Flywheel weighting.....

[HAzE]

Can someone explain this to me. I thought when you weighted your flywheel, it made your bike go slower/loose power. But in a diff. site forum, I heard different. I'd like to know if it made you loose power, why it does. And if it doesn't,why? Well thanks for your guys help.

 

[spanky250]

Weighting your flywheel does not make your bike slower, and it does not change the power output of your engine at all. It makes the engine slightly more resistant to changing rpm's quickly, making the power more tractable and manageable, so in poor traction conditions it helps to keep the tire hooked up instead of the rapidly building revs breaking the tire loose. It also makes it harde to stall the engine when going slow, because the spinning flywheel has stored (potential ) energy in it from the engine. This potential energy is then transfered back into the crankshaft, becoming kinetic energy. The resulting inertia helps to keep the crankshaft spinning under a load, instead of simply stopping (stalling).

In slick, slippery conditions, adding weight to your flywheel can actually make you faster, because more of the engine's power is being applied to the ground rather than being wasted in wheelspin.

 

[Hogwylde]

Excellent explanation Spanky!! Now Haze just has to determine what kind of riding he's going to be doing. Moto-cross is basically a drag race from one corner to another, so a weighed flywheel MAY not be what he wants. On the other hand, if he's going slow in the woods, a flywheel might be an excellent addition to his bike by slowing the rev's and keeping the tires planted on slick, rutted trails with rocks and roots.

I'm planning on adding a 14 Stealy flywheel before I start hare scrambles next year. If i was going to race Moto-X, I'd not even consider it.

 

[HAzE]

Hmm......

I wasn't really considering it, but after that one reply I really am considering it. I do mx, and yes I know mx is basicly a drag race from corner to corner with some obsticles. Still is fun, my track is extremely slippery, and I get alot of wheel spin. I guess I should try weighting the outside peg some more, but it seems I get like no traction. Maybe I should try puting a weight on there, and see how it does. I can keep the revs up by using the clutch really well, when going slow but I get alot of tire spin out of it. Thanks for the replys and I fully understand it. Later.

 

[spanky250]

Don't forget the importance of ties when traction is concerned. Tire choice can have a drastic effect on your traction in various conditions. If your track is hard and slick, an intermediate-to-hard tire is a much better choice than a soft-to-intermediate tire. The wrong tire for the conditions can cause you to have little more traction than a slick.