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Originally Posted by nutsnbolts
I've been reading with great interest all of the things people have tried to get more mph out of these bikes.
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As everyone else on here will tell you, I am the Fountain of Ignorance, but that doesn't stop me from spouting off about things of which I know little. Before you get all mechanical and everything, here's a few tidbits that I can almost guarantee will get you ten mph more:
1) Learn to ride sport bike style when you need speed - esp to defeat wind. Hugging the gas tank and tucking in your knees makes a huge difference at speed. You can get 10mph from this alone.
2) Get to know 4th gear. It may not be the best thing for the bike longevity, but I can assure you the bike will do 65 in fourth, and in more trying conditions than 5th can handle. I only use 5th on flat roads with a speed limit of 55.
3) Experiment with a heavier synthetic oil (Rotella T.) Won't get you much, but a teensy in the high end. Plus it probably won't breakdown or fracture as much with the high revs.
4) Lose weight. Seriously. The fastest riders on here are all skinny chicks. The fat guys with the speed records got them when going down hill (aided by the stronger gravitational pull.)
5) Clean your carb (mine was gunky after a mere 2950 miles.)
6) Inflate your tires - I don't want to get in trouble here but the more you inflate them the faster you'll go, up to a point. Check other posters, and be careful, but I think the consensus is, you can go 10psi more than they recommend. Course that depends on what you have on there I guess.
7) Lube the chain. Not gonna get you much, but if it's rusty, it won't hurt.
I've never tried it myself, but all posts on here (and it's rare where we get unanimity) indicate the 16t gives you more oomph in the low gears at the price of maxing out the top end quicker. Do it if you want quickness, but not for max velocity.
Good luck. I found the most dramatic difference happens when you swap out the entire bike. But it's fun trying!