Reflash ? What is it, and do I need it ?

[Salmon Sam]

Dallara - you are correct on both counts, damn it! It's been a long week and the forum and spell check didn't catch it. Thou art right. It has been corrected.

As for scotch, you have that right (water or ice?). That can really get blokes going, however there is now a softening and true scotch fans are saying: "Drink it anyway you want, just drink whisky or whiskey!"

Can we get back to more interesting and relevant discussions to the forum? As someone who resides in the next state above Oregon, I need to defend the practice of not pumping your gas. That is a very civilized law as it lets you sit in your car and drink more of the fine microbrews from around here. ;D

So, resolved: Reflashing seems to improve the fuel economy (it was explained to me why, but I am a rider not a mechanic, and I sort of fuzzily get it. Something like not choking your engine makes it more efficient). So, knowing that us up here on the "left coast" care about the environment, you could argue that reflashing your ST is the environmentally responsible thing to do, couldn't you? ::017::

 

[creggur]

The Macallan? Who do you think you are, creggur, Neil Peart? Oh, wait a minute, he rode that other bike prior to his nightly scotch imbibe.

He sure did... Of course he's a millionaire that always has a backup ride along with him while he's adventuring around on tour... His ride during the Ghost Rider adventure was an R1100GS - what I've often seen referred to as the last of the good GSs... Don't know if that's true or not, but it did haul him some 55,000 odd miles with major abuse.

 

[Salmon Sam]

Been a while since I read that book, but if I recall, he did have some issues. A broken frame at one point?? I thought that he did seem to have major service work done from time to time through and between his trips.
The book was "okay". Quite a testament to the healing properties of "the ride". I could easily see doing the same thing under those unfortunate circumstances of losing both a daughter and a wife within a year.

Just knowing that the bike sits in the garage and you could get on it and ride off and disappear into the world somewhere is quite liberating anytime the claustrophobia of the day-to-day grind starts getting to you. Everyone should have one! There wouldn't be as many crazies going off on their hurtful tirades.

(these forum threads do go off onto tangents, don't they)

 

[Big Blu]

A friend of mine from went ATW single handed in 2 six month segments over a two year period. He's a lumber man from Vancouver and now Frank has good friend around the world.
Here's a picture of him in my driveway, airing up, just after his bike was shipped to the US from Europe and as he is preparing to begin the final leg of his journey. AS you can see he shuns modern technology... ::025::

Sorry for the thread creep...

Paul

 

[creggur]

A friend of mine from went ATW single handed in 2 six month segments over a two year period. He's a lumber man from Vancouver and now Frank has good friend around the world.
Here's a picture of him in my driveway, airing up, just after his bike was shipped to the US from Europe and as he is preparing to begin the final leg of his journey. AS you can see he shuns modern technology... ::025::

Sorry for the thread creep...

Paul

Good for him! That's awesome.

And this thread deserved some creeping....

 

[Rudolph]

Don't really know where I should post this.. I have a guy here in Western Aus that does reflashes, i asked him what would happen if I went with a reflash and then bought a acrapovic can down the track? He said that he woul do a reflash now "ready" for when I want to fit the acrapovic later. Now I am a bit dum, but is the Acra that much different from stock that a reflash needs altering? I thought the Acra should not really bring on such significant changes that you have to adapt a flash for it. The problem I have is, I dont know if I want the Acra just yet. Should I tell him to just program the ECU for a stock bike?? Any answers to my question would be much appreciated..

 

[Rudolph]

G, my spelling rocks..

 

[XtreemLee]

Does the reflash affect mileage?

No. The stoichiometric mixture hasn't been changed.

Yes. It might encourage you to be on or off the throttle more than usual.

Real world experience:
I road my 2012 for 10K miles and averaged in the upper forties (45-48 ) for the life of it.

I've put 6000 miles on my 2014 es and on my last trip loaded and hauling @$$ I averaged 36.

I road 230+ miles on my 12 riding hard without running out. I ran my 14 dry at 198 last week, two miles from the next station. My spare fuel bottle saved me

Real word is telling me my 14 (goes like a raped ape but) does not get as good of mileage. But I had stock/crap luggage on my 12 no top case, and I have happy trails with a top box and passenger backrest on my 14. I will be getting my tank enlarged over winter for sure I need more miles per tank. Living and traveling in the west has taught me the fuel stops can have some serious distance between them. Wisconsin has gas stations like it has taverns not true in bfe Wyoming...

 

[XtreemLee]

Oh do you "need" a flash and is it worth it.

Maybe maybe not. I'm not sure I would do it again.

 

[pretbek]

Oh do you "need" a flash and is it worth it.

Maybe maybe not. I'm not sure I would do it again.

Ask Dallara, or pluric on another forum and you will get a resounding "definitely worth it". I think it depends on your riding style and maybe also your altitude.
Style:
The ECU-Unleashed flash removes the WOT restrictions in gears 1-3, so if you hardly every ride wide open in those gears, that benefit is moot already. Power seems to spool up quicker in general with the flash, but it depends on your wrist whether you use that benefit or not.
Altitude:
Pluric lives several thousand feet above sea level, where the "power increase" might feel much more pronounced than at sea level. Pluric describes a huge difference in wheel-loftability (that's a word now) while others barely felt a difference after the same reflash.

 

[Rudolph]

Ok, I sent my ECU to my local guy, and he promised to have it done and on its way back within the hour or two he got it. Its a overnight courier distance from me. Yesterday I got an email from him saying he has ordered me the tunefile but ECUnleashed said they are experiencing tunefile order delays. I thought, "what the"? Now I have not heard anything back for a day. Should I consider fitting pedals? Has anyone else had this issue?

 

[cubby]

Thinking of purchasing a Tenere after I just sold my GSA. I have owned two vstrom 1000's and had to power commander those bikes for the poor fueling issues below the 3k rpm. Is this reflash the same sort of thing, or could I just power commander the tenere for the same effect? Thanks...

 

[avc8130]

Thinking of purchasing a Tenere after I just sold my GSA. I have owned two vstrom 1000's and had to power commander those bikes for the poor fueling issues below the 3k rpm. Is this reflash the same sort of thing, or could I just power commander the tenere for the same effect? Thanks...

The Power Commander and the flash are NOT the same thing.

The Flashes generally attack the throttle mapping. Some flashes may also tweak fuel and timing.

The Power Commander ONLY attacks fueling.

The stock S10 is not fueled horribly, but it is quite restricted in the throttle map.

ac

 

[cubby]

Thanks for the clarification.