A MOTORCYCLE expert has revealed how you are probably riding yours wrong – and it could be hitting you in the pocket.
Ryan Kluftinger from FortNine took to YouTube to warn bikers against a common error that could even cost you thousands.
He explained that the commonly held belief that you should keep your revs as low as possible to preserve your engine may actually be a bit of a myth.
The logic goes that fewer and less vigorous rotations put less stress on the engine and extend its life cycle.
But Ryan demonstrated some of the science behind why it may actually do more harm than good.
First of all, he claimed that revving your engine higher could actually be vital for its longevity.
He said: “At 200C, carbon starts to form deposits in your engine.
“This buildup eats away at your compression ratio and, if left to grow, can prove fatal [to it].
“But at 325C that carbon starts to break apart again and, subjected to fast enough airflow, will blow straight out of your exhaust.
“So riding at high rpm does theoretically clean your engine.”
That’s not to say that you should ride to the red line every time you take your bike out, but opening the taps now and again can be beneficial.
Secondly, higher revs can actually improve the function of an important safety feature.
When the camshaft, which regulates the opening of the intake and exhaust valves, rotates faster than necessary it can cause the bike to readjust violently.
This is often seen in Moto GP races where bikes slow down from high speed and then buck the rider off.
That’s where electronic traction control comes in, with the computer occasionally allowing the engine to miss a power stroke in order to rebalance the system.
When you run at higher rpm, this increases the frequency of the power strokes and gives more opportunities to miss one and get the engine back in time.
Finally, Ryan used the example of a bicycle to demonstrate the harm caused by low revs.
If you are travelling on a flat surface you can peddle along effortlessly, but if you reach a hill, it requires more power to maintain the same speed.
Since the power of your motorcycle is constant, higher revs allow that power to be exerted more frequently through more combustion cycles.
This means that the pressure caused by the compression of fuel and air is released more readily at higher rpm, actually reducing stress on some part of the engine.
Ryan explained: “It’s a catch 22, high revs send the pistons on more reps than necessary.
“You’re kind of wearing the engine further than its odometer reading.
“But low revs exert more cylinder pressure and, between the two evils, that’s the greater danger.”
Indeed it can result in something called “low speed pre-ignition” or “detonation”, where the spark plug fires while the air/fuel mix is still being compressed, blowing the side out of your cylinder.
A replacement can cost several hundreds of pounds, while collateral damage to other engine parts could see repairs run into the thousands.
