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Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Mar 31st, '09, 19:49
by Milky
jam wrote:Just to clarify this, the police are within their rights to demand a dynotest of the bike to prove whether it is indeed restricted or not. I spent all of 2007 with Avon & Somerset traffic division doing precisely that with my mobile dyno, testing both 50cc mopeds to see if they had been tampered with and also anyone who was riding on a restricted licence. Legally as specified by the EU licencing legislation the 33bhp should be at the CRANK not the wheel as 33bhp at the wheel is aproximately 37 at the crank, BUT because most dynos measure at the wheel and calculating drivetrain losses is difficult at best and not particularly accurate the British plod accept 33bhp at the wheel.
There are some known problems with the 'washer type restrictors that fit in the inlet port causing the bike to run rich as you are effectively choking the air supply off. A better restrictor kit is bonded onto the top of the slides and prevents them from raising fully but does not alter the A/F ratio. When you buy a restrictor kit you are not paying £150 for 4 washers etc, you are paying for someone competent to install them and sign off on the restriction certificate. If you are involved in a collision and you produce a restricted licence the plod will 9 out of 10 times have a vehicle examiner check the bike to ensure it is restricted. If it is later found that the bike is not restricted then the insurance will be invalidated due to you being outside of your licence catergories, and as a result any 3rd party who is injured will not get paid out, and will end up suing you for compensation rather than your insurance company. It is not worth the risk of removing the kit the plod along with VOSA are becoming very adept at spotting bikes which are not restricted, it is a simple matter in most cases of just removing the carbs/ carb top or having the bike dyno tested.
how much could i get it properly done and dusted for? £150?..i thought it was more like £250!?., with a new certificate etc? anywhere you'd reccomend? oh, and thanks for putting it straight!
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Mar 31st, '09, 19:53
by Banditmax
That £150 is the cost that Fi international charge for a kit, when i looked it'd be another hour or so's labour to fit the kit. I just bought a used set off ebay and put them in my carbs, i knew my bike was restricted and if it was inspecated it would look right too so it wasn't much hassle to me.
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Mar 31st, '09, 20:03
by Milky
Banditmax wrote:That £150 is the cost that Fi international charge for a kit, when i looked it'd be another hour or so's labour to fit the kit. I just bought a used set off ebay and put them in my carbs, i knew my bike was restricted and if it was inspecated it would look right too so it wasn't much hassle to me.
what's different about that Fi international kit to some metal discs i can get off ebay for a tenner or so. or even make them for nothing?..
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Mar 31st, '09, 20:38
by Jaye
Have you thought about contacting Speed? They supply and fit restrictor kits. Having had a ZXR 400 to serve my restriction with I would advise to get it all done properly, it really isn't worth the risk if you get caught out. And if you are worried about power restriction, it's bearable.
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Mar 31st, '09, 21:11
by Banditmax
Tom1528 wrote:Banditmax wrote:That £150 is the cost that Fi international charge for a kit, when i looked it'd be another hour or so's labour to fit the kit. I just bought a used set off ebay and put them in my carbs, i knew my bike was restricted and if it was inspecated it would look right too so it wasn't much hassle to me.
what's different about that Fi international kit to some metal discs i can get off ebay for a tenner or so. or even make them for nothing?..
They just want to claim a load of money outv'e you cause they give you a certificate with it. The ones you make from that pattern will most probably copys of the fi ones anyway.
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Mar 31st, '09, 21:41
by Milky
Jaye wrote:Have you thought about contacting Speed? They supply and fit restrictor kits. Having had a ZXR 400 to serve my restriction with I would advise to get it all done properly, it really isn't worth the risk if you get caught out. And if you are worried about power restriction, it's bearable.
yeh that's where i got the £250 from.
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Mar 31st, '09, 21:42
by Milky
Banditmax wrote:Tom1528 wrote:Banditmax wrote:That £150 is the cost that Fi international charge for a kit, when i looked it'd be another hour or so's labour to fit the kit. I just bought a used set off ebay and put them in my carbs, i knew my bike was restricted and if it was inspecated it would look right too so it wasn't much hassle to me.
what's different about that Fi international kit to some metal discs i can get off ebay for a tenner or so. or even make them for nothing?..
They just want to claim a load of money outv'e you cause they give you a certificate with it. The ones you make from that pattern will most probably copys of the fi ones anyway.
so now we've just ended up with what i was gonna do in the first place?
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Apr 1st, '09, 08:16
by ZXR400Lee
At the end of the day.. if someone on the forum tells you to do something and you do it.. it doesnt turn out right and you get in trouble.. you cant say.. 'well, internet forum said it'd be ok'
The only sure fire way of making sure you are completely legal is to buy a new kit and have the new kit fitted by a garage.
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Apr 1st, '09, 08:28
by jam
Unfortunately you will need to speak to a bike shop that supplies the kits and fits them, that way you will have the kit fitted properly. Yes the kits are around the £150 mark and labour for fitting will be a couple of hours BUT you will have a valid certificate to produce when asked for it and will be completely legal. I personally know of a case involving an former student of mine who was involved in a serious accident where he was badly injured ( lost an arm) and also seriously and life changing injured his mate riding pillion and because there was no restrictor kit fitted the insurance has refused to pay out, meaning that the pillion is having to sue his friend for compensation.
For the sake of £250 it's not worth taking the risk, quite apart from anything else if you injure someone else they may not get anything from your insurance and if you are caught within your two year period you will end up with enough points to lose your licence and you really don't want that.
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Apr 1st, '09, 10:01
by Varcon
I cant see how its as simple as removing the carb tops to check for washers....becuase there are many more meathods of restricting a bike than just washers in the carbs.
I personaly have a throttle stop!
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Apr 1st, '09, 10:21
by tutton
All of the people saying you need to buy FI, and have offical certification is utter crap.
This has been gone over many times on a bigger forum i frequent, with people who have been stopped for it, and a few dyno'd
Basically if the bike is restricted to 33bhp in any way so that can be washers, throttle stops, smaller carbs, removing powervalves etc if fitted are all fine, as long as its under 33bhp, what some people on their did was make their own washers, then get a dyno run done, say around 20 quid a run for just a print out, and that shows how much power the bikes making if you want to try and persuade the police you are. Nothing to worry about if your legal, worst comes to worst they will dyno the bike, find out its 33bhp and give it back to you.
Person who said dont go over 92mph, different for every bike and rider isnt it.
Many people on the other forum say theyve seen around 110 on restricted bikes.
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Apr 1st, '09, 10:38
by ZXR400Lee
tutton wrote:
Person who said dont go over 92mph, different for every bike and rider isnt it.
Many people on the other forum say theyve seen around 110 on restricted bikes.
Thats is made reference to my FI International paperwork, restrictors supplied for 1992 Kawasaki ZXR400.. I never fitted them.. and know that ZXR400 is capable of around 140mph as a result of not fitting them..
Only going by my personal experiences.. I'm not an authority on 33bhp restrictor kits, and wouldnt have even bothered commenting on this thread if the bike wasnt a ZXR400..
Cheers
Lee
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Apr 1st, '09, 11:37
by tutton
Im no authority on it, i just find it annoying that because of the law and corprate bullying alot of people think they have to go FI as its the only way to be legal, even a few bike instructors told me you have to when its simply not true.
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Apr 1st, '09, 16:04
by jam
Varcon wrote:I cant see how its as simple as removing the carb tops to check for washers....becuase there are many more meathods of restricting a bike than just washers in the carbs.
I personaly have a throttle stop!
The restrictors that go on top of the slides are tubular plastic spacers which are bonded onto the top of the slide and prevent the bike reaching full throttle, once they are bonded on it is almost impossible to remove them without damaging the slide or diaphram.
By all means make your own restrictors, take it to a dyno and get a printout showing what the power is and use that as proof, I've done several bikes like that and so far had no problems with it, but my dyno was the one used by the old bill for a couple of years until they bought their own it was all certified so any printout was able to be used as evidence by the courts, which is why I'm able to happily restrict bikes and use the printout as proof without any problems arising regarding the accuracy of the results.
Re: ZXR400 Restrictors? :s
Posted: Apr 1st, '09, 16:28
by Milky
jam wrote:Varcon wrote:I cant see how its as simple as removing the carb tops to check for washers....becuase there are many more meathods of restricting a bike than just washers in the carbs.
I personaly have a throttle stop!
The restrictors that go on top of the slides are tubular plastic spacers which are bonded onto the top of the slide and prevent the bike reaching full throttle, once they are bonded on it is almost impossible to remove them without damaging the slide or diaphram.
By all means make your own restrictors, take it to a dyno and get a printout showing what the power is and use that as proof, I've done several bikes like that and so far had no problems with it, but my dyno was the one used by the old bill for a couple of years until they bought their own it was all certified so any printout was able to be used as evidence by the courts, which is why I'm able to happily restrict bikes and use the printout as proof without any problems arising regarding the accuracy of the results.
where has certified dynos?