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Customizing your bike…..
Bike customization is about making your bike reflect you as an individual. This can be done by simple bolt-on replacement modifications, or the more advanced custom paint-scheme and custom stickers, right the way through to major frame and hardware modifications such as street-fighters and extended swing-arms etc. This morning I want to introduce and identify the availability one simple modification that will effect how you interact with the bike, as well as make your bike that bit more like your own. This is the beginning of a series of threads that will identify other bolt-on option that will personalize your bike.....
Fuel Management Systems.
Now once you have chosen that Exhaust/System that helps you add that element of sound that you want with the look you have, it is a good idea to actually re-tune your bike to ensure that is not running lean, and potentially harming your engine.
Briefly, replacement exhausts/systems improve flow through the engine, by scavenging exhaust gases quicker, and pulling more air into the cylinders prior to ignition. If you don't add additional fuel, your bike will run lean (more air = higher air/fuel ratio, which is bad in some cases).
To counter this, there is a series of simple after market plug-in systems that can help you with fuel management, as well as the more expensive advanced Fuel Management packages which will allow you to customize your engine management to a higher degree, and with additional features.
Simple Plug and Play Systems:
The following systems will plug into your wiring harness and allow you a simple level of fuel management for your bikes. They don't require any additional plug-in to a computer to be able to tune your bike, they are just a simple plug-in and tune from the side of the road via on the module buttons and flashing LED's.
Dobeck Performance – DFO Gen 3
Cobra – FI2000R
Two Brothers Racing – Juicebox
Each of these produce Fuel Management Systems (FMS) specific for a bike model, that are simply plug and play, requiring no splitting or soldering of wires.
Advanced Plug and Play Systems
The Dynojet PowerCommander (PCIII)is an advanced system, which has the option to do some coarse adjustment through on the bike tunability, but also has fine adjustment via connecting to your computer via USB, and changing the fuel map for 250 rpm increments. Additional accessories can be added to the PCIII that will allow you to effect ignition timing, as well as complete some basic datalogging functions.
The Tuneboy is a system which has been developed purely for the Triumph, Benneli, KTM, Aprilia, Buell & MZ range of motorcycles. It is similar in that it can be used as a simple plug and play system similar to the others mentioned to date, but as well as allowing fuel management, it also allows you to change rev-limits, iginition timings, air-fuel targets etc, and all wihout having to stay plugged into the bike. This management needs to be completed via a PC, but rather than having the Tuneboy left on the computer, it can be used to actually flash the stock ECU to reprogram it to the new settings.
The Bazzazz Performance Z-Fi is slightly more advanced than the Dynojet, as there is no "coarse" adjustment feature available on the unit itself, all tuning has to be done via a USB connection with a PC. This is no different to what the Dynojet PCIII can do. However the advantage of the Bazzazz system is the extra's that can be purchased to fit in with it. You can also purchase an Air-Fuel mapping kit that will allow the Bazzazz Performance system to search and set your fueling to a specific Air-Fuel ratio based on a closed loop tuning set-up, as well as log and create a map that can become a permenant tune. In addition there is a Traction Control and a Quick Shift Kit that can also be added to the system to allow you current cutting edge racing technology at your fingertips.
The Motty Electronics AFR Tuner is a step up from the Bazzazz Performance system. Rather than having the closed loop tuning system as an optional extra, it is supplied as part of the main unit. Again this is a PC only tuning system, and the AFR Tuner also has a data logging component which logs Air-fuel Ration, throttle position, rpm, gear (if your bike has a sensor), coolant temperature, and a single user defined sensor.
Summary
Of all the options that have been mentioned to date, these are listed from minimum to maximum complexity/features, and are only really required if you start to play with either engine internals, or your exhaust. A lot of these systems are actually for Race Use only, so use them at your own peril.
More advanced entire engine management systems will be looked at in the future......
Cheers
Simmo
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Originally Posted by ZX9R 
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