What are the benefits of porting a cylinder head compared to turbo charging a motor or adding nitrous?
Porting the cylinder head, if performed correctly, will have no adverse effects on the engine. The same cannot be said for turbo charging or nitrous, which puts strenuous loads on the engine, mainly on the lower rotating assembly. While all three will increase the horsepower of the engine, porting the cylinder head can be combined with both turbo charging or nitrous to further enhance their effect. The exhaust side of the cylinder head needs the most help when adding turbos or nitrous. This is because a lot of air is being forced in, but nothing is being done to help get the increased airflow out of the engine. Turbos also have a very distinct sound and are easily recognized. Nitrous, while concealable, is easily detected with a little investigation. With port work, only the bike owner knows if their head has been ported. These issues come up a lot at the local drag strip in deciding whom to race or not to race.
