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Two weeks with auto-tune

4K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  engineerrol 
#1 ·
So after two weeks of using auto-tune and the PCV on my 12 I'm extremely pleased. Set the changes to +/-20% and the bike is SUPER smooth everywhere with more power than I know what to do with. This is definitely how the bike should be.

One thing I ran in to was a problem I can only attribute to air-reversion in the system due to the muzzy exhaust. In first gear at 3000 and 3500 RPM and 5% and 10% throttle, the bike keeps wanting to add fuel. I was riding one day and all of a sudden it pogoed back and forth so badly from a stoplight I thought my front sprocket nut had taken a shit. When I looked at the map, the auto-tune had added 60% fuel to those cells! Fortunately, I saved the trimmed maps every day so I'd have a backup and was able to go back to a first gear map that worked well. After a few more maps to pinpoint the exact areas receiving too much fuel, I'll go to the AFR tables and shut those areas off and just hand tune them.

As far as mileage, I did a trip from Reno to Sacramento which is about 130 miles one way. Doing between 85 and 90 the whole way up the mountains then back down into Sacramento I hit JUST shy of 41mpg. For the first time, I got better fuel economy than my buddy on his stock blackbird. Coming back, I got 38mpg doing the same speed. This was with an AFR of 13.6 in the cruise range in sixth gear. If I set it to 14 or 14.2 I know I can get over 40mpg on long trips.

Around town, I'm at 28-29 but that's because I'm just enjoying the shit out of the smooth roll-on power. I've also got 1st and 2nd set to 13.2 and third set to 13.4 AFR. If I leaned those out more, I'm sure I'd get better mileage around town but wheres the fun in that? Some kid on a 600 might show up and think he's hot shit and I have to be ready. :evil:

All in all it's a great upgrade and well worth the time and money. I'm planning on doing my first drag runs this Friday so I'll see how it does then.
 
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#3 ·
Yeah, only the PCV. The auto-tune is why I went to the trouble of wiring a PCV into the bike and I'm glad I did.

My problem now is we just bought a 2006 Ninja 650R for mysel...er...for my wife. It really is more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow.
 
#6 ·
I turned my Autotune module off! After running with it's trim tables applied to my map, I went down in horsepower on the dyno! Go figure that. So I just reloaded the original map and it feels stronger with the seat of the pants dyno. Glad it's working out for you though.
 
#7 ·
...
One thing I ran in to was a problem I can only attribute to air-reversion in the system due to the muzzy exhaust. In first gear at 3000 and 3500 RPM and 5% and 10% throttle, the bike keeps wanting to add fuel. I was riding one day and all of a sudden it pogoed back and forth so badly from a stoplight I thought my front sprocket nut had taken a shit. When I looked at the map, the auto-tune had added 60% fuel to those cells! Fortunately, I saved the trimmed maps every day so I'd have a backup and was able to go back to a first gear map that worked well. After a few more maps to pinpoint the exact areas receiving too much fuel, I'll go to the AFR tables and shut those areas off and just hand tune them.

As far as mileage, I did a trip from Reno to Sacramento which is about 130 miles one way. Doing between 85 and 90 the whole way up the mountains then back down into Sacramento I hit JUST shy of 41mpg.....
...My problem now is we just bought a 2006 Ninja 650R for mysel...er...for my wife. It really is more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow.
I'd be interested in seeing the fueling and timing values that work for you best in that reversion zone.

I just made that Reno - Sacramento run Sunday....In a Nissan Sentra!:banghead: The highway goes up to more than a mile/1.6 km into the Sierras and then descends back to almost seal level. The surroundings are indescribably beautiful. The road itself has some good straights and plenty of high-speed sweeping curves, a true ZX12 road except for one thing - reality. The reality is that running those curves at 85-90 is about as fast as you can go. Any faster and you'll start having problems with trooper aircraft and bored people with a phone in their hand. Not to mention it's an awfully long way down if you run off the road. :scared:

You can hit those same speeds on a smaller bike....for virtually all nontrack riding, the 12 is massive overkill. But I love it! :zxred:
 
#8 ·
I'm not adjusting the timing with the PCV. All I've done is the +5 degrees by modifying the pickup. The fueling in that area is all over the place. I'll post pictures when I get home. I'm going to try running around without letting it engine brake and see if that gets me around the reversion.

I'm definitely fortunate to live where I do. Tons of beautiful sweeping roads everywhere and lots of nice, backwoods twisties.

What brought you to Reno rundog?
 
#9 ·
Took my mom & girl for a casino vacation. I'm not all too crazy about casinos but Mom loves those penny slots.......

We have endless twisties and beautiful canyon roads. What I'm having a hard time finding is a long straight road with the right qualifications for letting the 12 roll.
 
#10 ·
Ah yes. My mom's the same way.

I'm not sure how far you're willing to travel for that road but if you punch Vinton, CA in to google maps then follow the 49 south and around the first bend there's a straight, deserted 2-mile stretch of nicely paved road with no intersections. That's where I open the 12 up. The rest of the 49 is pretty fun too.

Next time you're in my neck of the woods on the 12, hit me up and we'll go cruising. Nevada has a LOT of straight, open road.
 
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