Restriction?

[Viirin]

Hey my friend drives a virago 250 - it's capabilities should be fairly similar to a GZ's right but a red light (guessing a rev limiter or something) comes on at 80km/h in 5th

He has a 15t sprocket so it should be able to do more right? He thought it was the CDI box (some on-board computer thingy) that was electronically limiting it but he fitted another one from a different virago 250 and same thing. Can they be mechanically restricted to only go 80km/h and is there anyway to check?

the other cdi may have been restricted too but we don't know

Cheers for any responses

Vii

Wait no the stock is a 16tooth sprocket sorry

[Sarris]

Possibly a rev limiter to keep the n00bs from over revving??

Possibly a plugged exhaust? Restricted fuel flow? Plugged in-tank screen filter?

That all I can think of.

:)

[dentheman]

I haven't heard of a red light being used accept as a low oil pressure warning, low fuel warning, or overheat warning. I am not familiar with the instrumentation/warning lights of this bike, but I will assume it doe not have an overheat light, so that leaves low oil pressure or low fuel, but I would think there would be some symbol near or on the light. Since you are in Ireland I assume it is a European spec bike, so who knows, it could be different from North American. I suppose it could be some rev limiter, but that just doesn't sound right.

[Easy Rider]

Cheers for any responses


Tomorrow during normal business hours.......call a dealer and ASK. :biggrin:

The red light must have some standard meaning.
Is there no label on the light ??

[Viirin]

We went to one today to try the other CDI box but to no avail - the lights don't have any symbols on the bike (could have worn off) - they're in the same place as the neutral and indicator ones on the gz except there are two more - one for high beams and one for the revs - it comes on at high revs in the lower gears as well.

I just told him that i'd ask you guys just in case it rings any bells because the dealers seem as stumped as we are - no worries anyway guys, it only comes into play at motorway speeds anyway and they're not too frequent

[Viirin]

Oh and it's a Jap import dentheman

[cayuse]

Ok, so if it's a Japanese import, maybe your dealers can be forgiven for being stumped. :roll:

[Water Warrior 2]

Fascinating puzzle.
1st, will the bike go faster than 80 kms after the red light comes on or does it go to 80 and just stay there ?
2nd, Will the bike go to 80 in 4th gear, if so will it go faster or just maintain that speed ?
3rd, Jap import ? They are probably all from Japan but was it a bike built for the actual Japanese market. If so it may well be set up not to exceed 80 kms per hour. It may well be that the bike is not allowed to exceed 80 and will give warning to not go faster. There might even be a speedo device that will not allow the bike to exceed 80 in any gear.
These are just wild thoughts running through my mind so take them with a grain of salt. The Japanese home market could have an entirely different set of criteria for some bikes and their performance capabilities. Best bet is to try to track down an owners manual for the home market bike and read carefully. Not all bikes are equal, not even the GZ and it's thousands of 250 brothers and sisters around the world.

[cayuse]

Yeah, in case anyone was thinking this, I wasn't trashing the Japanese ( I love my Japanese-built Suzi). Just that a bike built to be sold in Japan may very well be different and have some perplexing peculiarities that a bike shop in Ireland will have never seen before.

[alantf]

a bike built to be sold in Japan may very well be different and have some perplexing peculiarities that a bike shop in Ireland will have never seen before.

One way to tell - has it got funny little squiggles on the speedo, in place of numbers? :crackup

[dentheman]

I found something related. A pdf. that shows speed limiters of Japanese Virago(?)125 depending on the TCI installed, and other interesting info. Here: http://viragotechforums.com/phpBB/downl ... e0e7bfb752 (http://viragotechforums.com/phpBB/download.php?id=10740&sid=494a2df12b48a1efdca8ae0e7bfb752)

EDIT, I cannot get that link to work, so search (google)>japanese virago 250. It is the second one down, a pdf.

If the light is in the speedo maybe the speedo is from a 125? The pdf mentions TCI speed limiters on the 125cc only (as far as I can tell), but it sure sounds like what your friend is experiencing on the 250!

[Easy Rider]

but it sure sounds like what your friend is experiencing on the 250!

Then again, maybe it really IS a 125.

[dentheman]

but it sure sounds like what your friend is experiencing on the 250!

Then again, maybe it really IS a 125.
I was thinking that too, after reading the pdf.

[Viirin]

That's great dentheman - i'll forward this to him right away! - thanks for all the help as usual guys

sure hope it's not a 125 - that would be a pretty big thing not to notice but then again it would be a hilarious story to tell

[Water Warrior 2]

Is it a V-twin with 2 mufflers ?? I can't imagine a 125 V-twin but stranger things have happened. I was very surprised to find out the Australians had a 250 V-twin Marauder.

[alantf]

I was very surprised to find out the Australians had a 250 V-twin Marauder.

Isn't that what we call an Intruder? Or is that something completely different? :??:

[Water Warrior 2]

I was very surprised to find out the Australians had a 250 V-twin Marauder.

Isn't that what we call an Intruder? Or is that something completely different? :??:

Probably is. VL Intruder comes to mind. Canadian GZs are Marauders so that was the 1st thing in my mind.

[mrlmd1]

According to Wikipedia, the Intruder started out in 1985 or 86 with a 399cc engine, and goes up to 1500cc. I don't think the 125cc is in that category or nameplate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_Intruder

[dentheman]

I did a search of XV125 and it is a Virago 125, in photos it appears nearly identical to the Virago 250! Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the actual cc's imprinted somewhere on the engine/case of all motorcycles?

[alantf]

I'm afraid Wikipedia appears to be wrong (so what's new?). In Europe, anyhow, the Intruder is the 250 V twin alternative to the Marauder (what you call the GZ) :)

[Viirin]

i was either going to get a marauder or intruder when i was first looking at bikes - think the intruder has slightly more horsepower but they're impossible to find

[Water Warrior 2]

The baby Intruder may make a slight bit more power but there is the economical side to think of too. 2x's the cost of some maintenance and repairs. Many more moving parts and the complications that can arise if things get worn out or fragged.