Glad to see this post. Most people who change to sliders either go with a different weight (as I did on my last scooter), and/ or change their variator. So it's difficult to see just what difference the slider itself makes. But Stig gave a pretty good comparison/contrast.
IMHO:
Because of the shape of the sliders the engine speed (rpm's) is higher as you pull away from a stop......
At high road speeds the engine speed is lower.
The engine and road speeds across the rpm band are different than stock rollers.
Depending on the horse power available from your engine > your scooter will feel more powerful at low road speeds (since engine is turning more rpm's) and less powerful at high road speeds (since it is turning lower rpm's)
More 'grunt' down low, less 'grunt' high up.
Some believe that an engine using sliders & turning lower rpm's at highway speeds is good for the engine and mpg's. This assumes that the manufacturer got it wrong when they engineered the scooter gearing to run with the stock CVT weights....or that they came up with the 2nd best compromise across the rev band.
Sliders are different - in the minds of some riders this is good. Some mix roller weights or slider weights to get an effect they like. I liken it to the addition of $450 sport mufflers. (louder is faster)
Some scooters that are lurching and rough at pull-away get through that period more quickly with the higher revving sliders.
Some slider users do not like the loss of power while merging at speed onto on-ramps....or overtaking on the highway. If your scoot has plenty of spare hp this is less of an issue.
The sliders on my Burgman give brisker pull-away acceleration (which I rarely employ - since I'm buying the tires) and @1,200 fewer rpm's while cruising at 65>70 mph - where I need to do little or no overtaking.
Stig
Have you noticed any change plus or minus in fuel economy when using the sliders? The mpg on my Xciting 250 increased slightly. But I do 80% highway riding. And the little 250 was revving near redline and would hit the rev limiter before the engine ran out of steam naturally. I MAY install sliders of the same weight as OE when I replace the Belt on my Majesty at 12,000 miles if they will give me a few more mpg at 65-70 mph. Otherwise, I'll stick with the OE rollers.
I find that in automobiles, the manufacturer factors in several things when deciding on the standard axle ratio and transmission gear ratios. Economy, emissions, and performance at what they feel MOSTor their customers will use their vehicles for. Once emissions are satisfied, then the other things are factored in. It's not necessarily a matter of them getting it right or wrong. But the best compromise. However, they sometimes offer a choice. For example. The Mercury Grand Marquis was offered with a choice of two rear axle ratios. The 2.73 was most common , gave acceptable acceleration, and the best fuel economy. But the 3.27 gave better acceleration and was better if a person towed or road with a full load. But the fuel economy was slightly worse. I guess that's what the scooter manufacturers did as well.
