I've read some good things about these carburetor inserts in the magazines, but I've yet to speak with any rider I know who's installed one and liked the results.

The Theory

Unlike those ridiculous products (Whirlwind, Tornado, etc.) offered in infomercials on TV, which promise to increase power and gas mileage by creating a swirling action in the air as it enters the intake manifold of your car or truck, the Powerblade (and similar products) actually do have some sound logic and science behind their design. Basically speaking, the insert separates the carburetor intake into separate but unsealed upper and lower chambers. Theoretically, when the carburetor slide is open at anything less than half-throttle, the separator (Powerblade, etc.) allows the air to flow through at a higher speed, since the upper half of the intake is semi-closed off from the partial opening of the slide. This faster flow of air theoretically improves fuel atomization, and improves throttle response at partial throttle. Again theoretically, the better the seal between the upper and lower chambers, the more beneficial the results should be. In the case of the Powerblade, the two chambers are not well sealed at all.

The Big Question

How do you detect a power increase at an unknown partial throttle setting? Think about it. If at 1/4 throttle at 5000 RPM your engine was making 10 HP, how would you know if adding the Powerblade made an extra 0.5 HP at the same throttle setting and RPM? If we want mode power at a partial throttle setting, we simply turn the throttle a little more to get it. And why are we using partial throttle in the first place? Because we want something less than full power! So if you can't even detect the difference the Powerblade makes, what good is it? The very concept is questionable, even if it works! On one hand, to be fair to Hardcore Race Products, the addition of the Rekluse z-Start Auto Clutch on my bike may have masked or hidden any detectable benefits of the Powerblade. On the other hand, I saw nothing on the box or at their website that said this product was not recommended for bikes with auto-clutches, so I think we're safe to assume that they would recommend it anyway. Furthermore, none of the few riders I know who have tried similar products without satisfactory results have auto-clutches on their bikes, so the lack of positive results is not limited to bikes with auto-clutches.

The Powerblade

I know how and where the Powerblade is to be installed, but I was still surprised to see no instructions included, other than a few words of warnings on the box itself. One such warning advises you to make sure the Powerblade and carburetor slide do not foul each other, but there's not a word of advice on what to do if they do interfere. It also says that in some cases it may be necessary to change carburetor settings, but not a word on which settings, or how to detect the need to make such changes. To install the Powerblade, you first need to gain clear access to the intake side of your carburetor. On the Honda CRF250X, this means removing the seat, gas tank, muffler, side panels, and the two lower bolts for the rear subframe assembly. Next you loosen the upper subframe bolt and the carburetor boot clamp on the intake side. Then swivel the subframe assembly upward to vertical, and tighten the upper subframe bolt to hold the assembly vertical. Now the Powerblade will slip into the intake side of the carburetor. Make sure the air vent holes in the Powerblade align with those in the carburetor. Once loosely installed and properly aligned, lightly tap the Powerblade into the carburetor to lock it in place with a force-friction fit. Mine required so much tapping to get it to seat properly, the cheap plating (chrome or perhaps nickel) began popping loose and flaking off. Whether this thing works or not, I certainly don't need flakes of hard chrome or nickle plating being fed into my engine. At that point I pulled it back out, peeled off as much of the cheap plating as I could, and then sprayed it with clear enamel to hopefully seal the plating against further flaking. Again I tapped it in place to seat it properly in the carburetor. Then the subframe assembly and the removed parts were reinstalled.

The Results

To test the results of the Powerblade, I rode some very tight and rough trails where partial throttle was used a great deal. In short, I was never able to detect any difference, good or bad, caused by the Powerblade. If there was any change at all in power or throttle response, I sure didn't feel it.

Bottom Line

Spend your $90 on something worthwhile. Send me a pizza!

CRF's Only Product Review By Gordon Banks, December 2004
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