High Performance Parts: What's Best for Your Engine?

on the type of muffler you get, you may also get a smoother ride or that loud growl riders love. Mufflers are great performance parts because they expel exhaust faster and in better ways than stock mufflers. The expansion chamber, for example, is shaped so that exhaust will travel in a circular motion within the barrel so it can come out smoothly, giving your ride a much smoother feel. Other mufflers, like the short shot and long shot muffler, have no baffle or exhaust cap, so there is nothing hindering exhaust from coming out, giving you a boost of power and sound. There is a muffler for everyone: for people who want a smoother ride and for those who're looking for a faster ride. Performance mufflers are the one thing your engine needs when you want a quick way to get more power. Heads High performance heads give your bike a great look, more power, and more longevity of your motor. Most performance heads have deep heat syncs: fins that allow the area of the head faster than solid heads. A cooler head means cooler cylinder components, like the piston and crank arm. As well all know, the one thing that will take down an engine is heat, and with a high performance head you lower the risk of overheating those parts. High performance heads are also known as "compression" heads because of their ability to increase the compression of your cylinder. More compression means more power. Also, when you use a performance head the piston dome is often lower than a stock head's to set the piston closer to the spark plug. This is to give you a better, more consistent spark. Not only that, but you'll have the ability to push out more exhaust from your cylinder. Like all performance parts, a high performance head gasket is encouraged to keep from losing compression. With high compression heads, you may want to consider adding a high performance muffler to your kit. Because of the compression adjustment, you're going to have more exhaust coming from your engine, and with a stock muffler you may blow the cap and baffle off if there's too much compression. Remember: the more power you generate, the more exhaust it'll create. You've got to make sure you're not overloading your muffler, otherwise, you can blow it off the engine. Carburetors Carburetors: the backbone of any engine. Without a carburetor, your engine cannot run. This is where air and fuel are mixed and sent to the cylinder for combustion, and with performance carburetors, you're going to get a lot more fuel and air coming into your cylinder than with a stock one. High performance carburetors often have larger jets than stock carburetors- this allows for fuel to come in to and travel out from the carburetor. They also have bigger manifold ports to allow more air to come into the carburetor, and better ways of mixing your fuel to give you a big jump in power. These carburetors are made to give you better acceleration and more top speed, and while you may not need to upgrade your manifold gasket, you may want to consider upgrading your manifold to a billet style manifold to sit your carburetor closer to the engine, or an offset manifold to set your carburetor further away from the motor for better fitting. You can also try a reed valve, which is like a manifold that cools itself to give you a smoother ride. When installing an engine. you may want to consider pairing your high performance carburetor with a high performance muffler. For all that fuel and air there will be lots of exhaust, and if you have a stock muffler the exhaust may back up into your cylinder, which can lead to gunk in your engine and blown gaskets. Axle Components Performance isn't just in the engine. Performance is also found on the bike, specifically in the axle and cranks of the bike. Consider the Jackshaft, for example. Jackshafts allow the rider to use gears on a cassette (multi-speed) bike with their engine instead of the single large sprocket provided stock with the engine kit. Riders love using jackshafts because of their ability to "shift" while riding, i.e. vary speeds in the way a clutch would with a transmission. These are great for riders who know how to shift on bikes and want full control over their ride. These have been said to increase top speed and longevity of the bike by limiting how fast you can go per gear. High performance doesn't always mean fast, though. High performance can also mean "better performing," like heavy-duty axle kits. These kits come with a bicycle hub, drum brake assembly, rear sprocket that attaches directly to the hub. Instead of those old, rubber grommets that can misalign your rear sprocket, these kits will keep your sprocket tight to the wheel. They also have drum brakes on them, which outperform standard caliper bike brakes by miles. Remember that with any performance part installed you're going to want to adjust your carburetor's idle and air/intake adjustments. High performance parts are what will take your regular bike engine kit and turn it into a moped, and if you know what performance parts you're working with, your bike will be unstoppable.