Debunking Motorcycle Backpressure: What you need to know!

There's a lot of misinformation about motorcycle exhaust systems and their impact on engine performance floating around on social media. One of the most common misconceptions is that back pressure is needed for increased performance. But the truth is, back pressure is NEVER good and can actually cause harm to your engine. But we are head of ourselves – let’s back up and start at the beginning.

When the engine burns fuel and air, it creates exhaust that needs to be expelled out of the engine quickly. Back pressure is the resistance to the flow of exhaust gases leaving the engine.

Think of it like this:

Imagine a bicycle pump as the engine of your motorcycle, where the tubing is the head pipe, and the nozzle serves as the muffler. The physics of air pressure become evident when using the pump to inflate a ball. Initially, it is effortless but as the ball nears capacity and backpressure builds, more force must be exerted to fill that last bit of space. This is exhausting!

So what?

It’s exhausting for your engine, too. Backpressure can take a toll on your engine's performance, causing it to work overtime in order to make up for the difficulty pushing the exhaust gases out of its system. Not ideal when you're looking for speed and power.

What do I do?

The key is Flow Velocity. Analyzing this powerful relationship between restriction, back pressure and flow velocity allows you to maximize overall output while harnessing all those coveted benefits: improved horsepower, torque and fuel economy!

When looking for advice about modifications, it pays to seek the expertise of genuine professionals over social media speculation. With the wide range of engine parameters to factor in, it's tough for any one solution to work universally. That's why we recommend contacting us with your questions. Our team is ready to help. Stay safe out there, and happy riding.

https://youtu.be/uuu_Uq_vabs