Article: Dyno Myths!

Ahhhh, the dyno. The myth, the legend. For years, companies have hyped their dyno charts to sell their products. Those beautiful arching colored lines that illustrate horsepower and torque just look so cool and scientific. How can you possibly dispute them? But like most things in life, there?s more that you need to know before you can make an informed decision. Years ago, dyno charts were considered ?gospel? by some, but with the flow of information available on the internet, today?s consumers are more educated than ever. Don?t believe it? Do a simple Google search for ?Dyno Myths? and you?ll find over 10,000 articles dissecting these issues.

Let?s be real, we live in a world of measures. And why not? Measurements are a great way of comparing the differences between things. Seems funny, but the fact is, we?ve grown accustomed to numbers telling us everything. In this age of 72oz Quick-E-Mart sodas, we tend to think bigger is better.

And for years, consumers would base their exhaust purchase from these measurements. In the past, magazines that relied on a dyno test to pick the winner of ?Pipe Shootouts? reinforced the legitimacy of these dyno claims. But as consumers have become more smarter, most magazines now make dyno charts a very small part of any shootout, with ?rideability? and lap times playing a larger role.Dynamometers are the machines used to produce those seductive dyno charts. Computers map and plot data to return results that you can comprehend into a grid-like format called the dyno chart. DMC uses this comparative data to measure performance changes (among other things) during the development of exhaust systems. On face value, this is really sorta cool, so why shouldn?t you buy brand X, if it?s dyno chart shows 2 horsepower more than brand Y?s dyno chart???

There are many variables in dyno analysis but the first being the individual performing the test. For every unique dyno machine, there?s an equally unique operator running it. If you have 10 different dynamometers and 10 different operators, and everyone performed dyno tests on the same bike, you would likely have 100 different results. This means that the same bike could show a 1-5% variance, even after SAE corrections for ambient temperature, barometric pressure differential, altitude, humidity temperature, etc. This assumes that there aren?t any? well let?s just call them ?optimistic? dyno operators in the bunch.

Acceleration is defined as the changing of velocity at a more dramatic rate. This is an extremely important performance factor that is not available on most dyno charts. DMC has the ability to chart and produce incredible acceleration by producing the proper blend of torque and horsepower increases over a rideable rpm range.

Most dyno charts flaunt their ?peak? performance gain. Do you really buy a pipe because once each lap, or once a weekend, you can use that peak horsepower on that long straightaway? What about the other 98% of your riding time? DMC Afterburners are specifically designed to outperform other exhaust systems on every level with a critical focus on delivering maximum overall horsepower. We don?t pay much attention to claims of ?peak? horsepower or torque gains, neither should you. Peak horsepower is insignificant, how the pipe performs through the whole powerband is everything.

Does the pipe pull like a freight train right off idle? Will the big torque gains help you out of a bad situation? Is your bike easier to ride, allowing you to reduce your lap times? These traits can only be verified by actually riding with the system. DMC ?blind? tests a minimum of our top 3 exhaust system specifications. Many times our test data agrees with the dyno charts, and sometimes our ?best? dyno pipe?well stinks in real life. In all cases we analyze our real-world test data against the dyno charts for future reference.

• Operator error or inexperience?
• Ambient temperature?
• Equipment settings?
• Can the results be duplicated?
• Engine settings?
• Elevation?
• Humidity?
• Fuel used?
• Airbox modifications?
• Jetting changes?
• Any modified bike components?

Look, a dynamometer is an invaluable tool for developing performance products. And of course DMC uses them as a tool for comparative analysis. Our concern is that some companies either intentionally, or due to ignorance, sell their products based on a dyno charts with claims that peak horsepower or torque tells the whole story. Before you spend your hard earned money on a new exhaust, you should take the time to determine what you expect a new exhaust system to provide.

At DMC we are committed to providing better torque, more horsepower and ultimately quicker, more controlled acceleration. Ultimately, that?s what we deliver in a DMC exhaust system. A system that increases overall performance from the exhaust, and delivers the confidence and performance you want. We hope that we have provided enough information so that you can make a more informed decision on all of your performance products. We?re not trying to explain all of the details of dynamometer use, but if you?re really interested in exploring the myths and folklore legends of dyno charts, there are over 10,000 Google sites just waiting for you...