honda xl 125 varadero - take off accelleration improvement options

Hi,

What options do I have for about £500 to improve my take off
accelleartion at lights - which is causing a few problems in london at
the moment. Please also specify whether the option involves an
increase in power which would break my CBT limit (not hard) - but note
I am doing my das now so these options are still very much welcomed.

Cheers,

Karl

 

How much do you weigh Karl?

 

Put it towards a new bike.

Seriously.

 

kw1976 wrote

500 is about a years membership at a gym. This option will not affect
your CBT limit in any way whatsoever.

 

1. Lose weight if you are lardy. Cheapest way of improving the power/weight
ratio of any bike/rider combi.

2. Smaller front sprocket and larger rear. One tooth down at the front, two
up at the rear.

3.Save a bit more and buy a bigger bike.

 

You could alter the gearing, but it would make it even more thrashy on the
open road. Tuning isn't really on and would likely as not only net you any
gains at the top end, the opposite of what you need.

You need more cubes! Put it towards a bigger bike, 500cc i reckon, then
taken your pick. 500s will be a damn site easier on bits and servicing too,
which is nice.

Cheers,

Jon H.

 

Get a different bike.

Yours is a particularly heavy 125, with no more power than any other.
You've got next to no possibility of engine tuning. You _might_ try a
different sprocket, but frankly I wouldn't bother. Practice may help as
well.

Otherwise, sell it and get something lighter, or pass your test and get
something faster.

 

Please be gentle if this is a silly idea , but :

Today, I left my choke out after a cold start. The bike had a higher
idle speed but seemed excellent at the lights. Is this a possible
solution - I know it will be less economical - but consumption I guess
would still be good on this current 60mpg bike.

Would this have any other negative affects ?

Cheers,

Karl

 

Once the engine has warmed up it wont (shouldn't?) start with the
choke out. So you will have starting problems as well as wasting
petrol and having the extra petrol wash the engine bores free of that
useful oil stuff.

If you think of what you've described and try and apply that
information to your original problem you will come to the conclusion
that the faster the engine is turning, the quicker your acceleration
away from the lights is.

Reasonable conclusion?

If so, try revving the tits of your bike when taking off from the
lights.

I've just googled and I see from an earlier post that you've had your
bike for about 3-4 months. It could be that you haven't yet got to
the stage of being aggressive enough when moving off from the lights.
If you're coming from a car background then you may be being
mechanically sympathetic to your bike engine. Don't be, bikes rev much
higher than cars and little bikes need to be revved to get anywhere.

 

Apart from the additional fuel washing the oil off the cylinder walls,
no. Just rebore and rebuild the engine every x miles and you'll be
fine.

 

Listen to Timo, Karl, he's the authority on keeping bikes running
sweetly round here.

 

Bwahahahaha!

You're a very naughty man.

 

Salad Dodger was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

Says the man with the H1. Or have you finally chucked it into the
Thames?

 

It started today, I'll have you know. It didn't run for long, but it
did start, and I didn't have to fiddle with anything first. As for
those bloody Hondas, oto. Grrr.