I'm focusing on low down ride ability cors this where I think most do not pay enough attention. most enthusiasts seem to give exclusive attention to peak power, 1/4 mile times and top speed. These are good things, but I can use these about 2% of my riding time. Now don't get me wrong, I bought this bike because it has an insane engine, but it the pursuit of max power results in compromising that smooth throttle, slick gear change and popless deceleration then I'll be whining 98% of the time. I have faith that there is already a body of knowledge about how to make these things go hard with max throttle. There are many theories and discussions around by amateurs like me. I don't want to turn this bike into an expensive science experiment or education program.
I think I said b4 that my old R1 (carbs) has a cleaner and quicker standing start in civilised riding. By this I mean, red light changes to green, dial 1500-2000 rpm, feed a little clutch and it immediately lunges away from the line. more throttle and clutch (maintaining 2000rpm) until clutch grabs and then more throttle. I recently changed mechanic with the R1 and when they reassembled things after a major service, the engine was real soppy from a standing start (much like my '08 14) and I could no longer ride up my steep driveway without 3000rpm and a lot of clutch slipping. Normally I can pull up the drive in 1st gear, 1500rpm, no clutch slip and it lunges up the drive with a pleasing eagerness. After much stuffing around, I asked to have the ignition advanced. (There is a little play in the mounting of the ignition plate on the end of the crank) Well this immediately fixed the problem. Prior to this we were playing with the needles, idle mixtures, exup advance, plugs, etc. The ignition timing fixed it right up. Consequently, the talk of tre and retarded timing resonates with me.
My 14 needs a good twist of the throttle and slipping of the clutch to get a snappy takeoff. Interestingly, I accidently took off in 2nd recently and it felt like a much stronger engine. I had a similar experience with an 03 GSX1400 where my mechanic did something with the wiring around the gear signal that I think simulated the tre and it really transformed the grunt of this bike, So I wonder what a simple fiddle with the ignition timing might achieve, maybe that's all that is required? Based on these experiences and thinking, I've fitted a PCIII and I'm waiting for the ignition module to arrive so that with the multi function hub I can fiddle with the ignition timing in 1st gear without altering any other gear, keep the gear indicator and factory fuel maps for each gear rather than make the bike operate in safe mode.
One of the reasons I like the snappy start off idle is that I can get away quickly (relative to the other traffic) without making too much noise and attracting attention from mr plod! This is of course in the context of 0-20mph with minimum fuss, hesitation, effort and noise. The noise requirement is amplified when we get into discussions of after market exhausts. I contemplate exhausts more for reasons of weight and heat reduction than pure performance gains. I also like the quiet of the stock system and will soon be fitting the centre stand. (different thread)
You made the point that it is better to start tuning at the top end and work my way down. Well I finally took the bike out into the hills recently and opened it up. I must confess to expecting a little more, I was in 2nd gear and opened the throttle and was expecting a wheel standing tyre shredding beast. Didn't happen. It was very civilised, respectably quick but I wondered if there was more to this bike than we've been allowed to experience. This is a long way of saying that I do want more top end and will certainly seek that, but back when I was tinkering with bikes, (80s) it was generally accepted that tuning an engine for top end meant losing out down low and vice-versa. Back to the 14, of all of the options available for gaining top end power, what will also improve the low down with compromising that smooth flawless operation off idle?
BTW I loved your video of the flies in operation. I wonder if this is a sophisticated mechanism to keep the CV carb feel with the control of FI? watching the flies open with rpm makes me think these are an electronic replacement of the vacuum lifted slide of the CV carb? I wonder if removing the flies is a little like swapping the CV carbs for a set of mikuni flat slides? Is this comparison sensible to you?
08 sapphire