servicing (the air filter in particular)

[TOM.]

Evening folks i have just completed a service on my bike usual oils filters plugs etc. However this time around i have fitted a K&N air filter instead of a paper cartridge. When i started the bike after the service it cut out then it idled lumpy and cut out when i touched the throttle and now its seems to idle OK and after a about 2 miles of riding it seems to be fine. The issue now is the bike pops and bangs more than it did before (the bike does have an akrapovic and free flow headers) and its engine note has changed is this normal from just a filter change? i have read that these can mess the fuelling up but i do have quite a high tech tuning module which should correct the fuelling after around 60 miles which i bought when i fitted the exhaust system which it did do. Could this be the bike getting used to it needing a bit more fuel?
i understand that these might seem odd questions but if anyone has had a similar experience id be interested to hear it. i just dont want to ride on regardless if it might be something else causing the issue like a damaged coil or something. would the bike throw up a warning light or fault light if it had a miss fire id like to rule that out also.
cheers.
Tom

 

[Tractors are go]

Check secondary coils, disconnect one side, if it makes no difference; faulty. Do other side too.

Check that leads are fully connected onto spark plugs.

If, you removed fuel tank, check all pipes easy to kink one.

Finally, if you can, remove baffle from end can can make it run smoother.

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[TOM.]

Cheers mate gives me somethings to look at tomorrow after work. While the bike was running I did pull th secondary coil of one side I don't think it made a difference. I'm sure they were working fine when I started the service. Although both of my secondary plugs were very sooty and the primary plugs were as you would expect them to be.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Unless you've got a Power Commander fitted or had a Hilltop remap, I'd stick with the standard filter. You aren't gaining anything with a K&N and you will be running very lean with an aftermarket system.

When I fitted my PC111 and had it dyno'd, the guy who did it said a K&N was as good as useless on a GS. In the real world, the standard fillter is much better at keeping the crap out!!

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Finally, if you can, remove baffle from end can can make it run smoother.

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That's not good advice especially with a K&N and as the bike doesn't have a remap, that will be far too lean.

 

[Tractors are go]

OP advises he has high tech tuning module which recorrects fuelling.

I would totally agree, if he didn't have that, removing baffle wouldn't be a good idea.

Also, as advised by Geoff, change standard airfiler regularly, more so if used in dusty/dirty atmosphere; unless you own shares in K&N why bother.

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[TOM.]

It has a rapid bike evo ecu fitted works similar to a pc but doesn't require a rolling road it self adjusts it's own fuelling it's complicated but that's what it does. As for the K&N looks like that was a waste of money then

 

[TOM.]

http://www.dimsport.it/en/rapidbike/evo this maybe explains it better

 

[dubster]

Can't you reprogram this magic box to add more fuel?

 

[Steptoe]

Have you "serviced" the bike or just changed fluids, filters and plugs ?

 

[TOM.]

The latter steptoe fluids plugs filters. Starting to regret this decision now.

 

[Bendy toy]

Geoff from Hilltop says the ECU can adjust to 2 of the 3 common tuning items. As you already have a full exhaust system (2 items), adding the filter will be too much

He also says the standard ECU map runs very weak. At low throttle openings the engine can be down to 19:1. That causes very hot exhaust temperatures which stress the exhaust valves. Gentle riding is not as gentle as we might think.

No need to regret the K&N filter just swap it for an OEM filter. Fit the K&N when you take it for remapping.

A normal filter simply has small holes which eventually clog up. The K&N has bigger air holes but the sticky oil grabs dirt particles. Over time they both clog up but the K&N can be cleaned and re oiled. It must have the correct oil.

The engine tuner David Vizard did some flow testing on K&Ns. He found them almost as good as having no filter at all. He assumed they could not clean effectively but when dirt trapping was tested they were at least as good as a paper element without the air flow penalty.

The airflow benefit is borne out by BMW bikes not liking K&Ns along with free flow exhausts. Too much oil on the K&N will clog the pores reducing air flow.

 

[Bendy toy]

Now you have done the fluids, strip all suspension pivots and pack the needles with moly grease. BMW use minimal grease because owners don't like to see grease leaking out. However that causes the needles to wear more rapidly and they are not low cost to replace.

Never pack a rolling bearing solid with grease it will quickly overheat (max 50%). A rocking bearing will scrape its grease away from the rollers so is better to have them packed.

 

[Kenny Rodkiss]

If you have been into the air filter make sure the throttle cable to the right hand side sits correctly in its cutout on the intake tube. The groove is just bellow the rubber grommet. If it's not in the correct position it alters the cable free play on that side.

 

[TOM.]

Some good info there folks thanks very much. Regarding the remapping the rapid bike ecu should compensate for the fuelling issues that is essentially what it's there to do in the first place and the reason I had it installed in the first place when I fitted the full exhaust system.

 

[Lord Snooty]

I have a K&N airfilter with Keihan headers (no cat) and standard OEM end can. When i took it to Geoff the first runs showed 22:1 fueling and only settled down to 13 or 14:1 at 7500rpm! After the remap it now fuels at 13 or 14:1 from about 2500 rpm all the way through the rev range, happy days

 

[Shunt]

Like Kenny says check your throttle cable seats.
Also. You have oiled the filter?


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[Bendy toy]

The filter will have some air resistance. But what size throttle bodies do we have?

Without taking ages to research, the throttle bodies are about 50mm each. The air intake tube is about 35mm at the business end. I would suggest the biggest intake loss is that intake tube. If you want it sorted chop it down and fit a 60mm hose with bell-mouth on the end. (2x the diameter gives 16x the gas flow).