I was lucky enough to try Todd's "race only" ECU today.... Let me give you some basics on my bike first, that way you have a base line. I have a 2007 G11 that just passed 11,000 miles with the revised 003 map, stock air box, Mistral muffler (no DB killer), stepper motor on/off and carbon canister removed. I think that's about as much as you can do without adding high dollar engine management, pretty much how i would think 75% or more of CARC Guzzi's owners are. I also want to let you know that i am in no way technically minded nor a mechanic/test driver or ex-racer, this is purely a laymans take. My tool kit consists of 2 screw drivers, 1 set of channel locks and a great big hammer. The very thought of having to plug a laptop in to my bike to do anything scares the ba-Jesus out of me. I am purely a simple bolt on mod and drive away man. I don't tinker, i don't know what i'm doing, so i don't try..
From the moment i pulled away i noticed the difference in throttle sensertivity. If anybody knows where Todd lives you'll know that pulling out of his drive, a steep uphill with a very sharp right hand turn, you have to go slow. There was no chug-chugging at low throttle. I used to have a Fat duc installed, which relieved this, but didn't eliminated it. Chug-chugging gone. From Todd's i did an approx 20 mile loop around the SMM and anybody from SoCal will know these vary from extremely steep thight up and down hill twisties to long fast curves. Great to test ride and get a feel for any changes made.
The next thing noticeable was the open-closed-open on the throttle, smooth as silk. I got so used the to the lerch that accompanies the open-closed-open when cornering, the very smoothness caught me by surprise. I know it's a cliche to say that it felt like riding a different bike, but it really did.... My riding skills had adapted so much to include the lerch, that it felt odd not to have it there mid corner....
Next was the popping, virtually gone. I had the stepper on/off and the Fatduc installed before and had removed about 90% of the popping on decel. But mine never was much of a popper to begin with, not like some of you reported. I did half loop with the stepper open and half closed. The half with it open, minimum popping. Maybe 5-6 times and thats with some seriuosly heavy deceling (don't think deceling is a word, but you all know what i mean). With the stepper motor closed i never heard a pop. But then again i was getting the feel of the "new" bike by then and was surprised how much easier it felt going thru the turns (and faster, so more concentration was needed on my part)...
As for extra power, it definately felt like it to me. A little more grunt out of the corners...It's probably near impossible to feel the 3-4 hp gained while riding. Maybe it was the over all feel of the ride that gave the the illusion of more power. Whatever it was, to me it would be the perfect add on. Just swap out the old for the new and away you go, an immediate, feelable upgrade.
This retails out at around $450 US, which for me i can swing and after trying it, it is definitly a must. It's also a base with which to start for the whole PCV/autotune etc kit, which retails at around $1100 or so (to much for my blood in one hit). When you can spread it out over time $1100 is not that painful, well it is, but it becomes bareable....
Unfortunately for Todd (my new bestest friend forever), now that i know where he lives, he's probably going to have to get a restraining order to keep me away. I must thank him for letting me try it and opening my eyes to how bad stock bikes really are. I have read here on the forum people complain about stock mapping, but have always though how bad can a brand new bike really be. To me some people just tinker for the sake of tinkering. Was i proved wrong....
For me this definitly is the first step to the whole kit and if you can afford it go for it, you won't be dissapointed.
Mark
From the moment i pulled away i noticed the difference in throttle sensertivity. If anybody knows where Todd lives you'll know that pulling out of his drive, a steep uphill with a very sharp right hand turn, you have to go slow. There was no chug-chugging at low throttle. I used to have a Fat duc installed, which relieved this, but didn't eliminated it. Chug-chugging gone. From Todd's i did an approx 20 mile loop around the SMM and anybody from SoCal will know these vary from extremely steep thight up and down hill twisties to long fast curves. Great to test ride and get a feel for any changes made.
The next thing noticeable was the open-closed-open on the throttle, smooth as silk. I got so used the to the lerch that accompanies the open-closed-open when cornering, the very smoothness caught me by surprise. I know it's a cliche to say that it felt like riding a different bike, but it really did.... My riding skills had adapted so much to include the lerch, that it felt odd not to have it there mid corner....
Next was the popping, virtually gone. I had the stepper on/off and the Fatduc installed before and had removed about 90% of the popping on decel. But mine never was much of a popper to begin with, not like some of you reported. I did half loop with the stepper open and half closed. The half with it open, minimum popping. Maybe 5-6 times and thats with some seriuosly heavy deceling (don't think deceling is a word, but you all know what i mean). With the stepper motor closed i never heard a pop. But then again i was getting the feel of the "new" bike by then and was surprised how much easier it felt going thru the turns (and faster, so more concentration was needed on my part)...
As for extra power, it definately felt like it to me. A little more grunt out of the corners...It's probably near impossible to feel the 3-4 hp gained while riding. Maybe it was the over all feel of the ride that gave the the illusion of more power. Whatever it was, to me it would be the perfect add on. Just swap out the old for the new and away you go, an immediate, feelable upgrade.
This retails out at around $450 US, which for me i can swing and after trying it, it is definitly a must. It's also a base with which to start for the whole PCV/autotune etc kit, which retails at around $1100 or so (to much for my blood in one hit). When you can spread it out over time $1100 is not that painful, well it is, but it becomes bareable....
Unfortunately for Todd (my new bestest friend forever), now that i know where he lives, he's probably going to have to get a restraining order to keep me away. I must thank him for letting me try it and opening my eyes to how bad stock bikes really are. I have read here on the forum people complain about stock mapping, but have always though how bad can a brand new bike really be. To me some people just tinker for the sake of tinkering. Was i proved wrong....
For me this definitly is the first step to the whole kit and if you can afford it go for it, you won't be dissapointed.
Mark
So I spent a couple hours riding around town at lower speeds with lots of starts and stops both with the lamda sensor plugged in and with it unplugged. The results were virtually identical.