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Power increase on a stock bike

44K views 50 replies 17 participants last post by  Steve79 
#1 ·
What are some of the changes you can do to a stock bike to get a bit more output?

I heard from the guy who sold me the bike that a slightly richer mapping would benefit a pure stock bike.

Opinions?

Also, what are some other alterations you can do to get the most out of a stock machine?

I read some of you were *disabling your secondaries*

What does that mean? (excuse my ignorance)

Also, do other things, like an air filter change alter the output?

But I want to keep it stock, but when I take it in for my first dealer paid for oil change, I may let them remap it, and I may do some other minor things if it'll increase the power. (even though the power is amazing, as it is)

Thanks in advance.
 
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#2 ·
Best power gains are a full exhaust system (expensive - $1,000+), a race air filter ($50-$100), and then new custom fuel mapping (would need a power commander v $250-$300).

Those would be the most common and easiest upgrades with most increase in performance. Next, you'd be getting into much more mechanical and expensive upgrades (engine mods and so forth).

Good luck with the mods and ride safe! The z surely is a beast!
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#3 ·
Best power gains are a full exhaust system (expensive - $1,000+), a race air filter ($50-$100), and then new custom fuel mapping (would need a power commander v $250-$300).

Those would be the most common and easiest upgrades with most increase in performance. Next, you'd be getting into much more mechanical and expensive upgrades (engine mods and so forth).

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It's cheaper to buy a bigger bike :D
 
#5 ·
but when I take it in for my first dealer paid for oil change, I may let them remap it, and I may do some other minor things if it'll increase the power.
they wont remap it, well they will but you have to buy a power commander or bazzaz fuel controller, ruffly $300 for either one . then thats how you remap it. but its fairly easy to do yourself.. and either one of those comes with a base map for a slip on and filter. for further mods like full exhaust and modding the airbox or removing the secondaries.. then you need a dyno tune or a auto tuner to make a perfect map for the mods. as far as its cheaper to buy a bigger bike, not really. shop around. i will tell you full exhaust/secondaries removed/filter and a new map.. its a different bike!
 
#6 ·
A common misconception is that a "High Flow" filter actually gives you any power at all.

It doesn't.

A full exhaust system, PC and custom map will net you decent results, but don't expect any more than 10-15HP. The biggest gains are really smoothing out the throttle and power curve. It'll feel nicer and not quite as choppy from trailing throttle.
 
#10 · (Edited)
A full exhaust system, PC and custom map will net you decent results, but don't expect any more than 10-15HP.
full exhaust is usually right on the upper end of 15 alone, then filter , map , removing secondaries and modding the airbox gives another 3-5hp on top of that.. i see ivans is now doing the powercommander ignition module and tune which is a add on to the pcv, which is adding another 4-5hp on top of that even. so if you do every mod ivans recommend you will be pushing close to 25hp over stock..
 
#8 ·
what year is your bike zman? i put a +4 degree ignition advancer rotor on my bike. it was $106. shipped. made a very noticeable increase in power. only draw back is u have to run 93 or higher octane. alot of people have put a zx9 flywheel on their bikes. i bought a stock z1000 flywheel off ebay for $62. shipped. first had 4.25 mm machined off of it. then took it back & had another .75 mm machined off for a total of 5 mm off of the outside diameter of the flywheel. it cost $70. for the machine work. it is by far the best mod i have done to my bike, performance wise. it feels like my bike has another 15 or 20 hp. i know it actually didnt gain any hp but omg it accelerates sooo much faster now. it seems like a totally different bike now. i would recommend anybody with a first or second gen. z either getting their flywheel machined down or getting a zx9 flywheel. im not sure how thick the flywheels on the 3rd gens are.
 
#12 ·
i know clint. dont have the extra $300. to throw down right now. would like to find a dyno that posts good numbers lol. will be pissed if its like 119 or something.
 
#16 ·
On a stock bike you can run some petron formula 7 oil additive. Brocks sells it, its dyno proven for a few ponies. I did not believe it until I seen the power he made on a z from a diff weight oil and the additive he gained around six HP from those two alone,yes from just those two. Check out the video it on here under the brocks exhaust thread. He is an amazing tuner and knows how to get power out of bikes. The additive is thirty bucks,I like horsepower in a bottle by xr-1. They both treat the metal in a engine not the oil. They help to reduce heat and friction. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that less heat,less friction equals more power.

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#21 ·
2012 yes the lighter weight helps but the additive will add 2-3 on its own. Remember there conditioning the metal in the engine not the oil. I used some xr-1 additive when I had my bike dynoed however I do not know how much it added as I did exhaust filter and pcv at the same time. If you took that bike from the brocks testing put the stock oil weight back in it would still make more than it did with stock weight oil. The seals,bearings pistons crank etc have all been treated with the additive and it is permanent change. The stuff works great at reducing wear,heat and friction which in turn increases power. Now is it a huge diff no you probably could not tell a huge diff however I guarantee that if you did a dyno back to back with nothing but some additive it would make a few more ponies.

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#23 · (Edited)
The z's gearbox shares oil with the engine it is not independent. Petron formula 7 will not harm wet clutches or gearboxes, it is specifically made for motorcycles its not just a general engine use additive. It is not a friction modifier its a conditioner. Brock runs it in nearly every bike he tunes and last I checked most of his bikes run 8 second quarter miles all day and are ran very hard. It's perfectly safe and it does make more hp. It's one of those things that is hard to believe but just is. I have ran xr1 HP in a bottle in all my bikes for over ten years and these two are very similar.

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#27 · (Edited)
Generally remapping will not gain very much measurable HP. Maybe a HP, however a properly tuned bike will accelerate faster than when it was not. HP is not he only factor in speed. Take for example a roll on from 60 to 100 on a tuned bike will take less time than it would on the same untuned bike. I have learned this over the years of having my bikes tuned and built by my local tuner he is an amazing tuner. He had my sv1000 on the dyno with a slip on and timed some acceleration with and without mapping. Even though it did not change the hp much it took less time to accelerate with proper mapping.

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#31 ·
i switched to synthetic at 600 and i dont know if i just had bad luck or what but shortly after i had some slight leaking at the valve cover, which i did re tq down and seemed to solve the issue. but occasionally i would still get some slight seepage around certain areas of the VC , switched back to reg rotella T and its been dry as a bone since. i dunno my bike didnt take to well to the synthetic..lOL!
 
#33 ·
so i got the petron formula in the bike today.. followed the directions and dumped it in while the motor was warm then drove it to work , good 20miles ride, so got it good and worked in.. 1st impressions are the bike feels smoother , almost instantly.. 2ndly it does feel like the bike accelerates a touch faster, nothing huge but something noticeable is there.. maybe just in my head but runs/shifts smoother for sure if anything.
 
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