A PCIII Convert

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radman

R.I.P. Our Motorcycling Friend
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A lot of guys install a Power Commander early on, or so it would seem. I had the benefit of putting on almost 12,000 miles before installing one.

I don't need to go 06 shopping, I got a new bike tonight.

The install went well enough. Loaded the Smoothy Map downstairs at the PC before it even went near the bike. Installed the unit, no biggie, just a little time consuming doing it without resorting to my usual tools-a hammer, lots of invective, and a 12 pack, oh, and doing it nicely, trying not to be in a hurry to enjoy the results. Everything is set-I'm ready to 0 the throttle and go joyjoy. Sooooo, disconnect all the stuff on my worker PC, the one I use for all the mundane stuff, as opposed to my gamer, drag it out to the garage, not a biggie as it is caseless, just a frame with all the guts exposed (I really mean it when I say worker :lol: ), set the monitor up, get all set, turn the comp on and......nothing. Ok, check this, check that, grab a different power cord, still nothing, you can tell somethings up cuz on my 5th trip back into the house not a creature was stirring, critters, wife, all had disappeared :blink: Finally determine that on it's lengthy travels (all of 20 feet) the power supply had taken a shit. Great. Well, dammit, I put this thing in, it's almost 0'd (2nd bar flashing, 3rd brightly lit) and I'm riding, come hell or high water. So out I go, and he ran pretty good, except he wouldn't pull from down low, below 1600 rpm or so, never a problem before, so I write that off to the throttle not being set. But overall, better power, snmoother, and response was pretty terrific. Better things to come tomorrow, I figure.

Come today, grab a spare power supply from work (thanks taxpayers), get home, install it (I knew I left that frame bare for a reason), hit the button and shazam, we're up and running. Hook everything back up, plug in the USB cable to the PCIII (you can 0 throttle without the bike running, just use the 9 volt, turn the bikes kill switch off, and you're good to go) and........mouse takes a shit. Left button, on the Oregon fukkin trail out to the garage, has decided it's kinship with the powersupply is a "till death do us part" proposition. Unfuckkinbelievable. Back into my closet full of spare junk (cats and wife have left for New Orleans by now, where it's quieter and safer), find an old mouse, power down, hook it up, and shazam part duece, we have liftoff! Finally get the throttle 0'd, quickly, before the Towelheads decide to target my garage, and get to ride it right for the first time.

If you don't have one, get one.

Frank is a machine transformed. Throttle response is incredible (can't see the need for the accel pump), he's way smoother on accel, steady speed cruising (75 would kill my right hand after a while) absolutely buzz free. With the kinda loud D&D pipes, I could even hear the difference, a more even exhaust note, especially at steady cruise, where the o2 sensor would lean him out a lot, and the vibes would commence. In short, it's a whole different machine, the ass tells me he's got more snort, but it could be that he's just so smooth on accel now it just feels that way. Regardless, the overall transformation in rideability alone is well worth the price of admission, which is probably the best bang for the buck I can think of. Color me a fan! ;)

 
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Yup, added one early on. I can't believe the difference. Throttle response is smooth and the vibrations almost non-existent...highly recommended. :eek:k:

 
A lot of guys install a Power Commander early on, or so it would seem.  I had the benefit of putting on almost 12,000 miles before installing one.
  I don't need to go 06 shopping, I got a new bike tonight.
So....

2 Q?'s

1) You had the Barbarian Mod right.... Didja crank it back down...... Settings that is?

2) You unplugged the O2 sensor right... Didn't see yah mention that.....

-bvw.

 
A lot of guys install a Power Commander early on, or so it would seem.  I had the benefit of putting on almost 12,000 miles before installing one.
  I don't need to go 06 shopping, I got a new bike tonight.
So....

2 Q?'s

1) You had the Barbarian Mod right.... Didja crank it back down...... Settings that is?

2) You unplugged the O2 sensor right... Didn't see yah mention that.....

-bvw.
De-barbarianed. o2 history. As far as location, right now it's right behind the tank, right side, in the little pocket formed between the tray ane the rear tank mount. Sits there nicely, this may change as I sort out the cruise install Saturday. On the ride in this am, couldn't believe the subtle little things that have improved, especially noticeable on a familiar ride. Even the ability to blip on downshifts is much improved. Me likey! :p

 
OK rad. I need more.

Truth be told, I had done my barb jumper a while ago. But for some reason I didn't bother to adjust the CO settings. Until today, that is.

My bike never surged. I tried to find it but I never could. The bike has always been smooth in the lower range and on acceleration. And I never had the roasting heat that everyone complained of. Vibes? Yes, I have some in the mid 4k and up range.

So, I started conservative. Added 3 pts to each. The difference is that the bike seems a tad smoother, no hotter or cooler, and that it made more of a bubbling sound when holding the engine at 3k rpm with no load.

Then I went to 5 pts. Can't say I noticed any difference than 3 pts other than more bubbling at 3k rpm with no load.

Then I went back to baseline. Still can't say I noticed a huge difference, though it seemed a tad rougher, especially in the 4.5k+ rpm range. So, three pts it is.

Now, I keep thinking, if I made it a little better, and everyone RAVES about the PCIII, maybe I should go for it. Admittedly, I don't like the idea of funking with the stock system, but hey, if it is that much better, I prolly should go 4 it.

So, tell me more. Exactly what changed? You said the response is better. How is the sound? Vibes at the transition point? Heat? Give me more man!!

-BD

 
OK rad. I need more.
Truth be told, I had done my barb jumper a while ago. But for some reason I didn't bother to adjust the CO settings. Until today, that is.

My bike never surged. I tried to find it but I never could. The bike has always been smooth in the lower range and on acceleration. And I never had the roasting heat that everyone complained of. Vibes? Yes, I have some in the mid 4k and up range.

So, I started conservative. Added 3 pts to each. The difference is that the bike seems a tad smoother, no hotter or cooler, and that it made more of a bubbling sound when holding the engine at 3k rpm with no load.

Then I went to 5 pts. Can't say I noticed any difference than 3 pts other than more bubbling at 3k rpm with no load.

Then I went back to baseline. Still can't say I noticed a huge difference, though it seemed a tad rougher, especially in the 4.5k+ rpm range. So, three pts it is.

Now, I keep thinking, if I made it a little better, and everyone RAVES about the PCIII, maybe I should go for it. Admittedly, I don't like the idea of funking with the stock system, but hey, if it is that much better, I prolly should go 4 it.

So, tell me more. Exactly what changed? You said the response is better. How is the sound? Vibes at the transition point? Heat? Give me more man!!

-BD
The personality of the bike has changed as a whole. Most evident are little things. The blip of the throttle when downshifting occurs instantly. A slight touch of the throttle gives instant response. There is no more "vibe region". It's gone. Kaput.The exhaust sounds cleaner, smoother. No more tendency to "two-stroke" when maintaining a constant speed at lower rpm's. The transition from power off to power on is smoother. The D&D's sound as smooth at high r's as the motor itself does at speed when you tuck behind the shield. He pulls a little harder from lower r's with a throttle whack, with no hesitance or buck. Steady speed cruising in town, 4th gear, 35 miles per hour, absolutely smooth as silk. I loaded the smoothy map before it even went in, as this was my biggest problem with the bike. These old beat up hands would start getting pretty numb at a steady 70-80 mph, my normal cruise on the freeways around here. It's history. There is literally no buzz at all in any speed range, the most impressive aspect of the PC, and what made it worth every penny. The changes are subtle, it's not nitrous, and it's not a V-12 conversion. But riding to work today, and home (50 mile round trip), I found myself smiling numerous times as another little difference revealed itself. You don't realize the difference until it's in, and then you have to wonder why you waited so long, and you know why so many riders promote it as a wonderful farkle. I now count myself amongst them. Sometime back, I kinda ridiculed others concerning the amount of and the money spent on various goodies and changes to this bike, and said as to how in 10 years, I would have the only stock FJR in the US. Hah! I apologise to them, and count myself, like many here, lucky to have latched onto a site where this stuff is tried, exposed, explained, and promoted or dismissed as junk. I am now a farkle maniac, Frank is loaded with goodies, with more to come, and I have you guys to thank for it. Good on ya's ;) :D

 
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05ABS. As of the end of the day Sat, it will have:

Fenda-Extenda

CeeBailey Headlight Guards

PIAA Xtreme Whites

Cee Bailey +4+4 Std Contour Shield W/Homemade Tuner

D&D Handlebar Mounts

Hella FF50 Driving Lights on

Garuad Mirror Mounts

Cox Rad Guard

V-Strom Handguards

BMW Sport Grips

Vista-Cruise

Top Gun Heavy Bar Ends

PCIIIUSB

Audiovox Cruise

D&D Alum Exhaust

R-1 Shift arm

Garaud Convertable Passenger Backrest

R&G Sliders

Terry Riley Highway Peg Mounts w/Kuryakin Pegs

I thinks thats it. Lotta shit for a bike a guy was gonna leave stock. It kinda snuck up on me. :huh:

 
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I'll put my 30,000 mile '04 up against any baby boy blue '05 any day! :D

As far as the PCIII is concerned..... I said this exact thing two years ago. So did eveyone else! What took you so long???? :p

What Rad says is true. Especially is your bike is a bit unsettled at idle. It smooths the bike throughout the rev range. Notiucable improving the stumbling and lean condition the stock mapping creates.

Like I said anytime anyplace! Cerulian is faster..... And better looking too!

 
No mention of fuel mileage difference? Tell me it's close and I'm sold. ;)

My carpal tunnel is getting worse. I need all the anti-vibe I can get right now.

 
With the base map for the FJR and a K&N air filter I am getting 43-44mpg. Down about 3 from stock. You CAN make your milage really drop if you enable the 'accellerator pump' feature. :D

 
I had mine set up on the dyno and aside from all the good things mentioned so far I didn't lose any economy. It still gets around 50mpg if I am behaving. The guy that did the set up gave me a disc with a few other maps but I am not smart enough to understand how to change it and it runs to good to screw with it.

 
Radman -

Thanks for this report. It has singlehandedly convinced me to not sell my 05 and try to fix the things I don't like. My biggest complaints are vibration, heat and buffeting, sounds like a PC3 will fix two of those.

So if the PC3 is not the cure all you've made out to be, I'm gonna come lookin for ya :axed: j/k

Thanks for the review.

 
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