Tuning a new R3R

[alpental]

Well, what if that tuner just happened to be a former Playmate and there's free Surly beer?

Just how "former" are we talking here?!

 

[dougl]

Well, what if that tuner just happened to be a former Playmate and there's free Surly beer?

I don't think my wife would go for the Playmate angle.

 

[wildchild]

Just how "former" are we talking here?!

Haha oh. let's say 20 years

 

[alpental]

Haha oh. let's say 20 years

Might need a few extra beers, but I'm sure we can make something work!

 

[alpental]

The issue isn't finding a good tuner. It's finding a tuner with a lot of experience using TuneECU to dyno tune, especially Keihin ECU's like your's. I'm in the same boat. No one near Reno has any experience with TuneECU. Minnesota is completely irrelevant. You should call those guys in NorCal and ask them how many Triumphs with Keihin ECU's they've dyno tuned with TuneECU. If it's a lot, it could be worth the 6 hour ride. If not, forget it. You've seen how the DynoJet guy bullsh!tted you.

There is another alternative. If you go to the TuneECU site, under:



There are tunes for the Roadster: R3R_slip.hex for VINs up to 574812 and R3R_slip_grafted_onto_20773.hex for VINs from 574813. These are custom dyno tunes done by Wayne (Power-Tripp) Tripp for Roadsters with TORs or slip-ons and triple K&N RU-2780 filters. The two tunes are exactly the same except they changed the ECU at VIN 574812. If you put the RAMAIR on, buy the cable for $20 and load this tune with TuneECU. Better still, waste some money and buy the K&N filters [3 RU-2780, 1 62-1340 for the crankcase breather, and 1 62-1560 to protect the temperature sensor. You won't need this last one for the RAMAIR. There's a good video for installing the RAMAIR which also applies to the K&N install:

]

first and see if the tune works with those. I doubt there's much difference between the RAMAIR and triple K&N's. If this doesn't work and you can't access a TuneECU tuner, you can always start with the R3R slip tune and have a PCV installed and tuned. However, you need to find a DynoJet tuner who will tune each cell (RPM vs throttle position) manually, not with Tuning Link. If they say this auto tune method is fine, find someone else.

Power-Tripp is a tuning guru but he's back East somewhere and retired. I just bought a 2007 R3 Classic with a Jardine rumbler exhaust. It had a stock Triumph TOR tune in it. It ran OK, a bit rough, but was obviously too lean. There was no custom TuneECU tune I could find for just this exhaust and an under-seat filter. But there is a custom Power-Tripp tune for Jardines and triple K&N's. I installed the triple filters and loaded Power-Tripp's tune. It runs smooth, fast, with no popping on hard deceleration. I was going to have a Power Commander installed and tuned but now there's no need. You should give it a shot.

So I messaged Claviger about his TuneECU tune: R3R_slip_grafted_onto_20773.hex. Here's what he had to say (copied here with his permission):

Don't use that tune, ever, for any reason. I have tried to remove it from every place it's been posted, sorry you still got a hold of it.

A bit of explanation: The 2004-2013 bikes all used a single version of ECU, the 2014 and newer bikes use a different version which is totally different. By grafted and should avoid issues, I mean I copied the fuel/timing tables onto a 2014 tune to basically use the tune on newer bikes.

The problem arises in that the tune was never good, and has very bad timing tables. The man who developed it was amazing at making tunes, but this particular tune is very bad. I think he either never finished developing it, posted the wrong file, or it may have been corrupted. Either way, it is no way a viable tune that should ever be installed and ridden on.

All that said, if you are after a nearly stock tune, or a tune that will work with TORs and Ramair/K&N tripples, my hybrid tune should do you well. I purposely made it a little rich in the public version I posted to make sure people would not have safety issues, but it still makes gobs of power all over the RPM band and is much better response than the stock tune.​

 

[dougl]

So I messaged Claviger about his TuneECU tune: R3R_slip_grafted_onto_20773.hex. Here's what he had to say (copied here with his permission):

Don't use that tune, ever, for any reason. I have tried to remove it from every place it's been posted, sorry you still got a hold of it.

A bit of explanation: The 2004-2013 bikes all used a single version of ECU, the 2014 and newer bikes use a different version which is totally different. By grafted and should avoid issues, I mean I copied the fuel/timing tables onto a 2014 tune to basically use the tune on newer bikes.

The problem arises in that the tune was never good, and has very bad timing tables. The man who developed it was amazing at making tunes, but this particular tune is very bad. I think he either never finished developing it, posted the wrong file, or it may have been corrupted. Either way, it is no way a viable tune that should ever be installed and ridden on.

All that said, if you are after a nearly stock tune, or a tune that will work with TORs and Ramair/K&N tripples, my hybrid tune should do you well. I purposely made it a little rich in the public version I posted to make sure people would not have safety issues, but it still makes gobs of power all over the RPM band and is much better response than the stock tune.​

Sounds like that tune should be removed from the TuneECU site. The I3 table on that tune looks like it got scrambled.

By the way, how is your bike running now? If your VIN number is post 574812, the secondaries are unrestricted (open 100%) in gears 1-3.

 

[Claviger]

For a bike that is stock intake with stock cans or TORS I would try R3T stock or slip done by power tripp, or my Base tune or Domination tune and see which one suits your bike the best. Keep in mind the R3T is the same motors and the R3T tune will work just fine in it.

 

[1olbull]

@alpental and @dougl
Well then, Amigos, come up here to WA and see Nels Byersdorf!
@RKTNMYPKT and myself have appointments in August 13th.
http://2wheeldynoworks.com/contact-information/

 

[mikewd]

The issue isn't finding a good tuner. It's finding a tuner with a lot of experience using TuneECU to dyno tune, especially Keihin ECU's like your's. I'm in the same boat. No one near Reno has any experience with TuneECU. Minnesota is completely irrelevant. You should call those guys in NorCal and ask them how many Triumphs with Keihin ECU's they've dyno tuned with TuneECU. If it's a lot, it could be worth the 6 hour ride. If not, forget it. You've seen how the DynoJet guy bullsh!tted you.

There is another alternative. If you go to the TuneECU site, under:



There are tunes for the Roadster: R3R_slip.hex for VINs up to 574812 and R3R_slip_grafted_onto_20773.hex for VINs from 574813. These are custom dyno tunes done by Wayne (Power-Tripp) Tripp for Roadsters with TORs or slip-ons and triple K&N RU-2780 filters. The two tunes are exactly the same except they changed the ECU at VIN 574812. If you put the RAMAIR on, buy the cable for $20 and load this tune with TuneECU. Better still, waste some money and buy the K&N filters [3 RU-2780, 1 62-1340 for the crankcase breather, and 1 62-1560 to protect the temperature sensor. You won't need this last one for the RAMAIR. There's a good video for installing the RAMAIR which also applies to the K&N install:

]

first and see if the tune works with those. I doubt there's much difference between the RAMAIR and triple K&N's. If this doesn't work and you can't access a TuneECU tuner, you can always start with the R3R slip tune and have a PCV installed and tuned. However, you need to find a DynoJet tuner who will tune each cell (RPM vs throttle position) manually, not with Tuning Link. If they say this auto tune method is fine, find someone else.

Power-Tripp is a tuning guru but he's back East somewhere and retired. I just bought a 2007 R3 Classic with a Jardine rumbler exhaust. It had a stock Triumph TOR tune in it. It ran OK, a bit rough, but was obviously too lean. There was no custom TuneECU tune I could find for just this exhaust and an under-seat filter. But there is a custom Power-Tripp tune for Jardines and triple K&N's. I installed the triple filters and loaded Power-Tripp's tune. It runs smooth, fast, with no popping on hard deceleration. I was going to have a Power Commander installed and tuned but now there's no need. You should give it a shot.

Hi Doug, Thanks for the great info, very much appreciated. I am new to all of this so any help you can provide would be very helpful. I have a '12 R3R with:

• PCV and AT
• new slip-ons by same guys who make Shortys which eliminates the embedded cats in stock pipes,
• replaced crossover pipes which had a collector box
• just ordered RAMAIR.

My questions are:

1. Do you still recommend the other filters you mention above "1 62-1340 for the crankcase breather, and 1 62-1560 to protect the temperature sensor"?
2. With my configuration, do the tunes you mention still apply with PCV with AT?

As an aside, my last move was to put new free-flow crossover pipes on which is when my backfiring at deceleration began....I may have tune now assuming 3 K&N's which may be why I'm having issue? Mechanic friend loaded tune but as I look, dont see one with stock filter.....hope thats why!

Thanks again!

Mike

 

[Claviger]

If you have a pc5 and AT there really is no need to hunt tunes. You have the tools needed to dial in the tune to your bike perfectly already.

The popping and burbling is almost certainly a lean condition on over run when decelerating. You are hearing it more now because the crossover is open and doesn't mask the sound.

The popping on deceleration after a wot pull is not in any way bad for the bike. If it bothers you add fuel to the 0% throttle column above 2k rpm area until it stops.

Factory tunes purposely are set lean there because fuel there is all wasted fuel, so they cut it for both emissions and mileage purposes.