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When most riders talk performance the first thing they think of is POWER - but if you're smart, that's the last on the list. Shoving grunt into a chassis that can't cope builds a scary bucking bronco. First steps are basics - make sure your bike is properly maintained, clean, no leaks, fresh oil, good clutch setup. Remove any extra weight. Fit grippy tyres. You've got the perfect starting point! Quality suspension comes next & Teknik Motorsport are motorcycle suspension tuning experts.
Watching racing clips, do the winners look like they're being kicked around? That tarmac track star leans further, without braking dive, sailing over cornering bumps that push you off line. That motocross hero hooks up on the loosest dirt, turns quicker after landing jumps, floats over whoops that rattle you roughly. Are they more skilled? Maybe. But their motorbike is doing what it's told, predictable & controlled, giving confidence to push further & time to concentrate on faster laps.
You've seen those exotic shiny colourful coats on their forks & shocks, and if you want podiums you should look at these special slippery coatings too. Ohlins used gold Titanium Nitride (TiN) on their tubes & racing departments everywhere started using aerospace tricks too. Extra hard wearing Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) or spectacular rainbow Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) coats are used on these ferrous metal parts - Kashima anodizing should be used on aluminium components.
When most riders talk performance the first thing they think of is POWER - but if you're smart, that's the last on the list. Shoving grunt into a chassis that can't cope builds a scary bucking bronco. First steps are basics - make sure your bike is properly maintained, clean, no leaks, fresh oil, good clutch setup. Remove any extra weight. Fit grippy tyres. You've got the perfect starting point! Quality suspension comes next & Teknik Motorsport are motorcycle suspension tuning experts.
Watching racing clips, do the winners look like they're being kicked around? That tarmac track star leans further, without braking dive, sailing over cornering bumps that push you off line. That motocross hero hooks up on the loosest dirt, turns quicker after landing jumps, floats over whoops that rattle you roughly. Are they more skilled? Maybe. But their motorbike is doing what it's told, predictable & controlled, giving confidence to push further & time to concentrate on faster laps.
You've seen those exotic shiny colourful coats on their forks & shocks, and if you want podiums you should look at these special slippery coatings too. Ohlins used gold Titanium Nitride (TiN) on their tubes & racing departments everywhere started using aerospace tricks too. Extra hard wearing Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) or spectacular rainbow Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) coats are used on these ferrous metal parts - Kashima anodizing should be used on aluminium components.
The amazing blue & green & purple colours are stronger than your factory chrome, but give a shorter service life than black DLC - which is what we recommend for riders seeking the highest durability & lowest friction. None of these coatings will bond with aluminium alloys, but are very tough over steel parts like these fork leg inner tube pairs & shock absorber damper rods. Sealed chemical barriers protect against oil, petrol & cleaning fluids plus physical strength resists scratches & rock pitting damage, preventing wear for a longer lifespan. The consistent sleek finishes give super fast responses - meaning smoother & more accurate damping. It also means improved longevity & less stickiness for the rubber oil seals they slide against too!
These microns-thick premium coats can't tune a bad setup into a good one - so please read our mods for your budget guide first - but when chasing lap times it gives you a performance edge over the pack. Circuit or offroad trail adventures are both improved - more tyre contact with the road via quicker, smoother front & rear suspension component reactions means more grip & acceleration. There's endurance advantages too; no longer absorbing corrugations & vibration means a comfortable saddle & riding longer without pain.
So now you've built up some skills & experienced riding a competent bike, how about setting up your gearing for better lap times & ridability? You're finally ready to turn up the wick with a screaming tuned engine & a blasting aftermarket muffler - but have a think about it first.
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