CobraFI2000 Settings

[cocheese72]

This may have been done before, but I could not find it. Thought it may be good to have a central repository of information specifically concerning the settings on your Cobra FI2000. I have been all over the place on mine, 2-4-0, 3-5-0, being my last two settings, effectively trying to eliminate ping, which for the most part I have, although it will be heard once in a while after so many miles, and I go back to fiddling with it. I am now running settings that I found on gadgets page that matched my setup.

Please list out the following if you have a Cobra Unit:

2007 Nomad
Engine: 1600
Pipes: V&H
Air: Chucksters dual
Cobra: 2.5, 6, 1
Octane: 87
Additional info: Left side dog bowl removed, along with crossover tube.

[cactusjack]

There are other factors that determine the optimal adjustment for a fuel processor. Many of which are environmental factors, such as altitude, ambient temperature and humidity.

While your idea is a good one, it is not a substitute for tuning the fuel processor for each bike individually.

[cocheese72]

Just spoke with Cobra USA. They suggest to start at 3-5-0 and ride. Then adjust based on what issues you may be having using the corresponding pot. He said if adjusting pot 3, you need to start on 3 and go from there.

[landman]

cj has the right answer.there is no one setting that will work for all bikes.
since i live and ride at high altitude{5000' to 8000'} my settings may be
much differant then a bike tuned for sea level.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

You said pot three and start with the setting at 3. If I understand the pots correctly pot one is set at 3, pot two is set at 5 and pot three is set at 0. So why would you start with a setting of 3 on pot three? I could see pot one being set at 3 first since that is what they recommend. Just wondering.

[cajun2wheels]

I started with the recommended 3-5-0 but my gas mileage dropped 4-5 mpg.I set the first pot at 2 and mileage went back to 38-39 mpg.When it gets hot I may go back to 3 as the temp goes up the pinging may come back.

[cocheese72]

Originally Posted by AlabamaNomadRider

You said pot three and start with the setting at 3. If I understand the pots correctly pot one is set at 3, pot two is set at 5 and pot three is set at 0. So why would you start with a setting of 3 on pot three? I could see pot one being set at 3 first since that is what they recommend. Just wondering.

It is recommended to start pot 3 at 0. Cobra stated that if you need to add fuel at the high RPMs, you will not notice anything on pot 3 at the 1-2 setting. He said to add fuel then start off at setting 3.

I don't think pot 3 is my issue. I have to fix an exhaust leak before anything else at this point.

[trosco]

Hey Cheese, I have a 07 and (cause of friend with a shop that builds HD 1/8 drag motors) I have been able to play with it (actually he played and I watched and learned) on a chassis dyno with sniffers in the pipes.
At the time I had V&H duals, a FI2000R and Hyper Charger for it. When we started we made a run with the FI2000R zero'd out then made runs in all the configurations looking for the best Air/Fuel ration and the compromise of peak TQ and HP with broad band/consistent power.
We tried a open intake & the Charger, the V&H with and with out baffles and just the V&H header pipes. We also tried the full stock exhaust and just the stock header pipes and goats bladder. We actually got the highest peak HP reading with the full V&H with stock baffles, the FI at 3.5-6-3.5 and a open intake but knowing that a air cleaner was nescesary ruled that out and anyway the performance below 4500RPM and especially TQ below 3000RPM was not as good as other setups.
Bikes varry and Dyno's do to so I will leave all the HP and TQ numbers off but in general exhaust variations had the least effect, intake variations made about the same as exhaust and combined they did not make +/- 2% in TQ or HP. The mixture changes hade more effect than the intake or exhaust changes and the lower the RPM the more notable the effect with it averaging just under + 3 % below 3000RPM. Through all the configurations 3-5-0 is so dang close to the right settings that I'd suggest just put it there and leave it.
With one exception. He showed me on the Dyno's computer how air density effects Air/Fuel ratios. It's not really linear altitude changes, other variables like Barometric Pressure and air temp enter into it but it showed that at 3000 Ft (we were below 1000 ft on the dyno) my Air/Fuel ratio would richen up enough that I might see changes in driveability. If I wanted my FI2000 could be backed off some to allow for that but I live in FL so no need.
So I say start with 3-5-0 and don't venture to far from that. I think you are up there where 3000 ft altitudes are more common so you may want to be looking at settings under 3-5-0 if you seem to be running rich more than setting above those starting points.

[blowndodge]

Trosco:

Our Nomads are equiped with a Barametric sensor (under the tank near the steering head and air temp sensor behind the dog bowl.

These sensors will still be acting regardless of the setting on the Cobra or a TFI. Drivability shouldn't be an issue in altitude or air temperature as these sensors will compensate for the difference.

[trosco]

BD, you are correct, but,,,
And let me preface this with, "I am repeating what I was told." But my friends been in the ultra high end of the performance motor business for over 15 years so I put so stock in what he says.

He said the two sensors are doing a "compare" of conditions at and remote from the throttle body. That the diference in voltage reading is considered by the Engine Management System (ECM?) and can effect the FI curve in only the most basic fashion. That they provide nothing in the way of feedback regarding air/fuel mixture. He said when trying to maintain a correct air/fuel ratio their input is better than nothing but just barely better than nothing.

And here's my humble opinion. When I ride in the blue ridge mountains (2000 - 3500 ft) my pipes do look a bit more chocolate vs the dustry grey I see at sea level. So because we didn't mess with those sensors and my bike still has them "monitoring altitude changes" I think they don't do enough of what ever they are supposed to do and our bikes with or without FI contollers richen up in higher altitude.

But, all of this post is just hear-say or personal opinion so in the final analisys, each rider needs to do what works best with his or her bike!

[snarleybill08]

hey trosco, thanks for the great info.

[blowndodge]

I've adjusted my TFI to not ping on premium. (used to have it so i could run regular but the mileage was bad)

I've ridden up to the 9K foot level and higher over the Rockies and the bike never ran rich at all.

All FI cars and bikes run sensors for both barometric and temp so they can compensate. Closed looped systems are better at it than most. Unfortunately our Nomads are open loop so there is no oxygen sensor to tell the other sensors to add or take away fuel.

cobra and TFI only add fuel. I'm only mentioning this because if one "tunes" these units so the overheating and pinging stop there should be no reason why they would run rich and turn the plugs black in higher elevation.

I raced drag and desert bikes professionally (first hand knowledge) for over 20 years and know the tuning differences between FI and carbs.

FWIW one shouldn't worry about running either of the ones I've mentioned in high elevation. Mine ran perfect.

[cocheese72]

Originally Posted by Blowndodge "Darksider"

I've adjusted my TFI to not ping on premium. (used to have it so i could run regular but the mileage was bad)

I've ridden up to the 9K foot level and higher over the Rockies and the bike never ran rich at all.

All FI cars and bikes run sensors for both barometric and temp so they can compensate. Closed looped systems are better at it than most. Unfortunately our Nomads are open loop so there is no oxygen sensor to tell the other sensors to add or take away fuel.

cobra and TFI only add fuel. I'm only mentioning this because if one "tunes" these units so the overheating and pinging stop there should be no reason why they would run rich and turn the plugs black in higher elevation.

I raced drag and desert bikes professionally (first hand knowledge) for over 20 years and know the tuning differences between FI and carbs.

FWIW one shouldn't worry about running either of the ones I've mentioned in high elevation. Mine ran perfect.

What was the mileage difference you saw in regular vs premium?

[blowndodge]

<5 mpg loss across the board...

[trosco]

BD (&all)
There in lies the difficulty. These bikes don't all act the same! My buddy Don and I both bought 2007 Nomads new in March of 2007 at the same dealer and the bikes were assembled/prep by the same mech. (oh by the way, Don sold his bike a couple years later to the BokoBob member of the forum).
From day 1 Don's bike pinged no mater what fuel he ran and my didn't on prem or mid grade but would on some regulars. Although the bikes performance side by side was very similar we both rode both bikes and both felt mine ran "better" but not faster than his. He had it back to the dealer with that complaint but they said there was nothing wrong and that some Vulcans pinged "but that dosen't hurt anything" (idiots!)
I am the mechanic and he bought the beer so I would do my bike first then his when we did mods.We put V&H Duals on both bikes and Don's continued to ping loud enough that you could hear it over the V&H. And I thought (but couldn't say for sure) that maybe mine pinged a little more than with stock exhaust.
Next we put the FI controllers on both bikes but mostly to see if it would help Don's. On mine the only really noticeable differences were it ran on regular just fine and the "just off idle" hesitation was gone. When we put on Don's (after my experience) we were'nt really hopefull but we were shocked at the difference it made. His description was that it felt like a whole new motorcycle and mine was, hey feels just like mine now. After the controller his bike would ping only very occassionally when running regular. When we compared side by side performance they both were still comparable but before the controllers Don consistently got about 2 mpg better than me and afterwards the bikes were almost identical. Than may have been because of the controller or it may have been that before the controller he hade to be very careful with throttle position to avoid ping so loud that I could hear riding next to him before the pipes. After the ping was under control he ran it a little harder from time to time.
Don sold his bike (new wife!) about a year after that to Bob and I have gone on to do some headwork, and a couple different intake and exhaust mods on mine so the comparisons stop.
But what I believe is that stock our bikes are riding on the edge of a line that is right up against having too lean air to fuel mixtures. And with in the tollerances of our engines and the electronic fuel control systems there's enough leaway that some are "too lean pingers" and some aren't. So because I say that my bike acts a certain way that only means that yours "might" to. But it might not?
My bike ran the same when I was at 3000 ft as here in FL. It just "looked" like from the pipes it might be running a little richer. Maybe it was or maybe it was the power of suggestion? But when I went out west in the Northern Rockies I did see differences in how it ran and it seemed too rich so I backed the controller down to 1.5-3-0 and it ran smoother and the pipes weren't so sooty black. The change may not have been necessary but... I thought it helped.
So, everyone should listen to all the comments, then use them as what they are: other peoples opinions. Do what works best with your bike, it may not be exactly what works with mine but my experience may help you find the way yours needs to be.