Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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.0 PUT YOUR 'HEAD WHERE YOUR HEAD'I$. • N 1 M ,.. CJl N ~ « ~ z w -' (.J >(.J The instructor demonstrates the principles of expansion chamber design by using a dear mock-up. The Burak Tuning School By Bill Elam Photos by John Collin Stock or modified, there are no simple answers to the tuning prqblem. But there is an organized a pproach that insures proper results, and it's taught at the Burak Tuninl( School. The school is actually a sideline of Burak Bye Products, 15170 Raymer Street, Van Nuys, California 91405. Jerry Burak and Doug Mayes opened the school about a year ago to fill the need to teach trail riders, street riders, competition riders and even mechanics the principles of tuning two and four-cycle engines. They are well prepared to do so. Jerry Burak has Secondary teaching credentials, and it's obvious when he approaches the blackboard. The instruction is skillful, complete and responsive to student questions. He also throws a mean piece of chalk! The instruction is aided by wooden ,mockups of a two-cycle engine, an ignition system and a carburetor. They were designed and built by Doug Mayes. The components of each mockup are color-codea to assist identification, and are movable to simulate engine operation and tuning adjustments. The ignition mockup can be assembled to sh 0 w different types of ignition systems. Cu t-away production engines and illustrated fJip-charts are also used as training aids. The theories of ignition, carburetion, port design and exhaust systems are explained in relation to two and four-cycle operation. The student participates in the application of theory towards 'tuning and modifying his own engine. The classes are divided in to five three-hour sessions on Saturday mornings, making attendance convenient for working riders. The classes are liIDited to 20 students, so ample time is available for questions and individual attention. The individual attention does not end after the course. Whatever your goal may be, building a down-pipe, learning to tune your own machine, or a career in the motorcycle industry, Doug and Jerry will help you get it together. The training, a handout with tuning procedures and theory notes, and Carl Shipman's "Tuning For Performance" book are all yours for $45. And Jerry helps you tune your own bike (he likes to do wheelies in the parking lot.) The Burak Tuning School presents more than two-cycle and four-cycle theory and a set of tuning procedures. It provides an organized and logical approach to the tuning problem. The student is capable of making adjustments, understanding what they do and why, and determining when they are required. He is aware of the interaction of tuning variables and the value of record keeping. The Burak Tuning School also clears up several misconceptions. Most riders, interested in performance, are misled by th e mechanical simplicity of the tw()-stroke engine. It makes the simple answers seem natural and righ t. .. Jike more cubic inches and bigger carburetors. The hot tip is another simple answer, made popular by the ready supply of free advice and the belief that the engineer at the factory is a blockhead. "Pu t haste in your Hastevarna, kid. Raise the exhaust port," says the fast guy at the campfire. The partsman claims, "Your mid-range response won't get it, son. Cut the spray tube." , The facts are clearly presented at the Burak Tuning School. All machines are compromised by the demands of mass production manufacturing and broad usage. Modifications should be directed toward specific applications. They req:uire in-depth understanding, and are never a substitu te for proper tuning. • No, tuning and porting are not dark secrets known only to the Porting Gods and other mystics in the industry. They are Lm portant tools for the performance-minded riders of a stock or modified machine. And knowledge is what the Burak Tuning School provides, not a handful of hot tips. Knowledge and a broader perspective of two and four-stroke machines and their relationship to the tuner. • Wind-swept design and wild colors spark the imagination. Yamaha gives you one of the largest selections of helmets in the industry, lets you pick just the right helmet to match your mood or machine, These great looking helmets are the most copied of all designs and they remain the top sellers. Our'complete line of Yamaha helmets are quality fiberglass constructed, they exceed Z90.1 standards and are SHeA certified. Our full coverage helmets are SNELL approved, (there are no better approvals a helmet can get). Flip-up face shield and tear-off mud lens are standard on all full coverage helmets, See the complete selection of Yamaha helmets and the entire collection of accessories, specialties and apparel now at your Yamaha dealer. ,YAMAHA PARTS DlSIRIBUTORS, lie. A subsidiary of Yamaha International Carporation, 6610 Orangethorpe Avenue, Buena Park, California 90620 13347 W. Washington Blvd. (213) 390-3406 Send $3.00 for 256 colorful page catalog with more than 5500 Items. For Dealer Information Call (213) 278-9470