The Suzuki v-strom is a very versatile machine. Suzuki wanted to produce a motorcycle that could do a little of everything well. The v-strom is similar to the BMW GS, Triumph tiger, and the other Dakar rally bikes. The emphasis of these bikes toward street riding, especially the DL 1000. The DL 650 is a little lighter and probably reasonable on trails but still oriented toward the street. The horsepower is 62 at 8500 RPM’s and 42 ft/lbs of torque at 7000 RPM’s.
Motorcycles like Honda, Harley, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and BMW are some of the main competitors in todays production motorcycles. Many motorcycles purchases are based on rider preferences like cruisers, choppers, sportbikes, off road dirt bikes, touring, sport touring, standard, naked bikes, and Dakar style adventure trailie motorbikes. All of these motorcycles have different levels of performance. Street bikes are usually v twin or inline four cylinder bikes that can make power from the teens to 180+ horsepower stock!
Exhausts systems for motorcycles can be very beneficial to the owner. Motorcycle exhaust systems can include the header, collector pipes and the muffler canister. Motorcycle exhaust systems can improve the sound, improve hp and torque, are lighter and many look much better than stock pipes. First is the header which has the duty of directly tuning the engine exhaust pulses. The diameter and length of the header pipes is very critical to keep the speed and volume of the exhaust correct. The headers continue until they reach the collector where multiple pipes will connect into the main tube running into the muffler. The diameter and volume are also critical for best power results. Many different styles of motorcycle exhausts exist for different types of bikes. Inline four cylinder bikes will generally use 4 into 1 (meaning four headers running into one collector pipe) and one muffler.
Any motorcycle, regardless of motor type, can benefit from some basic bolt on parts. Exhaust pipes are one of the most popular modifications. Whether for sound, looks, being lightweight, or just to gain horsepower, aftermarket exhaust systems have many benefits. Some systems are a full system from the header to the muffler and is more popular on cruisers. Sportbikes generally have well tuned headers and gain more performance from slip on exhaust systems. The factory slip-ons are heavy and have to pass sound tests to be quiet enough. Cruisers will upgrade carburetors and air filters to gain power. Sportbikes usually have tuned airboxes that are best left alone, and usually only upgrade to a k+n or uni style aftermarket air filter that flows more air. The carbs on sportbikes are usually as big as they need to be. Ignition advancers can also be used but generally offer little gains and require 93+ octane to be used always. Many bikes are also changing their gearing to drastically increase their acceleration.
When troubleshooting a motorcycle, first start with the basics. These simple tests can work for any small engine. All engines need three basic things to run fuel, spark and air. These simple things can cause your motorbike to not start up or run poorly. First start off with the fuel remove the hose off the tank and make sure the fuel is flowing properly. Some bikes will have to turn the fuel selector to prime, not on, or fuel will not flow. Take a flashlight and look down into the tank, is the fuel varnished or is there dirt in the tank? Older motorbikes had a problem with tanks rusting inside and would plug the screen up inside the tank. Fuel delivery may still be a problem but we will come back to that later. Next remove the spark plugs, you may need to remove the tank to reach them. Inspect every spark plug as you take them out. All the spark plugs should look the same. If a plug looks white colored, that cylinder may be (lean) and not getting enough fuel. If you have a plug that looks wet and black, that cylinder may getting too much fuel (rich) or not sparking good. Remove all the spark plugs and snap the plugs back into their wires. Set the spark plugs on the engine so that they can ground themselves.
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These are some of the hottest v-twin motorbikes available. The Honda RVT RC-51, Aprilia’s RSV 1000 R, Honda VTR 1000 superhawk, Suzuki SV 1000, Ducati 999, Buell 1200, and Suzuki v-strom DL 1000. The v-twin motorbikes are best known for their ability to carve corners. Although the top end horsepower is not as much as an inline four cylinder engine, the torque is far more and comes at a much lower rpm.
Motorcycle engines are the leading engine technology field in a production vehicle. Obviously F1 would be the ultimate leading edge, but you can’t buy that technology off a showroom floor with a warranty either. Today’s 600 cc motorcycles are producing over 100 horsepower. They can also cover a quarter mile in less than 10 seconds, stock! This was something reserved for only 900 cc + bikes from just a few years ago! So then you have to ask how these engines are making so much power?
