Varadero 125 noob mods

[bikernoobie]

Hi,

I have heard that it is possible to get small power gains (and noise increase?) from removing an airbox plug and fitting a k&n airfilter. How do I access this airbox plug (why is it there in the first place?) and remove it and how do I change the air filter. Will this have a effect on my mpg (positive or negative)?.

[Beehive Bedlam]

Just leave everything standard and she will serve you well.

[Teflon-Mike]

The plug is there, cos honda in their infinite wisdom, and after a couple of gazzillion computer modeling runs, on their million dollar super-computers, by highly paid, highly educated engineers... decided it should be.

IF, the thing would be SO much better without it... they wouldn't have fitted it.

As to the air-filter... if you have to ask how to change one... then you SURE as fuck shouldn't be trying to make performance altering modifications to your motorcycle.

As for power... power is rate of energy transfer... energy is coming from your petrol... so if you get any more power, you are going to use more petrol, aren't you?

Meanwhile; formula for power in an engine; Power = cylinder displacement x Cylinder Pressure x Engine revs.

Only way to get more power without reving the thing more highly, or boring the thing out, is to cram more 'charge' in the cylinder to make a bigger bang and get more pressure. This is not governed by the air-filter. all that does is stop grit getting into the engine.

So, leave the thing alone, enjoy the reliability and ecconomy the thing has as standard... cos, bottom line, is, its a 15bhp learner-legal. You could double that power, and it would still be a pretty slow bike. And very unlikely even a very serious program of considered tuning, probably including a turbo, would get that big a gain. so if you want more power than the thing has... buy a bigger bike, that has it as standard... and enjoy the reliability that comes with it.
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[biker_bob]

No such thing as free power. Improving the power will make the MPG worse normally.

Changing the air filter will probably make it more noisy as you'll get air box sucking noise added on to the normal noises. It will also, most likely, reduce the power and MPG.

An engine needs the right mixture of fuel and air to work at it's optimum. Increasing both will increase power (within limits), increasing just one will naff up the mixture and reduce power and MPG.

[Dave M]

[Teflon-Mike]

[Commuter_Tim]

[bikernoobie]

[ferrisio]

I'm interested to know what benefits you think you'll gain realistically, bearing in mind it's a 15bhp 125?

I've got a 125 myself whilst I save up for DAS and even though the temptation to mod/improve is almost unbearable, I know the best thing I can do is save the time/effort/expense to put towards making my future big bike 100%.

[biker_bob]

You've had enough comment about why you shouldn't do it by now I think.

I don't know your bike directly so the generic answer is...

The easy way to fit a K&N type filter is to remove the original air filter and box altogether and fit the new filter directly to the Carb. With the box etc. out of the way there should be plenty of room to fit what you like.

[andyscooter]

and if you stick an open air filter directly on the carb avoid riding in the rain as you will get water in the carb and break down
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[_Iain_]

Have you considered welding the sprocket on?
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Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[wr6133]

Unless the current airbox design is so bad it is enormously restrictive you won't gain by adding a cone filter. Also if you do you will need to rejet the carb, as has been said already the engine works on a mix of fuel/air so if you increase the amount of air you will need to increase the amount of fuel too with bigger jets. If you don't do that you will likely lose power as the bike will run way to lean.

Positioning of the filter also can be a bugger with cones, this photo is my old 250 with cones on

https://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh504/wr6133/LPIC4843_zpsa3463208.jpg

Now a bit of rain was all good but see how exposed they are? When we had that heavy rain and flooding earlier this year a number of times I was hitting large puddles, the things got wet and the bike would cough and splutter then stop. So if you ride all year in crap weather take that in to consideration. You can get protective cover type things for the cones but then you have basically created an airbox so what was the point in them initially.

The vara is the same engine as the 125 shadow? If it is I think there are bore kits out there to make it bigger displacement (170cc if I remember correctly) that would be the most realistic way to see a tangible power gain.

[map]

I'm in the leave it as standard camp.

I really don't know why people decide they know better, especially for 125s, after the manufacturer has designed a bike, taking into account all the variables and coming up with the compromise of handling, power, efficiency, comfort, mpg, etc. (it's all a compromise). See also Tef's post above.

No don't get me wrong. I applaud engineering modifications, turbos and the like. Except there you're really creating a new model not envisaged by the manufacturer. They're hardly little tweaks.

Then again some bikes benefit from certain mods like better brakes. e.g. guy who worked here put a Kawasaki (don't know which) front end on some Harley or other. Now that's an upgrade imo
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[Teflon-Mike]

[pdg]

Leave it alone, if you fuck with it then it'll sound shit, it'll be shit, it'll break and you'll look like a cunt.

[pdg]

[biker_bob]

[Quornholio]

[biker_bob]

Fair point Mk1GSF.
I'm not too sure why pdg would question it unless he really doesn't know, which is possible I suppose.

Personally I though this forum was to answer peoples questions, like bikernoobie's, rather than berate people for trying.

Poor old bikernoobie, who seems to be a youngster getting started out in the biking world, asks a simple question. In return he gets told he's a fool for trying. When his question IS answered directly the person answering it gets called a C**t, bikernoobie is told that the given answer is wrong and the person saying all this refuses to answer the original question.

I joined this group to have a question answered and it was answered nicely. I presumed it was a nice helpful group then get this when I try to help others and repay the debt.

[Teflon-Mike]

[Quornholio]

[Wonko The Sane]

Having looked into boring out, skimming and exhaust systems to make my varadero go faster instead of selling and getting something bigger (had passed my tests) I found out a couple of things;


The exhaust system has been designed to be a restrictor, the exhaust from the rear cylinder is much thinner than the front, no after market exhaust actually increases the performance as the manufacturers are all worried of putting a bike over the power limit and having it come back to bite them, after market exhausts might make it feel to rev a bit more or be louder but that's your lot


upping the compression was decided to be likely to be problematic on something that's meant to be my daily transport so idea abandoned.


altering air / fueling - the varadero revs nicely and smoothly through the rev range, being able to pull away in 2nd with only a slight bit of throttle and steady use of the clutch and my instructor didn't realise I'd not been using 1st to set off on the brake practice runs!

altering the air or fuelling you risk upsetting this happy little engine's well balanced and willing performance, possibly introducing flat spots in the rev range where the bike doesn't pull quite so well at points in the rev-range which isn't great on a 125.


so this leaves the gearing,

put a 1tooth smaller sprocket on and you'll accelerate faster to, say 50mph than you currently do but at the expense of top speed

put a 1 tooth larger sprocket on and you'll be a bit slower accelerating and be changing gear a bit later but you'll have a higher top speed.



with regards to bungs, plugs and blanking plates in the air box, my ZZR that I have now has 4 of them, it won't run properly without them in place - they are there so that you can get a screwdriver in at the right angle to remove the air box from the carbs.
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[pdg]

[pdg]