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Let’s Talk About.. The Stages!
Now I’m not talking about the theater, or even deciding when to move in with your significant other, or when to move fr…. I’m talking about the stage upgrade to your most majestic stallions. Most of us have probably heard someone say it has a stage 1 kit or a stage 2 kit…. BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!? Never fear I am here to explain it to you!
The main purpose of a performance upgrade kit is to do just that… Upgrade or improve the performance or horse power of your machine. They are broken down into a group of items that usually get upgraded at the same time, and that is what the stage is. The lower the stage the less invasive it is to the machine… so stage 1 upgrades are usually bolt on new parts, whereas a stage 5 kit is a major overhaul of internal parts. The stages also build off the previous stage, so you can’t get to stage 5 without replacing everything that at the very least are upgraded in a Stage 2 and a Stage 3 kit.
Stage 1 Kits include modifying the air filter, the exhaust system and the fuel metering system. This is the respiratory system of your machine. The air filter is what controls how much air gets into the combustion chamber, same thing with the fuel metering system. The fuel to air ratio is key to your engines performance. When your engine is running RICH, you have more fuel than air. This will generate more power but it will noticeably impact your fuel economy. When your engine is running LEAN you will have better fuel economy, but you engine will run rough and hot, which can lead to burning your valves. So make sure that if you change your air cleaner you also have your fuel metering system adjusted accordingly. Lastly in the Stage 1 kit is the exhaust. This upgrade will not only change the sound of your engine it can greatly affect the performance. Whenever you change the exhaust system you will most certainly always need to have the fuel to air ratio adjusted for optimum performance. Your bike’s engine needs back pressure to vent the combustion gasses, but not too much. If the back pressure is too high the engine can’t pulse the gases out and they build up in the combustion chamber and seriously affect performance, not enough back pressure and the gasses flow too quickly causing the engine to run hot.
Stage 2 Kits include changing the cams. Think of the cams as your feet on bicycle pedals. The cams rotate and cause the pistons to stroke up and down in the valve cylinders. If you put in a larger cam, that creates a longer stroke on the piston. This longer stroke will give you a noticeable increase in horsepower, generally in the range of 5-25%, depending on which cam you use. This will give you the instant throttle response when passing cars at highway speeds even with luggage or a passenger, without having to downshift.
Stage 3 Kits are usually reserved for track or high performance machines. This kit includes upgrading the intercooler, the cylinder heads and fuel inlet valves, head gaskets and spark plugs in addition to all the stage 2 upgrades. Bigger cylinder heads and fuel jets will cause a bigger explosion in the combustion chamber. This stage is usually referred to as a mild big bore & cam upgrade. It can produce 30-40% more horsepower over stock
Stage 4 Kits includes headwork and more cam work than Stage 3 and in most cases includes upgrading to a larger throttle body and injectors, and may also require a clutch upgrade to accommodate the higher horsepower. This is a moderate compression big bore combination. This kit can produce 50-60% more horse power over stock
Finally a Stage 5 Kit is a custom high compression big bore combo. This requires comprehensive headwork and an aggressive cam upgrade, as well as a larger throttle body and injectors as well as all the modifications necessary to support those upgraded components. This kit is fuel and tuning sensitive but can increase horsepower 70-80+% over stock. This is not a very common upgrade due to the expense.
Most of us will be perfectly content with a Stage 1 or a Stage 2 Kit and will never need anything more, some of us are happy with stock components… It’s all about what makes you happy and lets you ride the ride that you enjoy!