MarkRyan:
I can't agree more. And this thread started out with the greatest of intents. I'm probally $200 away from having the setup necessary to prove my point. We'll see how quickly that materializes. My original goal was to just get 50mph and good fuel mileage from my 'ped. Looks like I need to go a little further ;-)
JohnW:
How many of you have tachs on your bikes? Do you really know you're turning 12,000 rpm?
I don't think top speed numbers are very good. I could easily be doing 50mph on the equipment I have on hand. What i'm trying to get at, that nobody has really gotten at, is building a good package. Everyone who builds for speed, builds JUST for top speed.
People don't seem to be concerned with how the power is delivered. That's why I started the dyno thread. ;-) Still... nobody has taken their bike to a dyno to get real numbers.
I _will_ be getting real numbers. I _will_ bring some real documentation to the table here. This isn't the first time I've had to do this........
As for "real results." I have them. They're just not building up a puch, or a peugeot.
Taking the time and working out what was wrong with the stock jetting, I took my 1983 GS550ES from 115mph top speed to 122mph. And I still get 46mpg. (down from the 55 it's supposed to get, but some sacrifices need to be made for power) There's a hole in the midrange fueling that lets me get that 46mpg.
I relieved the crankcase, and fitted a 673cc top end to my 1980 GS550E. Also, in a move to make the bike less sensitive to jetting I used the carburetor slide springs from a 1983 GS650. I also built my own airbox/oiled air filter. Running completely open carbs leads to wacky carburetor issues, and the big foam panel makes sure they see clean air. With that rig the bike would do roughly 130mph. But that's just the motor.
The real magic was worked on the suspension. I rebuilt the forks, and took out the helper springs. In their place I put spacers and set the front sag properly. In the back I have a set of KYB's off a ZRX1200. Which are in the correct ballpark with both spring and damping rates. The forks are slid up as far as they go, and the rear shocks are about 2" longer than stock. To say the least the bike figured out what the word "handling" means.
I also changed out the single front disk, for dual front disks, and went to a larger piston master cylinder. The larger piston provides more feel. The dual disks provide more braking force. And they don't fade like the single disk unit would.
There have been other projects too. Those are just the two I still own.
Davey:
Parts are coming. Power will happen.