quote from: Moogus on March 18, 2021, 08:50:28 AMI'll try that Daisy, thanks.

Do you do that every time you select 1st or only when the engine is cold?

Found a race bike engineer, Kawasaki specialist, who can remap my bike next week....and he's only 4 miles away!....Happy days 😀

How is it now you've had it remapped?
Or is it still to be done?
Title: Re: Idle speed?
Post by: Moogus on April 06, 2021, 06:39:56 PM
The local chap is Neil Pearson of NP Racing (got a BSB team apparently), specialise in Kawasaki...handy!

Anyway, spoke to him last week. He explained that before going down the remap route, which he can do, I should swap out the fuel filter. The 1400 motor is a bit of a diva with regard to receiving clean fuel. The symptoms I described led him to believe my bike has a fuel filter issue rather than a remap need.

Having studied Asif's superb photo posting of the fuel filter swap, I'm going to have go at replacing the filter myself soon.

I'm going to lower it, with a Lust kit, as well....