Does your bike run smoother in cold weather?

[bluesguitarboy]

I bought my Rt in January and had never ridden it when the temp was above 35 degrees. It ran beautifully. Now that it is getting warmer I can detect some surging. Has anyone else had this experience. I know my old bike a carbed suzuki would run smoother the colder it was outside. When the temperature rose you could tell a major difference. Not nearly as smooth. Is this ordinary. All views welcome.

[JoeR]

Part of the input into the engine computer is the temperature sensor; it's possible a lazy or inaccurate temperature sensor is causing your issue.

 

I haven't had the same problem; my RT tends to run better when the weather is warmer.

[Linz]

I think nearly all engines do, as the air is more dense when it's cold. My R1150RT is noticeably happier in colder conditions but a good tune and a Techlusion unit sorted the surging.

 

Linz

[Quinn]

Mine seems to run better after I've been off of it for a few days but I'm sure it's just me.

 

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[RTs4me]

Yes, mine does . I fitted one of these:

http://www.sol2.be/Performance/ENG/Home/index.html

...and now I've got that 'cold weather smoothness' all of the time .

[dan cata]

Yes, mine does . I fitted one of these:

http://www.sol2.be/Performance/ENG/Home/index.html

...and now I've got that 'cold weather smoothness' all of the time .

 

And how did the fuel economy altered after the modding?

 

Dan.

[AndyS]

Yes, mine does . I fitted one of these:

http://www.sol2.be/Performance/ENG/Home/index.html

...and now I've got that 'cold weather smoothness' all of the time .

 

What does it do, and how much typically does the kit cost.

 

What is involved in the installation?

 

Andy

[dirtrider]

What does it do, and how much typically does the kit cost.

 

What is involved in the installation?

 

Andy

 

Morning Andy

 

Those things (like the device above) typically spoof (fool) the IAT (intake air temperature) resistance to make the Fueling Computer THINK the intake air temperature is colder than it really is.

 

On SOME vehicles that rely heavily on outside ambient air temperature for fueling trim (mostly open loop vehicles) they can work effectively to trim the fuel/air ratio and richen the fuel air mixture.

 

Unfortunately the USA BMW 1100/1150 isn’t one of the bikes that relies a lot on IAT for fueling duties. The BMW relies more on the oil temperature and throttle position than the IAT signal. It does use the IAT for cold starting and some ignition timing trim. On the BMW once the engine is warm the 02 sensor trumps all.

 

Even if it worked , when those type devices are used on engines equipped with narrow band 02 sensors the 02 sensor overrides both the oil temperature and air temperature sensor when the 02 is active. This is the way it MUST be have a closed loop system. On the USA BMW 1100/1150 during transient throttle position changes like heavy acceleration or at very high throttle openings the 02 will be disregarded and under those conditions things that spoof the IAT can have a little effect on fuel trim.

 

On a BMW 1100/1150 without an 02 sensor or one that has the 02 sensor disconnected then devices like the above IAT spoofer might show a little steady state throttle fuel trim improvement therefore a little less steady state engine surging. With an active 02 sensor the only engine runability improvement is perceived not actual.

 

Unfortunately for those type spoofers to work to improve steady state engine operation the 02 needs to be disconnected. Once the 02 is disconnected things like the above IAT spoofer isn’t needed as the engine should run surge free without any air temperature spoofing help.

 

One thing those type devised do is remove money from the riders wallet and any time you remove any weight from the bike it will respond to the throttle better.

 

Now, before people think those things have no place in the motorcycle world they do work on some vehicles (that is how they keep selling and some riders say they work good). On an open loop (no 02 sensor equipped) bike like some Ducati’s that rely heavily on the intake air temperature for main fueling trim then spoofing the intake air temperature can show a marked improvement in engine operation (especially in hot weather).

 

[Peter Parts]

A basic spoofer has to have parameters that totally overwhelm the temperature compensation. That is because they need to spoof a VERY low temperature - lower than any riding south of Canada - in order to fool the ECU into much enrichment. As dirtrider says, on the Motronic 2.4, the air temp trim factor is pretty mild. So you no longer have any temperature trim for the fueling.

 

Back to original question. If the temperature compensation (and some carbs have temperature compensation too) is whacky, you just might be getting some extra richness which adds flexibility if not power per se. But what difference, I bet a lot of the "effect" is placebo.

 

But are you sure it isn't moisture in the air? That has a noticeable effect on engine performance - even sweetens the engine when you go riding in woods early summer evenings.... love it.

 

Ben

very damp in Toronto

[RTs4me]

And how did the fuel economy altered after the modding?

 

 

how much typically does the kit cost.

 

What is involved in the installation?

 

 

Prices are on the website. I paid 42 Euro for the 'extended' version (longer cable), plus a bit for postage. The guy is based in Belgium. It took less than a week to arrive to me in the UK.

 

It's a 5-minute installation. Unplug the standard cable from the bikes wiring harness to the airbox sensor and plug in the accelerator cable, between the bikes harness and the airbox sensor. I cable tied it to a frame tube, pointing towards the rear of the bike away from engine heat.

 

It doesn't seem to affect fuel consumption at all. The bike is not any faster or more powerful, but the throttle response is much better and on/off throttle transitions are much smoother. The momentary 'leanness' and delayed response when opening the throttle is gone.

[Peter Parts]

 

It doesn't seem to affect fuel consumption at all. The bike is not any faster or more powerful, but the throttle response is much better and on/off throttle transitions are much smoother. The momentary 'leanness' and delayed response when opening the throttle is gone.

 

Yup. Spoofers are there to make fueling rich and those are the exact benefits in flexibility you have nicely observed. Maybe not enough to tell at the pump. Or some part can also be placebo, to express the thought courteously.*

 

Curiously, you can measure the resistance of the spoofer to tell what "temperature" it is targeting. I think you'll find that to be like -20. Working backwards, it means there's no big cold-weather dividend till you get that cold. Anyway, that's my conclusion when I was arguing with the enthusiastic souls on another board about it.

 

Anybody can make a spoofer to try out the concept. The crucial part is nothing but a single 20-cent resistor. No issues just cutting either wire and sticking it in.

 

Ben

damp in Toronto

 

 

*on the hifi forums, it is widely accepted that people can be strongly hallucinatory at certain judgments and you have to use a mic to test some parameters. Or blind or double-blind A-B testing. Too bad the news hasn't come to the ego-involved bike world.