ZXR400 Restrictors? :s

[Milky]

Ok, I tried to get some ready-made off ebay and the bidding went onto £67 for four little washers!.. No chance i'm paying that.. but i also want to keep my liscence.. so i'm gonna make DIY it!

http://www.zxrworld.co.uk/zxr400oc/down ... &mode=view

^^ There's the drawing and i know how to fit them etc but what metal shoud i make em out of, what thickness (if that matters), and should i use a sealant for them so they sit nice in the carbs? Thanks!, Tom.

[Beejyman]

As far as I'm aware these kits need to be certified and fitted by a certified fitter! but i'm not an expert!!

[ZXR400Lee]

Your wasting your time!!

Restrictor kits are completely useless without there certificate.. you might as well not even bother!!

I paid £150 for mine from FI International.. I went to a garage and got the garage to fill out my certificate, stamp it, and give me back the washers as I never wanted them in there.. you send off the certificate to your insurance company then, if for any reason your insurance company hasnt asked for it, in the event of the unforseen and you have an accident, or get caught speeding etc.. the police and or you insurance company will want to see it.

[ZXR400Lee]

I know the above because I bought myself a ZXR400 when I was 16, and rebuilt it myself before my 17th birthday, at the time I forgot all about the restrictors and rode it around for ages after passing my test before sorting out the kit and certificate...

There is only one way to do it properly, and thats buying the FI International 33bhp kit for around £150..

[Milky]

it has a certificate from the previous owner, my insurance haven't asked about it, but if for some reason my bike gets put on a dynamo by the police or something im gonna be in trouble.. as i said..i like riding and want to keep my liscence.

[ZXR400Lee]

I've never heard of the police taking it apart to find out.. its up to you..

Dont get caught speeding above 92mph and you'll be fine..

There is one thing though, my washers were stamped with a serial number that matches up with the certificate..

[Milky]

aslong as the bike doesnt have more than 33brake.. then surely it wont matter how it's done?..

[ZXR400Lee]

I'm not going to comment on making up your own washers.. Police dont dyno test a bike! They strip it down to pieces to check whether or not the washers are there.. in the event of an accident.

Just saying if you want to be legal you need to buy a whole new kit.. if you want to chance it then its up to you..

[Milky]

so the only chance of me getting done over for it not being restricted would be if i crashed it and they stripped it down..

[ZXR400Lee]

yes, or you got caught speeding at more than 92mph

[Milky]

yes, or you got caught speeding at more than 92mph

roger that! ..do you loose your liscence if your over 92mph whether you have a restrictor or not? e.g someone with no restriction and been riding for years?.. or if you'r on a restricted liscence,..your bike is not expected to exceed 92mph and therfore it must not have a restrictor fitted?

[ZXR400Lee]

Just dont speed.. that answers that question..

I dont know about all 33bhp restricted bikes, I just know that on my certificate, and if you have one from previous owner too.. it has max. speed 92mph.

[Banditmax]

There is no law that states you have to prove your bike is restricted, the law is just that it has to be under 33hp. And if you smash up your bike they can never prove it cause your bike will be in an unusable state. Get caught speeding over 92mph i doubt they'll say anything either the speeding system and the dvla licensing are not gonna think enough that a 33hp bike shouldn't go over 92mph. Making your own washers will suffice as long as they are made exactly to that diagram.

[Milky]

There is no law that states you have to prove your bike is restricted, the law is just that it has to be under 33hp. And if you smash up your bike they can never prove it cause your bike will be in an unusable state. Get caught speeding over 92mph i doubt they'll say anything either the speeding system and the dvla licensing are not gonna think enough that a 33hp bike shouldn't go over 92mph. Making your own washers will suffice as long as they are made exactly to that diagram.

thanks.

[jam]

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.