Tuning the 1700

[hlknvlcn60]

I haven't been here for awhile but thought I would share something here that can help with tuning and backfiring issues again on the 1700 Vulcans. After adding the Freedom 2-1 performance pipe ( a very good pipe at a great price) and a big air kit from Roaring Toyz, and plugging off the switch air valves up under the tank, I also placed the Thunder intake manifold gasket in there. I had the Cobra FI2000R "auto tuner" hooked up and still had problems. That particular tuner was not worth the 420 bucks I paid for it. The bike would still backfire and felt like the power just wasn't there like it should be. At this point I felt that auto tuner was a joke and a complete waste of $$. I went ahead and purchased the Cobra FI2000 Tri-Pot tuner for a mere 175.00 and change, installed it and the instructions tell you how to set it up. 3 little tiny screw adjustments right in the unit...it comes with default settings on 1 and 2 and 3 is set at the base setting. You start with the first "pot" or screw and run with that at the base setting, then go up from there until your bike starts to run right. With my 2-1 pipe and big air, I now have my Vaquero running perfect with no more back firing, super crisp starts and response from idle, and a strong hard hit right at about 3400 RPM to the top of the torque curve (about 5,000 RPM). It ended up with the 1 and 2 screws both on the number 2 positions, and the 3rd screw at the 1 position for the big air. My fuel economy has even improved some and the bike runs better than it ever has in the one year now I have owned it. Best 175 bones I ever spent on a tuner. The thing works like no other, finally got the beast right. I hope this helps you guys that might still have the afore mentioned issues.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by hlknvlcn60

I haven't been here for awhile but thought I would share something here that can help with tuning and backfiring issues again on the 1700 Vulcans. After adding the Freedom 2-1 performance pipe ( a very good pipe at a great price) and a big air kit from Roaring Toyz, and plugging off the switch air valves up under the tank, I also placed the Thunder intake manifold gasket in there. I had the Cobra FI2000R "auto tuner" hooked up and still had problems. That particular tuner was not worth the 420 bucks I paid for it. The bike would still backfire and felt like the power just wasn't there like it should be. At this point I felt that auto tuner was a joke and a complete waste of $$. I went ahead and purchased the Cobra FI2000 Tri-Pot tuner for a mere 175.00 and change, installed it and the instructions tell you how to set it up. 3 little tiny screw adjustments right in the unit...it comes with default settings on 1 and 2 and 3 is set at the base setting. You start with the first "pot" or screw and run with that at the base setting, then go up from there until your bike starts to run right. With my 2-1 pipe and big air, I now have my Vaquero running perfect with no more back firing, super crisp starts and response from idle, and a strong hard hit right at about 3400 RPM to the top of the torque curve (about 5,000 RPM). It ended up with the 1 and 2 screws both on the number 2 positions, and the 3rd screw at the 1 position for the big air. My fuel economy has even improved some and the bike runs better than it ever has in the one year now I have owned it. Best 175 bones I ever spent on a tuner. The thing works like no other, finally got the beast right. I hope this helps you guys that might still have the afore mentioned issues.

How did you setup the autotune?

[hlknvlcn60]

Ponch the FI 2000r auto tune plugs in the same way and goes right under the seat, and once plugged in, there is no set up. It does it's own thing and never needs nor can be set. It is supposed to automatically read the fueling mix with any exhaust or air and adjust a couple hundred times per second as you throttle up. It just never ran right in my Vaquero....way too rich. The tri pot is much better and for less than half the price.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by hlknvlcn60

Ponch the FI 2000r auto tune plugs in the same way and goes right under the seat, and once plugged in, there is no set up. It does it's own thing and never needs nor can be set. It is supposed to automatically read the fueling mix with any exhaust or air and adjust a couple hundred times per second as you throttle up. It just never ran right in my Vaquero....way too rich. The tri pot is much better and for less than half the price.

The stock computer does that too. My point is, how in the increased enrichment achieved? There has to be some settings to have a target A/F ratio even if it's done automatically. I am sure RaceNRay could chime in with some pointers.

[RACNRAY]

The Cobra FI2000R POWER PRO self adjusting auto tuner cannot and will never do what cobra says...'to be able to tune for any and all mods like cams,pistons, blah blah blah" No add on tuner can accomplish that unless it has the ability to sample the exhaust gasses thru wide band sensors installed into the exhaust. the power pro does not. I was speaking with a DynoJet tech last week, they had tested the powerpro(matter of fact they test all their competitors products) and found the power pro could not achieve the correct air/fuel ratio over the entire operating range and they found in some areas it actually made the air/fuel ratio way off and performance suffered. He got a good laff when I told him hidden inside the unit is and ADJUSTMENT POT similar to what the standard FI2000 has. An adjuster on a SELF ADJUSTING fuel injection tuning device? Absolutely funny.

I back in the past used the equivalent to the FI2000 the op used to tune his skoot. Due to it's coarseness in adjustability I was at times unable to get a skoot properly tuned. I made the decision to not recommend or sell that type of tuner, especially if I was gonna do the tuning as it was frustrating to spend lotsa time on the dyno trying to get a skoot tuned right, then have to take it off, install a power commander so I could properly tune the skoot.

Glad to hear the FI2000 worked and he is happy with the way his skoot runs, it sucks when our rides don't run properly.

RACNRAY

[hlknvlcn60]

Ray thanks for your input! What a good point.....now I have to go out to the shop and take the power pro that I took out of the bike and look for that adjustment screw. But you are right, it never did as advertised in my ride and I am glad to have the thing out. The standard FI2000 works really well tuned as it is on the present settings I mentioned and the bike feels way more responsive right off idle, and pulls hard to the top of the torque curve, as a friend of mine found out when he wanted to run his CVO 110 Ultra-Classic against me the other day. I was surprised...the big Harley didn't have a prayer. Ticked Bob off pretty bad, he dished out over 42K for that bike.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by RACNRAY

The Cobra FI2000R POWER PRO self adjusting auto tuner cannot and will never do what cobra says...'to be able to tune for any and all mods like cams,pistons, blah blah blah" No add on tuner can accomplish that unless it has the ability to sample the exhaust gasses thru wide band sensors installed into the exhaust. the power pro does not. I was speaking with a DynoJet tech last week, they had tested the powerpro(matter of fact they test all their competitors products) and found the power pro could not achieve the correct air/fuel ratio over the entire operating range and they found in some areas it actually made the air/fuel ratio way off and performance suffered. He got a good laff when I told him hidden inside the unit is and ADJUSTMENT POT similar to what the standard FI2000 has. An adjuster on a SELF ADJUSTING fuel injection tuning device? Absolutely funny.

I back in the past used the equivalent to the FI2000 the op used to tune his skoot. Due to it's coarseness in adjustability I was at times unable to get a skoot properly tuned. I made the decision to not recommend or sell that type of tuner, especially if I was gonna do the tuning as it was frustrating to spend lotsa time on the dyno trying to get a skoot tuned right, then have to take it off, install a power commander so I could properly tune the skoot.

Glad to hear the FI2000 worked and he is happy with the way his skoot runs, it sucks when our rides don't run properly.

RACNRAY

Would something like a Xied work better than the auto tune unit? With that, it adjusts the ratio the O2 sensor corrects for. I suppose a wide band O2 sensor is the way to go.

[hlknvlcn60]

Ponch maybe the thing is though with wide open intake and 2-1 full system, you gotta be careful you aren't running too lean. That little Cobra Fi2000 tri pot was worth the $175.00 because you can manually fine tune it to perfection and it is real easy. It makes me sleep easier at night knowing the little bugger made it so I could get my Vaquero running spot on.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by hlknvlcn60

Ponch maybe the thing is though with wide open intake and 2-1 full system, you gotta be careful you aren't running too lean. That little Cobra Fi2000 tri pot was worth the $175.00 because you can manually fine tune it to perfection and it is real easy. It makes me sleep easier at night knowing the little bugger made it so I could get my Vaquero running spot on.

The worst pipes for leanness are drag pipes. That said, nothing succeeds like success. Sound like your bike is running great.

[hlknvlcn60]

Thanks Ponch and good point....I quit using drag pipes for that very reason, they don't have enough scavenging or back pressure. The 2-1 takes care of that problem....and yes, finally got the "bugs" out and she is running just right. I live at about 2950 ft. above sea level, but the other componentry in the throttle body takes care of altitude changes. Nothing like modern day electronics.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by hlknvlcn60

Thanks Ponch and good point....I quit using drag pipes for that very reason, they don't have enough scavenging or back pressure. The 2-1 takes care of that problem....and yes, finally got the "bugs" out and she is running just right. I live at about 2950 ft. above sea level, but the other componentry in the throttle body takes care of altitude changes. Nothing like modern day electronics.

Take a ride out to Crater Lake and see how it runs.

[hlknvlcn60]

Ponch funny you should mention Crater lake....just down the highway from where I live. If you look at my avatar, the Vaquero with my tour bag on the back was taken just last summer at the parking lot between the lodge and the deli building at Crater. I will be there again this year. There were a zillion bikes at the place including some nice Kaws.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by hlknvlcn60

Ponch funny you should mention Crater lake....just down the highway from where I live. If you look at my avatar, the Vaquero with my tour bag on the back was taken just last summer at the parking lot between the lodge and the deli building at Crater. I will be there again this year. There were a zillion bikes at the place including some nice Kaws.

I went there in 2011. Here are two pics, one looking at the lake, one looking the other way.

[Myklops]

Good to hear that the FI2000 worked for you. I just fitted FP duals and blocked the exhaust recirc port as well. Planning on a Chuckster's intake and a PCV for tuning. My understanding of the Cobra autotuner is that it relies strictly on an accelerometer for fuel mapping--a pretty lousy way of doing it if you ask me. Ray, if I go the route of a PCV and dual widebands, do I still need to do dyno tuning to establish a baseline tune? Or will the auto tune take care of optimizing A/F ratios on it's own?

[hlknvlcn60]

MyKlops you will love the FP exhaust....great choice. Ponch nice photos of Crater. The second one has you looking south directly at Mt. McLoughlin in southern Oregon. Planning on coming through here again this year?