ZX9R Air Intake Water? bottle

Howdy, I just changed the front left rubber indicator mount on my 1998 ZX9R. It required the removal of the side fairing and also what appeared to be a water catchment bottle that connected to the left air intake. The water bottle did not seem to connect to anything else and I would love to know what it is for. Does anyone know?

Also is there an easy way to change the indicator mount. Is it best to take the whole front fairing off or just persist with working in the tight environment with the fairing still on the bike?

Thanks

It connects to the ram air tubes It should have a small tube coming out the top and bolts to the inside of the fairing. It seems to catch bugs and small stones that enter the ram tubes.

Also provides a source of much needed water when your stranded in the middle of the dessert after running out of fuel.

(it just stops water flowing through to your airbox un-necessarilly)

Hey,
I recently rebuilt my right hand side after-market indicator as my bike managed to fall over in the shed... not happy. Anywho, I persisted with the tight space as I couldn't be bothered going to the shop to buy some electrical crimps. If you have crimps just cut the indicator wires and crimp it so as then you can pull the fairing off and easily fit your new indicators. Would be much easier than mucking around in nill space. Hope this helps.

As laidback said the bottle is just to trap water, stones and other crap to stop it getting into the airbox. As for the indicators, regardless of whether you leave the fairings on or off to do the job, do yourself a favour and remove the steel plate that sits behind them - the rubber will hold the indicators in place even at great speed, and with the steel plate gone the chances of cracking your fairing around the indicator mount in a stationary drop go from very high to almost negligible - well worth the effort.

Thanks everyone. Great advice all round. Those nasty steel plates are gone for sure next time.

Just one further question. How do the water bottles drain, should I have emptied it?

There should be a small hole in the bottom - if it's clogged up (or non-existent, one of mine was) drill it out with a 2 or 3 mm drill bit.

^^ Earlier 'B' model had drain tubes/plugs which are SUPPOSED to be emptied each service. (2 each side)

Same principal though .

would there be any ill effects if you ditched these from a track bike?

would there be any ill effects if you ditched these from a track bike?

I have a ZX6 tracky and there gone. Holes have been sealed in the induction tube.