prowlnS10
2014 ES
I have a 2014 ES with ECU dyno tune/flash, Arrow header, modified oem muffler (larger tailpipe with oem spark arrestor assembly removed, screen re-attached), Uni-Filter NU 6235 dual stage air filter & heat tape wrapped air box.
ECU flash is the single most beneficial & impactful engine mod for the S10....it will adjust fuel, throttle & deceleration maps, remove the restrictions in the 1st 3 gears <5,000 rpm & adjust the fan on/off temp lower by 10 degrees (eliminating the oem retarded timing that occurs during the oem temp settings) + custom throttle maps (Sport now 1:1 ratio providing crisp throttle response & strong acceleration , Touring has been optimized for low speed & in town riding & becomes 1:1 @ 4k rpm eliminating need to change modes should full power/response be wanted/needed). Oem O2 sensors are retained with the 2WheelDynoWorks flash.
Flash can be done via mailing your ecu... Anthony Corcella avc8130 on the Yamaha Super Tenere Forum has a large following (think he is in NJ), Jaxon Fyffe @ RideOn ADV in Texas & Nels at 2WheelDynoWorks in Seattle are respected S10 tuners. I am in Vancouver, Canada & opted to ride down to Seattle for a custom dynotune/flash.
The S10 also responds well to increased air velocity speed via decatting (Arrow header or removing as per this video) followed by freer flowing aftermarket air filter like the Uni-Filter dual stage UN6235 kit which is oem fitment in Australia (Uni USA does not stock it).
It is not about max hp #s with the S10....these changes completely transform the bike, restoring as much as 15% power in the mid range under certain conditions according to Nels! While correcting the epa lean fueling issues & restoring the refinement that the engineers intended the motor to have. I am amazed every time I ride now just how different, refined, particularly off idle & more powerful it is...an absolute torque monster at real world speeds...the only current ADV twin that has a similar bottom end is the new BMW shiftcam 1250 GS. She is an absolute hoot to surf the prodigious mid range!
Here is how I would rank the engine performance mods for benefit & impact:
1) dyno tune ecu flash with 1a being just the flash
2) Arrow header or decatting (video)
3 freer flowing air filter
4) aftermarket muffler (the biggest benefits are improved sound & a little weight saving which is negligible on the portly S10...imho. To put things in perspective, the engine tweak mods I have made combined cost less than an Akrapovic muffler! Akrapovic advertises 1.2 hp & 1.4 lb ft gain & 4.4 lb lighter, which are typical of most aftermarket mufflers on the S10.
Fuel management systems like the PC5 combined with Autotune & wide band O2 sensors provide more tuning resolution than the oem ecu is capable of, even after a flash, and would be required on the S10 if the air box were modified for more air flow with vents like these Uni-Filter Filtered Vents. However, their cost & set up is prohibitive & a flash is still required to remove the oem restrictions. I believe Jaxon Fyffe has fully modified his S10 this way....so would be a valued resource if so inclined.
Here are my observations about each change in the order that they were done: 1st was the Arrow header (which requires a flash or fuel management system because the oem ecu programming cannot compensate enough). The biggest difference was the reduction in back pressure resulting in smoother operation (big improvement in town as oem set up has too much back pressure making smooth riding a deliberate process demanding more finesse). Throttle feels crisper. Nels says the catalytic converter causes back pressure wave issues for the cylinders.
2nd was the dyno/tune flash which completely transformed the bike yielding a phenomenal S10 riding experience that elevates it to compete with & even surpass the class favourites in certain areas (<4k rpm)…..slow speed fueling/powerband & mid-range performance are superb! The Total flash/dyno tune gains = + 7.44 hp or + 8% & + 6.83 torque or + 9% from pre-flash tune with just the Arrow Header & the oem spark arrestor assembly removed from the oem tail pipe....the screen can be reattached over the outlet pipe. These results were within 1-2 hp of the highest #'s Nels had seen on S10s with a full header/aftermarket pipe system & he says that Gen 2 bikes are about 5-7% stronger than Gen 1s. The motor is capable of higher numbers, but becomes less refined & too abrupt throttle response with a/f ratios closer to stoichiometric, so I had Nels tune mine for refinement of the motor in feel & sound. The torque curve is mostly flat & peaked from 3,500 to 6,500 now with linear power delivery right through the redline, where in oem tune it would plateau around 7k rpm. Because I had to ride down to Seattle with the Arrow already installed we never were able get an oem baseline on the dyno.
Next change was the Uni-Filter Dual Stage Air Filters which had a similar effect as the Arrow header, adding a little more refinement to low speed throttle response (now buttery smooth) & making overall response crisper yet.
Cool It Thermo Tec Adhesive Backed Aluminized Heat Barrier #13575 Wrapped Air Box: can't confirm any improvement, but the theory of more stable & lower air box temps makes sense.
Oem Muffler Mod: replace OEM 1.5" ID tailpipe w/spark arrestor with 1.75" ID custom tailpipe (the oem spark arrestor screen can be reattached to the outlet pipe) that results in less muffler back pressure & an exhaust note now slighter deeper & louder, but neighbour friendly. The current exhaust set up is now a little deeper & more robust than oem, particularly at idle....from the riders seat there is a better balance between induction/exhaust noise with exhaust being the more prominent & very pleasant on full song
.
2WheelDynoWorks has recommended a retune after the air filter & tail pipe changes to fine tune for the improved flow to make throttle response slightly crisper...but she runs so superlative right now that there is not much motivation for me to do so.
Another performance issue is to maintain a clean fuel pump tea bag filter, which I cover in another post here...the S10 is very sensitive to correct fuel pressure to run optimally! A dirty filter will degrade power & mileage.
ECU flash is the single most beneficial & impactful engine mod for the S10....it will adjust fuel, throttle & deceleration maps, remove the restrictions in the 1st 3 gears <5,000 rpm & adjust the fan on/off temp lower by 10 degrees (eliminating the oem retarded timing that occurs during the oem temp settings) + custom throttle maps (Sport now 1:1 ratio providing crisp throttle response & strong acceleration , Touring has been optimized for low speed & in town riding & becomes 1:1 @ 4k rpm eliminating need to change modes should full power/response be wanted/needed). Oem O2 sensors are retained with the 2WheelDynoWorks flash.
Flash can be done via mailing your ecu... Anthony Corcella avc8130 on the Yamaha Super Tenere Forum has a large following (think he is in NJ), Jaxon Fyffe @ RideOn ADV in Texas & Nels at 2WheelDynoWorks in Seattle are respected S10 tuners. I am in Vancouver, Canada & opted to ride down to Seattle for a custom dynotune/flash.
The S10 also responds well to increased air velocity speed via decatting (Arrow header or removing as per this video) followed by freer flowing aftermarket air filter like the Uni-Filter dual stage UN6235 kit which is oem fitment in Australia (Uni USA does not stock it).
It is not about max hp #s with the S10....these changes completely transform the bike, restoring as much as 15% power in the mid range under certain conditions according to Nels! While correcting the epa lean fueling issues & restoring the refinement that the engineers intended the motor to have. I am amazed every time I ride now just how different, refined, particularly off idle & more powerful it is...an absolute torque monster at real world speeds...the only current ADV twin that has a similar bottom end is the new BMW shiftcam 1250 GS. She is an absolute hoot to surf the prodigious mid range!
Here is how I would rank the engine performance mods for benefit & impact:
1) dyno tune ecu flash with 1a being just the flash
2) Arrow header or decatting (video)
3 freer flowing air filter
4) aftermarket muffler (the biggest benefits are improved sound & a little weight saving which is negligible on the portly S10...imho. To put things in perspective, the engine tweak mods I have made combined cost less than an Akrapovic muffler! Akrapovic advertises 1.2 hp & 1.4 lb ft gain & 4.4 lb lighter, which are typical of most aftermarket mufflers on the S10.
Fuel management systems like the PC5 combined with Autotune & wide band O2 sensors provide more tuning resolution than the oem ecu is capable of, even after a flash, and would be required on the S10 if the air box were modified for more air flow with vents like these Uni-Filter Filtered Vents. However, their cost & set up is prohibitive & a flash is still required to remove the oem restrictions. I believe Jaxon Fyffe has fully modified his S10 this way....so would be a valued resource if so inclined.
Here are my observations about each change in the order that they were done: 1st was the Arrow header (which requires a flash or fuel management system because the oem ecu programming cannot compensate enough). The biggest difference was the reduction in back pressure resulting in smoother operation (big improvement in town as oem set up has too much back pressure making smooth riding a deliberate process demanding more finesse). Throttle feels crisper. Nels says the catalytic converter causes back pressure wave issues for the cylinders.
2nd was the dyno/tune flash which completely transformed the bike yielding a phenomenal S10 riding experience that elevates it to compete with & even surpass the class favourites in certain areas (<4k rpm)…..slow speed fueling/powerband & mid-range performance are superb! The Total flash/dyno tune gains = + 7.44 hp or + 8% & + 6.83 torque or + 9% from pre-flash tune with just the Arrow Header & the oem spark arrestor assembly removed from the oem tail pipe....the screen can be reattached over the outlet pipe. These results were within 1-2 hp of the highest #'s Nels had seen on S10s with a full header/aftermarket pipe system & he says that Gen 2 bikes are about 5-7% stronger than Gen 1s. The motor is capable of higher numbers, but becomes less refined & too abrupt throttle response with a/f ratios closer to stoichiometric, so I had Nels tune mine for refinement of the motor in feel & sound. The torque curve is mostly flat & peaked from 3,500 to 6,500 now with linear power delivery right through the redline, where in oem tune it would plateau around 7k rpm. Because I had to ride down to Seattle with the Arrow already installed we never were able get an oem baseline on the dyno.
Next change was the Uni-Filter Dual Stage Air Filters which had a similar effect as the Arrow header, adding a little more refinement to low speed throttle response (now buttery smooth) & making overall response crisper yet.
Cool It Thermo Tec Adhesive Backed Aluminized Heat Barrier #13575 Wrapped Air Box: can't confirm any improvement, but the theory of more stable & lower air box temps makes sense.
Oem Muffler Mod: replace OEM 1.5" ID tailpipe w/spark arrestor with 1.75" ID custom tailpipe (the oem spark arrestor screen can be reattached to the outlet pipe) that results in less muffler back pressure & an exhaust note now slighter deeper & louder, but neighbour friendly. The current exhaust set up is now a little deeper & more robust than oem, particularly at idle....from the riders seat there is a better balance between induction/exhaust noise with exhaust being the more prominent & very pleasant on full song
.2WheelDynoWorks has recommended a retune after the air filter & tail pipe changes to fine tune for the improved flow to make throttle response slightly crisper...but she runs so superlative right now that there is not much motivation for me to do so.
Another performance issue is to maintain a clean fuel pump tea bag filter, which I cover in another post here...the S10 is very sensitive to correct fuel pressure to run optimally! A dirty filter will degrade power & mileage.
Last edited:
