Talk to me about boost plugs!

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Sadlonelygit
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Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Sadlonelygit »

Found one on the crf of doom! Sits in line from the maf sensor in the airport, so guessing it just fiddles the signal to the ecu.
Thing is, there's a fair bit of oil in the airbox, both drain hoses were full. Connected or just usual modern emissions malarkey.
Your thoughts as always are appreciated
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Ditchfinder
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Ditchfinder »

From what I understand all they do is alter the air intake temp to try and make the ECU pump more fuel to richen mixture at closed throttle. Shouldn't affect oil in anyway.
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dern
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by dern »

I had one on a gs1150. It modified a temp sensor's input to make the standard map run less lean and therefore more smooth. It worked for about a week or so and then the map adjusted and it was the same jerky shitebox as before. Shouldn't have any effect on oil in the airbox.
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Mr Moofo
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Mr Moofo »

dern wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2024 1:38 pm I had one on a gs1150. It modified a temp sensor's input to make the standard map run less lean and therefore more smooth. It worked for about a week or so and then the map adjusted and it was the same jerky shitebox as before. Shouldn't have any effect on oil in the airbox.
Interesting - I run one on my Scrambler because the 1200 runs very lean. When I first put it on, I swear it made a difference. However I am pretty convinced that now it doesn't!
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Rockburner »

dern wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2024 1:38 pm I had one on a gs1150. It modified a temp sensor's input to make the standard map run less lean and therefore more smooth. It worked for about a week or so and then the map adjusted and it was the same jerky shitebox as before. Shouldn't have any effect on oil in the airbox.
The BMW Motronic is a closed loop system, so anything that just tinkers with a single sensor tends to get ignored fairly quickly.

Best solution for them is a complete new map.
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Supermofo »

Oil in the airbox sounds more like overfilled oil, no? Or something like that. I seem to recall wheelies used to dump oil in the air box of LC4 KTMs as well.
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Rockburner »

Supermofo wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2024 3:18 pm Oil in the airbox sounds more like overfilled oil, no? Or something like that. I seem to recall wheelies used to dump oil in the air box of LC4 KTMs as well.
Yep - airbox is usually where the engine breather exits.
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Buckaroo »

Like @dern said. I put one on my F800R. Worked for a while and then back to the usual stutter.
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Mr. Dazzle »

If your bike has the big dustbin cat (no idea if the OP does) then it'll be closed loop fueling, so anything wedged in to try and "fool" the ECU will be ignored/adjusted out pretty quick - withina couple of miles quick. Or it'll just make the check engine light come on.
Last edited by Mr. Dazzle on Mon Oct 28, 2024 7:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Taipan »

I got one for my F800R only to find it already had one! D'oh! I unplugged it for a few hundred miles and plugged it back in and it was better, but I knew it was going to revert0 to its base settings again, so I had the ECU remapped and it was probably the best fuelling bike i've ever owned.
I put one on my KTM 690 Duke and it helped, but didnt solve the jerkiness.
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Scootabout »

When I first got the V85TT it used to pink, quite badly, when hot. I looked into various solutions, including booster plugs. In the end I didn't need any, as there was an official ECU remap due, which the dealer did. This solved the problem.
Others have used third party mapping solutions. The names Upmap and Beetle Maps spring to mind.
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Ditchfinder »

Beetle maps are very well known in the Guzzi fraternity
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by roadster »

There could be some connection between over-fuelling and oil in the airbox if the oil smells of fuel and the level seems to be high but then falls after a long run. Namely that unburnt fuel washes off the oil on piston scrapper rings and blow-by carries fuel into the crankcase. Oil will smell of petrol and there will be excessive crankcase pressure blowing out through the breather when disconnected.
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Dickyboy »

Beetle maps are very well known in the Guzzi fraternity
Still found a proper remap at Dave Wood Racing far better for my 1200 sport, considerably more expensive than a beetle map grant you, but +5bhp in the midrange & a lot smoother.
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Sadlonelygit »

Better get him to Hilltop for a remote tune.........
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by The Spin Doctor »

Sadlonelygit wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:05 pm Better get him to Hilltop for a remote tune.........
Any updates to that story? I was following it with interest :)
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Sadlonelygit »

The Spin Doctor wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:51 pm
Sadlonelygit wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:05 pm Better get him to Hilltop for a remote tune.........
Any updates to that story? I was following it with interest :)
Yes
1. He could actually write code to a hidden partition on the ECU that even the OEM couldn't find
2. Turns out people will believe their bike runs better when you spend £100s and someone tells you some cock and bull story about changing a narrow band to a wide band sensor and even flashing ECUs when the plug has been disconnected

Which one do you think?
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Supermofo »

The Spin Doctor wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:51 pm
Sadlonelygit wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:05 pm Better get him to Hilltop for a remote tune.........
Any updates to that story? I was following it with interest :)
Sadlonelygit wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 1:14 pm
The Spin Doctor wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:51 pm
Sadlonelygit wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:05 pm Better get him to Hilltop for a remote tune.........
Any updates to that story? I was following it with interest :)
Yes
1. He could actually write code to a hidden partition on the ECU that even the OEM couldn't find
2. Turns out people will believe their bike runs better when you spend £100s and someone tells you some cock and bull story about changing a narrow band to a wide band sensor and even flashing ECUs when the plug has been disconnected

Which one do you think?
Funnily enough I had been following that too, especially via the 'Treetop' tuning spoof group and had noted some youtubers had pulled their Hilltop vids but nothing in a while. Having a look today that all seems to have dried up. In the mean time fair number of recent google reviews for Hilltop claiming amazing gains.

No idea if it's true or not but there's enough of a wiff of bullshit that it's not somewhere I'd be going.
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Taipan
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by Taipan »

Supermofo wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 1:30 pm
The Spin Doctor wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:51 pm
Sadlonelygit wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:05 pm Better get him to Hilltop for a remote tune.........
Any updates to that story? I was following it with interest :)
Sadlonelygit wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 1:14 pm
The Spin Doctor wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:51 pm

Any updates to that story? I was following it with interest :)
Yes
1. He could actually write code to a hidden partition on the ECU that even the OEM couldn't find
2. Turns out people will believe their bike runs better when you spend £100s and someone tells you some cock and bull story about changing a narrow band to a wide band sensor and even flashing ECUs when the plug has been disconnected

Which one do you think?
Funnily enough I had been following that too, especially via the 'Treetop' tuning spoof group and had noted some youtubers had pulled their Hilltop vids but nothing in a while. Having a look today that all seems to have dried up. In the mean time fair number of recent google reviews for Hilltop claiming amazing gains.

No idea if it's true or not but there's enough of a wiff of bullshit that it's not somewhere I'd be going.

The company in question were pretty much banged to rights when challenged that another tuner had plugged in and shown there was no change in fuelling and had the dyno print outs to prove it. HT replied that his software only kicked in when the front wheel speed sensor sensed it was moving and that's why they couldn't detect any changes. Apart from the obvious well how did he set it up then question, the bike in question didn't have ABS so no speed sensor. Plus the tuners had checked live data whilst the bike was being ridden and there were no fuelling changes. But he is still providing teh service to happy customers? :wtf:
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Re: Talk to me about boost plugs!

Post by The Spin Doctor »

Sadlonelygit wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 1:14 pm Yes
1. He could actually write code to a hidden partition on the ECU that even the OEM couldn't find
2. Turns out people will believe their bike runs better when you spend £100s and someone tells you some cock and bull story about changing a narrow band to a wide band sensor and even flashing ECUs when the plug has been disconnected

Which one do you think?
Just like the rubber manufacturers tell everyone 'this year's tyre has 20% more grip than last year's' and everyone instantly fits it and feels it :)

I used to get a knee down on Avon Roadrunners :)

Anyone sued Hilltop yet?
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