I want more power.

[vector18]

Just do what I do on a roll, I squeeze the clutch and redline the RPM's and than pop the clutch. Than I just hold the throttle down and do not let go through any of the gears ahead! The bike takes off like a freakin rocket!

[ZooTech]

Just that...I am looking to increse the HP on my 1999 VN1500 classic. I got the bike not all that long ago and had never had a problem. Today I was getting on the freeway in third....opened my throttle and had a good response, but I know this bike has more than what I got. Any sugestions? I know I can use more air intake. K&N mabey, but is that it...?

http://www.gadgetjq.com/gadgetsfixitpage.htm

[TechTMW]

Ahh yes, the typical conundrum:
"I bought a bike built for torque but what I really want is Horsepower."



OK, so maybe I sound like a jerk. But seriously ... Your bike makes more power than my car (1000cc Volkswagen Polo, 45 BHP or RAW POWER!) and it does just fine on the Italian autostrade where the speed limit is as unenforced as they come, and probably weighs at least 3 times what your bike does.

If you are serious about spending your hard-earned dough on MORE POWER!!!!!! you need to consider the bike. You don't mention if the bike is EFI or Carburetted. (I think they went to EFI in 2001, right? so yours is probably carbed)

W/ a carbed bike the first thing you need to do is change
1) Air Filter
2) Carb Jets
3) Exhaust
You MUST change all 3 of these things at the same time. You MUST use a Dynomometer to find the optimal jet settings, or you MUST buy a complete Jet/Filter/Exhaust setup and have them installed professionally. You will be wasting your time and money and will potentially hurt the bike if you don't do all 3 things at the same time and have them done w/ a dyno.

Yeah, sounds ana, but you just professed your undying love for your beloved, so you want her to be around for a while right?

One last thing should be made clear. Unless you drop the serious dough and do the engine mods, (like the bore kit) you will probably Lose torque to gain horsepower. This means your roll-ons will NOT feel as strong, and you will have to carry the bike further up into the rev range to tap into the MORE POWER!!!! you've just added. But it sounds like that's the way you are riding already!

[Sev]

Have you tried short shifting? This might sound stupid, but I can't really think of a reason to be doing highway in third. It's called a HP curve because it tends to fall off towards the upper revs, especially on a v-twin. You might be better off shifting up sooner to accelerate.

[flynrider]

A bone stock '99 VN1500 is pretty anemic in the power department when compared to later models. A heavy bike with only about 45 hp at the rear wheel (but it does have enough torque to tow a small car). There aren't many cheap fixes for power, but if you're feeling like spending some money, check out the article below. The guys at Motorcycle Cruiser mag were able to coax another 20 hp out of it.

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/tech/OrangeKaw/

[TechTMW]

There aren't many cheap fixes for power, but if you're feeling like spending some money, check out the article below. The guys at Motorcycle Cruiser mag were able to coax another 20 hp out of it.

It would be worthwhile to write these guys and ask them what 20 Horsepower costs.

[paul246]

The general rule is $100 per HP.

[Gadgetjq]

VN,

You can easily pick up 10 hp and 12 lb ft of torque by opening your intake, moving the air cleaner to the right side of the bike. You can do that for as little as $20.

BTW 3rd gear is where you 'should' be when getting on the freeway. Your engine is only turning 2527 rpm at 50 mph which is right on the bottom edge of the torque curve. You're only cranking 4370 rpm at 70 mph in 3rd. Suffice to say 3rd is the gear you should be in a 'lot' on your Vulcan.

Cheers,
Gadget

[biff]

[quote="TechBMW"]
W/ a carbed bike the first thing you need to do is change
1) Air Filter
2) Carb Jets
3) Exhaust
You MUST change all 3 of these things at the same time.


I actually do have a good set of Cobra pipes and the bike is Jetted. I think a good air intake swap might be the last step. The Bike is not totally stock, and now that I think about it my air intake is pretty weak.

[jmillheiser]

Keep in mind that the VN1500 was never known as a powerhouse. they are actually decidedly tame in the HP department for their size, even the big harleys have the vulcan beat here.