Ivan's Yamaha FZ1 ECU Flash

September 23, 2014

Just in case you don't know, Ivan is a performance tuner. His web site is most informative. I highly recommend his services. http://www.ivansperformanceproducts.com



For the record, I bought my 2006 silver beauty in 2012 from a local gentleman here in the north Atlanta area. I thought I got a pretty good deal given the low-mileage and after-market goodies already installed. It had just north of 6K miles on the odometer, perfect paint, newer tires, fresh synthetic oil-change, PCIII, LeoVince slip-on exhaust, frame sliders, fender-eliminator kit, a stock and Yamaha gel seat (which is horrible), and multiple wind screens. All of that two years ago for less than $5K. Probably not the best deal ever but not bad.

Initially I was happy, but it didn't take long to discover there was a dark side to my new beauty. Respect her, or she will make you pay. After trying to throw me a couple of times with a nasty throttle snatch at the most inopportune times, I realized perhaps we should have dated a bit before tying the knot. Not only was she bi-polar and potentially dangerous at times, but the most dreary low-end performance one could imagine from a modern Japanese liter bike confirmed she was also lazy. Crazy and lazy. Great combination.

The original ECU programming for the 2006 FZ1 is a total fail. Maybe not quite to the level of say, Microsoft Vista, but it truly is pathetic. Yamaha totally dropped the ball on this one. For those reading who own a first year (2006) GenII FZ1, you know exactly what I mean. The low-end power delivery is anemic at best. It's not until you get well into the higher RPMs that any appreciable power is forthcoming. Supposedly the fueling got better with each succeeding model year. I'm happy for the folks with later year models.

Some days seemed better than others. Maybe it was the weather, my perceptions or whatever, but there seemed to be short spurts of "acceptable" performance. However, I could always depend on it returning to its inglorious lazy ways. Eventually I had to accept that in its current state, the prospect of a happy future with my new honey was doubtful. Such lousy fueling attached to such a splendid engine was depressing. Those fueling deficiencies dominated the personality of the machine. For all the good things about the bike, the lazy throttle response and pathetic low-end engine performance were too much for my fidelity. My eyes began to stray, and I had visions of a Kawasaki Ninja1K in my garage.

Before parting with a lot of cash, I decided to give Ivan's ECU flash a try. It was a whole lot cheaper than moving up to the Kawasaki. After much reading and procrastination, I finally decided to pull the trigger and shipped my ECU to Ivan. It took about a week with shipping delays and another couple of days before I could take time to reconstruct the bike.

Before reassembly, I gutted the cat since the previous owner neglected that step when installing the Leo Vince exhaust. Then I downloaded the PCIII fuel map and set the TPI (throttle position indicator) according to Ivan's instructions. I also did the Lars air-box mod just to cover all the bases.

One other modification I did just prior to the ECU flash was to change the sprockets. The bike came with a 16T front and I went back to the stock 17T. I also changed the rear to a Gen-One FZ1 stock 44T from the original 45T.

Finally, I got all the pieces back together and there sat what is as close to maximum engine performance as a Gen-II FZ1 can be without completely upgrading the exhaust system. I took her around the neighborhood for a low-speed test ride. Initial impressions were encouraging, as the low-end power was noticeably changed for the better. This was on a Friday afternoon and prior commitments dictated that I wait until the next day to really put the bike through its paces.

Saturday dawned and it appeared to be a great day for riding. I was excited to see what this ECU flash was all about. Could I fall for my little silver queen all over again? A full day of riding in the mountains should answer that question.

From Lawrenceville, Ga, I rode to Cleveland, Ga where I got on 129 headed toward the Dragon in NC and Tenn. This route took me through Blood Mountain in north Georgia and is an extremely entertaining stretch of road. Ultimately, I did the Cherohala Dragon loop before heading back to Cleveland for the night. Even though it was the weekend and crowded, I was able to navigate about half of the Dragon unimpeded by mini-vans or Harleys. It was fun, but I’m very cautious on that road and rarely push the envelope. Too many people don’t understand the concept of lane lines. In total, I rode about about 400 miles on all types of roads and was able to experience the true character of my born again FZ1.

Wow! Wow! Wow! What a difference indeed! All the acclaim on the Internet about this product is WELL DESERVED! My FZ1 has been resurrected and the metamorphosis is nothing short of remarkable. The power delivery is silky smooth and it's all up to the pilot as to how this beauty or beast is to be ridden. Selecting the operating RPM range pretty much dictates the performance profile. If you want to live on the edge, dial it up above 7K and keep it there. Don't worry, just modulate the throttle and the power pretty much does what you ask. There are no unpleasant surprises to ruin your day (unless you don't know what you're doing then all bets are off); just gobs of smooth power on demand.

If you prefer a more tame experience, turn the heat down to the 3-5K range, kick back and enjoy the scenery. It's an amazing transformation given the dismal performance before the ECU flash and what makes the overall change so dramatic. There's obvious power to be had in the lower RPM ranges and the delivery at any RPM is pleasantly predictable. Praise be to Ivan. This is so much better than the previous abomination.

For my trip, I averaged 35MPG using 89 octane. Not horrible, but I was hoping for better. Maybe after the initial excitement of the new-found performance has waned, I can ride sensibly long enough to see if the 40MPG some have reported is attainable. That would be nice.

I'm very pleased with the overall results and particularly like the new sprockets ratio. With Ivan's ECU programming, there's no down side to this configuration. For long highway treks, the 16/45 configuration was uncomfortable as the engine was way too busy and the gas mileage suffered. Since the open road is a lot of my riding, it makes no sense having the engine so wound up just to cruise at normal highway speeds. I have little interest in wheelies or the drag strip, so I see no need to punish myself for a moderate increase in zero-to-whatever acceleration. As it is now, there's plenty of low-end power to get off the line in a hurry if you really must do so. I understand the motivation of guys that like the 16T, but it's just not for me.

If the bike had a bigger fuel tank and better fuel economy, it would be a decent touring machine. It's very smooth and stable on the Interstate. In fact, there's noticeably less engine vibration than my FJR1300; and with the new sprockets ratio, the speedometer is close enough to accurate that it's usable without having to do impromptu arithmetic. Add some luggage, good seat, better windshield, and short to intermediate trips would be easy enough. That is, if you don’t mind stopping every 125 miles or so to fuel up. That might not play well out west, as the fuel stops can be few and far between. If Yamaha were so inclined, the FZ1 platform would make an awesome SuperSport Touring platform.

The only performance modification I have left to do is the rear shock. I plan to get an OEM R1 version to replace the original FZ1 shock, for which the spring on the 2006 model is way too stiff. After that, it will be as close to perfect as a budget performance motorcycle can be. After all my mods are done, I'll have about $5500 invested. For that, I get a low-mileage super-handling missile that few vehicles can challenge in the realm of performance. A properly modified FZ1 truly is a great value. I hope to ride my lovely lady as long as she's willing to go.

To summarize: Ivan saved my relationship with the FZ1. I'm so happy I didn't ditch the old girl!

October 22, 2014

Update:

Last weekend I went out riding up in the North Georgia mountains and through much discipline was able to lay off the throttle enough to get 39MPG.

March 4, 2015

Update:

I have replaced the OEM rear shock with a 2007 Yamaha R1 OEM version. It does perform much better than the original and is adjustable to my needs. It raised the rear a bit which was immediately obvious to me, but I suppose I have gotten used to it; it's not that big of a deal.

My next task is to change the fork oil replacing the compression side with lighter viscosity and the rebound with the stock weight. I've heard that softens the front a bit which is my goal. It still is a bit harsh for long rides on less-than-perfect highways.

June 6, 2015

Update:

I put some new Bridgestone Battleax T30 tires on the FZ1 this past week. Wanting to thoroughly test the new tires, I decided to head up to the North Georgia Mountains for some "serious" riding. I went up S-129 through Blood Mountain to S-180 and ultimately to my one of my favorites S-384. The downhill side of the mountain on S-384 from this direction is fairly new and typically clean black-top making for some spirited riding. Add to that nice weather, and conditions were very good for tire testing.

Riding through Blood Mountain on S-129, I took it fairly easy since the tires were new and not scuffed yet. After completing my tempered run on S-129, my impression of the T30s was favorable. They were predictable and the ride was ultra smooth. Encouraged by the results, I was excited to see what they would do on the black-top. Onward I went to my first pass down S-384. Again I didn't press that much given the newness of the tires, but it was easy to push just a little more with each curve. I think it was about the third time down the mountain I was pressing fairly hard when my left foot peg touched down on the pavement.

Whoa! I have to admit I was a little surprised; I didn't think I was over that far at the time. Given the new height added by the R1 shock and the lack of peg feelers, the lean angel has to be pretty intense to scrape. The tires enabled me to get into the moment and I never felt like I was on the edge. Overall, they were very stable and responsive.

I am very pleased with the T30s.