RIDEFAST DECEMBER 2021

What does that mean?
Well, you don’t have to re-jet every time you change altitude or if the day is
particularly humid or even drier than usual, something the racer boys can
appreciate especially when racing up here in Gauteng and then going off
to the coast to race the following weekend.
Think about it on road going bikes too.
We love to go riding in the mountains, along the coast, next to a dam/
lake or a river or in valleys or all of that in just one ride if you are really
lucky. Conditions are changing all the time and you bike is recalibrating
accordingly all the way to make sure you have maximum power, torque
and performance with the best fuel economy and emissions.
Basically, you get more saddle time and less time trying to figure all that
stuff out for yourself.
And the bikes burn clean – not rich or lean.
It works for us – We like it!
Catalytic convertors:
A catalytic convertor is a device that is built into the exhaust system of a
motor vehicle, containing a catalyst for converting pollutant gases into less
harmful ones.
Don’t just grind the catalytic convertor out…
We’ve all heard told that catalytic convertors can rob your bike of power, mess
with the top end and all sorts of other accusations including that it takes away
the “Braaappp”, so I went along and chatted to some very knowledgeable
people on the subject and got some definitive answers.
And the definitive answer is that Decatting your bike really can stuff it up… and
your wbikes warranty becomes null and void. Unless you get your brands IT
Tech wizard to remap your ECU and a bunch of other bits of computer floating
around your bikes engine.
Here’s why:
Removing the catalytic converter messes with the flow of gasses from the
engine out the exhaust, reducing the back pressure, (much like gutting a pipe
back in the day), and it makes the engine run too lean.
And we all know that when an engine runs too lean it also runs too hot and
in prolonged use will cause detonations on the piston, (the particles in the
material get so hot that they start exploding), and inevitably it can eventually
lead to the piston melting and a complete mechanical failure.
This is basically the equivalent of taking a blow torch to your pistons…
unless you get it done by the authorised pro’s and they remap the
electronics into believing the cat is still there, which will include the installation
of a performance kit or evo kit from the factory and require the
fitment of a performance full system exhaust pipe eliminating the catalytic
converter, the removal of the charcoal filter and various sensors associated
with the Cat and charcoal filter and one or two solenoids/actuators
here and there and
then changing the
fuel mapping.
A lot of
equipment,
a lot of
62 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021