Bike all of a sudden got an extra few horses

hey people.

Got a strange one today, not sure if I should cheer or worry.

I took my 550 out for work today, and put about 100 miles all in all. I noticed almost immediately that I have more mid to upper band power than I did the day before. I can get the tach to 8700 in 6th gear, where before it would struggle to get up to 8000. Clutch is not slipping... speedo was maxed, so I don't know how fast I was going. The bike sounds ANGRY taking off and going through gears :twisted:

I also noticed that when I go back to start it up after a couple of minutes of sitting, the starter cranks at slightly higher RPM's than I'm used to. I don't think I'm losing compression, since there's no power loss...

Maybe I just knocked off a carbon turd somewhere?

 

Hey would you mind riding my XJ550. i'd love to see 8500 RPM. LOL.

 

Did you possibly send a check to the orphanage? Do something nice for someone? Sounds like you hit a pot hole just right and jarred the sludge deposit off of your float needle seat. What ever the case, bottle it up and sell it, you'd make a fortune!

 

Mine had similar increase in performance after correcting bad electrical connections. Starter turned faster and the bike fired up quicker as well as having more power. I figure it's getting better spark from ignition as well as more power to the starter, and the generator isn't running as much to eat horsepower.

Don't know if that's got anything to do with your experience but thought I'd mention it in case it gave you any ideas.

 

Could be you burned some carbon deposits off the valves or freed up an obstruction on the intake or exhaust.

Hope it lasts!

 

Maximator, I was wondering myself about whether the boost was electrical in nature. Just kicks, I'll put a multimeter on it tomorrow and see what the alternator is putting out.

I doubt I'll be pushing the bike as much as I did today a whole lot more... After all, I'm sure I was approaching (or exceeding) 100mph, when the speed limit was 75. I don't want to push my luck with the Johny Law :-D

 

Motor's always run best right before they blow. At least with my racecar motors that was the case, every single one of them.....probably blew up 4 or 5 motors in 7 years of racing circle track.

 

Grant,
That's what I was thinking. My weed whip ran absolutly awesome..... just before it locked up!!

More than likely it's an electrical issue, if you'd like to call it that.

 

8700 RPM in 6th should be giving you a speed of 99 MPH with stock sprockets. It is capable of a few more. I once had my 550 just over 100 mph two up.

Been running any seafoam in the tank?? Sticky slides freeing up?

Sometimes just a good long thrash can clean the cobwebs out.

 

aren't you guys ever the pessimists? :?

I don't think that a properly lubed and maintained 550 with 11K on it is gonna scatter just because it's finally running like it's supposed to.

I did notice that my compression came up on 3 of 4 cylinders since the last time that's been checked (4th already was well within spec). So who knows...

My valve cover gasket came in, so I'll be checking valve clearances again while I'm fiddling with that.

 

Maybe you had a tailwind

 

It's probably a combination of the ideas mentioned, but I doubt it's about to blow up with such low mileage. If the compression is up as well you may have just burned out some crud that was preventing the rings from sealing up as they should.

I'd be celebrating.

 

Sounds like your lucky day. Maybe the timing wasn't advancing and now it is. Don't try to fix it!!

 

Maybe the bike wasn't the only thing smokin'?

I've heard stories about guys bikes getting a whole lot of more power ... real scary get-up-and-go.

They had 'em cranked right up to, like ... 48 or 50 Miles per hour; too!