Engineer Reports?

[Large]

Hi all,

I've put a deposit on an '83 Katana 1100 that has an USD front end, single shock rear and an 1127 GSXR motor plus GSXR wheels and brakes. The frame is original...minus the rear footpeg hangers and now has bolt on rearsets.

It was registered with these mods up until a year ago...but they never got an engineers report.

So today I visit a couple of Blue Slip places who both reckon it will need an engineers report.

So I rang the engineer who checked a lhd car conversion for me 10 years ago for a few hundred $$... and he reckons it would need full brake test/noise test, plus something else I can't remember. This could cost up to $3000!!

The owner reckons he can get another blue slip and I'll be RTG but I'm not sure of the legal bit if I'm stopped by the cops or in an accident.

So my questions are, does anyone here bother with engineers reports when they're swapping suspension/wheels/brakes/motors?

Has anyone had a problem with the police hassling them over their mods?

Do you just go to a car inspection place and act dumb at pink slip time?

Cheers

Rich

[ozkat]

Hey Large, id be more concerned that the mods were done properly (which im sure they are) personaly i wouldnt be overly concerned about no engineers cert, but then again im not overly concerned about anything except my family.

[fimpBIKES]

what type of zorst has it got? standard polution gear on it?
thats if the new engine has any
im not 100% sure about this for bikes but in cars u generally have trouble if the engine is older than the original due to pollution etc

the bigger engine should be ok if its been done well,
the suspension would need a good looking at too

if the frame has been modded than the certificate is a must
otherwise all you insurance is useless

engineering cert guys tend to like it if you go see them before u do stuff,
but i guess that isnt possible here...
im assuming the gixxer brakes are better than the stock kat ones?

generally the bigger engine means u need better brakes

were the mods done by a shop? that would help u out a lot
also if you have any drawings or photos from the work?

where abouts do u live??

SHOW US PICSS!!
this sounds like one HOTTTT kat

[Large]

The work looks well done and the engine mounts are very neat etc. The Keihin Cr's apparently suck the fuel but...meh.

That's the NOS I was asking about yesterday

[Large]

quote:what type of zorst has it got? standard polution gear on it?
thats if the new engine has any
im not 100% sure about this for bikes but in cars u generally have trouble if the engine is older than the original due to pollution etc

I was told (by the engineer) that it would have to meet the noise/polution regs for the motor 89-90(?) GSXR

quote:the bigger engine should be ok if its been done well,
the suspension would need a good looking at too

I'd hate it if they made a big fuss over 50cc

quote:if the frame has been modded than the certificate is a must
otherwise all you insurance is useless

It hasn't been modified so much as having a useless bit removed...

quote:engineering cert guys tend to like it if you go see them before u do stuff,
but i guess that isnt possible here...
im assuming the gixxer brakes are better than the stock kat ones?

The engineer doesn't care if they're "better" (I don't think I'll be using him)

quote:generally the bigger engine means u need better brakes

Done!

quote:were the mods done by a shop? that would help u out a lot
also if you have any drawings or photos from the work?

Noit sure will check tomorrow

quote:where abouts do u live??

Hornsby (North of Sydney)

quote:SHOW US PICSS!!
this sounds like one HOTTTT kat

Done and Done!

[ozkat]

thats bloody nice

[Large]

Yeah I thought so.

I rang the guy about some GSXR bits he was selling for my other Katana project, and he mentioned he had one for sale.

So I guess the questions are...

Can anyone recommend an engineer in Sydney (preferably North)

What's the bottom line in costs?

Cheers

Rich

[chopaweeza]

Actual requirements vary from state to state. In Vic/NSW You will need a stock exhaust system, big mirrors/mudguards/blinkers, really good brakes, stock airbox(varies from engineer to engineer) and all the testing must be done at an RTA(or VicRoads) approved engineer with a motorcycle endorsement. Depending on who you get to do the testing figure $2500 plus for the engineers certificate & testing.Some will charge as much as $8000 and remember thats payable regardless if you pass or fail. Try and get an engineer that doesn't do stress testing or Xray testing as these really jack the price right up. I can recommend offlist someone good and not too pricey in NSW and can privately supply the name of a certain firm that will gouge you stupid & probably fail you regardless. As I don't want to be legalled I won't mention them on list. If you somehow get the bike blue slipped without an engineers certificate you can loose the bike permanently if it red flags on the RTA computers or a cop pulls you and knows bikes. Having had the former experience(I got out of it only because the bike had a stock motor back in it when they came around & I'd already booked it in to go over the pits at Penrith for the new engine)I would recommend you either put a stock motor in it or get the engineers certificate. Best of luck mate and I sincerely hope you can sort it out without too much grief.

[chopaweeza]

Right, there is someone close to you but for god sake don't use them.

[Large]

quote:Originally posted by chopaweeza

Right, there is someone close to you but for god sake don't use them.

I think I read about them in another thread

[Large]

quote:Originally posted by chopaweeza

Actual requirements vary from state to state. In Vic/NSW You will need a stock exhaust system, big mirrors/mudguards/blinkers, really good brakes, stock airbox(varies from engineer to engineer) and all the testing must be done at an RTA(or VicRoads) approved engineer with a motorcycle endorsement. Depending on who you get to do the testing figure $2500 plus for the engineers certificate & testing.Some will charge as much as $8000 and remember thats payable regardless if you pass or fail. Try and get an engineer that doesn't do stress testing or Xray testing as these really jack the price right up. I can recommend offlist someone good and not too pricey in NSW and can privately supply the name of a certain firm that will gouge you stupid & probably fail you regardless. As I don't want to be legalled I won't mention them on list. If you somehow get the bike blue slipped without an engineers certificate you can loose the bike permanently if it red flags on the RTA computers or a cop pulls you and knows bikes. Having had the former experience(I got out of it only because the bike had a stock motor back in it when they came around & I'd already booked it in to go over the pits at Penrith for the new engine)I would recommend you either put a stock motor in it or get the engineers certificate. Best of luck mate and I sincerely hope you can sort it out without too much grief.

I actually did a search before asking these questions and found your posts on frame building. I thought the stress/xray testing was for modified frames?. This ones stock, except for the removal of the passenger footpeg frame bit. All the added bits are from (basically) a later model of the same bike line....sort of lol

I've got an 1100GSX motor I could put in, but it needs some work first. I think it would be cheaper to leave it unregd and buy a fucking trailer...and tow bar

[chopaweeza]

Yes, they charged someone I know $8000 for testing and failled it on mirrors & warning lights(idiot lights). Cost the poor bastard more to get it re-checked but they could have told him right at the beginning before they got his hopes up. He later told me he felt like a gang of monkeys had arse raped him and was quite gutted. The bike was only worth $5000 registered so you can sort of see what he meant. Try looking around Camden. A full list of motorcycle certified engineers are on the RTA's website if you wade through their dodgy internal search engine.

[chopaweeza]

interpretations vary from engineer to engineer. If the stock frame has no modifications then they usually just check the way the engine is mounted-usually. Normally, if your mounts are thick and well constructed they are cool with them. Birdshit welds are a big no no as well. They may stress test the frame due to the increased power of the new engine and may xray the mounts for stress fractures anyway. It's really about picking a good engineer that will not be too interested in gouging you.

[Large]

Now I think of it, I guess the single shock setup is non standard...

Can't I just play dumb and say it was registered and like that when I bought it?

I can be good at acting dumb

[chopaweeza]

From past experience, once they have it logged as needing an engineers certificate it blows the whole"It was like it when I got it" defense out the window. You probably can get away with it due to the similar displacement but if you don't you can loose the bike. It's confusing as all hell but it's about to get worse. If you are going to do it then have it finalised before the end of June when apparently the Euro 06' regulations come into effect. We only have sketchy details about the new changes but none are any good.

[ozkat]

How can someone possibly justify charging/spending $8000 on an engineers report.

[chopaweeza]

Got me fucked Ozkat. The poor bastard had taken 3 years and who knows how much money to get it to that stage. It became such an issue at home when his wife found out that 18 months later they were still arguing over it daily. He sold the bike rather than go through anymore crap over it. They still fight over it occasionally and it's the sort of thing I could never have justified when I was married either. Now, when the Buildoff Gixxer gets Engineered I know who to use and am factoring in the requirements into the build. Thats why I have a stock exhaust and intake system.

[Large]

quote:Originally posted by chopaweeza

From past experience, once they have it logged as needing an engineers certificate it blows the whole"It was like it when I got it" defense out the window. You probably can get away with it due to the similar displacement but if you don't you can loose the bike. It's confusing as all hell but it's about to get worse. If you are going to do it then have it finalised before the end of June when apparently the Euro 06' regulations come into effect. We only have sketchy details about the new changes but none are any good.

I haven't actually shown the bike to anyone official yet, and the owner reckons he could get a blue slip and give that to me with the bike. Then I just get a green slip and voila!.

"I bought a bike with a valid inspection report...What more can I do?"

I'll pm you about recommended engineers.

quote:Originally posted by ozkat

How can someone possibly justify charging/spending $8000 on an engineers report

That sounds like they charge worse than fucking lawyers.

Maybe the govt is just trying to stop people modifying bikes....

I

[chopaweeza]

Ah, you aren't on the radar. Good. Then the ignorance defence works well. Just try to get it blue slipped first. You may have a reasonable defense in the displacement and the motors being an easy swap over. Just a thought. But, I would put a stock system on it before I did to give them less reason to look further or test further.

[Large]

Seems to me you could fit a 1600cc big block kit to the original motor and they wouldn't care, but if you fit a later, lighter motor with maybe 20 more hp they get all anorakky.

Quite frankly it's not worth spending any more than $1000 for an engineers report. Even that's getting up around 20% of the bikes value.

I wonder how much of the $2500 engineers fees goes in proffesional indemnity insurance....

All I want is a bike to take to the drags every month or so...