Need a good description for "Power Band"

[Boneman]

There is a lot of usable power below the power band. At least the way I was taught to understand power band. Our bikes tend to make a noticeable jump in power @ 8,000 RPM and continues to make power until 12,000. People often say 'the bike comes alive @ 8k' or 'the bike wakes up at 8k'

That is what I have always considered/ understood to be the 'power band'. But 90% of the time, I ride in the very usable 4,000 to 5,000 RPM range.

Again, you're focusing on the power band characteristics of just the FZ6.

 

[Boneman]

THanks everyone for their input and responses. Very helpful and good to hear other people explain it!

So here is what I've compiled from all the info you guys gave me.

Every gasoline engine has a POWER BAND, including a lawn mower.

The “Power Band” is the range of RPM for which the engine operates most effectively (best performance out of the engine). This range is best described as a place where acceleration will happen the quickest because the engine is working as efficiently as possible.

So the engine is not lugging nor is it racing. It’s in a range that when more throttle is applied, the response is immediate power to the rear wheel.

 

[deeptekkie]

The powerband as it relates to an engine is a certain range of RPM's specific to a particular motor where maximum horsepower and acceleration are realized.

It varies from one engine design to another, but every engine will have a power band. This range is best described as a place where acceleration will happen the quickest because the engine is working as efficiently as possible.

For example, the FZ6 powerband seems to kick in around the 8,000 rpm mark. The engine will run and accelerate at lower rpm's, however, the engine really seems to "wake up" as the rev's climb past 8,000. This is influenced by many factors including intake and exhaust timing, fuel injection timing, engine compression, air box/ intake design and many other factors.

This would be my story and I would stick with it. (It pretty much says it all for tech-heads or folks that know nada about engines)

 

[sxty8goats]

Again, you're focusing on the power band characteristics of just the FZ6.

The 150cc's that you are teaching on are great learning bikes. Those bikes should be in the PB as they have very little/ no usable power outside of the power band. Does Canada have restrictions on new riders as to how large a bike they can ride at different license levels? I know a lot of the European countries do but I'm not sure about Canada. We should have them here in the states.

I agree with your premise. Riders should always have usable power at hand and ready. But on many bikes, the 'power band' is pretty radical for everyday riding. As I said before, it may just be that we are interpreting 'power band' differently but many of the people I know who ride, if not most, consider the 'power band' to be the point that the bike / quad 'comes alive'. And on many machines, that can be dangerous if you don't know how to ride in the power band, especially in traffic / stop and go situations.

(I enjoy a good discussion and sometimes can't tell when the other party is getting angry or when I'm just gnawing on the bone too long. Feel free to tell me to shut the hell up at anytime and I'll stop w/o offense. I'm not trying to be a dick or argumentative, just discussing a topic I find interesting)

My main concern is that a young kid / new rider will hear someone tell him that he should always keep his bike in the power band and not be able to separate 'power band' from 'usable power' when he, against the advice of all sane people, goes out and picks up a nice flashy R1 / CBR1000 / 'Gixxer'. That kid is going to be posting on the forums "Why is my bike wheeling when I shift in to second?" if he is not wrapping himself around a pole.

 

[krid80]

Working at a dealership, we frequently have novice customers asking if we can "put a powerband in their bike." The running joke is that we have many different colors of power bands depending on what they want. We even have clear and camoflage if they want to keep secret the fact that they have a powerband. In our computers we have a part number for "power band assy" and the part number is 1234567. The price: $100,000.

You want a powerband? It's gonna cost ya!

 

[shuckle]

My daughter recently got her driver's license (car) - so i've been teaching her how to drive my car as well, it's a standard.

I try to use the analogy of a bicycle with gears.

If you are in too low of a gear, you are pedalling really fast to maintain speed. To accelerate, you have to speed up your pedalling even more and you might not be able to speed up enough to get the acceleration you need.

If you are in too high of a gear, you are pushing really hard but not pedalling quickly. You are using a lot of energy to keep those pedals turning. To accelerate you have to push even harder. You might not have the strength to increase your push enough to accelerate.

If you are in just the right gear, you are pedalling at a comfortable rate and if you need to accelerate you can increase your pedalling speed easily.

So the key is to keep the pedals going in the range that's the most comfortable in terms of speed and amount of push. If you are accelerating and your pedal speed is getting to the upper end of the range, you go to the next higher gear. Conversely, if you are decelerating and it's getting harder to push, your in the lower end of your range, you go the next lower gear.

Same for an engine, you keep the motor running in the "band" or range of engine speed that is best for the engine.

HTH

 

[Hellgate]

Back in the time of dinosaurs....

Four stroke riders sometimes used the term, "On the cam" to refer to being in the meat of the power band.

Two stroke guys, "On the pipe", same idea as above.

In a sentence: "Man, I missed my shift going into four and was off the cam at the exit."