Self-Tuning Thread

[kman0066]

Since I decided to go with the ZX-10R titanium header and slip-on, I decided to go down the tune it myself route. I'll preface this whole discussion with, if you have a stock-header bike, I'd just go with Vcyclenut's flash in a heartbeat (it saves you all sorts of money and time, and it's a proven result). That said, I got the Woolich setup with autotune/logbox for mine to get the day-to-day driving tune done along with a baseline setup to get it on the dyno for a local tuner. Starting a thread to share my results and findings here. I've had it for just a few days so far, so just getting into it.

My bike:
Kawasaki H2 SX SE
2011 ZX-10R titanium header installed with custom made spacers
Graves Carbon Fiber/Titanium slip-on for 11 ZX-10R (eliminates center stand)
Sprint F1-85 air filter (purchased from VCyclenut)
PAIR Valves blocked off


I installed the Woolich harness no problem. Getting to the ECU is kind of a pain on this bike, but doable in about an hour total. All that time is getting fairings out of the way. Installing the logbox and wideband O2 sensor for me was easy because the Graves slip-on I used came with a wideband O2 port installed on it. If you were using the stock header, you'd have to use an adapter (less ideal) or get a bigger port welded in. I also spent some timing removing the exhaust valve and cables since I no longer have the valve itself. That's kind of a pain to get to the back bolt. If I had to do that again, I'd take the passenger seat mounting bracket off before trying to remove the bolt.

From there, I did the basics on the ECU: Disabled error codes for blocking off Pair valves, disabled stock o2 sensor, disabled fuel cut on decel, disabled exhaust valve, and removed speed limiter.

From other's findings, I did raise the rev limiter 500 RPMs to a new redline of 13k RPMs. It definitely pulls to that no problem. Stopping there as hitting 13k RPMs at the rate of acceleration it does, causes it to over-rev to ~13.5k just from momentum as evidenced in the data logs for me.

Throttle plates: WOW, people aren't kidding. The throttle plates barely open in a lot of cases on the throttle maps. I changed the throttle settings to go open 100% at 100% throttle. I started letting it go 100% at 7000rpm and up. This made it kick in the power kind of harsh at 7000, so I went back in and opened it up fully at 6000 and feathered it down below that to make a smoother transition.

For timing: I started off with 2 degrees advance after 7k rpms. That produced a noticeable power gain. So I added 2 more degrees (for a total of 4 degrees advance from stock), and that produced even more power. So for now, I'm leaving it there until I get the dyno time to test it out scientifically. I doubt an across the board advance will be the way to go. You can really feel the effect of the timing changes as I didn't make them across the board and I can feel exactly when it kicks in.

Fueling: Interesting results here. Running the stock map, with my timing changes and throttle map changes, I'm actually pretty close to ideal all the way until 9500 rpms. Just slightly rich, but within acceptable limits. Below 9500, I don't have anything above 5% change, and mostly below 3% except for 1 cell. Above 9500 RPMs, I was getting ~10:1 readings on the wide-band, pretty rich. I've since corrected to pull roughly 10-15% fuel up top at the suggestion of autotune, and that's where I'm at for my next test, but the weather is crappy so have to wait to test.

Once I get some time on a dyno over the next couple months, I'll be submitting my map to the Woolich map-share for people who decide to go the ZX-10R header route. I'm not a professional tuner, so no promises, warranty, etc. offered. I doubt the tune would be good for a stock bike and I doubt it would be good for a different header design. Just trying to add to the community. My aspirations are to reach 230 WHP, and I won't be trying to go past that, if I can even reach it. Not sure how feasible that is, but I'm happy with the feel so far. It pulls ridiculous already and it's not even barely been tuned.

I am getting a little concerned over boost temps. I saw it climb to the 170s after just a little fun, so I'm going to be as cautious about timing as I can be until I get some good data there. Not having an inter-cooler and running the high-compression pistons like our bike has, it's a recipe for pre-detonation if the temps get high. Not sure what that temp is, but I hope to not find it

[vcyclenut]

Great write up!!

[kman0066]

Today's results:

I did some further TPS tuning, and at 15-17% less fuel up top, she's running great. Got closer and closer to 0 on the low RPMs, to the point of it being completely negligible now.

Ran the Autotune for IAP, so thats the next thing. See if I can further smooth out the everyday usage.

Some interesting data I found in the logs about boost pressure. I was looking at Manifold Pressure and it starts off at 100 and climbs to 160 at redline. Unfortunately that doesn't come with the unit of measure, but I'm pretty sure that's KPA. So, in PSI, the engine is producing 14.5 PSI at mid-RPMs and climbs to 23 PSI at redline. That's shocking to me, didn't think they'd run it so high on a touring/high-compression bike. Wow has technology gotten good!

[cOoTeR]

Today's results:

I did some further TPS tuning, and at 15-17% less fuel up top, she's running great. Got closer and closer to 0 on the low RPMs, to the point of it being completely negligible now.

Ran the Autotune for IAP, so thats the next thing. See if I can further smooth out the everyday usage.

Some interesting data I found in the logs about boost pressure. I was looking at Manifold Pressure and it starts off at 100 and climbs to 160 at redline. Unfortunately that doesn't come with the unit of measure, but I'm pretty sure that's KPA. So, in PSI, the engine is producing 14.5 PSI at mid-RPMs and climbs to 23 PSI at redline. That's shocking to me, didn't think they'd run it so high on a touring/high-compression bike. Wow has technology gotten good!

Going off of the display reading 220% (highest I've seen)
atmospheric pressure I think 17-18psi is what the display claims. According to Bear Racing the "regular" H2 makes 19psi. https://www.bearracing.com/technical . I don't think the H2 SX is going to push 20+psi but I could be wrong.

[kman0066]

It's also well possible I'm not reading the data right (not KPA?) or the sensor isn't accurate.

[vcyclenut]

its percentage, 100% is atmosphere
ive seen 200 on a 6th gear pull

I start with the map table and then go to the tps but i dont think it will really matter

rememeber the bike switches over to tps as rpm's and throttle position rise so dont chase corrections over like 6000 rpm on the map table you wont be able to fix them with map adjustments

[Champ87]

Good post kman. It will be interesting to see how your exhaust transplant translates into numbers on the dyno and what it will take to reach your target 230 rwhp

I also bought the Woolich software but I didn't go for the logbox option. As you said, for anyone with a setup close to stock vcyclenut has already done all the hard work so that's the route I went with an ECU flash by vcyclenut. I don't have much desire to be swapping out the full exhaust system but it's good to see what others are doing and gain a better understanding of our bikes in the process.

I noticed you used the term "pre-detonation". I'm not sure what that is - there is pre-ignition and there is detonation. Some of us who grew up racing two-strokes learned the difference the hard way. For the H2 SX detonation is the most likely of those 2 conditions. The engine has a knock sensor so I would expect that to control detonation. However, the aim would be avoiding damage so I'd guess performance would take a hit when the knock sensor detects detonation.

[WR-NA]

Some interesting data I found in the logs about boost pressure. I was looking at Manifold Pressure and it starts off at 100 and climbs to 160 at redline. Unfortunately that doesn't come with the unit of measure, but I'm pretty sure that's KPA. So, in PSI, the engine is producing 14.5 PSI at mid-RPMs and climbs to 23 PSI at redline. That's shocking to me, didn't think they'd run it so high on a touring/high-compression bike. Wow has technology gotten good!

If you hover your mouse over the values in the IAP chart, it will tell you what measurement/representation. I believe it should be cm Hg.

Remember the IAP map is the pressure differential between atmospheric pressure and manifold pressure.

Also, IAP is not in play at all times, IAP is used in two place.
1) Off throttle
2) Low-Mid throttle when it is blended into the TPS map. Every bike/make is different and some bikes the blending is even adjustable, but for the most part we say it is in the 0-10% TPS/ETV range where some of the fueling will come from the IAP map and some will come from the TPS side.

Hope this helps. Good write up thus far!

[kman0066]

Good post kman. It will be interesting to see how your exhaust transplant translates into numbers on the dyno and what it will take to reach your target 230 rwhp

I also bought the Woolich software but I didn't go for the logbox option. As you said, for anyone with a setup close to stock vcyclenut has already done all the hard work so that's the route I went with an ECU flash by vcyclenut. I don't have much desire to be swapping out the full exhaust system but it's good to see what others are doing and gain a better understanding of our bikes in the process.

I noticed you used the term "pre-detonation". I'm not sure what that is - there is pre-ignition and there is detonation. Some of us who grew up racing two-strokes learned the difference the hard way. For the H2 SX detonation is the most likely of those 2 conditions. The engine has a knock sensor so I would expect that to control detonation. However, the aim would be avoiding damage so I'd guess performance would take a hit when the knock sensor detects detonation.

Yep. Detonation. You know, I typed that, and then in my head I was thinking "well it always technically detonates, it's just a matter of doing it at the right time". And then rather than thinking, I just added pre to it. One way or the other, too much timing will either hurt power or create knocking, and ultimately damage things if done too much. I'm not sure the logic our knock sensors use, or rather the ECU. I'll guess it doesn't self-map itself to optimal conditions. More likely (in my head) would be that it temp pulls timing a set amount of time if knock detected and throws a code if too much is detected. Just guessing at the timing is making me nervous about it. It's not completely free HP to advance timing, it's paying for it with risk. I'd prefer to see how risky I'm being on a Dyno/controlled environment given no examples to work from
For example, I can see if timing is suddenly pulled or if power starts to not increase. That's ideal anyways, for now, I figured 4 degrees advance wasnt much and safe enough.

I think I'm all ready for the Dyno now. Now to find time....

[vcyclenut]

I wish you would have done a stock exhaust dyno run or even all stock run to give us an more exact measurement of gains as your dyno run now will be impossible to accurately compare to any thing else

if your tuner has the smaller induction clips on his dyno you can get a tach signal from the black wire on the far right cylinder ( while sitting on the bike) without removing anything from the bike