Tomorrow afternoon I will be testing some mods with my V-Force. I have a Dalton Blue Spring, Dalton Clutch Weights, MBRP dual exhaust and a TPI Valve.

I have already installed the blue spring and have been using it for a month or so. I had notthing to compare it to, but I do now. My friend has my old Z-400 which is stock. We will be dragging and doing timed runs. I should have all of this on film also.

The tests will be as follows:

3 timed runs per mod and an average of those 3 runs. A drag race against a stock Z-400.

First I will do the test with the blue spring, then the stock spring, then the clutch weights, then the blue spring and clutch weights and then all the mods, blue spring, weights, exhaust and TPI valve. The TPI valve is already installed but will be closed until the final test with the pipes.

If everything goes as planned I will have the results tomorrow or Monday. I just hope I have the correct jetting and that we run into no snags.

EDIT: I will also be taking top speed runs with my GPS with each mod. I will also swap tires with the Z400 and will comment on the ride quality of the radials on the v-force.

 

please excuse my ignorance. what's MBRP?

 

MBRP manufacturers the POWERTECH 4 exhaust for ATVs. Here is their website: MBRP Website

Its a nice day so testing should start in a few short hours.

 

Testing is about 95% complete. I will do the tire swap tomorrow maybe.

These are my results:

................................RUN......1........ ...2..........3.........AVG

Stock.....................................6.51 -- 6.46 -- 5.64 -- 6.203
Blue Spring...........................6.31 -- 5.93 -- 6.46 -- 6.233
Weights w/ plain spring.......6.18 -- 6.08 -- 6.41 -- 6.120
Weights w/blue spring.........6.30 -- 6.32 -- 5.89 -- 6.170
Exhaust with all mods..........6.17 -- 6.11 -- 6.20 -- 6.160

1/8th mile run with all mods..9.44 -- 9.50 -- 9.65 -- 9.53


My top speed did not really increase, I only GPSed it on my final run and got 116 kmh, I did get 119 kmh before but I have never been able to reproduce that number, strange. Anyways, it went up 1 kmh but I think I just had more room to wind it out. Racing with my friends stock Z400 shows more gain than the times above. I believe my testing was done on to short a distance, it should of been all done 1/8th a mile not 300 feet. I think more room would show the gains more. This is my first time doing timed runs so my starting was not the greatest but I did do well after I got the hang of it. The testing was all done on pavement with zero wheel spin, I had to let off the throttle many times so that i would not go over backwards. With all the mods it is easier to wheelie than before and I think I would have faster times if I could keep the front end down more.

I think thats about it, I beat the stock Z400 every time by about 1 or 2 seconds in the 1/4 mile. He is less experienced than me so I'm sure his times would be better with more seat time. Any questions that you might have or some other testing you would like to see just ask. I have some video of the exhaust before and after, under load and free from load. Just so its clear, these were timed runs of 300 feet.

Please comment away, thanks for looking. I had great fun doing this.

EDIT: I will post the video when I get back from vacation.

EDIT2: I forgot to mention, the exhaust sounds sooooo nice. I love it. Its almost to loud when driving slow but once your moving it purrs. Can't wait to watch the video. I also got some video of the clutch moving in and out. Interesting.

 

I have posted this before, but here goes. I saw a guy at a local dirt track on a stock V. He used what looked like 3/4" aluminum tubing cut to 14" to replace front shocks. This makes for one rough ride but he says it's a great mod to keep front down while drag racing. I haven't tried it yet. I think he drilled the holes about an inch from each end which made the distance 12" between the pins that he put through the factory shock mounts.

 

Hey bbertram, do you put tie down straps on the front and on the rear. If you don't you got to trie it. It helps you to keep the front down. The front won't come up at all.

 

Where do you put the straps?

 

I might try that tie strap thing some time. See what my times are then, if it never wheelied I could get an easy 1 second gain.

 

If you can keep your machine from wheeling,(so you don't let off the throttle) this will be the only way you are going to get accurate times and be able to tell if there were any improvements. Maybe try a wheelie bar or strap it down. Good Luck!

 

Changing weights is the equivalent of changing springs. Using lighter weights is the same as putting in a stiffer spring and vice versa. At $125 for a set, its hard to tune with
different sets of weights at this point.