Motorcycle Performance

Hey there, how's it going? Welcome to the video. There are so many different types of motorcycles and even more different types of riders in t And whether you ride a sport bike chat, a cruiser boomer, or an adventure bike dad, we're all unified by one t Now it's not the love of the open road or the pursuit of acceptance from other males in our community, it's the desire to go faster. And for most motorcycles, whether it be conservative engine tunes or emissions restrictions, there's often quite a bit of juice left untapped deep wit And once you got your engine freed up and making a bit more power, there are even more modifications you can make so your bike handles better and lets you carve corners with confidence. You can be marginally faster than your friend with the same bike. Or you could eat a salad because it's cheaper than carbon fiber. But today we're talking about top five performance mods that actually work. No snake oil or folklore here just tried and true blueprints to procure all the potential heat energy without further ado, let's j The first mod that almost every rider does to their bike is install an aftermarket exhaust. The exhaust systems that come installed on a motorcycle from the factory are usually big, heavy and quiet, kind of And as a result, create a less free flowing engine. There are many mandatory standards in motorcycle exhaust system must meet in order to be produced and sold in different markets all over the world. These restrictions are in place not only to reduce emissions, but also to produce a sound that falls beneath a certain decibel level and improve fuel efficiency. These factors end up resulting in an engine that many riders describe as being corked up or robbed of potential power or having weird torque dips in the mid range kind of messes everyt The more restrictive exhaust systems reduce the amount of power an engine is able to produce by installing a less restrictive exhaust system. An engine has the potential to make more power. The most power gains will come from other additional modifications done in conjunction with an exhaust. You cannot just slap on a tomato can and expect 10 horsepower gains. But a clear and universal advantage to an aftermarket exhaust system, regardless of other mods, is the weight reduction that will come from doing away with the big bulky bread box that many modern exhaust systems utilize. That there's the catalytic converter. It's what crackheads sell for money. By freeing your bike of its bulky exhaust system, replacing it with an aftermarket performance system, you can see a very clear reduction in weight. As an example, an MT-09 with the full Yos 7 increase in horsepower and a 1. 6 increase in torque. And look, those aren't massive gains in of themselves. It is an awesome foundation on w As a full exhaust system will almost always necessitate an ECU tune in order to see maxim But even just the installation of a slip on exhaust that utilizes stock headers and mid-pipe can offer a little reduction in weight, a little improvement in sound, and the potential for a little bit more oomph from the engine. But an ECU tune, also known as a flash, is done to improve the air to fuel ratios in your bike. It is typically done alongside other performance modifications These changes can result in an increase in power, but there are many advantages to having your ECU flashed outside of just an increase in peak power. An ECU flash can improve the throttle response and smooth out your fueling across much of the rev range as well. It can also increase the torque across the rev range too. You'll feel that low down in the revs. If you've already installed a full system exhaust, an ECU flash is A fuel injected bike can do a decent job at compensating for a freer flowing exhaust, but it's really worth investing in a tune to ensure your air to fuel ratios are totally dialed in and make the most out of your new exhaust. Not only that, ECU flashes can also adjust for timing, open up secondary throttle blades faster, get the RPMs up further for the idle. You can do all kinds of stuff with an ECU flash. And there are multiple ways to going about having your ECU tuned. You could use a piggyback system You could send your ECU off to a tuning company to install the tune for you based on your modifications and desired outcome, or you can take your bike to a performance shop and have it dyno tuned for optimal results. A piggyback system is probably the easiest way to see fueling improvements alongside your exhaust modifications. A piggyback tuner plugs into your existing ECU and makes adjustments to your fueling table. With t Additionally, with a piggyback tuner, you can use the auto tune feature that collects data as you ride and makes improvements to the air to fuel ratios accordingly. But sending your ECU off to be tuned can provide a much more comprehensive tune beyond what's available from an off-the-shelf map. T Having your bike tuned on a dyno is a must for an engine with highly extensive modifications, I had it dyno tuned Did it work? Nah, it still blew up. If you want the most involved tune with the biggest chances of performance gains, a professional tune on a dyno is going to be the best bet. But I'm a big fan of just doing the good ol' ECU flash. It'super simple too. You just pop off the ECU, mail it to some guy in a back shed, and he s That's neat. A perfect example of a motorcycle that was completely transformed by an exhaust and an ECU flash is the Kawasaki ZX4RR. I had t From stock, t We actually had it dyno tuned, tapering off dramatically after 11,000 RPM. Literally flatlined, Look at the dyno chart. Ouch. After an exhaust install and an ECU flash, t W Even leader bikes with not Then there are of course super crazy motorcycle builds, two of w If you're a long time Yamineb viewer, you may have picked up on the fact that I'm a bit of a watch enthusiast. You can usually catch one on my wrist during the in-studio videos when I'm not decked out in riding gear. Since both watches and motorcycles are near and dear to me, Rec watches is a brand that's been on my radar for a long time, and I'm super stoked to announce that they are proud sponsors of today's video. Rec watches is an independent watch brand from Denmark that specializes in using materials from Their TTT series stands for Twist the Throttle and are made for The TTT Knievel, which is made from parts from Evil Knievel's final st Evil Knievel is of course a world-renowned motorcyclist and stuntman that transcended cultural arenas to become a household name. The Shark J The TTT Knievel wristwatch commemorates Knievel's legacy to using materials from the iconic Harley-Davidson XR750 that was used during the stunt. To be precise, the bike's handlebar levers have been reforged to form the star at the 12 o'clock on the watch. That's right, a piece of Evil Knievel's iconic last st The TTT Knievel watches are currently available and can be purchased with 25% off the preferential pricing using the code Yammy. If you're a watch collector Thanks so much to Rec watches for the support on today's video, I'm a huge fan and appreciative of the support. Once you've got your exhaust and fuel link taken care of, the next essential performance mod for your motorcycle is upgrading your suspension. Most motorcycle assaults today are sprung for a 170 pound rider, and if you live in America and have been to a Walmart recently, If you're lucky enough to be sized appropriately for your stock suspension, having it dialed in by a professional can make a world of difference in the way your motorcycle rides. When your suspension settings are not properly set up, you're going to notice a detrimental effect to your handling. Your bike's going to feel less sure footed in a corner and behave awkwardly under hard braking. To ensure your motorcycle's behaving optimally, your suspension to be dialed in and appropriately set to your size and riding style. If your motorcycle doesn't have adjustable suspension, then it probably isn't worth spending so much time and money upgrading it for performance outside of an upgraded spring, w Seriously, if you're tipping the scales at above You can tack in as much preload as you want, it's not going to help the problem, it's only going to mask it. You'reducing the overall travel of the spring and it's just not optimal. Even if your bike has premi If you intend on doing some more extreme types of riding, whether it be track riding or off-road, upgrading the suspension components entirely can provide a more optimal experience. Similarly, suspension components are commonly upgraded on motorcycles from Harley Davidson, because not un An important t You look at an example The fundamental geometry and chassis of the motorcycle was compromised. You could chuck on old lens on that mac So realize the bike you have and realize what you're working with before you decide to drop thousands and thousands of dollars on suspension, because suspension's primary job is to provide comfort to the rider, not necessarily to make the ride incredibly good handling. A modification that we can make that makes an incredible difference in your motorcycle's performance and handling is actually just installing good tires. We of course know the importance of tires. We know how important it is to making sure your tires are in good health, meaning that they have adequate tread life and are wit But how can performance be improved by switc T Riders often talk about how certain tire gives them more confidence in the ability to push harder. Upgraded tires often have a more advanced tread pattern and construction, w T And of course, with more grip, you can have more effective braking. As any track day rider or racer is going to tell you the faster you can stop, the faster you can ultimately go. Some motorcycle tires provide great grip and dry conditions, offer harder compounds for improved longevity, and some are designed for improved grip in wet conditions. But unfortunately, no one tire is going to excel in every category. That's why for most riders, sport touring tires are a more economical choice than super sport tires. They're well rounded, no pun intended, or maybe I did intend the pun. And they're multi-purpose, they're going to provide ample grip for street use, operate most effectively at normal temps, and it will last a whole lot longer than super sport tires. But that being said, if you're in it just for the performance gains and you want the best grip possible, a super sport tire might be what you're looking for. But bear in mind, they're going to have way shorter lifespans than a sport touring tire. More grip almost always means faster wear. The shape of your tire will also impact how it rides. A more steep tire will be more quick to tip into corners, but will also wear more quickly. For aggressive riding, the Pirelli Diavolo Rosso 4s are a great street tire for more spirited riders. For more casual use, the Michelin Pilot Road 6 is a great balance of grip on your longevity. No matter what type of lighting you're planning on doing, getting an upgraded set of rubber is a huge improvement over worn out tires of the C And the last modification you can make to improve your motorcycle's performance across the board is to reduce weight. Of course, reducing the weight of a motorcycle will increase your power to weight ratio, but reducing the unsprung weight of your bike can also have a noticeable impact on its handling. Less unsprung weight means that the suspension can respond more quickly to b T Reduced unsprung weight can also improve tire contact with the road, providing better traction and grip, especially during acceleration, braking and cornering. Later wheels and other unsprung components can allow the suspension to work more efficiently, providing better control and feedback to the rider. Some other ways you can reduce the weight of your motorcycles by replacing parts with aftermarket ones made of lightweight material. T You can spend thousands of dollars modifying your bike to shave off 10 or 15 pounds, when instead you can Similarly, and I wanted to save t For most motorcycles on the street, your performance is limited by your ability, not the motorcycles. Continued rider training can elevate your skills to the next level and make you faster on an existing bike. There's a reason why that guy in a stock Ninja 400 is passing you on the outside, and it's not because he has a C But at the same time, I understand that modifying a bike is more fun, and c But if you ultimately start seeing diminis And a quick pro tip to you at the end here, sprockets. They make a big difference. Look into them. Thanks for making it to the end of the video. How many of these mods have you managed to do? Let me know down in the comments how much more power you've squeezed out of your bike. Are you getting 300 wheel horsepower out of your H2? Be sure to subscribe if you enjoyed the video and check out Yamynube. co to sign up for our newsletter and consider becoming a member for exclusive content, automatic motorcycle giveaway entries, and supporting the show. Thanks so much for watc I'll see you all later. Fact, all mammals get gooseb Goodbye.