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The motorcycle experience is much more nuanced than driving a car. How your bike responds has a lot to do with body position, throttle control, and cornering.
However, if you want a faster ride, there are some simple things you can change to a stock bike to increase power and engine performance.
Let’s take a closer look at 6 of them …
1) Air Filters
[asa2_img img=”1″ size=”LargeImage” width=”500″ height=”500″ show_title=”yes” show_button=”yes” tpl=”Image_Layout_Polaroid” associate_id_set=”MBW”]B00062YO8G[/asa2_img]Increasing the air intake is one of the cheapest and easiest ways of increasing power. If you imagine the engine’s air filter like your lungs, it’s job is to block unwanted air particles from getting into the engine. The stock parts can be easily upgraded so cleaner air gets through, resulting in more combustion and therefore more power.
Using a mushroom head on the air intake can also increase overall intake by about half, greatly improving efficiency.
Perhaps the only downside is increased fuel consumption and therefore more money likely spent on fuel.
Note: Your bike’s carburetor may need adjusting to accommodate. Do this by taking note of the spark plug combustion color.
2) Modified Ignition
[asa2_img img=”1″ size=”LargeImage” width=”500″ height=”500″ show_title=”yes” show_button=”yes” tpl=”Image_Layout_Polaroid” associate_id_set=”MBW”]B07FCDTPGZ[/asa2_img]Modifying your ignition for a bigger control angle can give you a little kick, considering it’s the ignition that generates the energy to ignite the fuel and air in your bike’s engine cylinder. An NGK gold plated or platinum plated spark plug, in particular, will create stronger sparks due to the finer ignition needle.
You can also upgrade to a low resistance voltage cap and a carbon core ignition wire (like you might find in ATVs). This ensures good fuel supply at higher speeds.
3) Fuel Filters
[asa2_img img=”1″ size=”LargeImage” width=”500″ height=”229″ show_title=”yes” show_button=”yes” tpl=”Image_Layout_Polaroid” associate_id_set=”MBW”]B000E2AR70[/asa2_img]Fuel filters work by purifying the fuel before it hits the engine, allowing for more efficient combustion. Buying high-quality filters and regularly replacing them will keep the engine clean and maintain performance.
If you can afford to, you can also improve performance in this regard by using only premium gas, which comes with higher octane—which essentially means more combustible fuel per volume.
There’s a reason why professional racing bikes use different fuel than at the pumps. Think of it as the difference between eating a packet of Twinkies vs a chicken salad. They’re both fuel, but one is just more efficient.
4) Lighter Parts
While lighter parts won’t directly increase power, it will increase the power’s ability to speed the bike up because there’s less force to work against.
Typically, stock parts are made of steel for strength and durability (especially from heat), but aluminum and titanium parts can be purchased aftermarket which are lighter and in some cases stronger.
Purchasing and fitting, however, can be quite expensive. If you want to upgrade your bike but don’t have the cash up-front, you might consider a $500 payday loan or more from some of the reputable sites online.
5) Performance Exhaust
[asa2_img img=”1″ size=”LargeImage” width=”500″ height=”500″ show_title=”yes” show_button=”yes” tpl=”Image_Layout_Polaroid” associate_id_set=”MBW”]B07F1N5CWK[/asa2_img]If you have the funds, a custom exhaust will certainly increase horsepower by allowing more air intake and less restriction of the gases. It will also look and sound much better!
If you don’t want to go for the full replacement, you can replace the muffler and use a slip on, which will still increase power at the lower end and is a good way to give an initial boost when you ride off.
A full replacement is the best overall option, but it has to be a system manufactured specifically for your bike and one that doesn’t throw its overall performance and safety out of whack.
6) Chip Remapping
Most bikes have an engine control unit (ECU), which is a small computer chip that controls (and in a lot of cases limits) the various functions of the bike’s parts, as well as the electricals and gauges.
This can be remapped to provide more power and better performance, but there’s usually a knock-on effect (such as increased heat, more fuel usage, and shorter overall lifespan). There are also upper limitations based on the parts themselves.
You can, of course, remap in a detrimental way, so make sure the person doing it is an expert.
These are just some of the ways you can increase the power and speed of your motorbike. Got any other tips? Let us know in the comments below!