| Author | Message | ||
     Countryx |
Had the dealer install the factory race kit on the CityX at the 1000 mile service. The first thing I noticed when I fired it up and blipped the throttle was the sound...very nice. The second thing I noticed was popping when I let off the throttle. I asked the service manager about that. He said [and it seemed reasonable to me] that I needed to run the bike for a while and bring it back if it continued to do it. I've run a couple of tanks of gas through it and here are my impressions... The sound is awesome. There is a noticeable increase in HP [butt dyno] between 3000-4000 RPM [consistent with the dyno chart on the Buell website]. Roll on throttle improved. Riding through town in 1st or 2nd gear and rolling off the throttle produces popping typically associated with a lean condition. Rolling off in higher gears and higher RPM's doesn't seem to produce the popping. Vibration through the handlebars and footpegs has noticeably increased. To confirm that it wasn't just my perception, my hands were stinging last night after riding 100 or so miles and were swollen this morning. I didn't have this problem before the race kit was installed. The vibrations smooth out around 3500 RPM and above, but even then they are worse than before. Less than 3500 RPM, the bike is frankly not as fun to ride as it was before the race kit was added. I don't ride that aggressively and spend allot of time in that range. I don't know that much, but it seems to me that the bike is probably running lean through the lower RPM range inducing the popping and vibrations? Some questions... Can the Techlusion device help this? What tweaking can be done to the bike as it is now? If I decide to return the bike to stock [seriously considering it] will a TPS reset be necessary? I'm guessing I can't just slap the OEM muffler, air filter and ECM module back on? Suggestions? Thanks! | ||
| Daves |
The Techlusion box will help with a lean condition if you have one. You can put your stock stuff back on, that ecm is already set up for your bike so no problem there. Ride in a lower gear, Buells generally like higher RPMs. Dave | ||
| Voto077 |
I did the same as country put the race kit on at 1000 mi service. I love it, sounds great, more power, and like Dave said u can just fly around in 3rd gear with the rpms around 4 or higher. I feel like i can finally go into the higher rpms without the bike explodeing. And i like to scare the kids as i drive by. | ||
| Countryx |
Sound and power, no doubt. But between 2500-3500 RPM, the bike vibrates worse than my 650cc thumper....didn't do that before the race kit was installed. 3rd gear, 4000 RPM...roll off throttle POW....rumble, rumble, POW, POW. Sumthin' ain't right. Looks like I'll be selling a slightly used race kit unless someone can tell me how to smooth out the engine. I want my bike back!  | ||
| Glitch |
Country, that's the nature of the race kit. You give up some on the bottom and pick some up on the top. Either you'll get used to it (like I did) and run at higher revs or you can play around with the parts you have. Shred ran the Buell Race can without the ECM for many thousands of smiles, no problems. Maybe he'll chime in here and let us know if he had the torque hole you're talking about. The nines really do like it best over 3500. You could look at a Drummer, they're made for the rev range you like anyway. Maybe sell the Race pipe to off set the price a bit? I hope it all works out for ya. | ||
| Countryx |
I'm waiting for someone to chime in with, "If you don't ride aggressively, why the h*ll did you get a race kit?"  Well....the dealer offered it at a discount with free install at the time of bike purchase. It was like he was holding a gun to my head, man...  I'm usually shifting around 3500 RPM and very rarely get to 4000 or above. Given the roads around here and my skill level I really don't have any business spending allot of time above 3500 RPM. To quote Clint Eastwood..."A man has got to know his limitations."  Maybe a Drummer is a better route for me....time to do some research.... | ||
| Glitch |
"If you don't ride aggressively, why the h*ll did you get a race kit? I don't think that'll happen here.  | ||
| Dbird29 |
My 9S with race kit loves to rev (until bumping off the limiter). I wouldn't worry about it. DBird | ||
| Ingemar |
If you don't ride aggressively, why the H*LL did you BUY A BUELL?!?!   Seriously, popping in the exhaust when you close the throttle is normal. I acutally love it and do it on purpose every once in a while. Right before entering a tunnel I shift down, bring it up to the revlimit and close it IN the tunnel (no traffic behind me of course). Then watch pedestrians with their hands over their ears and cars hitting their brakes!!  The vibrations, I have that too between below 3000. The mirrors turn transparant, but above 3000 it is smooth as silk. You *could* check the timing to make sure its set oke. | ||
| Chaser |
The race kit has a different ecu for 2005 Did they install the right one? | ||
| Black_sunshine |
To help with vibration I filled my bars with silicon. I noticed my hands being numb after a while. After I filled them, it reduced my vibration by about 50% | ||
| Countryx |
I haven't looked at the module itself, but the box it came in does show the correct part number for the new ECM. I'll eyeball it later today. Vibration was not an issue on my bike until AFTER the race kit was installed. To me popping on decel is an indication of a badly trimmed motor and I personally don't find it amusing...each to his own, though. It's headed back to the dealer. Unless they can find another reason why the engine is running rough and correct it, the race kit is coming off and I'm going back to stock. Someone on BadWeb may be getting a VERY good deal on a race kit. | ||
| Buell_zen |
Riding through town in 1st or 2nd gear and rolling off the throttle produces popping typically associated with a lean condition. Rolling off in higher gears and higher RPM's doesn't seem to produce the popping. It is my understanding that the popping is due to the muffler getting hot and unburnt fuel hitting the hot muffler. Is that a lean condition? | ||
| Countryx |
 I've read some comments that suggest popping on decel is caused by lean running engine. After your post, I searched around and saw unburned fuel discussed as a cause [obviously NOT a lean condition]. I've also read that an exhaust leak can cause it. I'm pretty clueless about the whole thing actually and was just parroting what I had read previously...perhaps it was bad info? Anyway... Whatever the cause, it pops on hard decel and it didn't do it before the race kit was installed. I don't like it. Others do. | ||
| Rsh |
Are you sure it didn't pop before you installed the race kit? and it is just more pronounced now because of the pipe being louder. I say this because I went through the same issue (popping on decel) running stock compared to running my D&D exhaust. For my XB9R you can hear it pop on decel with the stock pipe as well if you listen for it, you either put up with the louder pop or go back to stock and quiet the pop down. | ||
| Xb9er |
Bars filled with silicon or silicone? Very big difference! Mike. | ||
| Countryx |
It may have popped before, but I wear earplugs whenever I ride. Exhaust noise was pretty much non-existent before the race kit...now it is present. For me, a big part of the enjoyment of riding a Buell is the illusion that I am flying. The additional vibration and noise that the race kit appears to have introduced are "harshing my buzz" so to speak.  From what I have been reading, the race kit is doing what it is supposed to be doing, although I am curious as to why the vibrations at lower RPM's have increased so much. I experienced something similar when I installed the Ducati Performance Kit on my Monster. A previously smooth engine became very vibey. Perhaps the vibes are being transmitted from the exhaust itself? Someone suggested that the timing may be off... I don't know. I just made a choice that was inconsistent with my riding preferences. I thought I wanted what the race kit provides, only to find out that I really didn't. I'll be more than satisfied with the bike again once I return it to stock form and it runs like it did previously. My main regret now is that I have to return it to a dealer to have the TPS reset when I put the stock ECM back on. [at least I am assuming that is necessary]. Otherwise I would swap the modules this afternoon and try the current set up with the stock ECM, just for grins. | ||
| Kowpow225 |
I ran only 1/3 the equation of the race kit for a couple of months...the muffler. I have to be honest here. The bike ran NOTICABLY hotter w/o the ecm and filter installed. I'd have the fan running alot just cruising through town. Now I have the full kit installed and I'd have to kick the snot out of it to even make it click on. Sometimes the fan would run at cruising speeds for several minutes at a time. I'd have to say its all or nothing on this one. On a side note with the popping. That was also present on mine when I had only the race muffler and everything else was still stock. I'd have to assume the muffler allows those pulses to come through noticably, since the stocker doesn't allow that due to it's baffling differences, backpressure, etc. | ||
| Black_sunshine |
XB9R....Sorry about the typo..I meant Silicone. Two part with inhibitor and silicone oil to make it pourable. I use it a lot at my work so I thought what the heck. Works well. | ||
| Starter |
You do NOT have to have the TPS reset when you put the stock ECM back on. Your stock ECM already knows what voltage your TPS is sending so there is no need for it to be reset. Now that both ECM setup you can swap and change without any problems with your bike. | ||
| Countryx |
Thanks Starter. I was rummaging through some ECM related threads this afternoon and had seen that discussed. I put the stock ECM back on the bike and left the K&N Filter and Race Exhaust on. I rode it about 30 miles, keeping the RPM steady at 3500 for several miles. [I had seen that suggested as a way to help the ECM learn its new environment]. I would expect the bike to be running rather lean with that set up [and perhaps it is] but it seems to be running MUCH smoother. It started easily, idles appropriately, and smooths out at 3000 rather than 3500 RPM. The exhaust is still popping on hard decel, but less so. The bike behaves the way I expected it to when I installed the whole kit. I'm beginning to wonder if something was wrong with the race ECM I got? It appears that I received the correct ECM, if the part number on the unit is accurate. | ||
| Starter |
Interesting you say the bike runs how you thought it should with the stock ECM. I'm hearing people say that the CityX are alot smoother than the old 9 which reminds me of comments made during my 1st service. The tech came back from the mandatory servicing test ride and claimed mine rode so much smoother than their demos which are 2003 models and race kitted. Mine ran pretty good with stock ECM and Race pipe and filter but I changed to the race ECM soon after cause I wanted to try it. One thing for sure is the race ECM has more mid range. But the Stock ECM and other components is still pretty good and smoother power delivery. | ||
| Countryx |
I owned an 03 XB9. The CityX definitely runs much smoother. That was one reason why I came back. | ||
| Whistle |
CountryX-It is true that more open pipes (re: race pipe) will pop more noticably on hard decel. Rather than hard decels, use your brakes. Brake pads are cheaper than tranny parts. You can still decel, but if you wanna click down while the motor is screamin, get ready for an earful! Also-there is another way to get rid of the popping on decel with fuellie bikes most folks it seems aren't aware of...if you want to add a box and have your fuel maps adjustable, a good dyno shop should be able to do that for you. Usually on zero throttle the ECM is programmed to give very little gas. If you have the tuner richen it up a little as you decel you won't get the pop. have fun- Nick | ||
| Jeremyh |
if you want vibes try running it straight piped, then you will know what excessive vibration is. | ||
| Glitch |
Country, If you don't like the sound, but want the power, why don't you use the race kit with the standard pipe and see how that runs. Won't hurt to try. | ||
| Countryx |
I'm pretty pleased with it since I put the stock ECM back on. The bike seems to be running fine. Popping on decel is down, vibrations down, it sounds good, and has a little more power than totally stock. I didn't mention it before but the race ECM was stumbling some around 4000 RPM if I tried to hold it there and it backfired really loud a couple of time when I started the bike. Perhaps that is typical? Didn't seem right to me. Thanks for comments and suggestions. Since I've gone back to the stock ECM, I'm thinking about playing with the Techlusion TFI. Maybe I'll learn something about FI and can fine tune the bike for my riding style. | ||
| Glitch |
Sounds like you're happy again, that's all that matters. The TFI seems to be helping to make a bunch of people smile bigger these days. | ||
| Ingemar |
Good to hear your happy. The reason why I didn't advice to go back to the stock ecm is that I recently replaced my race ecm with the stock ecm on my 9, and it is still popping like crazy. TFI is on it's way. | ||
| Reepicheep |
So anyone that has done both, what, exactly, is the change you see between the Race ECM and the stock ECM? My hope (when I got it) was that the stock ECM was optimized to get the best running bike while keeping emissions legal (sound and smog) and the the race ECM was optimized to get the best running bike. |
