My 2016 ZX14R ABS SE with Brembo fronts, it had the absolute worst brakes right off the showroom floor of any bike I recall owning, and I've owned many, including several Kawasaki's: ZX900, ZX11's, Zx12 and this bike.
I took it back to the dealer, and asked them to fix it, as well as check the terrible shifting between second and third.
They bled the brakes, said the shifting was normal, and when I rode off from them, the brakes were still horrible, so I started a several year process to see if I could get the system bled (the obvious issue, and no doubt at the ABS unit), and it would most of the time improve in small increments, but never be at its full braking ability, I know this because I would have to pump the front brake several times every time I came to a stop or slowed, and they would increase in strength with each pump.
I figured it was air in the ABS unit, and used several brake bleeder tools, from a mity vac, Hypodermic injection to push fluid back up into the system, to an air compressor powered vacuum bleeder, etc. It did improve a bit, with each of these, I even considered getting the system under pressure (Motive Products power bleeder), and start quickly cracking the line at the ABS unit, then work my way away from it as each distribution block, it would have been a big job to do, so instead, so instead, I just used the Motive power bleeder unit, as well as mity vac the front brake master cylinder/lever. It improved, but still not full power without pumping the lever.
I finally decided to remove the front and rear calipers & brake pads inserted a flat piece of 1/8" steel x 1-1/2" wide (needs to be 12"~14" long for leverage) between the caliper pistons, and then pump the rear brake pedal until they firmly clamped the 1/8" piece of steel, then pry them back all the way until the caliper pistons are fully retracted and stopped, then do the same with the front, starting on the left side (clutch/shifter side) and do the same with each front caliper. I did several full power vacuum bleeds first with the air compressor vacuum bleeder first, to make sure there wasn't any air in the calipers, or their direct brake lines.
Then I mity vac'd the front brake lever bleed valve at the top of the brake lever. This finally gave me the Brembo braking power I paid for, if I were to do this again, I would still consider first pressurizing the system with the Motive bleeder, and progressively quickly cracking and closing each fitting several times (watch the reservoir fluid levels at each reservoir, don't want to reintroduce air back in) to start, then do the full Motive power bleed front and rear.
This would require removing certain farings, and the battery to get to the ABS unit, as well as every fitting, plus the fluid is corrosive, so lots of plastic wrapping and taping to protect pretty mush everything, as well as lots of rags to collect the fluid, and its still almost impossible to not have it still get on something, and damage it.
It took me 6 years to finally get the brakes to work properly, perhaps the bike got turned upside down somewhere during shipping from the factory, I don't know, but doesn't seem to be a common issue, just for the few lucky guys that have this issue.
I took it back to the dealer, and asked them to fix it, as well as check the terrible shifting between second and third.
They bled the brakes, said the shifting was normal, and when I rode off from them, the brakes were still horrible, so I started a several year process to see if I could get the system bled (the obvious issue, and no doubt at the ABS unit), and it would most of the time improve in small increments, but never be at its full braking ability, I know this because I would have to pump the front brake several times every time I came to a stop or slowed, and they would increase in strength with each pump.
I figured it was air in the ABS unit, and used several brake bleeder tools, from a mity vac, Hypodermic injection to push fluid back up into the system, to an air compressor powered vacuum bleeder, etc. It did improve a bit, with each of these, I even considered getting the system under pressure (Motive Products power bleeder), and start quickly cracking the line at the ABS unit, then work my way away from it as each distribution block, it would have been a big job to do, so instead, so instead, I just used the Motive power bleeder unit, as well as mity vac the front brake master cylinder/lever. It improved, but still not full power without pumping the lever.
I finally decided to remove the front and rear calipers & brake pads inserted a flat piece of 1/8" steel x 1-1/2" wide (needs to be 12"~14" long for leverage) between the caliper pistons, and then pump the rear brake pedal until they firmly clamped the 1/8" piece of steel, then pry them back all the way until the caliper pistons are fully retracted and stopped, then do the same with the front, starting on the left side (clutch/shifter side) and do the same with each front caliper. I did several full power vacuum bleeds first with the air compressor vacuum bleeder first, to make sure there wasn't any air in the calipers, or their direct brake lines.
Then I mity vac'd the front brake lever bleed valve at the top of the brake lever. This finally gave me the Brembo braking power I paid for, if I were to do this again, I would still consider first pressurizing the system with the Motive bleeder, and progressively quickly cracking and closing each fitting several times (watch the reservoir fluid levels at each reservoir, don't want to reintroduce air back in) to start, then do the full Motive power bleed front and rear.
This would require removing certain farings, and the battery to get to the ABS unit, as well as every fitting, plus the fluid is corrosive, so lots of plastic wrapping and taping to protect pretty mush everything, as well as lots of rags to collect the fluid, and its still almost impossible to not have it still get on something, and damage it.
It took me 6 years to finally get the brakes to work properly, perhaps the bike got turned upside down somewhere during shipping from the factory, I don't know, but doesn't seem to be a common issue, just for the few lucky guys that have this issue.
