How to tell if your bike is restricted?

[Lazy7]

Hey guys, i took the bike i am buying for a test ride, and it felt WONDERFUL... but i also took along a mate who has had a long history with sportsbikes as a second opinion and he said it felt fantastic too. But he didn't think it had "Full power"

in talking to him he said that some bikes ex japan were restricted... and i was wondering how to check it out to find out what might have been played with. i am assuming being restricted means it doesn't have full power, rather than being restricted with a top speed limiter like most japa cars are...

its not electronically fueled so i guess it would need to be something mechanical. Something like an airflow restriction in the carbs, or something more serious like less agressive camshafts?

short of a dyno, how do you work out if your bike is as it was intended ex-factory.

[onearmedbandit]

Um, what model of bike is it? Might help. A lot of bikes had restricters in the inlets, some just require cutting out some require replacement parts. Some bikes have restricters on the carb slide action, etc etc etc. Tell us what it is.

{edit} read your sig line, consider power to weight rather than outright power. That's the secret!

[Lazy7]

sorry - its a ZX7R (2001)

[onearmedbandit]

Did a quick search for you and while I couldn't find anything specific to your model and year I did find a lot of reference to Kawasaki carb restrictors, ie a limit to how far the carbs will open. If you had the chance you could remove the carbs and open the throttle completely and see if the carbs slide/butterfly is open fully. If they are cv carbs which they most probably are these are operated by vacuum, not your wrist so you may need to manually raise the slide. However I'm just plucking at straws here, someone with more accurate knowledge may be able to answer this better.

[Lazy7]

thanks mate. i am sure that it will be a few months before i start going hunting for more power, but its good to know where to look!

[Gremlin]

This is the first I have heard about possible restrictions on the bike, but I wouldn't have a clue.

What we could do sometime if you wanted is to switch bikes and see. Yours appears to be stock, and mine I'm not too sure, but it does have a a/m pipe.

[Mr Skid]

This is the first I have heard about possible restrictions on the bike, but I wouldn't have a clue.

What we could do sometime if you wanted is to switch bikes and see. Yours appears to be stock, and mine I'm not too sure, but it does have a a/m pipe.

Your bike appears to have some sort of restriction.
Perhaps too many pastries have entered the intake manifold?

[onearmedbandit]

Imports from Japan quite often were restricted either in top speed (180km/h) or had restrictions either in the inlets or on the carbs.

[Gremlin]

Imports from Japan quite often were restricted either in top speed (180km/h) or had restrictions either in the inlets or on the carbs.

Weeeeelll.... I guess mine hasn't got the 180kph top speed restriction then

I'm not biting skid, stop ruining a decent thread.

[mjvduc]

Usually not doing jap bikes but depending on the manufacturer you might find restrictors in the exhaust system, carbs/intakes and/or electronically.

mjvduc

[loosebruce]

You could always lend it too me, and i'll test it out and see if it's restricted or not

Nice bike btw, like the 01 colour scheme