How to Improve Performance on Vehicles

by Contributing WriterUpdated June 12, 2017

After extended time and use, the performance of many motorcycles can start to go downhill. But there are many ways to improve your motorcycle's performance and get it running like new once again. Many of these steps are extremely simple and cost-effective. Keeping your motorcycle running well is not only important Vehicles the health of the bike, but Vehicles your safety. Not being able to quickly accelerate while driving can prevent you from escaping dangerous situations.

Under The Hood:

 How to Improve Performance on a Honda GL1500

Use premium fuel in your motorcycle. Using standard unleaded fuel most likely won't harm your motorcycle's motor. But it has a lower octane content, providing for less performance, and standard unleaded fuel is usually less clean than premium fuel.

Change your motorcycle's oil and oil filter. Bad oil can cause your motorcycle to run at non-optimal temperatures, making the engine perform badly. Use 10W-40 motor oil if you are riding your GL1500 in a lower-altitude area, or use 10W-30 motor oil if you are in a high-altitude area. The GL 1500 holds 3.5 liters of oil.

Install an aftermarket exhaust kit on your motorcycle. These kits not only provide a nice sound for your motorcycle, but they can also increase power output.

Replace your motorcycle's old tires. Many times traction can be a culprit of bad performance that is overlooked. Purchasing new tires can prevent your bike from slipping or spinning, allowing you to get the traction you need for proper acceleration. Try installing performance slicks for warm, dry locales. You may want to use all-weather tires if you are in a wet or mountainous area.

Items you will need

  • Motor oil

  • Oil filter (see owner's manual)

  • Aftermarket exhaust kit

  • Replacement tires

 How to Improve Performance on the Toyota 2.7 VVT-I Engine

Change the oil. Without doing any engine modifications, changing the car's oil regularly will improve engine performance. Fresh oil will prevent engine sludge and ensure that the engine is performing at its peak.

Add a cold air intake. A cold air intake replaces the disposable air filter within the engine compartment, allowing more cool air to enter the engine. With the cool air comes more fuel and thus more horsepower.

Install an exhaust system. An exhaust system can provide a larger port of exit for outgoing dirty air, eliminated back-pressure and allowing the air to flow more freely. This can increase the horsepower of the vehicle, giving you improved performance.

Make the truck lighter. This is another trick that doesn't require any engine modifications. If the car is lighter, even if the engine has the same power, it will perform better. This can be as simple as emptying the trunk or as complex as removing the tailgate or any superfluous systems that add weight.

 How to Improve Performance of a Volvo 740

Install performance tires and wheels. There are multiple options here, depending on what you are looking for. If you are looking for the stickiest tire you can get, then go with an R-compound (racing) tire. There are also tires that are a good compromise between daily useability and performance. The next step up would be to install a set of lighter and stronger alloy wheels. These will reduce the unsprung weight (the weight of the car's suspension) and allow the fitment of wider, lower profile tires.

Install lower, heavier springs paired with stiffer performance shocks from a company like Koni or Bilstien. Lower springs and better shocks will make your Volvo handle much more precisely, with less body roll and better response from the chassis.

Upgrade to stiffer anti-roll bars. Fitting an aftermarket set of anti-roll bars will reduce the body roll that your 740 exhibits during cornering. This will make it more nimble and allow you to corner faster with more control.

Improve braking by installing aftermarket cross-drilled rotors, high performance brake pads and braided steel brake lines. The cross-drilled rotors dissipate heat more efficiently than the stock rotors, high performance pads don't fade as quickly and braided steel brake lines improve pedal feel.

Install a free-flow exhaust. Whether you have a 740 Turbo or a normally aspirated model, your motor will benefit from a larger diameter exhaust. This frees up horsepower and torque and gives the motor a nice growl. Make sure you follow your state's laws regarding emissions so that your 740 remains emissions compliant.

Install a higher-revving camshaft. In stock form, the 740's motor does not like to rev much above 5,000-rpm. Installing a high performance aftermarket camshaft will free up power at higher RPMs and make your car much more fun to drive.

Items you will need

  • Full array of tools for working on cars

  • Jack

  • Jackstands

 How to Improve the Performance of a Honda Accord

Change the factory exhaust system for a performance one that expels air more efficiently and does not allow the back flow of hot air, which can contaminate the engine. Changing the muffler to one with a larger diameter allows the air to flow out more quickly, which means that the engine stays cooler and therefore is able to create more power.

Replace the standard air filter with a high-flow version which opens up to let more air into the engine and boost fuel combustion. You should check the air filter regularly anyway and replace it if it looks dirty, so upgrade to a performance filter instead of a regular one.

Install performance spark plugs to give the engine a better start from the moment the engine is cranked. Just like the air filter, the spark plugs should be checked regularly (every month) so if they need changing, put in performance ones rather than standard.

Install a performance chip which immediately increases the power of your engine by automatically adjusting the air flow and the fuel burn but also allows for the downloading of further modifications at a later date. The software can be a little complicated though, so this might be one job best left to the professionals.

Items you will need

  • Performance parts

  • Specialist tools

 How do I Improve Performance of Ford 7.5L Engine?

Install an aftermarket intake manifold. The more air that an engine draws into the combustion chamber, the more fuel that can be added, the more power the engine creates. Installation of a high rise, single plane, aluminum intake manifold will increase the engine's upper rpm power. Big block engines create the most power from 3500 rpm up to about 6500. A high rise intake manifold will funnel the maximum amount of air possible into the combustion chamber due to its long, smooth, intake runners.

Install a high-flow, four-barrel carburetor. A high flow carburetor will allow more air and fuel into the intake manifold, thus making use of the high rise intake manifold. A performance carburetor for an engine of this size should flow at least 750 cfm (cubic feet per minute), and should ideally flow between 800 and 900 cfm.

Install long tube exhaust headers. Exhaust headers serve to evacuate exhaust gas from the cylinder heads. Long tube headers offer superior flow characteristics over stock exhaust manifolds due to their equal length exhaust tubes and low friction, stainless steel construction. Long tube headers serve to evacuate the extra air drawn into the engine by the high flow carburetor and intake manifold. These basic engine upgrades can easily result in a 25 percent increase in engine power.

Items you will need

  • Complete set of US and Metric wrenches and sockets

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