verslagen1 wrote on 07/04/15 at 08:40:48:chzeckmate wrote on 07/03/15 at 20:13:13:I wouldn't call adding a pod filter a "performance downgrade". All my experience says you will achieve a performance boost, provided that you rejet and adjust properly. There's definitely a corresponding horsepower increase going from the stock asthmatic set up to a high flow situation.
there you go. airbox allows for a wider set of operation... 1 set up fits all.
A race set up requires constant adjustment for the daily conditions, maybe even hourly.
Yes, that really sums it up nicely. From an engineering standpoint, it's a balancing act. They have to design a bike that will meet EPA standards, run properly in almost any environmental condition, and deliver it with a price point that consumers will deem a worthy value over competing manufacturers. To do this, there is absolutely no way to provide a product that delivers the maximum of its potential performance without passing the cost to the consumer and risking problems with the EPA. That's why people pay so much for Ducati, Aprilia, and the like.
As individuals we can modify our bikes as much or little as we would like to achieve the goals we're after (better mileage, more hp, taller gearing, or whatever) and determine our own budget and timeline for our projects and we don't have the EPA knocking on our garage doors. We
can improve the performance of our bikes, and high flow intake/exhaust/fuel
will do that. That shouldn't even be a question. The question, as you so succinctly pointed out is, do we want to do it and are the benefits of it worth the effort and maintenance involved? I think it's probably not, but not everyone is trying to achieve maximum performance potential. I don't think most people are comparing dyno results before and after modding. I think a lot of us do it for the enjoyment of customizing and working on our machines.
I will say that I have done high flow mods to some of my bikes in the past and the dyno results showed dramatic improvements, but those bikes were not big singles. I might also mention that even though my Aprilia showed huge improvements I couldn't feel the difference on the AF1 track. I think you might have to be riding at the professional level to really know how to make use of those kind of numbers.