McCruise Control

[Panotaker]

I ordered a new McCruise Control for my 2008 FJR yesterday. It's the one with the new electric throttle servo. I plan to document the install to help anybody else that plans to install one. They sent me the install manual as a PDF file, so I can start reading it ahead of time. It's a pretty complete instruction manual with pictures. I just wished they had a web page where you could see the full size color pictures. If anybody has any tips on installing the McCruise control, or wants to come over and help out, I'm in Austin Texas. Or if there are any links to articles on installing the McCruise control, let me know. Thanks.

Ralph

 

[ionbeam]

Actually, someone on this Forum may have done that install before.

 

[PapaUtah]

I recently installed an MCCruise unit on my '15 FJ-0. You can read all about it here...

https://fj-09.org/thread/3310/cruise-control-installation

I think it will be a tad easier for you if you are using their controls. I went all out and used their patch harness so I could use the SuperTen switch controls on my FJ. I wanted the factory look, it's what I got. As for performance, it is better than the Audiovox I had on my old '05 FJR. Just strip the bike back so you have access to everything and take your time.

 

[graler]

No direct experience but this is also an upgrade that I have considered - certainly less expensive than a new bike. I am in Cedar Park and wiling to help.

Joe

 

[JSaul]

I added this upgrade earlier this year and it is awesome. I don't know why I spent years trying to use throttle locks, etc.

 

[Panotaker]

No direct experience but this is also an upgrade that I have considered - certainly less expensive than a new bike. I am in Cedar Park and wiling to help. Joe

Hey Joe. The McCruise Control just shipped and should be here on Thursday. I plan on starting the install this weekend. If you want to swing by, let me know.

Ralph

 

[BigChunk]

Did the install on my 2008 a couple of years ago. Two lessons learned:

1. I previously had fully detached the throttle return springs on my bike. The cruise control would not work properly with the throttle return as soft as I liked it. I had to re-attach them, which I found to be a stone cold pain in the ass.

2. Do not hesitate to call them if you run into trouble. Yes, they're in Australia, but when I was flummoxed by what turn out to be an unseated pin in one of the connectors, they diagnosed it in about 30 seconds.

Best of luck!
BigChunk

 

[Panotaker]

Well my McCruise kit came in today. I ordered it on Friday, they shipped it Monday, and it got here to Texas in 3 days. I was planning to make a video, but the instructions that come with it are so good, you don't really need a video. You basically take off the seats, side panels, disconnect the battery, and remove the gas tank and heat shield under the tank. Then comes the two hardest parts of the whole job, disconnecting the pull throttle cable from the throttle bodies, and installing the new short cable to the throttle body. To do that you turn the throttle wide open, then you have to rig something up to hold the butterflies wide open so you can unhook the throttle cable. That can be fairly tricky since there is absolutely no room to take off that throttle cable. I can't even take a picture of it to show you. The trick is to wedge the butterflies so they stay wide open. That gives you the most slack on the throttle cable. The kit comes with two tools to help you take that throttle cable off. I got super lucky and was able to take off the cable in a couple of minutes. Once you take off that throttle cable, there is no turning back. You pretty much have to finish the install, since the last thing you want to do is put the original throttle cable back on. So once you get the old cable off, you have to install a new shorter throttle cable that comes with the kit, to the same place the original throttle cable was at, so pay close attention how the old one came off, so you know how to put the new shorter one back on. This is where I think most people run into trouble. There is no room, and you can't see what you are doing. So you either get lucky and put it on right away, or you spend all day trying to figure out how to put it on. I got lucky and put it on with no problem. I'm probably making it sound harder that it actually is, but like I said, I didn't have any problems taking it off, and putting it on.

Once you get those throttle cables taken care off, you then have to install the electric throttle servo, which I believe its brand new. The old style throttle servo worked with vacuum lines, and this new style is electric. Here is where I ran into a problem. The throttle servo comes with another throttle cable. Well, they accidentally sent me a cable that is too short, 5 inches too short! It comes with instructions on how to route that cable, and when i routed it like it shows in the manual, my cable didn't reach. After about an hour trying to figure out if I had routed it right, I finally figured out that they sent me the wrong cable. So I sent them a picture in an email, and they confirmed that the cable is too short. So they are sending me a new cable, and I should have it next week sometime. So I pushed the bike back in the garage, because I wasn't about to try to put the original cable back on. If it wasn't for that cable, I would have been done already, because the rest of the install looks like it's a piece of cake, since the included wiring harness is plug and play.

 

[Panotaker]

Cool. I just got an email from McCruise and my new longer cable will be here on Monday. I was going to wait on the cable to continue with the install, but I guess I can install the rest of the stuff this weekend, then just add the cable on Monday to finish it up.

 

[Panotaker]

Yeah! I have cruise control! My new longer cable got here today around 3:30 and I quickly went to work. I swapped out the cable, and this new one reached with no problem. So I started with the second hardest step, which is hooking up all 3 throttle cables to the CIU box. The first two are easy, the last one is a little tricky, but it is all explained in the excellent manual. Once the CIU unit is installed, the rest of the install is a piece of cake. I had to add a sensor to the rear tire, along with 5 little magnets. then install the wiring harness which is basically plug and play, but you have to follow the instructions on how to route the wires on the left and right of the motorcycle. Then you put the Fuel tank back on and do a diagnostic test. During that test, you fine tune the throttle cables by taking all the slack out of them. It's all very easy. I followed all the steps, and past the diagnostic test with no problems. So I put all the plastic panels back on, and took it for a test drive.

I couldn't wait to get out on the main streets to try it out. So right there in my subdivision, I shifted into 2nd gear and around 35mph, I hit the set button and felt the cruise engage, and it maintained 35 mph. So I hit the front break, and it turned off just like it was supposed to. I then got on the main streets, shifted into 5th gear, and around 70 mph I hit the cruise button, and it instantly engaged and it stayed rock solid at 70mph, even on the hills. It works perfectly, just as good as my car cruise control. I then rode around for a good hour just testing it out and it works perfectly. I couldn't be happier.

All in all, the McCruise Control is a lot easier to put on than I thought. I took me about 8 hours to install it. After doing the first one, I can probably do the next one in half that time. Half the time is spent reading the instructions, the rest is not hard, just time consuming. The hardest thing is unhooking the throttle cable, and installing the new cable, and it's really not that hard. The trick is to find a way to hold the throttle wide open so you can get a lot of slack on the old cable so you can take it off. Then leave the throttle wedged wide open so you can put on the new cable. Once you have the new cable on, unwedge the throttle so it can close, or that new cable will pop back off, and you have to reinstall it again. I had to reinstall it 3 times before I figured out to close the throttle after you install it. I got pretty good at putting it on. The only reason it's hard to put on, is because there is no room, and you can't really see what you are doing. I think when Yamaha builds these bikes, they start off with the throttle cable, and build the bike around the cable.

For tools you don't need much, just the usual tools to take off the side panels and the gas tank. The gas tank has a check valve on it, so when you unhook the fuel line, you don't leak fuel out of the tank. The other tools I used was an 8, 10, 11, and 12mm sockets, and an 8mm wrench. I used a heat gun for some heat shrink tubing, some electrical tape, and a drill to drill one 1/4 inch hole on a plastic panel to mount the throttle servo under the seat. I also used a small flashlight.

Tomorrow I'll put up some pictures, but the manual has plenty of pictures. If you need an install manual, just email McCruise and they will send you one in PDF format. The McCruise is pretty expensive, but it's worth every cent. It is basically plug and play, the buttons on the controls are completely water proof and they light up at night. There are no vacuum lines to mess with, no vacuum canister, no wiring to mess with. It's all electronic. It comes with a wiring harness with all the connectors already on it, and it is cut to the correct length. I followed the excellent instructions and had no problems, and it worked perfectly the first time. If I can do it, anybody can do it.

 

[twistedcricket]

This is a fantastic write-up! Thank you!

Have you tried the Resume and Accel feature? For the resume at highway speeds, like passing semi-trucks on the interstate, I wonder how quick it is to respond. If it's like a car, great. The Accel, does it increment by 1mph?

I've just returned from a trip to CA and back. Holy crap do I really want cruise on my 07 now. I've been leary of the vacuum option for the hassle and I haven't read much about the electronic ones. Until now.

 

[Panotaker]

There is a wire that hooks up to the coils, they call it the tachometer wire. So if you give it too much throttle, like to pass a truck or a bunch of cars, and the RPM increases by a lot, the cruise turns off. So after passing the cars, just hit resume, and it goes back to whatever speed you had it on. If you don't give it a lot of gas to pass a truck, and you don't increase the RPMs by much, you can pass a truck and the cruise stays on. Normally I like to pass quickly, so I give lots of throttle to make the pass, and I hit the resume button, and I go back to cruising at my cruising speed. I think it turns off with too much throttle as a safety feature, if you give it too much throttle.

The accel works like a car. You press it once, and it increases by one mile an hour every time you press it. The resume works like a car, when you press it, it goes back to where you had it. The only thing that is slow is the decelerate button. If you are doing let's say 75, and you hit the decelerate button, it takes a while to decelerate. So normally if I'm doing 75, and I want to decelerate to 55, I just tap the brake to turn off the cruise, coast until I'm doing 55, then press the set button to set the cruise at 55. It might be an adjustment that needs to be made, but it works so good that I'm not going to worry about it. Keep in mind that I didn't have to adjust anything after I installed it. It work right the first time.

 

[eflyguy]

What is the advantage of this kit over the generic ones others have installed?

 

[twistedcricket]

There is a wire that hooks up to the coils, they call it the tachometer wire. So if you give it too much throttle, like to pass a truck or a bunch of cars, and the RPM increases by a lot, the cruise turns off. So after passing the cars, just hit resume, and it goes back to whatever speed you had it on. If you don't give it a lot of gas to pass a truck, and you don't increase the RPMs by much, you can pass a truck and the cruise stays on. Normally I like to pass quickly, so I give lots of throttle to make the pass, and I hit the resume button, and I go back to cruising at my cruising speed. I think it turns off with too much throttle as a safety feature, if you give it too much throttle.
The accel works like a car. You press it once, and it increases by one mile an hour every time you press it. The resume works like a car, when you press it, it goes back to where you had it. The only thing that is slow is the decelerate button. If you are doing let's say 75, and you hit the decelerate button, it takes a while to decelerate. So normally if I'm doing 75, and I want to decelerate to 55, I just tap the brake to turn off the cruise, coast until I'm doing 55, then press the set button to set the cruise at 55. It might be an adjustment that needs to be made, but it works so good that I'm not going to worry about it. Keep in mind that I didn't have to adjust anything after I installed it. It work right the first time.

Excellent. Thank you!

 

[twistedcricket]

What is the advantage of this kit over the generic ones others have installed?

To me, the difference is not having to deal with the vacuum lines. I don't know that it's an "advantage" as much as this is just a different method. Some say the vacuum method holds the cruise steady longer. I don't know if this kit is what they are comparing to or another manufacturer's. I also do not know if this is a new revision of a product.

I'm excited to read that this install is easy and that it works. If I can muster up the time and money before NAFO, I'll install it...

 

[Panotaker]

What is the advantage of this kit over the generic ones others have installed?

The advantages are ease of installation, everything is waterproof, the wiring harness is plug and play, no vacuum lines, no drilling, well engineered, excellent manual with plenty of pictures, and excellent customer support. If you have any problems, the owner will call you up and help you trouble shoot it. Mine worked perfectly the first time, with no adjustment. The downside is that it's not cheap, but well worth the money if you ask me.

 

[Dutch]

Why do you have to stick magnets to the wheel?

My generic unit wired to the ABS signal - works great.

 

[Panotaker]

Why do you have to stick magnets to the wheel?My generic unit wired to the ABS signal - works great.

Those are the Speed Sensor Magnets. You just put the 5 included magnets on the rear rotor, install the speed sensor on the swing arm which is held on by one bolt, put two wires on the sensor from the included wiring harness, and you are good to go.

 

[graler]

Ralph - now that you have had a bit of time using it any new learnings? After my 4000 mile trip from TX around Lake Superior and back I am a bit more motivated. Now just to find a wad of cash.