TRI-Z likes Reed Spacer

[christph]

For those of you who have a TRI-Z you may want to try a reed spacer. I installed one recently and couldn't believe the performance gains. From the bottom end to the top end it is a much stronger motor. I should note that I also added a boost port (see the Wrench Report) but that was before adding the reed spacer. I added the spacer because I felt the engine wanted to gulp more air (because of the boost port) and it wasn't living up to its full potential. Well, I was right. Wow. It is a tight fit with the stock airbox but it does fit. It is a cheap upgrade too, 20 to 30 bucks depending on where you buy it. Your results may vary depending on your mods but with mine it worked great.

[ktmcrasher]

do you have i link for the spacer?

[Bryan Raffa]

almost 89% of the people on here call bullchit.. I run them on my bikes.. what it does is move the reeds and carb back for more room for gas and air to mix .. more volume if you run a big carb..before the boost ports...

[El Camexican]

This kind of stuff always makes me skeptical. I can see how a spacer could add to the bottom end of a 4 stroke, but on a 2 stroke isn’t the hot ticket to reduce the areas that otherwise reduce the point at which a downward moving piston creates enough pressure to seal the reeds and start moving air up through the ports? And if we can agree on that would it also not make sense that the added space would mean that the upward moving piston would have to be a little higher up the bore to have produced enough vacuum to open the reeds due to the increased volume the spacer has created?

I would never claim to be smart enough to know if what I just typed is 100% true, but I’m pretty sure that a lot of times people mistakenly attribute gains in power to a device when they may have had a jetting, or timing issue that the modification helped mask. i.e. a very richly jetted four stroke engine would likely make power if you simply put an open pipe on it with no other changes where as if you put that same open pipe on an engine that was jetted spot or a little lean with the stock pipe on it would likely fall on its face.

The only way to know for sure if something works for sure is to dyno test it or run it down the drag strip, but if this spacer puts a smile on your face that’s the main thing:beer

[KASEY]

i call bs!!! without a doubt!!! there is NO PERFORMANCE GAIN BY MOVING THE CARB 3/8 AWAY..... ZERO ZIP NADA!! its all in your head and a couple of dyno pulls will prove that....

[christph]

I don't need a dyno to tell me the engine pulls much harder. I have seven 3 wheelers (not including my quads) and have been doing all kinds of engine and chassis mods for 10 years. When a mod doesn't work I acknowledge it and either remove it or try to improve it. The only thing that changed between my back-to-back rides was the reed spacer. No jetting changes and the temperature was the same give or take a few degrees. When it comes to the theory behind it, I assume it works similar to a boost bottle like the stock Z has or the Banshee. It provides a larger reservoir of air-fuel charge for the engine to draw on. I'll have to look into the theory more but for now I just know it works. I've used them on my Tecate and 250R as well but frankly didn't get the same gains--or is that just my imagination? All I am claiming is that for some reason my Z as it is currently modded really liked it.

Reed spacers have been around for a long time and they sell them for most two stroke motorcycles and atvs. If they were complete and utter BS they wouldn't have been around for so long. For those that are interested, I got mine through Dennis Kirk:

https://www.denniskirk.com/moose/torque-spacer-kit.p181097.prd/181097.sku

Read the product reviews and you will see that others have reported similar gains.

[CRAZY70MAN]

This may shed some light on it??? It is all rocket sceince to me but here ya go.....quote from Flowtech.... to get technical its not to shoot atomized fuel into the boost port your transfers aid this pushing pulling fuel consuming effect on the down stroke ,the theory behind them(reed spacers) is alot more complex then to just better aim at the boost upper transfer port. larger volume expansion chambered and /or modified machines create more of a push pull effect of pulse waves through your motor this must be equal on intake side for maximum effeciancy reed spacers pull back reed intake which lowers crankcase compression (not static compression) this equals out the natural push pull sonic pulse effect and puts broader powerband hit near the midrange of its rpm,which his wear a 2 stroke makes most of its power ,this is why its more noticable on modified machines with higher rpm (higher exhaust timing)aftermarket exhaust systems and on ported cylinders Can anyone explain that a little easier or tell if it makes sense and report back???:wondering:wondering I am always wanting to understand the pingers a little more.....

[christph]

Here are a couple of pictures with the spacer installed.

163441163442

Thanks for the theoretical input crazy70man. I'm also into theory but haven't delved too deeply into reed spacers. It sounds a little like exhaust theory (especially two stroke pipes) which relies heavily on the manipulation of pressure waves.

[Mosh]

The thing is you deleted your factory boost bottle. Plus you have a ton of aftermarket stuff on your engine. So your engine may like it. A stockish set-up probably won't yeild any benefits from it. Theoretically reed spacers add crankcase volume. The Z always has had a small intake vs other machines so possibly when you get into major engine mods on a Z the extra volume may help. Personally I dont run them and dont feel they do anything for my engines.

[ktmcrasher]

looks good even if you don't get improvements! can you tell me about that force 3 reed block? where did you get that?

[Mosh]

V force reeds have been around for the 2 series for quite some time as the Wr250 application would fit the Z. Later on in 2007 it was discovered a late model Kx125 shared the same bolt pattern intake and V force offered a 3 series for that application.

Call V force now none as Moto Tasanari and tell them you need a part number as follows....

V303a with 682m pedals.

[ktmcrasher]

cheers for the info mosh

[tri-Z ripper]

i have one on one bike and not the other. I feel the difference and they are both tri-z's. obviously i am biased, and it could be in my head but that's half the battle right making yourself happy?

[fabiodriven]

When it comes to the theory behind it, I assume it works similar to a boost bottle like the stock Z has or the Banshee.

I know nothing of Tri-Z's, I've never even ridden one. I don't know anything about reed spacers either. But I do know about boost bottles, and I know they do absolutely nothing. So your comparison may not be working they way you intended, at least not for me! :lol:

[El Camexican]

I recall once seeing a photo of a rubber insert for a Tri-Z that basically filled and streamlined the cavity of the intake runner and reduced the volume of the tract a lot. I’m sure I saw it on here. Do any of you know about these or recall seeing one, or am I officially losing my mind?

[El Camexican]

Reed spacers have been around for a long time and they sell them for most two stroke motorcycles and atvs. If they were complete and utter BS they wouldn't have been around for so long.

Keep in mind that anyone with a mill, or laser can crank these out all day long for under $5 bucks each with zero liability issues, so it stands to reason there would be a lot more sellers out there than for say an aftermarket cylinder, or head.

[ktmcrasher]

sorry to hijack your thread a bit b but..

could i use those part numbers for the vforce3 to determine what bikes they were intended for & then pick up vforce4 instead?

[TimSr]

When it comes to a TriZ, reed spacers are like turning a full circle to undo the damage to performance of your other "mods". When you eliminate the boost bottle, and put in an aftermarket reed block, and fiber reeds, and then add the reed spacer you are accomplishing the same thing as simply adding a set of Boysen reeds to the stock block, and keeping the stock boost bottle intact. They are shiney and pretty though which I guess justifies the expense.

[christph]

As many of you know the stock manifold on the Z is very small. When I went with the 38mm carb I also went with Sprock's manifold and it doesn't accommodate the boost bottle, otherwise I would have left it on. Perhaps the reed spacer did undo the loss of the boost bottle. But for those skeptics, that would only support the general theory a larger volume intake (especially on this engine) improves engine performance, and that you can get it either through a boost bottle or reed spacer. The point I would make about a boost bottle, however, is that it is a dead end reservoir and quickly develops a vacuum on the upstroke, and therefore its contribution to the air-fuel mixture is limited (unlike the banshee where the pipe (stock) or bottle (aftermarket) connects to the other manifold and draws on it). A reed spacer doesn't have that limitation.

[christph]

Oh, someone asked where I got the V-Force 3. I got it from Greg at Off-Road Innovations. He specializes in Tecate parts but also has stuff for the Z. That's where I get my Sprock parts. From what I understand, Sprock had Mototassinari run a batch of reeds for the Z. I think I got the last one. As others said above, however, there may be one for another machine that fits the Z.

[volfan537240]

Reed spacers do nothing and boost bottles on banshees are the biggest waste of money on the planet. On another note, I have some snake oil for sale if you'd like t buy some....

[christph]

I find it amazing when people who don’t know anything about my machine try to tell me what worked and what didn’t. Unlike you, I am not making a blanket claim about reed spacers. I'm saying it improved the performance of my engine and I will believe my direct experience over your assertion.

[volfan537240]

Hmmm... I guess the engineers at yamaha could've made the intake super short and the reed spacer makes it about right bahahaha. Seems like it would be a common mod though, maybe like in the wrench report.

[ezmoney1979]

Hmmm... I guess the engineers at yamaha could've made the intake super short and the reed spacer makes it about right bahahaha. Seems like it would be a common mod though, maybe like in the wrench report.
Well they did put a boost bottle on it stock so that says something for their engineering lol.
On a side note, years ago I ran a reed spacer on a mildly built Blasterd (piped, ported, 36mm Pj, etc) and it seemed to smooth the power delivery out and it ran better, IMO, than without it. Using the seat of the pants dyno, of course.

[volfan537240]

I've been around banshees for a long time and reed spacers do nothing. I haven't been around tri-z's long so it MAY be different ( I seriously doubt it but I don't know everything).

I know that the op was just trying to share info so I'm not trying to bash you but who knows? You could've sealed up a air leak at the intake when you put the spacer on and there's your power difference.

[fabiodriven]

Well they did put a boost bottle on it stock so that says something for their engineering lol.

I was thinking the same thing. My theory on the Z having a factory boost bottle is this- Boost bottles were all the rage back then and a lot of people bought them aftermarket and put them on their bikes. For the initial cost of the mold and probably 15¢ per bike's worth of plastic, Yamaha now had a "leg up" over the competition.

[MTS]

ill add my 2 cents here, seeing as everyone else has :lol:
"boost" bottles where originally designed for piston port NON reed valve motors, simply to create a lower vac on the intake side and keep the Air/fuel from blowing back through the carb and out, now however on a Reed valve motor it dose much the same, but creates a higher lift of the reed petels for more flow at a varrying rpm, a reed spacer helps in that aspect, most modern 2 strokes have little "cups" under the reed valve area cast into the intake track to keep a constant flow and air moving, if you look at your old smokers 9 times out of 10 you will see small black deposits under your reed area from just that..no flow, :beer

[tecat-z]

The yamaha energy induction intake design was a way for them to publicly announce performance. It was widely used on many
IT and YZ models in the 80's. They designed it's placement, along with it's aggressive looking sticker to be seen. This was a very
Good marketing idea with catchy style that provoked thoughts of performance. In reality, it did little in terms of performance. The
Theory was the extra volume it created would smooth out intake pulses off idle when throttle was snapped open quickly. The Tri-z
Had a very smooth torque oriented power. Much like any modern intake tube on many cars and trucks where remote air filters
Are used, which the Tri-z had. It allows for a big gulp of stored air before the incoming air is up to speed.

[tecat-z]

Generally speaking, reed spacers, or torque plates add low to mid range power. This depends alot on the design of a particular engines intake
And port layout. For example, the Early Tecates intake is huge. The reed block reaches in very close to the intake bridge
Where it can fill the cylinder with alot of volume fast. Tri-z's had a poor design for high rpm power.The entire intake system
From the carb to the ports was a failure in horsepower production. There are only a few people who truly know how to get big power out of them. Sadly we lost the king of Tri-z's. I do love the Tri-z however.

[christph]

I was just thumbing through a 86 Dirtwheels I picked up on ebay. I love reading through the old articles and ads. I can't believe the prices. $250 bucks for a Westcoast swingarm. Anyway, I came across ads for hop-up kits for the Z and other machines and a lot of them included reed spacers. It seems like Mikuni flat side carbs were also big back in the day.

[volfan537240]

I'd love to see a old dirtwheels may from when they covered trikes.