Tuning advice 2008 GS

[rtm]

I have a 2008 MU R1200 adventure with an Acrapovic stainless exhaust which I understand was a factory upgrade. Im considering getting an ECU remap and wondered if there were advantages to moving from the stock air filter (I have read lots of posts which claim very little difference over the paper OEM type) however is the exhaust I have anymore free flowing which would make having a K&N (or other??) a worthwhile upgrade?

I don't want to spend money for money's sake, happy to take sound advice. I also understand that changing the plugs just before or after the map is important. Again any advice.

This wouldn't be a power commander or power plug but instead a professional map.

What should I expect?

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

There are a couple of long threads on re-mapping here, well worth a read.

My experience on my 05 GS was a Wunderlich fuel controller (a crude re-map if you like) made a heck of a difference, smoothing out the fueling and boosting mid range / top end. It was done in conjunction with a full (BOS) system so no cat either. IMO a re-map and getting rid of the cat will make the biggest difference. I tried a K&N filter but noticed no benefit and went back to the standard WBM paper filter.

I've also just had my KTM 1190 re-mapped (Hilltop) and couldn't be happier with the results, well worth it

Andres

 

[rtm]

There are a couple of long threads on re-mapping here, well worth a read.

My experience on my 05 GS was a Wunderlich fuel controller (a crude re-map if you like) made a heck of a difference, smoothing out the fueling and boosting mid range / top end. It was done in conjunction with a full (BOS) system so no cat either. IMO a re-map and getting rid of the cat will make the biggest difference. I tried a K&N filter but noticed no benefit and went back to the standard WBM paper filter.

I've also just had my KTM 1190 re-mapped (Hilltop) and couldn't be happier with the results, well worth it

Andres

Thanks Andres. Im not wanting to drop big money on this. Happy to keep the exhaust I have (it must have some features being an upgrade?) and hope the map will give me more mid range and be more responsive. Not fussy about top end, moved from sports bike for this very reason. Sounds like you have a nice stable of bikes! Interesting what you say about the filter, unless someone can say my exhaust will really work well with an aftermarket filter then I'll be putting another paper one in there.

 

[Bendy toy]

People say the very best upgrades are Wlbers suspension and Hilltop remap. Everything else is farkling.

To be fair Ohlins are better than Wilbers but at much higher cost.

Ive got a Piper oiled foam filter. Its spotlessly clean on the back so Im sure its filtering ability as is good as the paper element. I'd not trust K&N - far to thin to catch very much. Why bother? because I got it for less than the cost of an OEM air filter.

If you really want a better inlet air flow - chop off the inlet tube and fit a larger smooth bore hose with bell mouth on the front. Would it affect the performance? Probably not.

 

[manxgser]

so is a power commander worth looking at ive used them before with great affect .im in the same position stock at the moment so i thought good can de cat power commander ect is this the way to go

 

[Alan R]

K&N filters are American and are designed to stop tumble weeds being sucked into nascar car manifolds. They are not much use for anything else and should be regarded as effective as snake oil is against Ebola. The oem paper filters are most effective and will suit any aftermarket exhaust can.
Alan R

 

[Bendy toy]

so is a power commander worth looking at ive used them before with great affect .im in the same position stock at the moment so i thought good can de cat power commander ect is this the way to go

By the time you have paid for the PC-5 and added dyno time you might as well use Hilltop and get the benefit of his long experience.
That said I have a PC-5 but I got it used for a good price and the bike it came off had a similar spec to mine.

 

[TLSgazza]

K&N filters are American and are designed to stop tumble weeds being sucked into nascar car manifolds. They are not much use for anything else and should be regarded as effective as snake oil is against Ebola. The oem paper filters are most effective and will suit any aftermarket exhaust can.
Alan R

I've had K+N on my TLS for about 13 years now, a good clean and re-oil every year and it's fine, plenty of flies get in the because of the ram air, but I've done 70.000 miles on it now.

 

[Fergusdog]

Hi. I too have a 2008 Adventure with an Akky. I'm going to get it done at Hilltop on the basis that I had a 2007 ZZR1400 remapped there a while back and it was like a completely different bike. Increased the low down pull tremendously and gave better fuel economy. In the mean time if you do get it done please let us know how it goes
Mark

 

[manxgser]

By the time you have paid for the PC-5 and added dyno time you might as well use Hilltop and get the benefit of his long experience.
That said I have a PC-5 but I got it used for a good price and the bike it came off had a similar spec to mine.

the other factor i have to think a bought is getting to hilltop to get it done time off work cost of getting there eg boat cost from the Isle of man where as pc and dyno can all be done here on the rock if the hilltop work was a lot better than the power commander dyno set up then it would be worth it but if the difference is marginal then its a no brain er and the guy that dose dyno work for me here on the rock has done quite a lot of GS s and gets verry good improvements

 

[rtm]

Anyone have experience of a “PerformanceController” from wunderlich?

 

[(RIP) Miff]

Anyone have experience of a “PerformanceController” from wunderlich?

Geoff showed us the remains of one he has. When he removed it from a bike, it pulled all the pins out of one of the injectors. The poor bloke needed a new injector.

 

[Bendy toy]

Geoff has a huge library of R1200GS maps bIt would be interesting to compare a remapped but not dyno tested ECU from Geoff against a PC-5 on dyno.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Don't bother with a K&N. Waste of money and no performance gain on the GS.

You will either need a PC111 or PCV so check on their site. You should be able to pick one up second hand and it's worth investing in Dyno time to get it set up properly.

For my money, it's a better bet than a remap because you can have it set to suit your riding. I've had one for 3 years on my 06GSA, am very happy with it and zero problems despite taking it to pretty extreme conditions.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Anyone have experience of a “PerformanceController” from wunderlich?

See my OP and yes, they are well worth using if you don't want to go to the bother or expense of a remap/PCV etc.

Geoff showed us the remains of one he has. When he removed it from a bike, it pulled all the pins out of one of the injectors. The poor bloke needed a new injector.

I replaced the connectors when I got mine with BWM ones as that defo looked like a weak point, glad I did now. Other than that I had mine fitted for 40,000 miles and no issues

Andres

 

[rtm]

Right heres another question. I contacted a garage that mapped my audi who do motorcycles (only BMW) but his rolling road is for cars and is not a bike dyno. Cost £300. He does custom tuning by datalogging the bike and doing it on the road. Now Im up in Scotland and we dont have the luxury of choice that folks south of the border have due to distance. This chap is very good so I dont doubt his claim that the map will improve the bike. BUT at the other end of the scale I read about an accelerator module and a power plug. Theres a thread on the site thats 47 pages deep (to long for me) so wondered in summary what the script was??

My bike has the facory acro exhaust (are these any good/different from stock????)

 

[Bendy toy]

Accelerator module did not suit me. It duffed up the fuel consumption for no visible benefit.

Talk to Geoff at Hilltop as he might well have a map to suit your exhaust and bike model. Then just send the ECU down for mapping. It wont be quite as good as a fully dyno'd map but it will be very close.

 

[Phoenix_63]

Accelerator module did not suit me. It duffed up the fuel consumption for no visible benefit.

Talk to Geoff at Hilltop as he might well have a map to suit your exhaust and bike model. Then just send the ECU down for mapping. It wont be quite as good as a fully dyno'd map but it will be very close.

+1 for that!

 

[Fergusdog]

Hilltop Remap

As I stated I intended to do today I had my 2008 Adventure remapped by Geoff at Hilltop. As I had had another bike done previously he gave me a substantial discount which was a bonus. My bike is standard other than an Akrapovic end can.

Benchmark was 88.39bhp at the back wheel (he said that was good) and 76.76lb torque at 5422rpm

After Remap was 100bhp at the back wheel and 82.31lb torque at 5485rpm. He reckoned that would equate to about 120bhp at the crank.

So that was a substantial bhp increase and an increase in torque. On the hour or so ride home the bike seemed more responsive and smoother. Money week spent I reckon. To give you some idea how highly Geoff is rated there was a lad there who had come all the way from Aberdeen with his S1000rr in a van. The result was 202bhp at the back wheel!!!

 

[Bendy toy]

To coin a Lincolnshire phrase - Kinnell !!!