“Motorcycles are weapons” even this quote is an understatement; they are much more than that. If you would think about what a bike is, I am pretty sure you will be baffled at how an engine between your legs (pun intended) and two wheels spinning at 150 km/hr. can make you feel come alive and offer the most addictive experience a human can acquire. Such is the might of motorbikes, but with great power comes great responsibility so it only makes sense that the person riding such a machine is well trained to handle it and can ensure his safety as well as the safety of others while doing so. That’s the reason why we have a driving license but with the coming of high-performance motorcycles in the Indian market, the need for a better system has arisen which can ensure that the person buying such a powerful bike is, in fact, capable of handling it. This system already exists in Europe where performance bikes have been around for a long time and the Motorcycle Throttle Restrictor is a device mostly used in those places only. So what is it? What does it do? Let’s answer all these questions one by one.
What is a Motorcycle Throttle Restrictor?
In Europe, if you’re a petrol-head, who is all about motorcycles but has no past experience with them and is looking to buy a Triumph Daytona 675 R as his first bike and ride the hell out of it, then I am afraid that you can’t. Sure you can go ahead and buy one and keep it in your living room for viewing pleasure and sure it will be a lot better to watch every day than that stupid television, but that’s all you can do with it. Because countries under European Union follow A license category, which makes sure that if you wish to ride two-wheeled vehicles then you must start from a low powered machine, probably a 50cc and then work your way up to the litre class.So what to do with that 675 R you replaced your TV with? The answer is Motorcycle throttle Restrictor. After a rider has worked his way up to A2 license, whose requirement is 2 years under A1 license and 18 years of age, then the rider can use a machine whose power output is limited to 46 HP, this is where the Motorcycle Throttle Restrictor comes into play. This device can restrict your bike's power up to a limited amount so you can legally ride your 600cc motorcycle using an A2 license. When you turn 20 and acquire an 'A' license then you can just take it out of the bike and enjoy full power. Pretty easy right?
What does it do?
A Throttle Restrictor limits the available power at the back wheel of your motorcycle and it does so by a number of different methods. The main method i.e. throttle restriction is seen on Fuel injected bikes and it is becoming popular as all the new bikes nowadays are Fuel injected. Many manufacturers offer aftermarket restrictor kits which contains a restrictor device. This device is attached to the side of the injection pump and restricts the throttle cam from opening fully.There are other methods of restricting power also, namely-
ECU Restriction:
This option is the most modern one and is available on almost all upcoming bikes. The throttle is restricted in this case by capping the maximum power available on any high-performance bike to 33BHP. A proper manufacturing kit is used in this process. The ECU controls various aspects of the engine and fuel delivery ultimately bringing the power down.
Carburetor Restriction:
This method involves hard mechanical changes, consisting of tubes, pins etc. These limit the amount of travel of the slides. In many cases, carburetor top is removed and a restriction tube is placed. In some cases, the slides will be severely restricted.
This option is the most modern one and is available on almost all upcoming bikes. The throttle is restricted in this case by capping the maximum power available on any high-performance bike to 33BHP. A proper manufacturing kit is used in this process. The ECU controls various aspects of the engine and fuel delivery ultimately bringing the power down.
Carburetor Restriction:
This method involves hard mechanical changes, consisting of tubes, pins etc. These limit the amount of travel of the slides. In many cases, carburetor top is removed and a restriction tube is placed. In some cases, the slides will be severely restricted.
Final thoughts:
Of all the above-mentioned methods of power restriction on a motorcycle, ECU and Throttle Restriction are the most efficient ones as they don’t require changing a lot of mechanical components of the bike and one can simply gain back the original power of the bike just by removing them.
This system is reliable and efficient and there are absolutely no two thoughts about that. It ensures that the person buying a particular motorcycle is an experienced rider and a great reliance can be placed on his riding skills in the open world conditions. The current system of issuing one driving license to ride/drive all performance vehicle seems like an overkill and high level of corruption is also deeply rooted within Government offices is also a matter of concern as these people are eventually going to drive/ride on streets and will be responsible for pedestrian lives. But what remains to be seen is when India will adopt these strict laws or if? For everything related to Motorcycles stay tuned to BikesMedia.
By: Yetnesh Dubey