Expert Motorcycle Tuning

Generally, manufacturers develop vehicles for the international market. In doing so, they have to consider various frameworks, such as national emission standards, regional differences in temperature, different types of fuel or specific categories of insurance in different countries.

 

This means that an ex-works vehicle needs to be equipped for a wide range of different influencing factors. The adjustment of the above-mentioned parameters can only be carried out by ECU remapping.

When we remap a vehicle, especially when fuel savings are the priority, we focus on improving the low-end torque in particular and widening the power band as far as we can.

 

This increase in low-end torque will mean less pedal input is required to maintain cruising speeds when fully laden or on a gradient. It will also mean that the vehicle will be more comfortable in higher gears at slower speeds and require fewer gear changes overall.

 

If you combine these factors with adjusting your driving style to make the most of the extra low-end torque, you will see an improvement in fuel consumption.

 

When a manufacturer develops a new engine, they have to consider all of the conditions it may be subjected to in all of the regions in which they intend to sell this model. This means instead of optimising the ECU’s program or ‘map’ to deliver the best performance or the most fuel efficiency, they have to compromise the map to account for these potentially differing operating conditions.

 

These could include substandard fuels, extremes in temperature and altitude, differing emission laws, and even the possibility that the vehicle may not be serviced regularly and in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended instructions.

 

ECU remapping is taking a read from the ECU’s processing chip of the vehicle standard compromised map and adjusting various parameters within the map, such as fuel pressure, boost pressure (on turbocharged applications), ignition advance, and accelerator pedal control, amongst others, to release the engine’s true performance.

Done with specialist care, this is a completely safe process as it gives the engine the performance it should have had before all the compromises were applied to the original programming. Every engine will have its own unique map, and by adjusting this, we can fine-tune the engine’s characteristics, unleashing more power and, in many cases, reducing fuel consumption too.

ECU programming will improve the engine’s power and torque figures, sharpen the acceleration response, and widen the power band. This will make the power delivery much more linear, making the vehicle feel much livelier to drive and the engine much more flexible. 

 

The manufacturer frequently restricts the vehicle’s power output for no other reason than to ensure that the vehicle fits into a class to suit fleet buyers. As a driving enthusiast, you do not need or want such restrictions placed upon your vehicle’s ECU and its performance therefore, you can benefit from the hidden power and torque locked away within your engine management system.

The other main benefit of remapping will be a reduction in fuel consumption. With the extra torque, especially at the bottom of the rev range, you will see fuel saving as it will require less throttle input to maintain motorway speeds. You can drive in a higher gear at a slower speed, and it helps significantly when fully laden, towing, or on gradients and even in start-stop traffic.