OK so let the decel pop begin.

[Ken Vega]

Rode the bike last night and was caught in stop and go traffic. The Vaq heated up to 3/4 on the temp gauge. Then the decel popping began. Sounds like it is mostly going from 3rd to 2nd gear around 2100 rpm. I set the EJK to .5 on the green/blue shift point and the green fuel to 2. I was starting to get irritated. The bike does seem to run great. I blocked the Air injection hose, did the Thunder Mfg. Throttle body gasket this morning, also checked all the header acorns, found one on the front jug slightly loose, tightened it up. Filled with 93 octane and off for a test ride. The bike was good until she heats up then some decel pop, seems not as bad as last night but every now and again a good pop. I think it is during an abrupt closure of the throttle but I don't think it should matter.

am I missing something, or is it the price of wanting aftermarket exhaust.

PS. The comments about how stock pipes are awesome and you love the quiet can be kept to yourselves. Thanks.

[dhobbs74]

Originally Posted by Ken Vega

Rode the bike last night and was caught in stop and go traffic. The Vaq heated up to 3/4 on the temp gauge. Then the decel popping began. Sounds like it is mostly going from 3rd to 2nd gear around 2100 rpm. I set the EJK to .5 on the green/blue shift point and the green fuel to 2. I was starting to get irritated. The bike does seem to run great. I blocked the Air injection hose, did the Thunder Mfg. Throttle body gasket this morning, also checked all the header acorns, found one on the front jug slightly loose, tightened it up. Filled with 93 octane and off for a test ride. The bike was good until she heats up then some decel pop, seems not as bad as last night but every now and again a good pop. I think it is during an abrupt closure of the throttle but I don't think it should matter.

am I missing something, or is it the price of wanting aftermarket exhaust.

PS. The comments about how stock pipes are awesome and you love the quiet can be kept to yourselves. Thanks.

I've done everything under the sun to stop mine and it's still there so I think it's something that we have to get use to on these bikes.

[rick6375]

Once the bikes get so hot, they retard the timing some, that combined with the 93 octane fuel is very likely sending some unburnt fuel into the exhaust. Try running a lower octane and see if it helps. They pop withstock pipes also, its just muffled alot more.

[dshelly]

Maybe try to add an oil cooler like I read in another thread. If it runs cooler maybe the popping will quit.

[Ken Vega]

Rick she ran fine on 89 octane when I first put the EJK. It was about 68 degrees and sunny. She ran like a champ. Last night it was not hot out but the stop and go traffic was murder. She was running warm. I am going to give 87 octane a try and see how it runs. I spoke to Dobeck Perf. He told me to bump the green fuel up in .5 increments to see if that works. I also bumped the yellow fuel up .5 from their base setting to 4.

After all my efforts if it doesnt work, then I am just gonna blast music and deal with it. I did not care for the stock exhaust.

[redjay]

I ran 87 in my Voyager with no issues, before and after a Cobra Powrpro install.

[Ken Vega]

Originally Posted by redjay

I ran 87 in my Voyager with no issues, before and after a Cobra Powrpro install.

Did you notice any difference with the decel popping issue?

[redjay]

I never had a decel pop issue as I had the stock mufflers on.
The 2010 mufflers were loud enough for me. They made them quieter in later years.

[jase64]

Originally Posted by Ken Vega

Rick she ran fine on 89 octane when I first put the EJK. It was about 68 degrees and sunny. She ran like a champ. Last night it was not hot out but the stop and go traffic was murder. She was running warm. I am going to give 87 octane a try and see how it runs. I spoke to Dobeck Perf. He told me to bump the green fuel up in .5 increments to see if that works. I also bumped the yellow fuel up .5 from their base setting to 4.

After all my efforts if it doesnt work, then I am just gonna blast music and deal with it. I did not care for the stock exhaust.

Stay with 87 octane, less popping and don't be afraid to bump the fuel up. I get hardly any popping. You only lose about 1 or 2 mpg. The ride is worth it.

[matt491]

I've noticed in a few threads people saying they run 87 octane to deal with the decel popping and also help it run cooler. The owners manual for the vaquero says minimum 90 octane to avoid knocking and serious engine damage. Is this something I shouldn't worry about?

[Ken Vega]

Originally Posted by matt491

I've noticed in a few threads people saying they run 87 octane to deal with the decel popping and also help it run cooler. The owners manual for the vaquero says minimum 90 octane to avoid knocking and serious engine damage. Is this something I shouldn't worry about?

I think it is mostly CYA from the factory. They send them out so lean from factory (which sometimes I wonder if this is true) that they recommend higher octane which burns slower from what I have read, in order to reduce chances of pinging and pre ignition. Run the 87, see how the bike responds, if you get ping or knock bump up to 89.

I ran 2 tanks of 89 with no problems, was jumping back to 93 to see if it would clear up the small amount of decel pop I have. I will try 87 next tank around and run it for a few to see how the bike responds.

[Ken Vega]

Originally Posted by jase64

Stay with 87 octane, less popping and don't be afraid to bump the fuel up. I get hardly any popping. You only lose about 1 or 2 mpg. The ride is worth it.

Jase, can you tell me what your current settings are?

I pretty much went back to base except for green/blue I have it set for.5


spoke to Dillan at Doebeck, he told me to mount the EJK on the tank bib, so I can see exactly which zone the popping occurs. Since it is around 2100 rpm going from 3rd to 2nd I am guessing green zone. Or if thelights blink green and red, there is no injector signal which means the ecu is shutting off the injectors at 0 throttle position and EJK cant over ride that.

PCV is the only controller I have seen that can tweak the 0 throttle position to tune out decel pop by adding small amounts of fuel in specific rpm ranges. I still want to give the EJK a chance before jumping ship and buying a PCV without knowing whether it will cure the decel pop which I think with some throttle control it can be minimized to the point where I just dont give a crap.

[Ken Vega]

Ok so I took the bike out today after loosening the muffler clamps and re checking the gaskets are seated nicely in the joint where I put the new V&H slipons. Placed the clamps in the optimal position and tightened down good. I experimented with throttle position and where my RPMs were when going from 3re down to 2nd. I noticed that if I kept 3rd gear away from 2100 rpm with closed throttle then nothing just the beautiful decel burble I love. I think the engine is somewhat lugging at 2100 rpm or below in 3rd gear and with no fuel being added at closed thottle, you get that pipe fart. Only one pop that sounds like you let the cork off a champaign bottle, I truly believe it is just the nature of the 1700. Up shifting, the EJK gives consistent power. I am going to try and run out this tank of 93 octane I have in there now and fill will 87 octane. That may be the final answer along with throttle control, to the 3rd gear decel pop conundrum.

[Peg]

It seems to me it's the nature of the 1700 too Ken, and my own experience is that you'll learn how to use the throttle position to minimize the decel pop fairly quickly.

Fully closing the throttle seems to make it worse - so I've learned to ride the bike without doing that so much. I only rarely have anything louder than that nice decel burble - usually only when I'm riding around at town speeds accelerating or slowing aggressively... or else, strangely - when I over-fill the tank. I'm probably blocking the breather when I do that.

It's an odd design for a "fly by wire" throttle on a bike, this zero fuel at closed throttle thing Kaw has done... I think the decel pop could be the price we pay for it?

[Ken Vega]

Originally Posted by Peg

It seems to me it's the nature of the 1700 too Ken, and my own experience is that you'll learn how to use the throttle position to minimize the decel pop fairly quickly.

Fully closing the throttle seems to make it worse - so I've learned to ride the bike without doing that so much. I only rarely have anything louder than that nice decel burble - usually only when I'm riding around at town speeds accelerating or slowing aggressively... or else, strangely - when I over-fill the tank. I'm probably blocking the breather when I do that.

It's an odd design for a "fly by wire" throttle on a bike, this zero fuel at closed throttle thing Kaw has done... I think the decel pop could be the price we pay for it?

Peg, the RacinRay thrttle mod took care of the wierd fly by wire lag the bike had. All EFI bikes have zero fuel added at 0 throttle not just Kaw. The PCV can be tweaked in this column of the map to add some fuel at zero throttle at all values above idle. This effectively adds fuel thus cooling the unburnt fuel or making it such that even the heat of the pipe and some o2 wont be enough to reignite in the exhaust and cause a pop. Its like fight a gas fire with more gas. I am going to give the EJK and the switch to 87 octane a chance, along with throttle control.