Thoughts *Updated every morning at 8:00!
I get told this once in a while…
“Thank you so much. It’s running so much better now! You must have done something, right?”
Huh… well, this time…
“I just pumped up the tires and charged the battery.”
Well! I did give it a light once-over. *Checked the tire pressure and charged it…
The engine runs completely different!
Hmm…
A huge portion of motorcycle performance comes down to feel and perception.
Take aftermarket exhaust systems, for example. *Not all of them, mind you.
“Low-end torque dropped, but the mid-range punch got sharper” or “the high-end power delivery is totally different.”
Sometimes it’s just that the low-end got thin. Haven’t you ever ridden a completely stock bike again and been surprised all over again by how good the original is?
To gain something, you have to give up something else.
That might be money, or it might be a shorter maintenance cycle.
Sharp-edged forced-induction carburetors have way more seals than standard vacuum carbs, and since you run them without an air cleaner box, the maintenance interval gets shorter.
I’m getting off track here…
Without being able to swap parts before and after, it’s really hard to judge accurately.
That’s especially true for consumables like engine oil and spark plugs.
You replace engine oil after it’s degraded, so fresh oil naturally runs better. Same with plugs.
And with liquid products like engine oil and additives, we can only trust the packaging and where we buy it. We can’t analyze the composition before we swap it in.
When you think about how people are involved in everything, you can’t just trust it all blindly.
If you get too finicky about everything, you start wondering if it’s even real… what’s the angle? Corporate interests? Bias? It’s hard to judge anything from a neutral standpoint.
Since everyone’s senses are different, I think it’s important to listen to others’ opinions but also trust your own values. (‘ω’)ノ
