Horsepower and Torque

Originally Posted by Utah Motorcyclist

Good information! Thanks guys! How much did you all pay did get your bike dynoed? Do you think it was worth it?

It depends what you want to get out of it.

if youre after maximum power, then you really have no option.

if youre mildly interested, but the bike is running to your liking then its not really worth it as it puts a hell of a strain on everything. Remember this is a flat out wide open run, repeated as many as four times.
I stood next to mine when it was done, and its brutal.

After 3 runs on a dyno, its recommended to throw the rear tyre away due to tread strain. And I do know of one 98 classic that did not survive the dyno due to the rev limiter not working.
So, its all up to you ::)

[barrynfla]

It cost me $250 for the dyno tuning. For the increase in power, I don't think it's worth it. For the fuel/air mixture to stay between 13:1 and 13.5:1 for the entire power range, then it was worth it. Can't give a recommendation one way or the other.

[borto1990]

I dont' think mine was that hard on the bike. and I dont' think I was anywhere near needing a new tire. for me, he taylored it to my style of riding, which is lakeshore touring. so I get great milage during that and the piece of mind that I am not running lean. which, lets be honest, how many people know the correct way and take the time to read your plugs. I laid down a lot of cash for my ride. a couple hundred to make sure I am not doing any damage is worth it to me, plus the increased milage will pay for itself over time. power wise, I really don't think it was that much different than just the info you find on the net. but he said mine was running lean. all bikes are a little different. i'd do mine again just for the piece of mind..

[lasse]

The 1500 engine puts out almost as much HP as the 2 litre at the crankshaft

Wishful thinking. . The factory hp is measured on the
crank. ;) I´ve got 105 hp on the wheel on my 2k.(PC,K&N and
VH)

[trosco]

Lasse is correct, the V2K motor is 25% larger that our 1600s and easily 25% more powerful.
Borto is correct that we're not going to destroy rear tire on dyno. Mine's been on for a number of pulls and the bike is just not powerfull enough eat tires. Where we tested the main line of business is building 1/8 mile Harley drag engines and those do tear up tires (200HP is common).
Stock my1600 had around 80 ft lbs TQ at around 2700 RPM and about 60HP at 4700 RPM at the rear wheel. I have never seen one done at the fly wheel but I keep remembering 64 HP and 87 TQ for those numbers but I don't remember where I got that.
With pipes, a basic FI controller and a intake mod you can bump the HP about 4 and the TQ about 6. You can get more benefit from a 2 into one pipe but I rarely see anybody do that.
And the parasitic drag of a shaft vs a belt vs a chain doesn't kill 30 HP. It is heavier than a chain or belt set up (tho not a lot more than the belt) and does contribute about 3-4% of the loss from fly wheel to rear wheel compared to about 1% for the chain or belt setup so it does adversley effect our performance a little but the Clucth/trans is a larger culprit contributing around 6% parasitic loss. And all combined you are talking about 9-10% or 6-7 HP. Oh and Hp dosen't really matter, the only number that is important is the TQ anyway.

[blowndodge]

Speaking of "Parasatic Drag" anyone seen Todd lately??

[dank]

I wish I understood these matters better. I didn't buy the Nomad seeking a drag bike, and it had adequate and enjoyable power and acceleration. But what did Kawasaki gain by making a 1600 engine that produced 60 HP? It wasn't overwhelming torque. It wasn't phenomenal gas mileage. Nomads don't have either of those. So why didn't they give it 80 or 90 rear wheel hp, which would have been easily within what a 1552 cc engine can deliver and would have really added to the top end. They must have had a reason. What was gained?

[borto1990]

If they did that Dank, they wouldn't have anything to sell ya NEXT year

[borto1990]

all that being said.. Im happy with my end result. Did the mods I wanted. Results were enough to make me happy. bike is new, one season in now, hopefully a few more trips before the snow flies. Now just sit back and enjoy it. Hopefully it will be a few seasons before I have to start posting in the "garage" section!

[lasse]

We don´t need HP:s in these machines, but torque is
always nice to have.. Just my opinion.. ;)

[dank]

Originally Posted by Lasse

We don´t need HP:s in these machines, but torque is
always nice to have.. Just my opinion.. ;)

Torque is what's needed to come off the line, but once you hit 60-70 mph it takes some serious ponies to push the air out of the way faster and faster and move the mass of the bike forward, especially with the Nomad's windshield. More hp would greatly enhance high end performance and top speed. The lack of the necessary hp, not low torque, is why a Nomad can't run on up to higher speeds in 5th gear. (But it easily exceeds all legal speed limits, so while fun, the extra ponies aren't really necessary.)

[snarleybill08]

trosco knows his stuff. he has some good info. my nomad runs great with the mods i did. cobra pipes, 2000r, pro charger. it ain't no drag bike, and it won't come close to my wing or v-star 1300 on a 0 to 60. but it does what i expect it to well, and has all the power i want. if i want to go fast i will break out my zx-14. with the mods i have, boz bros gp full system, programed pc 111, mps air shifter. msd shift light, gi pro, 200 plus hp. it will put a load in your shorts if your not careful. be happy with your nomad the way it is. it was'nt meant to be a lion killer. if you want a real thrill, my 14 is for sale. just getting to old for this kids stuff. bill

[Yellow Jacket]

Dang Bill, your zx-14 would probably give me a heart attack! I reckon I've had all the speed fun I need in my younger days.

[snarleybill08]

Originally Posted by Yellow Jacket

Dang Bill, your zx-14 would probably give me a heart attack! I reckon I've had all the speed fun I need in my younger days.

blood pressure medicine and big gforce don't mix. i can't ride it like it was meant to be rode any more. i get light headed. very scary. time to grow up and slow down i guess. lol

[skeeter]

Slow down and enjoy what you've been flying past. Load up those bags too and take some stuff with you. Wander around a bit like a real nomad would.