Anyone using A/F Ratio Gauges for Tuning?
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 772
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From: Corpus Christi, TX
Anyone using A/F Ratio Gauges for Tuning?
Seems to me that this would be the best way to get the right map from your tuner. Mount it to your bike and go ride the thing. Keep an eye on it as you ride normally, or as you run the hell out of it.
Once you get the map where you want it, disconnect and remove the ugly things. Put 'em back on when you think something may be out of whack, or just leave 'em on there if you have any which look halfway-decent.
I'm seriously considering making my own, housing the drivers in a little box, and putting the LED's for front and rear cylinders in the same housing.
Of course, RB Racing makes a dual display LED gauge for a few hundred bucks, but there are other single displays on the market for much less.
Or, you can easily make your own. Here are the instructions: http://www.scirocco.org/tech/misc/afgauge/af.html
Seems to me that these little guys will tell us what we want to know about every mod we make. They will also answer all those questions of, "What, exactly, does the factory Delphi system do with the fuel map?"
Beats the hell out of making big-money decisions based on manufacturers' marketing propaganda, right?
Once you get the map where you want it, disconnect and remove the ugly things. Put 'em back on when you think something may be out of whack, or just leave 'em on there if you have any which look halfway-decent.
I'm seriously considering making my own, housing the drivers in a little box, and putting the LED's for front and rear cylinders in the same housing.
Of course, RB Racing makes a dual display LED gauge for a few hundred bucks, but there are other single displays on the market for much less.
Or, you can easily make your own. Here are the instructions: http://www.scirocco.org/tech/misc/afgauge/af.html
Seems to me that these little guys will tell us what we want to know about every mod we make. They will also answer all those questions of, "What, exactly, does the factory Delphi system do with the fuel map?"
Beats the hell out of making big-money decisions based on manufacturers' marketing propaganda, right?
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 772
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From: Corpus Christi, TX
You can read results as you ride?
I'm not familiar with the TTS, but it seems the PC-V with AT does this, also. However, you can't monitor it as you ride. Of course, there's the Power Vision, which allows you to mount a monitor on your bike, and take it off when you don't want it there. That is, if you don't already have a tuner, and don't want to spend the money for a newer, high-dollar device.
Does the TTS have a real-time monitor that you can see while you're riding?
ETA: I just went to the TTS website and see that it does have a data-recording feature. That's a very good thing!
I'm not familiar with the TTS, but it seems the PC-V with AT does this, also. However, you can't monitor it as you ride. Of course, there's the Power Vision, which allows you to mount a monitor on your bike, and take it off when you don't want it there. That is, if you don't already have a tuner, and don't want to spend the money for a newer, high-dollar device.
Does the TTS have a real-time monitor that you can see while you're riding?
ETA: I just went to the TTS website and see that it does have a data-recording feature. That's a very good thing!
Last edited by cjlandry; May 28, 2011 at 09:26 PM.
Yeah its pretty much the best unit (TTS), I just used a small EEE PC and buggie corded it onto my tank I could see it the whole time I was tuning it, very handy for learning as well, you can also load and replay them later as well t look at certain areas, cool thing is once you have it you can tune your bike for the rest of its life no matter where you are or what you do to it, and its really easy to learn if I can do it anyone can,
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,021
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Guage hooked to a narrow band 02 is not going to give you musc useful data. All you are going to see is the thing sweeping back and forth during closed loop, and pegged rich in most everything else. They only tell you if its leaner or rivher than 14.7 you need a wideband to tune like you are wanting to do. Expect to spend $300 plus on a decent setup.
I use PLX devices in my car for this.
I use PLX devices in my car for this.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,739
Likes: 10
From: Suffolk, England
I've used an AFR meter on my bikes for a couple of years. Great gadget.
On my carb Sporty, I fitted a late-model downpipe with an O2 sensor port on it and screwed the meter's sensors in there. On my FB I remove the rear sensor, fit an O2 eliminator to its loom plug and put the meter's sensor in the exhaust port.
Couple of things...
Don't get or make a narrowband sensor system like the RB Racing ones. Completely useless for tuning. You have to use a wideband sensor based unit to be able to read the range of AFRs. The flashing lights and narrow range of the narrowband ones tell you zilch.
Just cos you have the AFR "right" doesn't mean you have the best tune. A dyno tune isn't about getting a particular AFR, its about getting a particular power/torque response. Having said that, I tune my bikes to run at a flat 13.5:1 outside the cruising revs/throttle-settings and that makes an excellent running bike that you would only want to tweak on a dyno if you are really going for those extra couple of HP at the expense of fuel economy.
On my carb Sporty, I fitted a late-model downpipe with an O2 sensor port on it and screwed the meter's sensors in there. On my FB I remove the rear sensor, fit an O2 eliminator to its loom plug and put the meter's sensor in the exhaust port.
Couple of things...
Don't get or make a narrowband sensor system like the RB Racing ones. Completely useless for tuning. You have to use a wideband sensor based unit to be able to read the range of AFRs. The flashing lights and narrow range of the narrowband ones tell you zilch.
Just cos you have the AFR "right" doesn't mean you have the best tune. A dyno tune isn't about getting a particular AFR, its about getting a particular power/torque response. Having said that, I tune my bikes to run at a flat 13.5:1 outside the cruising revs/throttle-settings and that makes an excellent running bike that you would only want to tweak on a dyno if you are really going for those extra couple of HP at the expense of fuel economy.
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2011
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From: Corpus Christi, TX
Thanks, guys.
At this point, since I already have the PC-V and Auto Tune, I'm thinking about just spending the extra bank on the LCD screen. That little thing can be used to monitor a lot of data in real time. Tach, temperatures, knock sensors, pretty much all the data from the Delphi unit, if I understand correctly.
It would be nice to have all that info available whenever I want to see it, then I can just take the thing off of the handlebars when I don't want to see it.
I guess I'll be on the phone to FuelMoto again in a week or two.
At this point, since I already have the PC-V and Auto Tune, I'm thinking about just spending the extra bank on the LCD screen. That little thing can be used to monitor a lot of data in real time. Tach, temperatures, knock sensors, pretty much all the data from the Delphi unit, if I understand correctly.
It would be nice to have all that info available whenever I want to see it, then I can just take the thing off of the handlebars when I don't want to see it.
I guess I'll be on the phone to FuelMoto again in a week or two.
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From: Ogden, UT
If you are watching a screen and not the other drivers, it's a distraction....Sorry, but I really don't see the point.
I am a techie as well, which is how I make my living, but not while riding.
I am a techie as well, which is how I make my living, but not while riding.