I think the point is being missed here. The battery takes 10 mins to access because the petrol tank is situated where the battery would normally be. This is all done to keep the centre of gravity low to improve handling. The ZX12R even after 20 years is still one of the fastest bikes out there.
just looking at the following comments on a simple job, changing a battery on a 12R. what a load of wyning wimps just because it's a little bit difficult to get to it. when you want improved handling etc you have to trade one thing over another and getting the battery as low as possible is one improvement. I do my own maintenance as it's one of the joys of owning a absolute beasty of a bike. my 12R is now 14 yrs old but will piss over a lot of today's bikes with ease and thats one reason why I love it. why moan about a small maintenance job when the kick you get out of owning and riding a 12R is so rewarding. Doing the jobs yourself is rewarding too and also you know its been done right. There is very little i won't tackle myself.I have a 9R as well but the 12R is always my favourite. As soon as you go past 6000 rpm the surge forward is a real adrenaline rush, can't get enough. So stop moaning and get over it, just do it.
How does the 9 compare to the 12 in size, especially in kneespacing. I've had a 9 and could just get my knees in the kneesparing (is that a word?). Does the 12 have more room or is it about the same?
This is a great example of what I tell people when they ask my why I really like Honda: they have their engineering department all lined up. They make a reliable bike, and when the time comes for any type of maintenance, they make it as painless as possible.
Yea it is a pain to get that off. Which is why it "should" have a positive battery terminal jumper that comes out. Also let's not forget that mounting the battery lower will lower the bikes CG, which improves handling characteristics, and that's important on a bike that already weighs 500+ lbs. Quick tip for you ZX12R owners, leave the bolt that requires all that extra dismantling off the next time. It's plenty secure with the 5 bolts that remain.
Kawi definately addressed alot of the 12R’s maintenance woe’s with the zx-14, its similar but easier then the 12R’s, the 12’s are still a good machine though.
By contrast, my Honda Pacific Coast required seven fairings and body panels to be removed and far more of the overall bike disassembled as a result to be able to access the innermost terminal of the battery. A terminal, I might add, that you could *see* just by opening the luggage compartment, but that no tool could safely reach without the aforementioned disassembly. A battery tender extender was a flat requirement, full stop. And my kawasaki versys just requires seat removal same as your VFR.
The ZX12 is a very special bike with a lot of cutting edge stuff built into it, I think they designed the frame then realized they still needed to put the battery somewhere. Most Kwaks have it under seat like normal.
Improve the brand he says. The ZX12r is engineered to compete among the best bikes in the world at the time and it was 1st or 2nd during its tenure but the battery is harder to reach than a Honda so I guess I need to complain to the internet . Put in a trickle charger port if it’s that big of a deal and stfu
There are so many things I will be aware of when purchasing my next bike. It's little things like this that you don't really think of looking for during the purchase. Sometimes they can be a deal breaker...
Well they fixed that problem with the ZX14, unreal takes me 5 mins on my ZX14, it's too bad they didn't keep the look of the 12R one of best ever looking bike.
I use to have a 2000 zx12r and a 2004 zx12r....I feel your pain... they really are a serious pain in the ass to work on but god their extremely fun to ride at top speed....got a 2004 zx10r now...fast but its just not the same
Honda further refined the process with the 6th gen VFR. They removed the lever completely. On mine you just turn the key and the seat pops off. Still 2 of those push pins to get to the terminals though.
If you were just charging the battery or even jump starting,,,,there is a positive pigtail jumper harness that you can access in about 30 seconds on the left side of bike..it has a black rubber cover over it to protect it from shorts,,just pull out the connector and hook up to it,,,unless someone has put a battery in it at some point and didn't put the jumper harness in the correct spot so you can get to it freely.. Kawasaki put it there just for that reason. The ground wire can be attached to any part of the frame or engine block
well my brother had the zx6r and the battery was in the subframe his friend had told us that the next year ton the 12 they put the batter in the frame to place as much weight towards the center of the bike to imporve handling so this was done to balance weight
Thats what Trinith said as well....On mine, that lock also serves as the helmet lock (which I would never use) the lever is to discern which you are going to use...One day, I will have a 6th VFR..=)
I have a ZX12R 2000, and it's constantly conected to my tender when not riding. I just have the tender connected to the extra wire that as the purpouse of charging the battery without removing it. It as a red rubber cover. When riding, it sits in the sub frame, and its easily pushed out. For negative I use the exaust.
Hey I have a 2000 ZX-12R too! It's the less common, but much faster red one! I do the same thing **you** do with the battery, except I added a pigtail from the battery to the outside with a connector on it to make connecting/disconnecting from the charger/maintainer super easy. In the 25 years that I've owned that bike, 'today' it's getting it's _third_ battery! It really pays to leave those batteries on a maintainer when they're not being used!
My 03 12R is a pain to work on no doubt, but one twist of that throttle on your 1st ride ontop of a 12R and you will realize it don't matter how hard they are to work on, its still the most raw exciting bike to own an ride bar none!!! Their absolute monsters with character to spare. You just don't get that with a bland feeling Honda...
So the thin wire hanging to the left of the battery goes to the positive or negative terminal? I’m finally putting mine back together and o can’t for the life of me remember.
I use one on my first bike's battery, a plain, flooded lead acid one. It's going into its 6th year of service now and I'm starting to think I should replace it before it causes problems... The key is not to leave it on the float charger ALL the time. Take it off for a week or two and let it "breathe" a bit, then top it up again. But as a float charger, it isn't always charging - once it tops, it switches to very low power and monitors it, boosting charge rate only when needed.
Amen Billy! Honda is quality. Although I ride a cruiser, I appreciate all the engineering they do. Mine is a 2003 Shadow ACE 750, and I also have clear access to the battery. It takes three screws. Simple.
Same story on my GF's former ZX636R. The battery is actually sitting right under the tank mounts. The battery of my 999 and Hypermotard are incredibly easy to access. On the 999 you just take off 1 side panel and the Hypermotard is just 1 screw of the seat(but you know that already ;) ).
I actually don't remember much of the 748. I had a monoposto. And I remember using the key to raise the entire rear cowl and seat. But back then I was just a weekend rider.
A few days ago I stopped to help a guy that seemed to have so trouble with his bike (old cruiser type, I believe it was a Honda too but I didn't pay attention). His battery was acting up and it would only start if he wedged a tool underneath the battery. Perhaps it was just a damaged wire. However, he couldn't access the battery without a prop per cruise bike lift because the battery was placed low on the bike and only accessible from the bottom....
Believe me my friend, I had a few WTF moments...without a service manual, i just had to call plays as I saw them. I originally thought only the frame panel had to come off....but when I found a bolt which was only accessible with the tank over off...I realized that I wasn't going to make the ride today. The sad part is proper maintenance would've had me pull the entire right side lower as well...I was so frustrated at that point, I just flexed it out of the way.
this is a hyper bike its in the region of say owning a Ferrari it was never meant to be practical it was meant to be enjoyed a lavish expense sitting in your shed or on your driveway with a grin on your mug everytime you think of it. yes its a pain to change but not impossible I just put an upgraded battery and some tender leads on mine that should keep it good for sometime! I also own a zzr1200 which is much simpler but nowhere near as much fun to ride:)
my yzf600r thunder cat is the same, i find it hard to believe why some bikes are so difficult to do even the most basic of maintenance on. my only gripe with the thunder cat is that you have to remove the left fairing for an oil change, approx 9 screws, about 5-10 mins
lol there's a screw you tenderly touched on your battery box that Kawasaki put so you can attach a tender to and in worse scenarios jump start you motorcycle... HAHA you didn't have to do all that unless replacing battery... btw, I ride an 03 ZX12R for 8 years & became garage mechanic aficionado. after 2 busas, an R1 and others the ZX12R hands down
In the tool kit, there is a weird socket that has a slotted hole, which is used as a "T" for that very cover. I didn't mess with that silliness..hahaha
Funny that you asked that, for some reason, I've gotten that same question quite a few times the last few days. (Probably because of this video I suppose) I freehand drew the outline in pencil and painted it with $2 acrylic hobby paint. There a company called Decal-Orations that you can have a decal made...but their largest is about 1/2 the size of mine, and they take a good two months to ship. Good luck on your project Billy
So, in my grandfather's 1973 Suzuki I just: 1- grab a beer with one hand -2 open left side panel withe other hand 3- voilá,there's the battery and ONE screw to take it out if needed. So Kawasaki is 30 years of R&D behind...
The Kawi 250 is pretty easier to access as well. The only thing I can think is the VFR is more of a sport touring bike so it would make sense to have the battery easily accessible.
My zx11 has easy access just like the Honda. I think this may just be a zx12 thing. They have an odd frame design which makes placement of things a bit different and obviously very difficult to access.
yeah, i guess some are worse than others, my friend has a kawasaki ER5 which doesn't have a fuel tap and requires you to pinch a pipe full of fuel and feed it behind the frame to lift the tank off to get to the rad filler cap.. kind of inconvenient when the bike kept overheating and dumping its coolant all over the road!
Thanks my good man, I was a on a road trip this week (via my truck) and saw an 03 Viff in a parking garage...thinking "I need to get one of those"
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No other ZX - R has a chassis design like the 12, which is a brake through and that's what you like it so much, stability at high speed is second to none. I love Honda, but this is not a fair comparison.
I got them off ebay, from a guy who got them off ebay Lol...I don't have a brand name unfortunately. The finish is amazing, the detail, the gloss of the paint...the fit is decent, but not as good as stock, and I will say if you go that route, you have to be confident in your dremel skills. A few hundred bucks, and a few hours was totally worth the looks that bike gets when I take it out
I saw a Husaberg that was even more work to get to the battery. Like place bike on stand and remove the rear wheel and the seat and wiggle it out. However, how often to you have to get to the battery on your bikes? Batteries where I live last 3-5 years if you take care of them. I'd rather they make the frequent routine maintenance easy to perform. But yeah, that battery looked like a massive pain to get to.
Your honda uses the same kind of battery tray that the 1986-2006 concours uses. A more modern superbike like the ZX12 is likely to be more hassle for a lot of things, not saying that it wasn't a daft decision to make the battery so hard to get to, but it isn't limited to kawi by any means.
Problem is we've become a society that pays everyone to do everything for us, so engineers just figure that the owner will take it too a mechanic to fix every single little thing...
My sentiments exactly! This really has been a pain in the ass for me too; my bike is parked in an underground parking and at least once a year I have to go through this unnecessary ritual for no good reason. That's the main reason I'm getting rid of the bike!
You know, my dad rides a 2001 Kawasaki Concours and I ride a 2009 Yamaha FZ6R, and the both of us working on our bikes, I can gain access to my battery in about 3 minutes or less. Him? It takes him at least 15, and that is knowing where every bolt on his bike goes. So yeah, you can see that you do pay for higher levels of engineering on some bikes than others. That said, they are all beautifully built machines!
My 82KZLTD uses the key on a seat lock POP and the seat swings up to the right of the bike and BANG ! The battery is right in the middle of the bike sitting there smiling at you !
Rob, This very cool that you mention this. I have an outline of that very video I wrote almost a year ago. I just never got around to actually filming it. I'll dig it out and review is and try to put something together for you here in the next couple weeks
I was under the impression that Ducati batteries could only be filled with Holy Water from the Vatican, and had to be charged with lightning bolts from the hand of g-d himself.
Truth be told, I think every bike has its quirks...My ducati 748, needed an entire lower removed to get to the battery, I've seen spark plugs never changed, because it's just too hard to get to them...I think for "touring" style bikes, easy maintenance is super important, pulling off silly panels is the last thing you wanna do when you are just trying to get home..
thanks for your input I appreciate it.. thats a good idea with the battery tender leads..How do you bypass the 186 cutoff? Do you think the motor will last a while before a rebuild? do you think i should run synthetic or what would you recommend... I am a little bummed out about the high mileage I know its hard to say but what do you think? can that bike power wheelie in second gear? sorry for all the questions but I am pretty pumped...
I have connectors for my trickle charger running out the left side to avoid this problem. If you want a real problem try getting a swollen battery out. If you look closely at the battery area it's not smooth all the way in, the opening has a lip on either side that goes in for a about an inch which stops a swollen battery from sliding out.
+billmaa It is my job for tomorrow. Everywhere I have looked no one has come across this. Looks like the drill is coming out to create some pressure release holes (advice from retired old mechanic up the road). Luckily it's a new gel battery so shouldn't leak like an acid battery. I will be making a video of this to upload if you are interested.
most bikes has the same system with the battery under the seat, just like the honda. even my old GSX 550 from '83 - all i need is the key and then i have access to the battery
Doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but then again I'm a mechanic for a living. My 09 zx10r is similar but no where near as bad. Pop off the rear seat with key then take off 2 small side fairings (4 bolts) then remove 2 bolts that hold the front seat on and bam there's your battery. My 05 honda shadow is 2 long bolts that hold the seat on and then you can open the battery box. Super sports are always going to be harder.
I used to ride a 50cc bike, and to access do te battery I had to remove the front seet + body parts + remove the tank xD Now I got a 125cc YBR, and I just have to revome a body part with my ignition key and here's the battery :)
Agree.. I purchased a 4k mile A2 last year.. so I fitted a trickle charger cable. Well, I had to take half the bike apart to get to it! Kawasaki probably thought it was a great idea to tuck it inside the frame - Nope! 😐
Yes sir, that's exactly what my tender extender was...somehow a wire got pinched and severed... I have a spare in my tool box, all this mess will be avoided next time hopefully
haha , kinda glad I didn't go kawa now ... The 2012 V-Strom's battery sits in the same place as the honda's , right under the seat along with the fusebox , ecu , and starter solenoid , the most likely things to break during normal use , and can be accessed by just lifting the seat :) Of course the V-Strom wont be quite as fast as your ZX...
Zx12r has fuel tank under the seat for lower centre of gravity. Battery is below that to lower the centre of gravity more. It's similar to MotoGP bikes in design. The regular fuel tank location is full of airbox instead of heavy fuel. The lower position of the weight helps a lot in acceleration and handling. The result is bye bye busa
Hey Bill, whe did you get your new fairings for your pther bike ? how did u find the fit ? Was it a good product. Would u recomend that company and are there any other faiiring comapnirs out there that make a good pruduct ? Thx for any info u can divulge. cheers.
Nice! Now I want to see Super Blackbird battery compartment! Edit: ZX12 was made to defeat Hayabusa, so probably the same year as your VFR and they never want to do any upgrade on that
The ZX12 was a one of a kind frame design... hence the battery location... a good price to pay for the awesome power though
I think the point is being missed here. The battery takes 10 mins to access because the petrol tank is situated where the battery would normally be. This is all done to keep the centre of gravity low to improve handling. The ZX12R even after 20 years is still one of the fastest bikes out there.
It really pisses me off when basic consumables like (batteries, airfilter, oil filter) are in difficult to reach places.
just looking at the following comments on a simple job, changing a battery on a 12R.
what a load of wyning wimps
just because it's a little bit difficult to get to it. when you want improved handling etc you have to trade one thing over another and getting the battery as low as possible is one improvement. I do my own maintenance as it's one of the joys of owning a absolute beasty of a bike. my 12R is now 14 yrs old but will piss over a lot of today's bikes with ease and thats one reason why I love it.
why moan about a small maintenance job when the kick you get out of owning and riding a 12R is so rewarding. Doing the jobs yourself is rewarding too and also you know its been done right. There is very little i won't tackle myself.I have a 9R as well but the 12R is always my favourite. As soon as you go past 6000 rpm the surge forward is a real adrenaline rush, can't get enough. So stop moaning and get over it, just do it.
How does the 9 compare to the 12 in size, especially in kneespacing. I've had a 9 and could just get my knees in the kneesparing (is that a word?). Does the 12 have more room or is it about the same?
As a new owner of a 2003 zx12r 7 years later, I approve of this message
This is a great example of what I tell people when they ask my why I really like Honda: they have their engineering department all lined up. They make a reliable bike, and when the time comes for any type of maintenance, they make it as painless as possible.
Yea it is a pain to get that off. Which is why it "should" have a positive battery terminal jumper that comes out. Also let's not forget that mounting the battery lower will lower the bikes CG, which improves handling characteristics, and that's important on a bike that already weighs 500+ lbs. Quick tip for you ZX12R owners, leave the bolt that requires all that extra dismantling off the next time. It's plenty secure with the 5 bolts that remain.
Kawi definately addressed alot of the 12R’s maintenance woe’s with the zx-14, its similar but easier then the 12R’s, the 12’s are still a good machine though.
Don't get me wrong, the ZX-12R is a great bike....just a lil silly with the battery placement
Absolutely!!!! Love my bike but for goodness Sakes it’s a pain in the Ass to work on!!!!
I prefer to use wps lithium battery. Worked pretty good for my zx12r
By contrast, my Honda Pacific Coast required seven fairings and body panels to be removed and far more of the overall bike disassembled as a result to be able to access the innermost terminal of the battery. A terminal, I might add, that you could *see* just by opening the luggage compartment, but that no tool could safely reach without the aforementioned disassembly. A battery tender extender was a flat requirement, full stop.
And my kawasaki versys just requires seat removal same as your VFR.
The ZX12 is a very special bike with a lot of cutting edge stuff built into it, I think they designed the frame then realized they still needed to put the battery somewhere. Most Kwaks have it under seat like normal.
Improve the brand he says. The ZX12r is engineered to compete among the best bikes in the world at the time and it was 1st or 2nd during its tenure but the battery is harder to reach than a Honda so I guess I need to complain to the internet . Put in a trickle charger port if it’s that big of a deal and stfu
You charged it but the battery will go dead again by the time you re-install it.
There are so many things I will be aware of when purchasing my next bike. It's little things like this that you don't really think of looking for during the purchase. Sometimes they can be a deal breaker...
Well they fixed that problem with the ZX14, unreal takes me 5 mins on my ZX14, it's too bad they didn't keep the look of the 12R one of best ever looking bike.
I love Honda for their simplicity. Simple is sometimes very complicated to achieve.
I use to have a 2000 zx12r and a 2004 zx12r....I feel your pain... they really are a serious pain in the ass to work on but god their extremely fun to ride at top speed....got a 2004 zx10r now...fast but its just not the same
Honda further refined the process with the 6th gen VFR. They removed the lever completely. On mine you just turn the key and the seat pops off. Still 2 of those push pins to get to the terminals though.
45 minutes! is something wrong with you hands
PorkEatingCrusader took me 45 minutes my first time but after that it shouldn't be more than 5-10 minutes once you know what you are doing
lifting the tank?
I need 10-15 min for that. no big deal
When seat on 12r you fell the power. Best bike and afret 20 years. 😎🤘
If you were just charging the battery or even jump starting,,,,there is a positive pigtail jumper harness that you can access in about 30 seconds on the left side of bike..it has a black rubber cover over it to protect it from shorts,,just pull out the connector and hook up to it,,,unless someone has put a battery in it at some point and didn't put the jumper harness in the correct spot so you can get to it freely.. Kawasaki put it there just for that reason. The ground wire can be attached to any part of the frame or engine block
well my brother had the zx6r and the battery was in the subframe his friend had told us that the next year ton the 12 they put the batter in the frame to place as much weight towards the center of the bike to imporve handling so this was done to balance weight
Imagine how much weight Kawasaki could save if they simplified the design.
Thats what Trinith said as well....On mine, that lock also serves as the helmet lock (which I would never use) the lever is to discern which you are going to use...One day, I will have a 6th VFR..=)
I have a ZX12R 2000, and it's constantly conected to my tender when not riding. I just have the tender connected to the extra wire that as the purpouse of charging the battery without removing it. It as a red rubber cover. When riding, it sits in the sub frame, and its easily pushed out. For negative I use the exaust.
Hey I have a 2000 ZX-12R too! It's the less common, but much faster red one! I do the same thing **you** do with the battery, except I added a pigtail from the battery to the outside with a connector on it to make connecting/disconnecting from the charger/maintainer super easy. In the 25 years that I've owned that bike, 'today' it's getting it's _third_ battery! It really pays to leave those batteries on a maintainer when they're not being used!
In all fairness, I've owned six Kawas in my life...4 of the 6 had easy batteries to get to, but those other two...man, they were a pain hahaha
My 03 12R is a pain to work on no doubt, but one twist of that throttle on your 1st ride ontop of a 12R and you will realize it don't matter how hard they are to work on, its still the most raw exciting bike to own an ride bar none!!! Their absolute monsters with character to spare. You just don't get that with a bland feeling Honda...
So the thin wire hanging to the left of the battery goes to the positive or negative terminal? I’m finally putting mine back together and o can’t for the life of me remember.
I use one on my first bike's battery, a plain, flooded lead acid one. It's going into its 6th year of service now and I'm starting to think I should replace it before it causes problems... The key is not to leave it on the float charger ALL the time. Take it off for a week or two and let it "breathe" a bit, then top it up again. But as a float charger, it isn't always charging - once it tops, it switches to very low power and monitors it, boosting charge rate only when needed.
Amen Billy! Honda is quality. Although I ride a cruiser, I appreciate all the engineering they do. Mine is a 2003 Shadow ACE 750, and I also have clear access to the battery. It takes three screws. Simple.
Same story on my GF's former ZX636R. The battery is actually sitting right under the tank mounts. The battery of my 999 and Hypermotard are incredibly easy to access. On the 999 you just take off 1 side panel and the Hypermotard is just 1 screw of the seat(but you know that already ;) ).
Agreed. I love Honda for it's rock-solid reliability, common sense and quality of build and assembly, and simplicity.
I actually don't remember much of the 748. I had a monoposto. And I remember using the key to raise the entire rear cowl and seat. But back then I was just a weekend rider.
A few days ago I stopped to help a guy that seemed to have so trouble with his bike (old cruiser type, I believe it was a Honda too but I didn't pay attention). His battery was acting up and it would only start if he wedged a tool underneath the battery. Perhaps it was just a damaged wire. However, he couldn't access the battery without a prop per cruise bike lift because the battery was placed low on the bike and only accessible from the bottom....
Believe me my friend, I had a few WTF moments...without a service manual, i just had to call plays as I saw them. I originally thought only the frame panel had to come off....but when I found a bolt which was only accessible with the tank over off...I realized that I wasn't going to make the ride today. The sad part is proper maintenance would've had me pull the entire right side lower as well...I was so frustrated at that point, I just flexed it out of the way.
I'm not sure how different the 07 vs 09, but it's wasn't as simple as it should've been on my KLR as well
45 minutes ? You got paws for hands or what ! That 12 will walk that honda all day it's worth the 45 minutes ! LOL
Concours 14 and ZX-14 have a similar set-up, albeit with a simple trap door that does not require the body tear-down like on this ZX-12.
this is a hyper bike its in the region of say owning a Ferrari it was never meant to be practical it was meant to be enjoyed a lavish expense sitting in your shed or on your driveway with a grin on your mug everytime you think of it. yes its a pain to change but not impossible I just put an upgraded battery and some tender leads on mine that should keep it good for sometime! I also own a zzr1200 which is much simpler but nowhere near as much fun to ride:)
my yzf600r thunder cat is the same, i find it hard to believe why some bikes are so difficult to do even the most basic of maintenance on. my only gripe with the thunder cat is that you have to remove the left fairing for an oil change, approx 9 screws, about 5-10 mins
My 94 ZX7 is a twist of the key to remove the rear seat, pull of a lever for the front and there's the battery.
lol there's a screw you tenderly touched on your battery box that Kawasaki put so you can attach a tender to and in worse scenarios jump start you motorcycle... HAHA you didn't have to do all that unless replacing battery...
btw, I ride an 03 ZX12R for 8 years & became garage mechanic aficionado. after 2 busas, an R1 and others the ZX12R hands down
I agree, I have a CBR1000RR...it's crazy fast, but just doesn't have that beast mode like the open classers do
In the tool kit, there is a weird socket that has a slotted hole, which is used as a "T" for that very cover. I didn't mess with that silliness..hahaha
Funny that you asked that, for some reason, I've gotten that same question quite a few times the last few days. (Probably because of this video I suppose) I freehand drew the outline in pencil and painted it with $2 acrylic hobby paint. There a company called Decal-Orations that you can have a decal made...but their largest is about 1/2 the size of mine, and they take a good two months to ship. Good luck on your project
Billy
So, in my grandfather's 1973 Suzuki I just: 1- grab a beer with one hand -2 open left side panel withe other hand 3- voilá,there's the battery and ONE screw to take it out if needed.
So Kawasaki is 30 years of R&D behind...
To think it came after ZZR 1100 (ZX11) There was only a seat bracket in the way for getting the battery out
Remember the old ads for Honda? "Follow the leader, he's on a Honda." I've always liked the forgiving handling of Hondas.
The Kawi 250 is pretty easier to access as well. The only thing I can think is the VFR is more of a sport touring bike so it would make sense to have the battery easily accessible.
Agreed, the cbr600rr is the same and the Ducati monster is pretty much the same too.
I used to ride a 1987 VFR... Now I ride a 1994 zx6e... I love both bikes in equal measure, but I TOTALLY understand.
My zx11 has easy access just like the Honda. I think this may just be a zx12 thing. They have an odd frame design which makes placement of things a bit different and obviously very difficult to access.
yeah, i guess some are worse than others, my friend has a kawasaki ER5 which doesn't have a fuel tap and requires you to pinch a pipe full of fuel and feed it behind the frame to lift the tank off to get to the rad filler cap.. kind of inconvenient when the bike kept overheating and dumping its coolant all over the road!
Its not that hard. Leave the top bolt out and I can change it in 10 minutes !!!!!
Thanks my good man, I was a on a road trip this week (via my truck) and saw an 03 Viff in a parking garage...thinking "I need to get one of those"
No other ZX - R has a chassis design like the 12, which is a brake through and that's what you like it so much, stability at high speed is second to none. I love Honda, but this is not a fair comparison.
I got them off ebay, from a guy who got them off ebay Lol...I don't have a brand name unfortunately. The finish is amazing, the detail, the gloss of the paint...the fit is decent, but not as good as stock, and I will say if you go that route, you have to be confident in your dremel skills. A few hundred bucks, and a few hours was totally worth the looks that bike gets when I take it out
My 99 R1 was a lil more, it was a rear seat key, and 2 allen bolts for the front seat...My CBR1000RR is the same way...Yamaha keeps it pretty tight
I saw a Husaberg that was even more work to get to the battery. Like place bike on stand and remove the rear wheel and the seat and wiggle it out.
However, how often to you have to get to the battery on your bikes? Batteries where I live last 3-5 years if you take care of them. I'd rather they make the frequent routine maintenance easy to perform.
But yeah, that battery looked like a massive pain to get to.
Your honda uses the same kind of battery tray that the 1986-2006 concours uses. A more modern superbike like the ZX12 is likely to be more hassle for a lot of things, not saying that it wasn't a daft decision to make the battery so hard to get to, but it isn't limited to kawi by any means.
Problem is we've become a society that pays everyone to do everything for us, so engineers just figure that the owner will take it too a mechanic to fix every single little thing...
My sentiments exactly! This really has been a pain in the ass for me too; my bike is parked in an underground parking and at least once a year I have to go through this unnecessary ritual for no good reason. That's the main reason I'm getting rid of the bike!
You know, my dad rides a 2001 Kawasaki Concours and I ride a 2009 Yamaha FZ6R, and the both of us working on our bikes, I can gain access to my battery in about 3 minutes or less. Him? It takes him at least 15, and that is knowing where every bolt on his bike goes. So yeah, you can see that you do pay for higher levels of engineering on some bikes than others. That said, they are all beautifully built machines!
I have thought about selling it, but nothing related to this...I just need the room
You make an excellent point
My 82KZLTD uses the key on a seat lock POP and the seat swings up to the right of the bike and BANG ! The battery is right in the middle of the bike sitting there smiling at you !
Rob, This very cool that you mention this. I have an outline of that very video I wrote almost a year ago. I just never got around to actually filming it. I'll dig it out and review is and try to put something together for you here in the next couple weeks
I was under the impression that Ducati batteries could only be filled with Holy Water from the Vatican, and had to be charged with lightning bolts from the hand of g-d himself.
It all fairness, I've owned a few other Kawasakis...and none of them were this complicated
Truth be told, I think every bike has its quirks...My ducati 748, needed an entire lower removed to get to the battery, I've seen spark plugs never changed, because it's just too hard to get to them...I think for "touring" style bikes, easy maintenance is super important, pulling off silly panels is the last thing you wanna do when you are just trying to get home..
That's quite the adventure for a battery. I own a naked sv650s, this bike has to be one of the easiest thing to work on.
thanks for your input I appreciate it.. thats a good idea with the battery tender leads..How do you bypass the 186 cutoff? Do you think the motor will last a while before a rebuild? do you think i should run synthetic or what would you recommend... I am a little bummed out about the high mileage I know its hard to say but what do you think? can that bike power wheelie in second gear? sorry for all the questions but I am pretty pumped...
Yeah, I can't argue that =)
I have connectors for my trickle charger running out the left side to avoid this problem. If you want a real problem try getting a swollen battery out. If you look closely at the battery area it's not smooth all the way in, the opening has a lip on either side that goes in for a about an inch which stops a swollen battery from sliding out.
+Nath0375 I do now, put I didn't when I made this video lol
+billmaa It is my job for tomorrow. Everywhere I have looked no one has come across this. Looks like the drill is coming out to create some pressure release holes (advice from retired old mechanic up the road). Luckily it's a new gel battery so shouldn't leak like an acid battery. I will be making a video of this to upload if you are interested.
+Nath0375 I would really like to see a video of that..My ZX-12 has been sitting for a year, I need tires for it and don't have the money buy them
I've had older Kawis that where just easy, but my last two were just troublesome
Wow, I had no idea. What WAS Kawasaki thinking?
most bikes has the same system with the battery under the seat, just like the honda. even my old GSX 550 from '83 - all i need is the key and then i have access to the battery
Maybe they just want you to go buy a new bike anytime your battery dies.
yes. Honda and Yamaha are the only bikes I will put in my garage now that I've had experiences with all kinds.
Same reason why i love Suzuki's
hey man....i have the same 2005 zx12 you have. yes its a pain to get to the battery!!! my question to you is do you know how to reset the fi light???/
I had a tender extension lead on it...the ground side got pinched and broke
That's why i like kick-starters.
Wait till you have to change the fukin spark plugs
Dang...that seems like alot. Both my Yamahas are a piece of cake to get to the batteries :)
Doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but then again I'm a mechanic for a living. My 09 zx10r is similar but no where near as bad. Pop off the rear seat with key then take off 2 small side fairings (4 bolts) then remove 2 bolts that hold the front seat on and bam there's your battery. My 05 honda shadow is 2 long bolts that hold the seat on and then you can open the battery box. Super sports are always going to be harder.
I was in the safety of my garage, with all my tools and nowhere to be...but I did think that a few times hahaha
Whats the Model name or Number of the ZX-12r Battery ?
That grab a beer step should be on the first page of every manual =)
I used to ride a 50cc bike, and to access do te battery I had to remove the front seet + body parts + remove the tank xD
Now I got a 125cc YBR, and I just have to revome a body part with my ignition key and here's the battery :)
Agree.. I purchased a 4k mile A2 last year.. so I fitted a trickle charger cable. Well, I had to take half the bike apart to get to it! Kawasaki probably thought it was a great idea to tuck it inside the frame - Nope! 😐
Holy moly batman! That's a serious PITA! I would get rid of it just for that! lol
I had a 93 ZX-7, I really wish Kawa would bring back that bike
Funny thing is that ZX12R is sup'd to be lighter than a VFR800.
Yes sir, that's exactly what my tender extender was...somehow a wire got pinched and severed... I have a spare in my tool box, all this mess will be avoided next time hopefully
Thank you, not all Kawasakis are like this guy...some are very simple...but I couldn't help but call them out on this pain in the butt...
haha , kinda glad I didn't go kawa now ...
The 2012 V-Strom's battery sits in the same place as the honda's , right under the seat along with the fusebox , ecu , and starter solenoid , the most likely things to break during normal use , and can be accessed by just lifting the seat :)
Of course the V-Strom wont be quite as fast as your ZX...
Zx12r has fuel tank under the seat for lower centre of gravity. Battery is below that to lower the centre of gravity more. It's similar to MotoGP bikes in design. The regular fuel tank location is full of airbox instead of heavy fuel.
The lower position of the weight helps a lot in acceleration and handling. The result is bye bye busa
Hey Bill, whe did you get your new fairings for your pther bike ? how did u find the fit ? Was it a good product. Would u recomend that company and are there any other faiiring comapnirs out there that make a good pruduct ? Thx for any info u can divulge. cheers.
Nice! Now I want to see Super Blackbird battery compartment!
Edit: ZX12 was made to defeat Hayabusa, so probably the same year as your VFR and they never want to do any upgrade on that
Blackbirds battery is under the seat, just open the seat up & there it is! I've got a 2000 zx12 which brought me to this video😟