A timing advance adds power in the low to mid range. Fuel takes time to burn so you must usually fire the plug before top dead center to let it burn completely. How far advanced depends on alot of things. What ever Yamaha set the timing at on the entry level Blaster I think they were conservative. If you advance 4 degrees it probably burns the fuel better and makes more power. It also fights the engine more than before. Sparking the plug sooner means the piston must fight the combustion soon in its rotation. After those two thing happen, the result is a increase in power.