The performance of a bike depends on hundreds of factors but majorly a few out of them are responsible for the everyday stress that we can face with our vehicles. A regularly-serviced and well-maintained motorcycle can be a good choice for most of the riders but some are in need of a few extra horses out of their two-wheeled companion. Here are 5 quick ways that can help you improve the performance and top speed of your motorcycle.
5 Ways to Increase the Top Speed of Your Bike
1) Weight Loss – More weight means a lag in performance and this is one of the major factors that keeps your bike’s speed and mileage on the lower side. A lighter rider could win a race from a heavier one when both are riding the same motorcycle as less power is wasted in pulling the excess weight. Getting rid of heavier parts that are not usable for you can help your bike perform better on the road.
A lighter exhaust system and the use of alloy wheels in place of spoke wheels can drastically improve the performance of your bike. Getting rid of the centre stand, saree guard, metal grab rails, leg guard, and a few other components can also save more than 5-6 kgs in the first attempt. If you ride solo, the frame-suspended rear footpegs can also be removed.
2) Air Filter – A performance-spec air filter is one of the best ways to boost the performance of your motorcycle as it is even the most inexpensive component that helps the engine get more air and burn some extra fuel to produce more power. The aftermarket components are even better in terms of filtration, helping the engine stay healthy and perfectly working. However, this modification requires a few other parallel tunings.
3) Carburettor Tuning & ECU Mapping – Carburettor-fed bikes are easier and convenient to tune as setting up a perfect mixture helps the bike perform in the most smooth possible manner. Not just that, pre-tuned performance carburettors are also available in the market. This works best when combined with a performance air filter and exhaust system. Some modifiers even go for high-performance engine parts but that is not possible on the engines of entry-level basic motorcycles.
ECUs are used in bikes that are electrically more sound and are equipped with features like fuel injection, ride-by-wire etc. The controller unit can be programmed through a laptop and it acts in the same way as technicians perform carburettor tuning on older bikes. It takes more precision and even costs more than carburettor tuning.
4) Performance Exhaust – Apart from bringing down the amount of weight a stock silencer carries, performance exhausts help the engine push out the gases at a faster rate. This, in turn, means the motorcycle can now burn more fuel and get rid of the gases in an easy manner, helping it work overtime and that too by causing lesser stress on itself. The performance exhausts even provide aural pleasure through different sounds at different speeds.
5) Gearing – A motorcycle can be made quicker or much faster by making changes in the gearing of the same. The right combination of front and rear sprocket can help you get the best combination of acceleration and top speed. Changing the number of teeth makes all the difference.
When seen precisely, the bigger rear sprocket or smaller front sprocket will result in more acceleration while doing the opposite will make the motorcycle more focused towards top speed. This does not improve the power output but only changes the way power will be used while riding.
General Tips to Improve the Performance of Your Bike
Lubricating your bike’s chain properly and keeping the air pressure right in your tyres will even help you get the maximum benefit out of your motorcycle’s altered parts. When top speed and instant acceleration are left on the other side, a few other factors also enhance the performance of a motorcycle.
The use of an adjustable suspension helps tune the same in such a way that motorcycle could be used both for road and track purposes. A set of tyres with a better level of traction can offer you more speeds at corners and even bring more safety to the rider. The same happens with performance braking systems.
