super-simple way to derestrict Kawa 250 single (?)

[KZ25]

I came across this cheap and simple way to derestrict the KLX/Tracker 250 on www.svendura.de - no idea if it works but since it's so easy it's worth to try it out!

It's a German website so if you read German you can follow the instructions there.

First picture: locate the plug close to the clutch lever.

Pull out the plug and bridge it - bingo! This supposedly activates a second, hidden ECU map and lets the engine rev all the way in all gears.

A wire of appr 1.5mm strength should do the trick.

That's the idea! Job done! And it's easy to reverse without anybody ever knowing it, so no worries about voiding the warranty.
Now tape it/secure the cable to the handlebar and make sure the wire stays in.

I have no idea if this works - it's almost too easy to be true - so if someone tries it out, please post the result!

 

[johngooding]

I have now seen reports in several places that this does work. But does it defeat the safety switch that normally prevents you starting the bike in gear unless you pull in the clutch. Would someone who has made the mod please report..

 

[Lakota]

just tried it. the bike will start in first gear, although I wasn't aware that it wouldn't.
I know it won't start with the stand down in gear.

I tried this mod, and it works, wish I knew exactly why. I tried to ride the bike without the mod and quite frankly its almost unrideable , you can feel the difference and its quite obvious how bad the restriction was.

 

[KZ25]

So it's working? That's great! Thanks for posting it.

You just have to get used to starting the bike either with a pulled-in clutch or the green light on - no biggie! I've always done that anyways.

 

[Lakota]

like you say, nothing to get used to, I've always done it that way

startling difference, it just feels so right, it can't possibly be wrong ....... :smile1:

 

[nikster]

Lakota;275091 wrote: just tried it. the bike will start in first gear, although I wasn't aware that it wouldn't.
I know it won't start with the stand down in gear.

I tried this mod, and it works, wish I knew exactly why. I tried to ride the bike without the mod and quite frankly its almost unrideable , you can feel the difference and its quite obvious how bad the restriction was.

Whoa, KZ, what a find. Either you do that.. or you buy the Kawa 8,000 Baht "performance" ECU... tough choice!

This is what it says on the website: "Bei gezogenem Kupplungshebel wird automatisch die aggressivere original Zündkurve aktiv. Durch Überbrücken des Schalters bleibt diese Einstellung dauerhaft erhalten und das Motorrad läuft besser."

Translation: When pulling the clutch, the bike automatically activates the original, more aggressive ECU mapping. By bridging the switch that mapping remains active at all times and the bike runs better.

 

[johngooding]

Its great that this simple reversible mod works, but it does not all quite make sense. How can Kawasaki offer for sale a "performance" ECU, when all it does is the same as the standard with this small mod. I wonder if they have in the last couple of years since selling these bikes in Thailand, changed something along the way. I say this because I believe they stopped selling the performance ECU a little while ago, could they be now be fitting it as standard, but not fully activated without this mod. That or some other change from model year to model year, could mean that not all these little Kawas will respond to this mod. I guess time will tell as more people check their machines and hopefully report here.

 

[FrankT]

Interesting indeed, I have the API non-mappable ECU which obvioulsy derestircts the engine but also leads to higher fuel consumption and I also had problems in Laos recently during the cold morning hours, the engine did not run smooth on steady throttle, I had to increase/decrease throttle all the time to keep the engine running smooth.
I would be keen to go back to the original ECU with the above mod if it works, will try soon.

 

[KZ25]

John, I kind of understand what you're saying, this little 'trick' seems to work but if someone had told me about it, I wouldn't have believed it. It doesn't make sense! A 'second, original' map, being activated by bridging the cable at the clutch switch - sounds like nonsense. Also how come that in the two years the bike is out it wasn't discovered earlier? I don't think there was any change in production, all FI versions should have this cable since day one.
Maybe Kawasaki doesn't even know about this?
Or maybe they do and leaked it to be more competitive since the CRF 250 is coming out?
Did they sell the ECU to make some money and to avoid the responsibility by voiding the warranty? - "You want more power you're on your own" ?
Then I read stories about the bike 'deristricting itself' after dumping it or an accident.
One can speculate but this whole business doesn't make sense.
Why did they restrict it in the first place? The FI should have been clean?
Curious and curiouser...

 

[Joelthailand]

Read about this little trick on another forum a while ago & didn't think to much about it. It does seem to be a great cheap little trick for getting more power. http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=785180&page=10

How it activates a performance fuel map is hard to believe but it will certainly rev through all the gears properly from what I have read! I will plug my old ecu in & have a blast round the block & see how my bike runs using the clutch trick, sometime in the next few days.

 

[Fishenough]

This clutch wire shorting trick has been on Thumper Talk forum for some time now, but with out pictures. We a wire short on a friends rented D-Tracker, it worked as advertised, but the ECU heated up to the point that we could smell burning plastic. We pulled the jumper from the wire plug and the ECU returned to being hot but not smoking hot. Did this only the once, and this is was done to a rental bike in rough condition.

 

[Lakota]

Thanks for that Fishenough. I suppose we need to know wether we are indeed 'shorting' the wires or just adjusting the mapping in some way . I don't fully understand why its there on the clutch in the first place :think:

 

[FrankT]

Yeh let's start there, what kind of plug is that actually at the the handlebar and what is it's function?

 

[KZ25]

Lakota;275129 wrote: Thanks for that Fishenough. I suppose we need to know wether we are indeed 'shorting' the wires or just adjusting the mapping in some way . I don't fully understand why its there on the clutch in the first place :think:

I suggest clicking the links and reading the posts. Bridging the plug or crossing the wires will give you the same result.

As mentioned, a different map gets activated.

The switch (and plug) is there so you can't accidently start the bike while it is in gear. So don't start your bike while it is in gear.

 

[KZ25]

Fishenough;275127 wrote: This clutch wire shorting trick has been on Thumper Talk forum for some time now, but with out pictures. We a wire short on a friends rented D-Tracker, it worked as advertised, but the ECU heated up to the point that we could smell burning plastic. We pulled the jumper from the wire plug and the ECU returned to being hot but not smoking hot. Did this only the once, and this is was done to a rental bike in rough condition.

I can't imagine why a ECU would heat up to different degrees with different mappings - it's the engine that works harder, not the ECU.

 

[Fishenough]

KZ25;275136 wrote: I can't imagine why a ECU would heat up to different degrees with different mappings - it's the engine that works harder, not the ECU.

Don't have a clue if it was related to plugging that piece of wire into the cable plug. It was a rental in pretty sad shape and had been driven at 120 for an hour and half before we noticed the ECU temps, so who knows.

Also this sounds like it would be a worthwhile mod - http://www.kawasakiforums.com/forum/klx-250s-71/klx-250-300-camshaft-mod-marcelino-35904/

Understand what is described in the post concerning the camshaft sprockets, but not sure who in town I would trust to do the advance adjustment to the exhaust shaft.

Would really like a similar torque curve!

 

[KZ25]

That Marcelino guy posted a lot of pix and graphs but the whole idea doesn't make any sense to me.

"We all know the KLX 250 has a lot of intake noise ( many users will not run the bike without the air filter cover ) , and also has verry little exhaust noise . It seams that it does not respond verry well to escape mods , mixture mods etc. The power and torque gains are somewhat marginal , 1-2 HP tops . The only mod that really wakes up some the KLX is the elimination of the air filter cover . "

He's messing with the cam sprockets because the engine makes too much intake noise and not enough exhaust noise?!

I believe this though: "A friendly word of advice : Don´t do this at home !"

 

[Lakota]

KZ25;275136 wrote: I can't imagine why a ECU would heat up to different degrees with different mappings - it's the engine that works harder, not the ECU.

Its hard to say. if its different mapping then I agree with you. if its more of a 'short' and the ECU's working its nads off doing something it wasn't designed to do except for a few seconds when the clutch is depressed , then it may indeed heat up . worth checking just to be on the safe side, if something's too good to be true, and this mod is definately too good to be true. Why would a switch thats designed to stop you starting in gear. A function thats a little bit over the top IMNSHO , have a dual function of setting different mappings ? I suppose its possible it allows a technician to check the full rev range easily if required during maintenance or something by just depressing the clutch :?

Gonna have to give it a blast today and see if its roses or burning ECU's I can smell

 

[johngooding]

Lakota;275148 wrote: to be true. Why would a switch thats designed to stop you starting in gear. A function thats a little bit over the top IMNSHO )

This is present on virtually all newer bikes. Not really OT, have you never started the bike when not sitting on it, to check something, or to warm it up, prior to an oil change etc. If you do this without your hand near the clutch, and you have not checked if in gear, and if the side stand is not down (I know that's stupid, and not likely, and none of us are stupid:wtf:, and not likely things never happenroblem, then the bike will move forward. Could be not very funny.

 

[KZ25]

Lakota;275148 wrote: Gonna have to give it a blast today and see if its roses or burning ECU's I can smell

Please let us know!

I'd like to hear from more KLX/Tracker owners how this mod is affecting their bikes...

Does it only let the bike rev all the way in the top gears or is there any other notable improvement?

 

[Lakota]

it was quite a cold day today. checked the ECU a couple of times and it was not even warm to the touch. did quite a bit of mountain climbing too.

It would be nice to here from a few others too.

I'm leaning towards the idea that it was indeed put there for service reasons, to allow the revs to be checked or something. but what do I know, I still dip the clutch when starting the bike up like the dip sh&t I am ;-)

 

[dubtruker]

I posted that link last week in the "KLX service" thread. I read a bit on the wiring mod on the ECU and this mod and it seems to me they both work for similar reasons. The wiring mod seems to be tricking the ECU into thinking the bike is in neutral Instead of 3rd gear and up and still lets the Neutral gear light to work correctly. I think that's why you bridge the wire as the final stage to make the neutral light work correctly.
This mod tricks the computer into thinking the clutch is pulled in,essentially like being in neutral. I think they added it to make the bike Rev correctly when the clutch is pulled in therefore the owner doesn't percieve a problem in higher gears.

 

[dubtruker]

I did this mod last week on a rental bike and yes I did get a burning plastic smell from the bike after riding at 120 and higher for well over an hour. However I did get this from the last rental bike that was not deristricted with this method but must have been done with the ECU wiring mod as it was derestricted as well. I would think you would get some heat smell from this bike regardless of mods if you sustain those speeds in the heat of Thailand.

 

[Fishenough]

dubtruker;275180 wrote: I did this mod last week on a rental bike and yes I did get a burning plastic smell from the bike after riding at 120 and higher for well over an hour. However I did get this from the last rental bike that was not deristricted with this method but must have been done with the ECU wiring mod as it was derestricted as well. I would think you would get some heat smell from this bike regardless of mods if you sustain those speeds in the heat of Thailand.

My nose is clean from that fresh BC air too and I don't smell my bike or others after extended 120 km runs.

Maybe something has been done to the rental bikes? A friend (another BC wet coaster) just bought a very clean D-Tracker off a member here and we will probably give this wire trick a try.

 

[Lakota]

I gave it a Blast again this morning. yes, Its a cold day. but I just can't see the ECU having a problem with this Mod, unless its maybe a faulty unit or something.
So its most likely just tricking the bike into thinking its in neutral, I suspect you can get a bit more performance out of the 'performance' ECU if required but If you need more performance and if we're being honest you need a bigger bike. Nice to have the revs for overtaking and as I've said before it just feels so much better.

I've blocked the connector end with a bit of plastic and silicone to keep out dust and dirt and the loop wire hangs nicely on the black cable tie thing thats already there.
I'll probably just reconnect it when its due a service while its still in warranty.