What's your experience on what starts going first.

[Upstate Pete]

Hey Guys,

My 2012 is up to 52,000 miles this year and other that a license plate bulb out during the inspection this year nothing has ever failed. Yes, I did replace the original battery last year, but only because it was 5 years old. I've got a PC5, Two Brothers Titanium slip on, and K&N filter, not to mention aftermarket seat and a couple of Cee Bailey windshields. I've replaced the plugs once at around 25,000 miles and just bought another set along with a shim set, valve cover gasket, plug gaskets and cover bolt O rings to do it's first valve job this spring.
I'm just wondering. You guys have racked up hundreds of thousands of miles between you. So what kind of stuff have you had let loose, or just plain fail. I've taken this bike from NY to CO and back again with nothing but some cloths and a credit card, and I don't think I'd be afraid to do it again right now. Nothing leaks, nothing weeps, even after T-Boning a deer in 16 which detsroyed the bodywork from the side covers forward. (Insurance covered, by the way) About the only think that I believe will need attention is the swing arm linkage, which has the tinyest bit of wiggle on the exhaust side. I'll take care of that before the years out. I know I can't sell this thing for crap, so I might as well run it into the ground.
So what have you had go south? My thoughts are on the fuel pump, coils, timing chain, and adjuster, injectors, calipers, shock and fork seals. Race Tech fork, and shock rebuild or replacement are probably in my future anyway. I'm just tired of the harshness.

Anyway, thanks in advance. You guys are all great, but I feel I'm getting to the end of my COG life. At almost 60 I wont buy another. Kawasaki is not going to update it. H2-SX? Don't think so. I may have another 10 or so years left in me, but it's not going to be on a monster like this.

[jwh20]

A properly maintained C14 is going to be going strong well beyond 100K miles and there are plenty of owners here that have bikes with that many miles.   So if you're planning on wearing yours out, you need to get riding!

[C. Moore]

I've got a couple of broken fairing tabs on my 2010. That's about it. I will be interested to hear about your valve clearances when you do that job. Tires, batteries and brakes are what I keep a close eye on. I still have all the OEM lights except for the license plate light.

[Roger B]

Hey Guys,

My 2012 is up to 52,000 miles this year and other that a license plate bulb out during the inspection this year nothing has ever failed. Yes, I did replace the original battery last year, but only because it was 5 years old. I've got a PC5, Two Brothers Titanium slip on, and K&N filter, not to mention aftermarket seat and a couple of Cee Bailey windshields. I've replaced the plugs once at around 25,000 miles and just bought another set along with a shim set, valve cover gasket, plug gaskets and cover bolt O rings to do it's first valve job this spring.
I'm just wondering. You guys have racked up hundreds of thousands of miles between you. So what kind of stuff have you had let loose, or just plain fail. I've taken this bike from NY to CO and back again with nothing but some cloths and a credit card, and I don't think I'd be afraid to do it again right now. Nothing leaks, nothing weeps, even after T-Boning a deer in 16 which detsroyed the bodywork from the side covers forward. (Insurance covered, by the way) About the only think that I believe will need attention is the swing arm linkage, which has the tinyest bit of wiggle on the exhaust side. I'll take care of that before the years out. I know I can't sell this thing for crap, so I might as well run it into the ground.
So what have you had go south? My thoughts are on the fuel pump, coils, timing chain, and adjuster, injectors, calipers, shock and fork seals. Race Tech fork, and shock rebuild or replacement are probably in my future anyway. I'm just tired of the harshness.

Anyway, thanks in advance. You guys are all great, but I feel I'm getting to the end of my COG life. At almost 60 I wont buy another. Kawasaki is not going to update it. H2-SX? Don't think so. I may have another 10 or so years left in me, but it's not going to be on a monster like this.

This is a good question to put out there...what to expect to go first.   Some things fail with mileage and some with the passing of time.   My 2010 has 19k miles on it and needed the tire pressure sensors replaced, I did my valve adjustment at 18.4k miles (4 were out of spec barely, tight) and all other maintenance at that time, all fluids, plugs, filter, etc.  Replaced a bike battery, transponder battery, brake pads, sets of tires.    All these things for me I consider as normal maintenance / wear items.   No out of the ordinary repairs yet.

[touring03]

This is a good question to put out there...what to expect to go first.   Some things fail with mileage and some with the passing of time.   My 2010 has 19k miles on it and needed the tire pressure sensors replaced, I did my valve adjustment at 18.4k miles (4 were out of spec barely, tight) and all other maintenance at that time, all fluids, plugs, filter, etc.  Replaced a bike battery, transponder battery, brake pads, sets of tires.    All these things for me I consider as normal maintenance / wear items.   No out of the ordinary repairs yet.
[/quote]

I've got 58,000 miles on my 2009 with one shop visit on record to adjust the valves.  Everything else like bulbs, brake pads etc I consider normal maintenance that comes from actually riding the bike, the only disappointment is the tire pressure sensors, the sensors work fine but I only get about 3 years out of the batteries as they tend to get corroded, I've left the sensors intact but no longer put batteries in them, I rely on the good ole tire gauge.

PG 

[SteveJ.]

Iffn' you're looking for a lighter bike I'm having a blast with my 650 Versys. I'm gonna have even more of a blast in three years with a Yamaha 900 Tracer GT. Yeehaw!

 

[Deepsea]

Eyesight then memory followed by, well never mind.

[Old Man on a Connie]

For me. 2011 approaching 60k.  C2C 5x's. Border to Border (South to north) 6x's. Front wheel bearings may have been my fault. Front rotors (tied to the bearing failure and I didn't replace pads before a long ride), rear drive seal, cam sensor seal. Would not hesitate to ride this bike Border to border and West Coast to Tx and back again. Wait, I will be 

[Egodriver71]

1. Tires
2. TPMS sensors
3. Brake pads
4. valve cover gasket leak, exhaust cam sensor
5. gear position indicator

[lather]

I bought my first 08 in 07 and put 174,000 miles on it. A few well nuts seized and fastener tabs broke. I wore the rotors down to below the thickness limit and replaced with EBC. Never needed anything else. Timing change was making noise on startup and probably was due for replacement but bike was totaled in a accident with a Toyota. Definetely the most trouble free bike I have owned in 47 years.

Oh yeah, on TPS wnet bad after about 150,000.

[Jerdurr]

2012 Black (fastest color obviously)
1) 3 gear lost a tooth under hard acceleration, inside the tranny - bike had 7k miles at the time; it still brought me back home on the highway at 75 mph, just avoiding that gear (talk about reliable). It seems many 2012s came with an issue in the tranny sprockets - fixed under warranty.
2) that's it.

[4Bikes]

To your original list of things you replaced, I would replace the wheel bearings for cheap insurance for long rides.  Same goes for the fork seals.  As far as the broken fairing tabs go, I think that's a common problem.  I fixed mine back to perfect by using large fender washers, JB weld, and the rubber well nuts.  My fairings are back to normal again.  I may have photo of what I did, but it should be pretty obvious how to glue in a Big washer in the right place, and insert the well nut. 

[Rev Ryder]

Eyesight then memory followed by, well never mind.

THIS!!!

My C-14 has a whopping 6k on the clock.  Nothing worn out so far except the Post Office Lady from sending my seat back and forth. 

[Roger B]

I bought my first 08 in 07 and put 174,000 miles on it. A few well nuts seized and fastener tabs broke. I wore the rotors down to below the thickness limit and replaced with EBC. Never needed anything else. Timing change was making noise on startup and probably was due for replacement but bike was totaled in a accident with a Toyota. Definetely the most trouble free bike I have owned in 47 years.

Oh yeah, on TPS wnet bad after about 150,000.

That is exceptional reliability except for the Toyota.       Did your motor use or leak any oil and what kind of oil and how often did you change it?   Not trying to start an oil thread so everyone relax.

[lather]

I bought my first 08 in 07 and put 174,000 miles on it. A few well nuts seized and fastener tabs broke. I wore the rotors down to below the thickness limit and replaced with EBC. Never needed anything else. Timing change was making noise on startup and probably was due for replacement but bike was totaled in a accident with a Toyota. Definetely the most trouble free bike I have owned in 47 years.

Oh yeah, on TPS wnet bad after about 150,000.

That is exceptional reliability except for the Toyota.       Did your motor use or leak any oil and what kind of oil and how often did you change it?   Not trying to start an oil thread so everyone relax.

It did use about a quart every change at 6000 or 6500 miles since purchased new. I always used Shell Rotella T6. Except once I did a test with Motul's best synthetic, I think it was V300. I did back to back Blackstone analysis kits. Negligible difference in wear particles, slight difference in viscosity rentention. Blackstone suggested increased  interval in the Rotella report.

[Roger B]

I bought my first 08 in 07 and put 174,000 miles on it. A few well nuts seized and fastener tabs broke. I wore the rotors down to below the thickness limit and replaced with EBC. Never needed anything else. Timing change was making noise on startup and probably was due for replacement but bike was totaled in a accident with a Toyota. Definetely the most trouble free bike I have owned in 47 years.

Oh yeah, on TPS wnet bad after about 150,000.

That is exceptional reliability except for the Toyota.       Did your motor use or leak any oil and what kind of oil and how often did you change it?   Not trying to start an oil thread so everyone relax.

It did use about a quart every change at 6000 or 6500 miles since purchased new. I always used Shell Rotella T6. Except once I did a test with Motul's best synthetic, I think it was V300. I did back to back Blackstone analysis kits. Negligible difference in wear particles, slight difference in viscosity rentention. Blackstone suggested increased  interval in the Rotella report.

I've used Rotella T-6 in my bikes for sometime also, usually change once a year not always dependent on mileage, but I don't do as many miles yearly as you.   I probably do about 5k a year total on both combined.    Maybe I can get a good trip in this year on the C14 to add to the average.

[smooth_operator]

Well at 30 my hearing started going, then at 40  couldn't see things close up then at 50 my wife said she wasn't very happy with my love.... Oh you meant the motorcycle!!