There are loads of reasons why variations in peak power and acceleration can occur but you have to remember that most Hondas leave the factory with near enough the same power (give or take a few bhp).
Other manufacturers such as Fords have wider tolerances on the engine internals, which ultimately means the variations in power between each car will vary to a larger extent. This is why blueprinting is so beneficial on Ford/Vauxhall engines, whereas doing this on Honda or Toyota engines won't really give a huge benefit.
The things that will affect performance more than anything are...
- Incorrect Tyre Pressures (~34psi all round works well on the CTR).
- Engine Oil level/quality - manual suggests replacing oil each 6000 miles, and the filter every 10k miles.
- Gearbox oil level/quality - I just did mine and the engine seems to rev much more freely ever since.
- Worn engine components & ancillaries - dirty Spark plugs, old air filters, knackered lambda sensors, excessive valve clearances and a tired battery will also affect performance.
I also make a point of running my CTR on V-Power or at least 97ron fuel all the time. I notice a difference within a few minutes if I drop down to 95ron at any point and the car seems to stutter at low revs. After a few tanks of V-Power, the car runs noticeably smoother and mpg improves. A must for most modern Jap engines IMO.
