Top Tips: How to Increase Your Bike’s Power
Increase your motorbike’s power significantly is no easy task without spending big bucks. However, there are a few tricks and modifications you can do to your ride to improve performance, handling and get a little bit more power, even more than adding a go-fast stripe with professional motorcycle paint. If you expect a huge difference in speed and power after these tips, then you will be disappointed, but they will definitely make a change to your ride.
There is a slight difference in making your bike faster and making your bike accelerate faster. For example, if you are riding a 600cc sports bike, you will not be able to improve its top end speed without spending a serious amount of money. In which case, it is recommended you simply upgrade to a bigger and faster ride. However, if you want to reach the factory spec top end faster, then there are a few things you can do. Remember, these tips are for those on a budget and only slightly improve power. They will not turn your bike into a rocket.
Air Filters
One of the cheapest ways to increase the power of your ride is by increasing the air intake. The air filter on a bike is like lungs on a human, their job is to block unwanted air from getting into the engine. It is simple to upgrade stock parts so cleaner air gets through, giving better combustion and therefore, more power.
Using a mushroom head air filter can increase the overall intake by around 50%, thus improving efficiency significantly. There is one downside to improving air take though: increased fuel consumption. You will improve performance but potentially have to spend more on fuel. You may also need to adjust the carburetor to accommodate the new amount of air intake. To do this you take into consideration the spark plugs combustion color.
Modified Ignition
A modified ignition with a bigger control angle can give an extra kick of power, as it is the ignition that generates the energy to ignite the fuel compressed in your bike’s engine. Better spark plugs will create stronger sparks, therefor, a bigger explosion in the cylinder.
You may also consider upgrading to a low resistance voltage cap and a carbon core ignition wire. These will ensure a good fuel supply at higher speeds.
Fuel Filters
The job of a fuel filter is to purify the fuel before it enters the engine, making a cleaner and more efficient combustion. Using high-quality filter and replacing them regularly will maintain the performance of your engine and improve its longevity by keeping the engine clean. If you can afford it, you may also consider using premium fuel. This contains higher octane – which means bigger explosions of fuel per volume.
There is a reason why professional racing bikes run on a different fuel than those you find at your local pump. Think of it as eating a candy bar compared to a chicken fillet, they will both fuel your body, but one will do it more efficiently.
Lighter Parts
Stripping weight of your bike and using lighter parts will not automatically increase your bike’s power. However, it increases your bike’s power to weight ratio, which is how fast your bike gets to its top end speed. Less weight to drag, the quicker it will reach top speed. Most bikes come with steel parts for strength and durability, but aftermarket parts made from aluminum and titanium are lighter, and in many cases stronger.
These parts might be expensive to purchase and fit. Don’t blow your budget, remember to take time to save for parts you want and prioritize which components you want to change first.
Performance Exhaust
Let’s start this section of by saying: slip on exhaust tips do nothing to improve performance, just the sound of your bike. If you have a larger budget and really want to improve your bike, the best place to start tends to be a racing or performance exhaust system. What a new system does is allow more air intake and less gas restriction, equaling higher horsepower. It also improves the look and sound of your ride.
Remember to buy systems specifically designed for your bike and that don’t throw overall performance and safety out of the window.
Remapping
Most modern-day motorcycles have an engine control unit or ECU, a small computer chip that controls the different functions of the bike. But in this control, it also limits the bike in certain aspects. However, they can be remapped to provide more power and increased performance. It is important to add that there are normally consequences to remapping: higher temperatures, worse fuel efficiency, and a shorter lifespan of the bike. There are also limitations on the parts themselves.
You may commit the mistake of remapping in a detrimental way, so make sure a professional person does this for you. It may cost a bit extra, but it is worth the extra money for it to be done right.
Conclusion
There are many ways to improve the performance of your ride, but most of them cost a pretty penny. This list isn’t a complete list, by far, although it does include some of the cheapest and easiest ways to improve your bike’s overall performance. While there may be some drawbacks with some, such as fuel efficiency, they are small sacrifices to pay for a faster machine. And if you are going to improve how your bike sounds, handles and performs, why not improve how it looks too?
Use professional motorcycle paint to give your treasured possession a new look, especially with summer and good weather just around the corner. Have fun out there but remember to always ride safe!