zero cost ER6/Versys engine mods

Feb 5, 2007
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Even though my bike is still newish and still under warranty, I choose to do my own work. It was about time to service the air filter and replace the plugs so while I had the air box off it was an opportune time to rectify the factory Engineers emissions and noise restraints.

First thing off was the ugly charcoal cannister on the L side - this was offed the first few days of ownership.
With the airbox out, I was free to:
Parallel up the vacuum signal from the throttle bodies
Remove/plug the PAIR valve as I have an aftermarket exhaust and no longer need it nor am I too keen on the new popping through the pipe noise
Remove the sub-throttle plates
Remove the air inlet baffles in the airbox

Total cost = 80 B for the PAIR plugs and a T fitting for the vacuum lines. I recycled the 4mm vacuum hose from the now redundant charcoal box to use on the twined vacuum lines

Initial riding impression is that it is much smoother at slow running and will idle along without snatching or jerking. It pulls from idle without problems and this alone is worth the mod.
There is a wonderful boy racer howl from the air intake, and no exhaust popping under deceleration

ECU is still stock, but I think it can cope with these changes. If anything, more air at full chat is a good thing as they are too rich at high revs with the stock ECU, and this is where the inlet baffles enter the equation. It remains to be seen if it is now even more too lean at idle without the inlet baffles.
Next mod will be a PC-V using an autotune sensor as there is no dyno here, nor anyone that can run one.

Now off to give it a good spanking on the Samoung loop before going to the rocket festival in Yasothon with The Ambassador in the morning

An easy mod to do, however not sure if Kawi would approve, so maybe get Tim to do it for you if you are not comfortable mucking around in there yourself.

I was a bit suprised at the recommended iridium plug replacement interval of 7500 Km. Surely this sort of plug should go far longer, and mine looked fine - not surprising with FI. I decided to leave it in until the next service interval and re-evaluate it at that time.
Perhaps this is a revenue centre for Kawi at a cheeky at 640 B for a plug?
 
Feb 5, 2007
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Back from the loop and far better than before, although the intake howl might turn a less restrained rider than myself into a hooligan.

There is a pop from the Acro pipe at 4K when under trailing throttle. It cannot be the PAIR valve so perhaps intrinsic in the pipe design? In any case it is not a big deal.
Nothing like the crackle of my Harley Thunderheader when it comes on the cams, but then again not entirely unexpected with this Versys Acro pipepipe

All in all a well worthwhile mod(s).

I can only wonder why for the sake of 10 Baht, the factory did not parallel the vacuum signal from the TB as I think this is at least a partial cure to the low speed issues. Rather than restrict the bike, Kawi should give some thought to restricting the cost cutting, weenie, accountants and put the Engineers in charge.
 

Fatlad

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Nov 27, 2010
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Well that gives me something to do on a rainey day, been looking at my UK Versys owner manual it says change the plugs at 7500 miles (12000km) and the same applies to the engine oil, maybe things got mixed up in the Thai transalation.
 
Jul 18, 2009
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This has been asked before : When removing the charcoal canister what do you have to plug off ? Any pics ?
 
Feb 5, 2007
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Gary - When you remove the emissions canister, you will need to plug the hoses.

Easier to do the boil removal in conjunction with the above mods, then you can easily remove the unneeded hoses, recycling one for the TB vacuum line parallel mod, and clean it up a bit better than just plugging dangling hoses.
See you at the rocket festival on Sat. and I will explain it all

My ECU is still stock so no remapping - can the stock ECU be re-flashed?
It seems to run fine as it, but I know that it is not optional and could be better. Stock is not optional for emissions and noise considerations, and now the mods have exasperated that situation. It is far to lean at low revs to pass emissions, lean in the middle for emissions and cruising mileage, and rich on the top for noise reduction. A Power Commander V and the Autotune sensor + software will fix this easily and automatically as there is no dyno here.

Tim Stanley has the Autoune sensor so no need to buy one with the PC-V and Tim will do the tuning for you at a reasonable cost. You will need a bung in the exhaust.

I have a 2009 US manual and gives both Km and Miles. Plugs and oil at 7500 Km.
Seems a bit short for the iridium plugs, but reasonable for oil when using modern synthetics and a high quality filter. The Kawi Engineers should know best, however I am not convinced on the plug interval and need to learn more.

When I do change the plugs, I will use Denso IU27D or 5363 spark plugs. I have switched to these in other bikes and the technical advantage is due to the 0.4 mm inconel ground electrode, rather than the NGK's 0.7 mm nickel ground electrode. Both the NGK and Denso have an iridium centre electrode.
The difference in the 2 Denso models is the nipple connector which is removed for the Kawi application. Now to find them in CM and not have Kawi take the piss for 640 B ea.
 
Dec 27, 2007
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Hoghead;267975 wrote: Gary - When you remove the emissions canister, you will need to plug the hoses.

You do NOT plug all the hoses! You need to leave the two drain hoses from the gas tank open. When you leave your bike sitting in the sun the fuel in the tank heats and expands and creates pressure. When it cools it creates a vacuum. Also the next time someone overfills your tank you need that overflow hose to route the excess gasoline to drain safely under your bike.

ps. What exactly does your "TB vacuum line parallel mod" do?

Cheers!

Tony
 

Fatlad

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Nov 27, 2010
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TonyBKK;267976 wrote: You do NOT plug all the hoses! You need to leave the two drain hoses from the gas tank open. When you leave your bike sitting in the sun the fuel in the tank heats and expands and creates pressure. Also the next time someone overfills your tank you need that overflow hose to route the excess gasoline to drain safely under your bike.

ps. What exactly does your "TB vacuum line parallel mod" do?

Cheers!

Tony

Yes i did the mod one afternoon by linking the hoses, went next morning to fill up, felt the right twat as could not open the fuel cap it had created a vacuume {or how you spell it} as the fuel cooled down overnight inside the tank, so put the boil on again until i can locate some pipe and a breather filter.
 
Feb 5, 2007
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I should have been clearer to Gary, and intended to explain it in person. To clarify - I have 2 hoses from the fuel tank. The blue one is a vent to the cap, and left open
The other is related to the emissions L side boil, and is plugged. It has been running like this for 13K Km and is fine

If you do the boil removal, and TB mod at the same time it will be self evident where the hoses go and what needs to be plugged and/or deleted.

The stock system uses a vacuum signal from only one of the TB's to the IAP/MAP (Inlet Air Pressure/Manifold Absolute Pressure) sensor. By using both TB's the signal is smoothed out, as there are less pulsations in the signal at idle, delivering a more consistent signal. This results in a smoother throttle response at low speeds, allows slow speed running without any jerkiness or having to slip the clutch, removes the hesitation at low speed, and mitigates any surging at lower engine speeds.
All this for a 10 b plastic T-fitting.
Easy and well worth it on a street bike. Makes me wonder why Kawi did not do it.
 
Dec 27, 2007
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Hoghead;267979 wrote: I should have been clearer to Gary, and intended to explain it in person. To clarify - I have 2 hoses from the fuel tank. The blue one is a vent to the cap, and left open
The other is related to the emissions L side boil, and is plugged. It has been running like this for 13K Km and is fine

If you do the boil removal, and TB mod at the same time it will be self evident where the hoses go and what needs to be plugged and/or deleted.

The stock system uses a vacuum signal from only one of the TB's to the IAP/MAP (Inlet Air Pressure/Manifold Absolute Pressure) sensor. By using both TB's the signal is smoothed out, as there are less pulsations in the signal at idle, delivering a more consistent signal. This results in a smoother throttle response at low speeds, allows slow speed running without any jerkiness or having to slip the clutch, removes the hesitation at low speed, and mitigates any surging at lower engine speeds.
All this for a 10 b plastic T-fitting.
Easy and well worth it on a street bike. Makes me wonder why Kawi did not do it.

Hmmm, I've owned 2 ER6n's, a Ninja 650R and a Versys and on all of them the throttle response has been smooth at low speeds, I've noticed no slow speed jerkiness and have never needed to slip the clutch. Haven't noticed any hesitation at low speed, and have never experienced any surging at lower engine speeds on any of my Kawa 650s... Perhaps Kawasaki didn't link the throttle bodies because there is no need to do so?
 
Feb 5, 2007
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This is not my mod, has been a common ER mod for several years, and others worldwide report similar results. Give it a Google

All I can suggest is that you try it, and see for yourself. Experienced riders learn to be smooth on the throttle, and I too could ride it fine without the mod. I think that less experienced riders will notice the low speed improvement a bit more. I noticed an improvement at low speed, and my Versys will now idle along happily in 1st gear

You will notice more of an improvement with long duration cams, wherein the idle signal is spasmodic if taken from a single TB.

I do not have a surge issue on the Versys either, however this mod is the first step in searching for a cure.

In fact I am doing the same mod with a Megasquirt ECU running 4 individual TB's on a AC VW engine in a Speedster replica that I am building. I know that the vacuum signal will pose a problem with the cam selection, and if you think on how the sensor works and how the signal can be smoothed out by paralleling the TB's it makes engineering sense.
It makes similar sense in the ER/Versys and I know that Kawi could have made it better for the sake of 10 b.
 
Jul 18, 2009
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Sounds just like what the doctor ordered :) I'll try anything that gives the Versys smoother running @ low speeds.