Static Electricity Tuning (Part 1)

My interest in static electricity was sparked when I learned in a YouTube video that airplane wings are equipped with something called static dischargers.

What is a static discharger?

That is what it is, and while it mentions reducing the impact on wireless equipment here, I wondered if it might also have an effect on aerodynamics and other factors.

I am always experiencing the tremendous effects of accumulated skills through the habituation of riding techniques, so I connected that to this, imagining that even small things like friction with the air could become significant resistance if they pile up.

It was then that I happened to come across an article on note by Tristars Tech.

According to Tristars Tech's article, as tires rotate and repeatedly make contact with and separate from the ground, they become charged, which impairs the movement of the rubber molecules, preventing the tires from exerting their inherent shock absorption and grip.

If static electricity is generated by something as minor as air friction, then it would be even more so with friction against the ground, so I had no doubts about that point at all.

And as is written repeatedly in other articles, the logic for the question everyone would have—'If rubber is an insulator, how does it get charged?'—was also convincing to me: 'You must have generated static electricity as a child by rubbing a plastic sheet. In fact, because insulators do not conduct electricity, they end up becoming charged.'

So, I immediately purchased the 'Maji-Karun Nut for Motorcycles' and installed it on my beloved XJR1300.

The most noticeable difference when actually riding was when I drove on the longitudinal grooved pavement of the Omega Curve (6% downhill gradient) on the Meihan National Highway in Nara Prefecture. The road noise I used to hear from the front end was almost gone, the front tire was no longer caught in the grooves, and I was able to pass through smoothly.

I think many riders dislike longitudinal grooved pavement, so when I talk to people about the Maji-Karun Nut, I always start with this story.

Next, I tried verifying the effects of the Maji-Karun Nut on a 234km medium-distance tour (tandem run).

First, although the XJR weighs over 250kg, I could already feel the lightness of its movement when pushing and pulling it with the engine off.

When engaging the clutch at start-up, the slight loss where the engine speed would drop for a moment was gone.

Dunlop's latest touring tire, the 'Roadsmart IV,' has improved shock absorption for road gaps and the like due to a change in the carcass profile, but I felt that same level of shock absorption with the Roadsmart III S I am currently using. (This is my personal impression.)

I also felt an improvement in tire grip, and there is a sense of security that it is 'grabbing the road surface.' I was able to approach corners smoothly, and I think my cornering speed has likely increased as well.

Perhaps because rolling resistance has been reduced, it also had an effect on improving fuel efficiency.

Honestly, it is a part so effective that I feel reluctant to tell others about it.

I was also recommended to perform static removal on the transmission and chain, so I would like to give that a try.