Date: 19-05-24  Time: 01:48 am

Author Topic: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6  (Read 13017 times)

Grahamm

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Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« on: 01 January 2013, 10:52:19 pm »
I've put this in here as it's more relevant to this area...

How did the power commander installation go? Did you have it dyno'd afterwards or did it work out of the box?

Ok, I bought the Power Commander second hand from expatmanxman (see a few posts down). I only got the unit but it's easy enough to download the mapping software and fitting instructions from the Dynojet site.

Fitting it turned out to be a bit of a palaver, for various reasons...

1) As I don't have a laptop I first had to find a way to install the map onto the unit from my desktop. You can do that by connecting it to the PC with a USB cable, but you also need a 9V battery and connector to power the unit. Fortunately I had both and managed to bodge a connection so I could load the map before I took the unit down to my shed where I keep the bike.

2) I was a bit puzzled at the completely different settings on the map I downloaded which said "Stock FZ6" and the one on the unit which said the same, then I re-read the previous thread and the instructions and I realised that the stock map which was on the unit when I'd bought it had been modified, but not the comments, so I put the Stock FZ6 map I'd downloaded onto it instead.

3) Fitting the unit turned out to be a major PITA! You're supposed to put it under the seat, but where they suggested it went is, on my bike, taken up with the alarm, fortunately I found that by taking everything out (tools, pliers for pulling nails out of tyre, spare headlamp bulb etc) there was just enough room to fit the unit and get everything back in place (just!!)

You also have to lift the tank (*why* don't Yamaha include a prop for it?!) fortunately I remembered that if you undo and remove the pivot bolt at the seat end of the tank and then undo the securing bolts at the front you can slide it back and then lift it without needing to remove the inner fairings too.

4) The next part, actually connecting it, is a serious fiddle!

You need to run the wires from the unit under the tank to a pair of connectors behind the throttle bodies through a narrow gap which took a lot of finessing to get all the bits through and then you need to actually identify and get *at* the connectors which are buried amongst lots of other wires in the loom.

There was about half an hour of looking, cursing, looking again, pushing things around, cursing, examining connectors, more cursing, trying to undo connectors, re-examining connectors and comparing them with the ones on the unit, finally figuring out how to get it hooked up and then *more* cursing as you try to get everything back in place!!

Incidentally I found it was easier if I removed the left side rear fairing that covers the fuses etc as it made it easier to see what I was doing and gave better access.

5) You then need to connect a wire to the negative side of the battery, but there are already two connectors on that on mine (Optimate and Heated Gloves) so I wasn't sure if another one would stop the battery bolt from securing properly, however I then found that I couldn't even *undo* the bolt as it was done up incredibly tightly and when I put more pressure on it, the metal started to strip.

Fortunately a few minutes with a multi-meter revealed that the bolt that secures the front of the tank would also give a negative connection, so I connected the wire to that instead :)

6) At this point I decided it would be better to check that it would actually work before I put everything back in place, so, with fingers crossed I pressed the starter and, fortunately, it fired up!

7) There was one slight problem when I put the tank back down because I must have kinked the fuel hose as I tried running it again and it started and then died, but a quick lift back up and moving things around solved the problem.

Then, finally, it was just a matter of putting everything back in place and after a spin around the block for a final check (I didn't want it dying on me out on the M271!), I took it out for a very enjoyable ride up the A32, along the Morestead Road and back along the A272 before returning on the A32 again.

Quote
Is there a setting that stops the annoying jump off a closed throttle?  :eek

Well, with it installed and the map mentioned above, I've certainly not noticed that which is another plus point!

What I mostly noticed was that there wasn't that awful hole in the power curve around 5-6000 RPM, after a little experimentation I could go for an overtake in fourth gear and know that the power was going to come in smoothly rather than it bog down until the revs got over 6k and *then* pull, meaning I didn't have to sit in third gear on A Roads with the revs up waiting for an overtake chance or keep flicking up and down the gears any time I wanted to pass someone.

Frankly I consider it a very nice addition to the bike, the power is much more accessible and controllable and there's a bit more of it too :)


slimwilly

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #1 on: 03 January 2013, 08:49:51 pm »
Welcome to the world of advanced,,umm, engineering, haha,  if at first you don't suceed, you know,


lots of jobs just need time, and more time,, well done on the completion,glad you never gave up.


I have not have a good test on mine yet, wet roads etc, heres to some dry roads.


Billy


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An ageing test pilot for home grown widgets that may fail at anytime.

dolau

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #2 on: 03 January 2013, 09:33:35 pm »
Excellent review of installing it and that has decided me...... I will stick with stock or get the mewchanic to do it!!  :'(

My brother in law fitted one to his blade and then had it Dyno'd and got the fuelling just right and noticed a hell of a difference

My only gripe with the FZ6 is that if I go into a corner on a closed throttle i get a jerk as I open the throttle half way through the bend- other than that (I have the 2009 improved fuelling apperently) I am happy with the fuelling in town and ....... making progress  ;)
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Grahamm

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #3 on: 03 January 2013, 10:05:37 pm »
Despite the hassles, it is definitely a worthwhile addition IMO.

Certainly getting rid of the hole in the power curve and the jerk as you open the throttle and then have to wait for the fuel to return are serious improvements.

Oh, PS, my insurers (Bennetts) charged me a £25 "administration fee" for a change to the policy although they seem to be unsure as to *why*!

The first person I spoke to said "we're only a broker so we've got to change the records and send it on to the actual insurers and we have to be paid". Yeah, sure, it's a few key strokes, the rest of it is done electronically and you're being paid whether you do the work or not.

The second one said "well we have to pay for the upkeep of the building and electricity, water, heating and so on" which, again, is a fixed cost, not contingent on them having to make changes to a policy.

Of course they didn't reveal the real truth which is they can do it because they can get away with it and it improves their bottom line...   :rolleyes

dolau

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #4 on: 04 January 2013, 07:51:41 pm »
so.... get it done just before renewing with Bennets .... or go somewhere else  :eek
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Grahamm

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #5 on: 05 January 2013, 02:11:09 am »
so.... get it done just before renewing with Bennets .... or go somewhere else  :eek

My insurance isn't due for renewal until August. If I cancelled my policy now I'd get a grand total of £5.57 refunded!

dolau

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #6 on: 07 January 2013, 09:24:18 pm »
Insurance companies are shite..... and dont get me started on endowment mortgages!!!!!

Have to say though.... when you get to my age the insurance cost of running a car or a bike are pretty low  :D
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Grahamm

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #7 on: 08 January 2013, 01:10:06 am »
A follow up to the above after a bit more riding:

Unsurprisingly, because of the re-map, you do take a bit of a hit on fuel economy.

Whilst ordinary motorway riding appears to still give me around 170 - 175 miles (full tank to reserve), if I'm riding for fun through the twisties and thus mostly using the middle gears and higher revs, I estimate that I'm now only getting 130 miles (again full tank to reserve) instead of the 150 or so I was getting previously.

It's not that much of a hassle, just something I need to take into account when planning longer rides, but it's a factor which needs to be considered none the less.

Frankly, though, it's a small price to pay for a bike that handles even better than it did before :)


dolau

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #8 on: 11 January 2013, 09:07:21 pm »
And you have lost that jerk when coming off a closed throttle?
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Grahamm

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #9 on: 12 January 2013, 01:01:36 am »
And you have lost that jerk when coming off a closed throttle?

Well I didn't see him behind me when... oh, sorry, not *that* jerk... ;)

As mentioned above, I certainly didn't notice it, so it seems to have been eliminated (or, at least, reduced).

I'll have to concentrate on checking for it next time I'm out (although given the pending weather, I'm not sure when that's going to be...)

Grahamm

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #10 on: 23 May 2013, 10:18:47 pm »
A follow up to my follow up... :)

A while back I bought the Multifunction Hub which allows all sorts of add-ons to the PCIII, but the one I wanted it for was the Fuel Map switch which lets me swap between the "touring" map and the "fun" map to save fuel when I don't need the extra power.

The major hassle was that I didn't have a laptop which I needed to program the hub with the two maps but finally I managed to get my hands on one, although I did have to phone Dynojet up in the States to find out why, despite following their instructions, it wouldn't recognise the Hub was there. Turns out that instead of version 2.3.1 of the Firmware I needed 2.3.2!

I also had to get hold of a 9v battery to power the unit whilst reprograming the Firmware (you can change maps with the unit plugged in if the engine is running, but I was comprehensively warned you can't do that to change the Firmware as that will just turn it into a brick, meaning you need to buy a reprograming module too!)

Once I'd sorted the Firmware, it wasn't too hard to install two maps and then fit the switch to the handlebars to swap between them (which it can do on the fly!) when I want.

Once I'd done that I now have a switch on the handlebars to swap maps :)

Grahamm

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #11 on: 28 July 2013, 09:09:41 pm »
I thought I'd add a follow up to my follow-up of the follow up just for completeness...!

Now I've got the Map Switch, I tend to keep the bike on the Zero Map for a lot of the time, just switching to the "fun" map when I'm looking for an overtake or a bit of a boost through the twisty bits.

The upshot is that, rather than, as in the past, getting about 175 miles from full tank to reserve, I'm now getting around 190 miles, so, even with using the fun map, I'm still getting better fuel economy :thumbup

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #12 on: 07 August 2013, 08:19:44 am »
I am interested in your experiences with the PC3 :) I have a FZ1 rather than an FZ6 and am seriously considering getting one.
 
I didn't realise you could get maps for fuel efficiency? that is something I am very interested... probably for very obvious reasons hehe

Grahamm

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #13 on: 10 August 2013, 07:40:37 pm »
The Zero Map is basically just the unmodified ECU settings (or, at least, modified so they're all zero with no increases or decreases), however it certainly helps on the fuel efficiency.

expatmanxman

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #14 on: 15 September 2013, 11:39:08 am »
Crikey, that's turned into a major saga, I just fitted it (dead easy because I didn't have all those extra bits taking up all the space), think it only took about an hour. Solved the tank prop problem by sticking a piece of wood in there. Plenty of room under the seat and no extra connectors on the battery post.

Because I had a modified pipe (looked standard but had been cut open, some pipes removed then welded back together) and no obvious map available I tried a few maps until I found one that felt best. Then just left it alone and enjoyed the improved performance which was pretty obvious on my older bike, didn't seem any more thirsty either.

In fact I'm now thinking of going back to an FZ6 again as I've had a couple of bikes since and don't enjoy them so much. So more than likely I'll be searching Ebay for an FZ6 Power Commander soon  :rolleyes

Glad it all worked out in the end

Grahamm

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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #15 on: 15 September 2013, 05:19:10 pm »
In fact I'm now thinking of going back to an FZ6 again as I've had a couple of bikes since and don't enjoy them so much. So more than likely I'll be searching Ebay for an FZ6 Power Commander soon 

Well this one's not for sale! :pokefun


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Re: Installing Power Commander III on an FZ6
« Reply #16 on: 15 September 2013, 06:54:28 pm »
 :'(