Hi, I'm a French girl, so sorry I don't speak very well English.

I 've found a person who realised background custom counters on motos; so I asked her what I wanted and she realised my background (in France we have water temperature instead of gas gauge)
The result is very nice comparated to tho OEM background::)

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/6431/s4023670.th.jpg (http://img12.imageshack.us/my.php?image=s4023670.jpg)

And in the dark (with white leds instead of bulbs):

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/830/s4023667.th.jpg (http://img25.imageshack.us/my.php?image=s4023667.jpg)

If you are interested, this person has a website but it's in french:
http://www.yodesign.fr/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=51&Itemid=1

Neat! How hard is it to install? Do the front of the gauges remove easily?

Welcome to the site!

It isn't very hard to install but it's long because it's necassary to remove the fairings to have access to nuts.

I did a DIY on ninja french forum, pictures can help you to understand:
http://www.ninja250r.fr/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=800

Merci beaucoup! I love the slogan at the top of that French forum:

"Le forum de la petite Kawasaki" :thumbup:

Very nice!

Don't seem to really like the 'petite' part...

Also, WELCOME!

Aloha and Welcome to the forum, this is really getting an international flavor now.

nb

If it makes you feel any better none of us speak English well either. C'est la vie...

Welcome to the forums. You have a beautiful country with wonderful people. I hope to visit again someday.

Those are nice.

I found this place a while ago.

http://www.speedhut.com/

They do similar things, but need someone to send them a gauge cluster to use for prototyping. You won't get it back so it doesn't make sense unless you have a broken cluster from a wreck or something. In exchange you get a free set of overlays once they reach the necessary 25 preorders to start production.

Seems like your friend was much easier to deal with.


On a side note, I wish we had the temp gauge instead of the gas gauge. :(

Welcome to the forums. You have a beautiful country with wonderful people. I hope to visit again someday.
Yes. Morehover I've the chance to live in the campaign with fun roads. :rolleyes:

Seems like your friend was much easier to deal with.


On a side note, I wish we had the temp gauge instead of the gas gauge. :(

Yes, with her I just scaned the OEM backgound and send by email, then she edit on computer and make the new background.

And in effect I think a temp gauge is more useful than gas gauge!

Interesting.... it looks like your "red line" is a lot lower than ours! Is that on all the FI models?

And in effect I think a temp gauge is more useful than gas gauge!

I don't think anyone will fight you on this. I would much rather use my trip meter and have a reserve tank.

And welcome to the forums!

Interesting.... it looks like your "red line" is a lot lower than ours! Is that on all the FI models?

Good eye, I didn't notice that. Maybe its just the custom color?? :confused:

redline on FI bikes are 11k.

I assume then their powerbands kick in a little lower (stock vs. stock)?

:confused20:

Gregulars Pic shows the same 13,thou as ours...

interesting... I got my specs off the euro kawasaki specs page.

AFAIK the euro specs say that max power is at 11K rpm, but they don't list a redline.

here's a link (http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/product.asp?Id=340E46FDDDF&Sub=4) to the specs on the UK site...

Since there are zero changes to the valvetrain, or the bore/stroke dimensions, I'd be surprised if the redline was much different, if at all different, than the carbed versions. :idunno:

What's interesting to me is that the US Specs page (http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/product-specifications.aspx?scid=6&id=359) doesn't even list rated horsepower for the carbed version, just the max torque.

welcome to the forum! i was staring at the graphic on the speedometer. i couldn't figure out what it is... that is a pic of the ninja! i thought it was roses or something at first. lol.

My red line begins at 13 000, the pictures don't reflect very well the colours.
I wanted a gradient of colour so before the red line it's more orange than red, like on this picture:
http://www.yodesign.fr/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/3f3faa0bcb11dfde13757b8a9d08a712.png

redline on FI bikes are 11k.

11k? :D

its not :P its at 13K

What's interesting to me is that the US Specs page (http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/product-specifications.aspx?scid=6&id=359) doesn't even list rated horsepower for the carbed version, just the max torque.
According the service manual for the US bikes, max HP happens at 11K also.

But does the service manual say what the rated hp is? (not just what revs it peaks at, but the actual rating)

EDIT: It does, page 1-8. 23.4 kW (31.8 PS) at 11K rpm. Curiously, it doesn't list a redline in the engine specs. So at least from a rating perspective, the carbed is very slightly less powerful than the FI version. (33 PS compared to 31.8 PS). 1 PS = .9863201 HP, so it's really 32.5 hp on the FI, and 31.4 on the carbed, which works out to about 25 or 26 hp at the rear wheel for both of them.

OK, I see.... the bar is filled in at 13K, so the colors do make it a little deceptive if you aren't used to it.

Hi Snoopy07,
welcome and gauges look great. Thanks for the link to your DIY!

But does the service manual say what the rated hp is? (not just what revs it peaks at, but the actual rating)

EDIT: It does, page 1-8. 23.4 kW (31.8 PS) at 11K rpm. Curiously, it doesn't list a redline in the engine specs. So at least from a rating perspective, the carbed is very slightly less powerful than the FI version. (33 PS compared to 31.8 PS). 1 PS = .9863201 HP, so it's really 32.5 hp on the FI, and 31.4 on the carbed, which works out to about 25 or 26 hp at the rear wheel for both of them.
Well, I thought on the contrary that the FI was less powerful than the carbed :p

Other thing: on FI we have an automatic starter

OK, I see.... the bar is filled in at 13K, so the colors do make it a little deceptive if you aren't used to it.
Ok, but it doesn't incommode me, it's a bit like a shiftlight which say to pass the rate :D


Hi Snoopy07,
welcome and gauges look great. Thanks for the link to your DIY!
Hi, you're welcome! ;)

Other thing: on FI we have an automatic starter




Yeah, it kinda sucks having to kick-start the US version.

Snoopy, We have an automatic starter on our Carb models here also. Very handy!
also, I messaged you a question. check your mail.

Yeah, it kinda sucks having to kick-start the US version.

lol... let's see you say that in French. :D

Give the kid a break... I assumed she meant the FI bikes have an auto choke system at start up as opposed to our manual choke for the carbs. :)

LOL - actually I had no idea what she was talking about, assumed it was probably something real, but it was just too easy to let go (and I assumed someone would clarify, so thank you)..... it's been storming for a week and aparently I get in a bad mood when I can't ride, I'm not used to not riding. And to think I have only been riding since last June (I must have been a real jerk before then). :)

lol... motorcycle PMS? :argue:

I like that the forum is starting to attract people from other countries and I think we should be a bit more understanding of the barrier they face in trying to explain things in a second language. Check out her DIY that she did on their 250 board. She did an excellent job on it. :thumbup:

Well, sorry I thought that the word was the same that in french.
I talk about this on the picture, I don't know the word.

We don't have it, FI adjusts the motor regime when the motor is cold!

We call that the choke lever but it's real name is Starter choke lever. So you were correct.

:thumbup: We can get easily confused here... I thought you meant kick starter also.
KKim knew what you meant.

Snoopy - You're exactly right, the FI bikes don't have (or need) one of those; the ECU takes care of cold starts without need for a manual enrichener.

Bonjour Emmanuelle! Bienvenue a ninjett.org! Ok, I've mostly exhausted my supply of French, but it's great to have you here - and merci beaucoup for sharing your pictures!