Advanced timing question

Well, i was going over my bike because it has felt lazy ever since the rebuild was completed. I discovered that my timing advance can wiggle a few degrees in either direction because the little notch that is supposed to keep it in place is smashed up.

So, i took my timing plate and moved it a little bit counter clockwise, which really woke the engine up. Faster acceleration, higher top speed.

My main question is, Does this mean that i should pull my valve cover off and retime the cams? Perhaps a tooth or two forwards or backswards?

Also, if i moved the plate counter clockwise, which way would i move the cams?

Kyle! LEAVE THE CAM TIMING ALONE!!! The cam timing is FIXED and controls opening/closing valves. The ignition timing controls when the mixture allowed by the opening of the intake valves is combusted. If you change cam timing, you will bend valves.

If you REALLY want to control the opening and closing of the valves a bit, get some slotted cam sprockets and a degree wheel. Tuners can explain how to accomplish the type tuning you want to do. Advancing and retarding the igntion timing can affect the way the bike runs. Advancing timing can give you a bump in power while many times retarding timing is necessary when using higher compression to preclude early detonation.

I am sure some of our go-fast folks can help explain these things better but I would be VERY hesitant to move use other than the factory cam chain timing. There was a good explanation of degreeing cams on the old site. www.dragbike.com might also help with this type info.

Yeah leave the cam timing alone unless you know what you are doing. You can check your ignition timing with a strobe, advancing it up 3-4 degrees can improve the throttle response, probably won't increase the peak power, will lower the exhaust gas temps and possibly make the engine run a little hotter. Unless you are into performance tuning I would get it as near to stock as possible and leave it there. It could be retarded at the moment which would make it feel sluggish.