restrictors

[yelloSV]

if a bike has a restrictor installed on it, where is it located in the bike and how would i know if it was restricted?

[inspiron]

Depends on the bike. Bikes with FI usually have electronic restrictors - the FI module is programmed to limit the power by retarding the spark and adjusting the mixture. Carbed bikes have different needles in the carbs and a smaller airbox to restrict how much fuel the engine can suck in.

How to tell if your bike is restricted? Find someone with a non-restricted version of the same bike. The restricted bike may be a bit quicker off the line, but an open bike will have a higher top end and accellerate quicker between 40 and 60 mph.

[Louis]

Why do you think there's a restrictor? More common in Europe for new riders, I was under the impression that they were pretty rare in the US.

[Rickster]

Originally Posted by Louis

Why do you think there's a restrictor? More common in Europe for new riders, I was under the impression that they were pretty rare in the US.

It's more common than you think, and it's not always done to limit the speed of the bike. That bike you are riding is restricted, it has two sets of baffles in the intakes. The second set is called secondary's. They operate in first gear to help smooth acceleration, and they also close off to help reduce rpm when (if) you hit your rev limiter.
One of the tricks the after market people do is sell a device that lies to your ECU, telling it that your bike is always in 4th gear. 4th is the one gear that is usually not restricted.

[Rickster]

Originally Posted by yelloSV

if a bike has a restrictor installed on it, where is it located in the bike and how would i know if it was restricted?

Your bike (SV 650) is restricted. All the restrictions are built into the ECU. The ECU is the brain of your bike, so you can't take it out, but you can bypass or remove some of the restrictions. One real cheep way to get a get a bit more acceleration is to remove the secondary's. Keep in mind, if you do this, it will reduce the effectiveness of your over rev limiter.

[yelloSV]

actually i found if i just wind the rpm;s up a little higher it pulls just fine..was keepin the revs a little on the low side