ECU flash on newer model.

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ballisticexchris

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Forget the dyno. Get a flash. I have a PCV too. I got a dynoed map for mine from a member for free. It rips.
To properly tune and get perfect 14.7 stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, a dyno tune is the only way you can get it. It's costly but well worth it if you are looking for max HP or individual ride-ability. "Dynoed maps" are only a very rough baseline. Every engine is a little different. Small variations in tooling, castings, ports, assembly etc, make each engine off the assembly line distinct.

Take the money you would spend on the flash and spend it on riding skills, suspension upgrades, tires, brakes or anything else that makes the bike handle or stop better. Only then should you consider upgrading the power delivery of the bike. In stock form I doubt there are very many of us that can outride the power of this bike in stock form.


Agreed, mine still has some engine braking but the transition between off throttle and back on is so much smoother now.
It took a little time but I have learned to adapt to the characteristics of this bike just fine as is. Even in sport mode I'm able to control the throttle and clutch to minimize or maximize the engine braking.

I do not recommend a flash. Yamaha engineers designed this engine to run outstanding while still meeting the emission requirements. The engine braking in sport mode is brilliant!!

The only niggling issue I had with mine was it stalling when left idling for long periods of time. I was able to fix that be turning my right throttle body air screw out .75 turn and balancing the left throttle body to match.
 

MileageMonster

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Mar 9, 2021
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The only way to get the most out of your engine, really, are skills.
Only when your skills are optimal re-mapping might give you a little advantage.
Safety margins, built in the engine by Yamaha’s engineers for longer life are undone by riding to the limit.

Compare it by always moving on your two feet at full sprint only.
You can only do that for so long (so will the engine of your bike.)
Especially when it is flashed and always ridden full throttle.

Do with your bike whatever you like, I mean, it is your bike!
IMHO it is probably not the best choice for longer bike life.
For sure I will never ever buy a flashed bike.

Professionally I rode often at very high speeds on a factory bike.
Skills is what you really need to perform on a higher level.
Flashing cannot make up for poor skills..

Only meant for information, in no way at all a lecture...
I was told the above many times during professional high speed motorcycle training...
 
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ballisticexchris

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Professionally I rode often at very high speeds on a factory bike.
Skills is what you really need to perform on a higher level.
Flashing cannot make up for poor skills..
Yes 100% true!! The two best investments I made to my Super Tenere was an advanced off road riding school and mounting open block knobby tires to it for the added traction needed.

Ironically I took the class on my lightweight Beta so as to not hinder my education. I am convinced that the skills and drills I practice help immensely with keeping the bike upright. Last thing I need is more power.....
 

Strummer

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Sep 11, 2020
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Italy
I have probably explained myself wrongly..
Coming from "custom-chopper" bikes I found my Tenere powerful enough.
I actually like the bike a lot...
I went to the dealer to trade my 2015 Yamaha XV 950 for a 900 Tracer but then I tried the Tracer AND the Tenere...
I immediately knew what bike I was about to buy no doubt in my mind at all...
I come from 23 years of bycilinder bikes and the Tenere is a major upgrade at least for me...
It has all the minimal electronic stuff I wanted.
Because I keep bumping into ECU flash threads I was just wandering if I was missing out something (but this is just the way I am I guess...).
It looks like the newer models are fine or just better than the previous ones..
I don't find the throttle an issue, I always ride in S mode and the on- off issue is barely noticeable...
 

magic

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Jul 6, 2015
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WISCONSIN
Think of the flash as adjusting and re-jetting a carburetor to get your bike to run better. The flash doesn't necessarily cause it to make more power, but smooths out the throttle response especially at low RPM.
 

Ride

Member
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Jan 29, 2021
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Long Island, NY
I have a 2015 and the throttle chop drove me nuts. Maybe I’d have gotten used to it, but really just wanted it “fixed”. I also felt a little more power couldn’t hurt and might help save my ass one day. No not more than skill drills or a track day but in the meantime helpful nonetheless.

Anthony tuned the ECU and I gained power in Touring more like Sport mode. Sport mode is even more thrilling but “easier”.

I would of course like to know more about why there was an opinion that it’s not a quality tune. Like what differences were noted or what was seen to be amiss? Was this early on in his development for the G2?

In essence:
Is the argument that dyno tuning is better than bench?
Or that the bench tune wasn’t done properly? If so, what?

Thanks!
 

Sierra1

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Nov 7, 2016
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14,816
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Joshua TX
It's gonna be a person-to-person kinda thing. fac hates it. . . . I love it. And, then there's those that fall somewhere in between. Anybody buying one needs to wait a week or two, and ride it. Not on the highway, around town. Adjust the clutch lever, and ride around in traffic. If you still hate it. . . . flash it. If you end up liking it. . . . leave it, and spend the money on other stuff for it.
 

pooh and xtine

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Nov 13, 2014
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Location
UK
Yamaha did a great job fuelling the XT within the constraints imposed by emissions regs.

However, it runs too lean (purely to meet emissions regulations) at small throttle openings and has crude narrow band O2 sensors to protect the catalytic convertor, making it hunt on and off at a steady throttle. At wide throttle openings it deliberately runs too rich just in case owners fit straight through headers and cans, which loses a bit of power and chucks unburnt fuel out. The throttle map in sport mode is too aggressive making it unnecessarily challenging to control easily, but far too soft in touring mode. The fuel deceleration cut is also just for emission regs, but on a 1200cc twin it’s too abrupt when you switch cruise off. Without the constraints it is possible to fuel the bike beautifully. You don’t get much more power, but it becomes so much easier to access the power in a controlled way. I adapted how I rode to cope with its peculiarities as stock, but having had it remapped I find it much nicer to ride.
 

SilverBullet

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Dec 30, 2014
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Harmaston, TX
But, many here have gone after a flash specifically to remove it.

That is correct, I did so in part and I love it. I still kept enough engine braking, steep downhill twisties are ridden mostly by shifting with little wheel braking.

My point was you like excessive engine braking. So order your reflash without any changes for it. That is only one small piece of a reflash.



...Take the money you would spend on the flash and spend it on riding skills, suspension upgrades, tires, brakes or anything else that makes the bike handle or stop better.

It took a little time but I have learned to adapt to the characteristics of this bike just fine as is. Even in sport mode I'm able to control the throttle and clutch to minimize or maximize the engine braking.

I do not recommend a flash. Yamaha engineers designed this engine to run outstanding while still meeting the emission requirements. The engine braking in sport mode is brilliant!!...
Spoken so strongly by one that has never ridden a reflashed bike. Try riding a reflashed bike one day and you'll do a 180° and then sit down for a nice crow lunch.
 
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ballisticexchris

Guest
Spoken so strongly by one that has never ridden a reflashed bike. Try riding a reflashed bike one day and you'll do a 180° and then sit down for a nice crow lunch.
I have owned and ridden a dyno tuned bike with near perfect AF ratio and a bunch of emission deletes. And a bunch more bikes I tuned by jetting and exhaust/air intake modifications.

I have to say Yamaha did it right with this one. I am very pleased the way it comes right off the showroom floor. I am nowhere near pushing the power of this machine to notice anything strange. The fueling is spot on in the entire RPM range with no hesitation and no restrictions in any of the gears for my riding style.
 

gunslinger_006

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May 21, 2016
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Seattle, Washington
I felt the same as chris until i got mine flashed.

It not that it has more power, its that it is now far easier to put that power to use exactly how i want. Especially down low in the rpms. Its made the need to clutch my way through tigjt uturns almost disappear, as now the throttle is so smooth the clutch just isnt needed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

WJBertrand

Ventura Highway
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Jun 20, 2015
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Ventura, CA
Anthony's re-flash really improved my 2015, don't know if Yamaha has refined the mapping on the 2020s compared to mine or not. The engine definitely feels more responsive at all RPMs in both modes, but I don't imagine it added more than a couple of peak horsepower. I first went with a canned Flash Tune flash and found that it didn't really solve the abrupt throttle on-off problem, particularly in sport mode. I forced myself to adapt to it (Chris would be proud) by lane splitting on my commute every day in sport mode. Talk about the need for precise throttle control! Yes Chris I have the throttle control, discipline and skill to manage it but I still found it a bit tiring to manage in in-town traffic and really technical lower speed twisties and I grew weary of it. I mean you could run track in your beach flip flops, but why do that when there are a variety of nice running shoes out there?
 

gunslinger_006

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May 21, 2016
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Seattle, Washington
Exactly.

Think of archery: I could take the stabilizer off my hunting bow, and still hunt. But it would demand even more from me for a perfect shot.

Why work with a mechanical handicap?

I want all of the advantages possible.

Especially when my safety is at stake.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Streethawk

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Aug 26, 2020
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248
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San Antonio, Texas, United States
I've had my 2016 ES for 7 months now. I've put it through a variety of paces except track and trail (trail is essentially N/A as it is a paved road tourer for me). These paces most recently included a ride from San Antonio, to the Ozarks in AR (hitting EVERY gold route in the NW corner), regular weekend twisty romps and also low speed/small space maneuvering courses (MSF). In my mind, what I'd like to change most about the power delivery is:

1) My frame of mind (My wrist pairs better with the high RPM performance of the KTM 1290 Super Adv. -- I've ridden that bike and all the other big bore ADVs)
2) The abruptness of throttle accel and decel in Sport mode (quite an annoyance on corner exit at a uh... spirited pace)
3) Having a juuuust bit more smack up top (but please see point #1)

I'm VERY interested in the combo of a Leo Vince or Yoshimura slippy and an ECU flash by 2 Wheel DynoWorks, BUT I'm curious about the implications of the ECU flash on the long-term integrity of the engine. At this point, that's pretty much the only thing holding me up. I trust in the R&D put into this amazing bike and would hate to compromise the heart of it in any way. Planning on doing more research to investigate that aspect of the mod. In the meantime, I'd say I'm fairing well in adapting my wrist to the undesirable fueling/power aspects.
 
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