Re: [ST] Triumph Tuning

[Paul English <tallpaul@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 13 Sep 2006, Masiak, Richard wrote:

> I sent an email two days ago, but it appears it never made it thru.
>
> So I'll try again......
>
> I stopped at a local performance shop.  The guys are racers and although the do work for racers and squids, I asked what can be done to my engine (besides the expensive turbo) to beef up my HP.
>
> They told me the best bang for my buck is to put on a complete (but different from OEM) exhaust system.  Not just the Two Bros. slip on I have now (and tweek the EFI).  A different air filter, a 520 D.I.D. chain conversion using the 520ZVM2 and change the gearing sprockets to make less spinning mass to deliver more power to the wheel.
>
> For less than $1000 they claim that all that will give me a 10HP+ increase.  It will be like a totally different bike.
>
> This will probably generate as many opinions as an oil thread, but, any thoughts on what I'm being told?

Heck, you asked for opinions.. you got 'em. Like others have said, you 
might gain that 10hp on top and loose it in the middle. If you ride your 
bike on the street, yes it might be like a totally different bike... a 
worse one.

If you are regularly getting to the top of the engine's capabilities on
the street then you are spending a lot more than $1000 on speeding tickets
and crash damage and you should consider getting a dedicated track bike, a
part time job and spending all your spare time racing. Maybe give up on 
street riding all together.

Our bike has a nice fat mid-range which is perfect for the street, and if 
you are having trouble keeping up with other "sportier" bikes, try riding 
with some really experienced riders on clapped out low-powered beaters. 
Then you'll see that it isn't the bike so much that is making the difference.

$1000 would get you a pretty decent suspension - your choice of rear 
shock, and at least new springs on the front, more depending. That will 
improve your street ride a lot more than a tweak at the top, even if it 
didn't come with a loss in the middle.

Also for what it is worth, $1000 sounds a _little_ on the low side for all 
the mods they were proposing, particularly if you add in dyno time and the 
chip tuning you'll need to get it right. A full Akraprovic for a CBR954RR 
is $860. That doesn't include labor to install it. Note that Akraprovic 
doesn't make a full exhaust for _any_ Triumph, let alone the Sprint ST, 
and Akraprovic are pretty much "the big name." Nor does TBR.

They do have a gameboy right? Nope? Well back to your dealer then 
($80/try), or buy yourself a Tuneboy for $everal more hundred, and hope
you can find a good tune for it, or else they or you will be spending
many more man-hours tuning it. Oh wait.. that'll cost more money too!

So obviously my _opinion_ is that money spent on tweaking performance on 
street bikes is money wasted. You want more performance - get yourself a 
different bike, and sell your current one. You'll do much better in the 
end.

Same goes for "saving weight." Best way to do that is go on a diet.

Cosmetic changes.. go nuts.. that's in the eye of the owner. Cosmetic 
changes can include a slip-on since that changes the looks and sound of 
the bike (and may or may not increase your performance by a non-noticable 
hp or two in part of the range).

I have to tell one on myself though.. the Tuneboy appeals to me not for 
performance per-se, but just the sheer nerd factor of using a computer to 
fiddle around with my EFI. I'd consider that a "hobby" expense rather than 
something I do for performance really.



_______________________________________________
Triumph Sprint ST/RS mailing list
Send list posts to ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Change your list options at www.Triumphnet.com