While at the dealer yesterday looking at a starter issue, the lead tech said my starting timing sounded too advanced and I should retard it about 3 deg. He said that wasn't related to the starter issue, just something to note.

Ive looked pretty thoroughly in winPV at the Power Vision tune I'm using, but I can't find anything close to "start/starting/starter timing" - I wonder if he meant just retard the timing on the normal spark table at the lowest RPM/MAP cells -750rpm.

Any thoughts where else I should look?

 

I use SEPST not PV, but I'm sure it's all the same. A few months ago I had a problem with a backfire on start up and learned from a fellow forum member it was due to my aggressive timing table. I was thinking along the same lines as you and apparently that is wrong. My understanding now is when you have the bike turned on, but not running it's seeing the air pressure in your garage, or wherever your bike is at the time. I live only about 40 ft. above sea level which should be right around 100 Kpa. So I retarded timing in the lowest rpm/80-100 Kpa range. I started with 1 degree, then 2, then finally 3 which is where it's staying, because it starts like a champ now. Good luck and I hope I explained that properly. Sent from my iPhone using IB AutoGroup

 

Ok cool, so those changed were made in the main spark tables, correct? At the lowest RPM and MAP cells? Thanks for the info.

 

Highest MAP (kpa) and the lower RPM's. Grab all boxes from 80 - 100 kpa and form the lowest RPM to 125, lower those in both front and rear tables.

 

Awesome, thank you Sir.

WinPV only shows me 750 rpm as the lowest it looks like (that's not my current tune btw, that's the stock tune I happened to have on my work PC). Will 750rpm make a difference?

 

Yes, take the 80, 90, 95 and 100 columns. 750, 1000, 1125 and 1250 rows and lower all 20 cells by 4 and try that. (both cylinders)

 

Again, thanks very much. Will do tonight.

 

Ok, so I looked at the tune that I'm currently running, and the timing is pretty well retarded compared to what it was stock. I assume the lead tech (who is also their performance guy) knows what hes talking about, but if stock was +4, and current is -1, I'll be looking at -4deg if I retard 3 deg like he suggests.

Does -4 sound plausable in these cells?

Here is the stock (factory) tune - no stage 1, no nothing. Just for reference.



Here's the tune I was running when the dealer tech said he heard pinging during startup



And here's the proposed change to help the startup ping (haven't uploaded it yet)



It seems like a big change from what was stock. Does this look OK to you?

 

Well, because I have no patience I just flashed the modded tune. I gotta say, even though I never heard the "ping" the tech said it had, it sure as hell started a LOT easier. No matter hot or cold, it always took two three turns to fire. This mod, and press start and bang, starts on what seems like a half a turn. I'm battery paranoid since I don't have a tender, so i only tried a couple of times, but hell, it sounded good.

As long as no one says "NOOOOOO! Don't run it like that!!!" - I'm pretty happy.

 

You're fine, -4 won't hurt a thing. The only time you are in that area of the MAP is during cranking.