| Author | Message | ||
     Jraice |
Did some searching but its mostly expensive major projects that I can find. What is the basic performance mod for an XB12 (2009) if I chose to do it. Dont want small increaes for lots of money as I am not racing, but having a bit more torque down low, smoother power, etc... is all nice. When I get my XB12Ss I definetly want an exhaust, either drummer or special ops, for the sound but while I am at it, what mods can I do? Please tell me cost, difficulty to install, effect it has on performance and effect on how it runs with stock fuel managment (to lean, to rich, perfect). Also is it common to have the bikes dyno'd and what is the best way to edit the fuel system etc... I hear ecm spy often but dont know specifics. Thanks! | ||
| Strmvt |
Well, a K&N air filter,delete the air box with a delete kit, breather re-route are the easiest ones and cheap as well if you use the search up top there are numerous threads on how to do a breather re-route. The sponsors section have vendors with just about everything I mentioned Americansportbike.com will have a breather re-route kit air box delete kit and possibly a air filter or two not to mention Al and Joanne are awesome people. | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
You can get a lot from intake, exhaust, and ecm mods. Beyond that you'll be spending a lot of money; head work, big bore kits, ect. You'll need to reprogram the ECM with ECM Spy since both the intake and exhaust mods will cause lean conditions. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Lots of people overlook suspension tuning and upgrades. Experienced go-fast guys do not. Track days are a good investment as well. | ||
| Sifo |
I did a series of changes all at once. K&N filter, opened up the inner air box (no need on '07 & later), Jardine slip on, and breather/catch can mod. Then I went straight into tuning using ECMspy and MegaLogViewer. End result was a better running bike with a noticeable bump in the low to midrange power. Can't tell you what give the best bang for the buck though because I did all of it together. If you really want to improve bottom end punch on an XB12 just swapping the gearing in the primary to the XB9 parts gives a 11% lower gearing. That's 11% more torque at 11% lower speed for not a lot of money. Biggest negative is 11% lower top end. $220 at AmericanSportBike! | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
+1 to a track day. But careful, it can be addictive. +100 for suspension tuning/set-up. It's free and it's the best thing you can do. First set it up according to the factory settings for your weight, ride that for a while, and if you want to try something more aggressive use the "Aggressive Handling Settings" and personalize from there.  (Message edited by not_purple_s2 on March 08, 2009) | ||
| Slaughter |
Suspension, tires and track days. Everything else is just noise until you can USE it. These beasties are great-handling machines and with proper settings can be EXCELLENT. Handling improvements with the resulting turning, braking, acceleration, trail-braking confidence WILL make you much faster than just HP. Besides, none requires dyno work or will affect reliability! A notebook doesn't cost much and in it you can record tires, pressures, suspension settings and other pertinent details... all for about $1 (that's my own personal crusade) | ||
| Jraice |
Thanks guys! Yeah I know I know track days, suspension ya ya ya... Of couse I want to improve that part of my riding and I am not looking to turn the buell into something its not with big bore kits etc... I have an R6 right now, I am clearly down grading and know I am down grading and WANT to down grade. I just want to make it run as best as possible with what I know I will do to it (slip on, couldnt live with stock sound). I just want the A/F to be at a good level and maybe do one simple intake mod before that. So ECM spy basically allows you to alter the stock settings? Do you guys dyno the bikes or go with pre-existing maps and trial/error? | ||
| Jraice |
Just did some research on the breather reroute... If I am understanding this correctly it replaces the use of the airbox....? Is that correct? Why? | ||
| Too_tall_ss |
Check out Voodoo Pipes, I was going to go with a drummer, but I've changed my mind to these.http://www.voodoo-fabrication.com/home These keep the servos for the 12s and have a nice deep sound. I have a 09 Ss and the next thing to change is my air filter to the K&N high flow filter, so hopefully that gets some more low end power and to clear up the stumbling. The 08's-09's have a different ECM then the earlier models, I've seen some that have come up with new programs to change it, but nothing is solid yet as far as I've seen. The new DDFI 3 can learn some things, but if you go overboard it will mess it up, but the basic intake, exhaust mods shouldn't cause any problems. You best bet is to talk to your local Buell tech to understand all of this, that's what I did. You also can reset the ECM on the new ones without having to hook it up to anything. | ||
| Sifo |
What ever you do, you will save money if you have a long term plan for your mods. Changing the primary gearing will add a bunch to the slow speed punch at a very reasonable price. A slip on muffler will give the sound you want, but some change the tuning more than others. The Drummer and Special Ops have a great reputation and are supposed to work well with the stock ECM settings. A cheaper pipe may need further tuning to get it running the way it should. You might want to talk to Al at American Sport Bike or Xopti to find out what packages they have ECM maps for before you upgrade yourself into a corner that requires some expensive dyno time to get it running well. I tuned my '06 with ECMspy and MLV, but I understand that the '08 and '09 models have some new twists that make it not quite as straight forward as the older models. This is where it could really pay off to talk to folks like Al or Xopti. Note that I did all of my mods at one time so that I could just tune it once. The data logging was a pain in the neck, but well worth it given the results I've had. I don't want to go through that again if I don't have to though. | ||
| Jraice |
Thanks I also would probably do it all at one time and I want to keep it extremely simple. My main goal is to put an exhaust on (for the sound) and any other inexpensive beneficial mods and then tune once. Voodoo seems like a great system but is going out of business for 4-5 weeks (family issues) and I heard their base line model is being dropped. If you want to maintain the servo, special ops still uses it. And is the K and N filter really going to increase flow? I know on a lot of bikes it doesnt do a whole lot, really it just lasts longer. And still confused as to the breather reroute, what exactly its accomplishing etc... And the primary is not really the direction I want to go, dont want to mess with gearing for highway use and again I am not wanting to make it a bunch faster, but just have it running at the best state of tune for the mods I need (exhaust)... Perhaps I should just toss on a drummer or special ops and call it a day, and maybe do some other mods in the distant future. | ||
| Sifo |
Perhaps I should just toss on a drummer or special ops and call it a day, and maybe do some other mods in the distant future. Good starting point! Get to know the bike for a while before going overboard. | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
I'm not sure if the breather/airbox mod is necessary on a '08+. They already have a pretty open innerbox from the factory. The breather "reroute" reroutes the crankcase vents into a separate catch-can rather than circulate the oil and water vapor from the crankcase back into the intake. It's a nominal performance mod ~1-2hp. If you don't want to fool with routinely emptying a catch-can then don't do it. | ||
| Jraice |
I have heard the breather reroute helps with idle and low end though... But it does sound like more pain then its worth... Emptying a catch can every 250 miles is not a big deal though... The main thing that worries me is the outboard filter getting clogged over time and damaging the system somehow. By leaving the breather routed per stock, its not damaging the engine in any way to have the oil and vapor go into into the intake, correct? Just not ideal for performance... | ||
| 4cammer |
I did the breather reroute this winter and took her for the first ride of the year on Friday. Even with old stale Stabil(ized) gas I could feel a difference in my bike. I have a '07 XB9R with 8K miles. I have always had an off idle stumble, and some surging issues with constant running at 3000-3500 rpms. Not anymore. My bike now runs from idle to redline very smoothly with none of the minor issues I had before the mod. Took me all of two hours to route the hose, K&N filter and fittings. I took my time and it looks really good. | ||
| Iamarchangel |
Best and cheapest? Put in the hours. | ||
| Jraice |
Sounds like just doing an exhaust to start is the way to go but the breather reroute seems worth a try in the future... So a few questions... How often is the oil drained? Is there really need for concern for the K&N getting clogged... Should it be replaced at an interval (at $25's it wouldnt be to bad if it was done every year or something along those lines). Im still confused as to what the purpouse of the breather is in general, I get that the reroute moves it to an external location but why is a breather needed period? Also is it true you cant use the breather with the exhaust servo? That would be a reason to go drummer instead of special ops, which uses it. | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
The purpose of a crankcase breather: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCV_valve | ||
| Sifo |
Sounds like just doing an exhaust to start is the way to go but the breather reroute seems worth a try in the future... So a few questions... How often is the oil drained? I assume you mean the breather catch can. I drain mine when I fuel. It's more water that comes out than anything else. Is there really need for concern for the K&N getting clogged... Should it be replaced at an interval (at $25's it wouldnt be to bad if it was done every year or something along those lines). The K&N is a lifetime filter. You do need to wash and re-oil it. Easy to do with the K&N recharge kit available at many auto parts stores. Im still confused as to what the purpouse of the breather is in general, I get that the reroute moves it to an external location but why is a breather needed period? I just don't like that stuff going down the intake. It's needed because without a breather of some sort pressure will build in the crank case and cause oil leaks etc. You also want to vent out moisture and blow by gasses. Also is it true you cant use the breather with the exhaust servo? That would be a reason to go drummer instead of special ops, which uses it. The breather and exhaust servo are completely independent from each other. Do as you please. |
