Not to be mistaken with a general tune up, which simply involves replacing spark plugs and cleaning the air filter, Dynotuning is the most efficient and accurate way to gain the most power and performance from your bike whether it is carbureted or fuel injected.

A Dyno (short for Dynamometer) measures horsepower, torque, air/fuel mixture, engine speed and timing. The raw data is fed into a computer where state-of-the-art software compiles and displays the results with an extreme level of precision allowing a tech to fine-tune performance. This high degree of precision makes Dynotuning a valuable tool for optimizing your bike's performance because it can discover problems too subtle to detect without special instrumentation.

Though some techs claim they can tune a bike just by listening to the engine on a road test, it's unlikely anyone can tell the difference between five and six horsepower using this method. If you're paying to have your bike tuned, don't you want to be sure you are getting the maximum horsepower from your bike and not just rely on someone's educated guess? Besides, road testing a bike is dangerous for both the bike and rider and subject to a number of environmental conditions, which have an effect on performance and cannot be controlled.

A fully equipped Dynotuning facility will have a special testing chamber providing a greater level of safety while allowing the techs to maintain constant environmental conditions and generate more accurate and consistent results.

Once the test is run, an experienced tech can read a graph and determine whether there is a problem with ignition, carburetion or if there is too much drag on the drive train due to a loose belt or chain or an unbalanced tire. The graph below, for example, shows an optimum curve in horsepower, torque and fuel mixture. A dip in the low end, however, would indicate a lack of backpressure, likely from an incorrect application of pipes or a fault in the exhaust system. In the other hand, over advanced timing or some other ignition problem is suggested by a graph showing a dip in the upper RPM range.

Dynotuning is especially important if you make modifications to your bike such as installing new pipes or rejetting, though, even a stock bike will benefit from being properly tuned. Not only will your bike make more power, it will also run cooler, ride smoother and the engine will sound quieter with a crisper throttle response. When paying for a performance upgrade, it is important to remember a Dyno is just a measuring tool only as good as the tech running it, so be sure to take your bike to a shop your trust.

By Nick Trask - Custom Performance