TUNING, IT’S NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE…
Currently Adam specialises in tuning the Royal Alloy range. He’s nothing against Scomadis but in his words: “I understand Royal Alloy’s machines and enjoy working on their fuel-injected engines.” We’ve mentioned elsewhere that Adam can improve the air-cooled 125’s performance by 105% for £795 (plus fitting which usually takes around four hours). In a world of sky high two-stroke tuning prices, we had to ask, how is that possible? “The choice of engine variant in the 125 was inspired,” he began. Of all the Gy6 derivatives out there, this is among the best, the major downside is that it has a unique barrel stud pattern and a lot of off-the-shelf kits aren’t compatible. Thanks to the way the crankcase breaks apart it’s much easier than a PX to work on and critically the 125 also uses the same casings and head as the GP180. The first part of increasing the power is to swap all the 125’s gearbox and barrel for those from a 180. I do that with factory supplied parts which ensures good quality control. Next comes an air filter and upgraded variator. I’m a big fan of Dr Pulley, as the UK importer I should be, and their rollers also go into the mix. The final part of the hardware is an exhaust that’s made here with my own hands.”
For scooterists brought up on a diet of two-strokes that would seem to cover all the bases, but in truth it’s barely half the story.
Most Scootering readers, even if they can’t wield a spanner, understand the basics of twostroke tuning. Put more fuel in by fitting a big carb and manipulate exhaust gases on the way out with an expansion pipe. That’s pretty much it, everything else just adds finesse. With modern four-strokes it’s a different matter entirely, the engine will only respond to what the computer (electronic control unit) tells it to do. Thanks to his background in electronics, Adam’s worked hard to offer remapping of the ECU with different settings. This is the equivalent of re-jetting, changing ignition timing and managing engine running temperature but by computer.
It’s by remapping that the whole package is brought together.
So far as the liquid-cooled 125, 200 and 300s are concerned, Adam’s also developed a package to improve those too. However, unlike the air-cooled 125s this will involve some big brand names with a matching price tag. As Adam told us: “It’s all possible, it just depends on the budget. Right now, the air-cooled 125s offer exceptional value, with great results. As the liquid-cooled model 300s start to get older and appear on the used market they’ll become more viable for mass market tuning.”