Converting a carb 250 bandit to FI

[Jamesobrady]

Hey all,
I've been quiet a while now, mainly due to taking my bandit apart in oct 04 to fix some things, getting annoyed with it not being fixable, and going off and buying a k5 sv instead.

Anyway, have finally gotten around to getting the bandit up and running again, if it can be called that....Im still plagued with carb problems i cant find solutions for.

Anyway, with it being my spare and badly running bike,and the sv being Fi i've decided to try convert the  bandit to Fi using a Megasquirt package.

The Project can be followed here,
http://www.irishbikerforum.com/forums/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=4&

And if anyone has any opinions/info/input/spares they want to contribute then please dont hesitate :)

Cheers,
J.

[Farre]

i don't know how far you're looked in the MS forums, but there's a guy using gsxr600 throttle bodies which seems to fit easy or a kawa set..
For 4cyl's though...

Anyway, i'll be keeping a close watch on this.. I was (and still am) interested in it, myslef but i don't have the time nor the green to attempt it

[Jamesobrady]

Thanks for that Farre...nothing much will be happening this month due to financial flow (or lack of it).

The guy is using gsxr6 TB's on what..a bandit ?
If you have a link handy that'll be appreciated :)

[Farre]

i cannot link directly to the forum but on this page : http://www.megasquirt.info/
 you can get into the MS Forums, in Success Stories look in the Motorcycles Section.
I'm pretty sure you can get some inspiration there.

The Kawa TB from a GPZ1100(including injectors) were used on a 1985 Suzuki GSX1100E

A lot of others use the GSXR600 throttle body, just look around.
Maybe this site can be handy for you if you want to select each part:
http://www.dune-buggy.com/turbo/
...but fitting a turbo is just maybe overkill  

hope this helps!

[interfuse]

What are your carb problems?

I don't want to burst your bubble, but if you can't get your carb working, how do you expect to be able to install FI? Sounds to me like it would be easier to fix the carb which is designed to work with the bike, then you mess around with parts that aren't.

[billybandit]

It'll also be quite an expensive project for such a small outcome. The 250 already has great fuel economy, and I can't see FI making a great improvement in that or peak power.

By all means try it, but if I were you (and I'm not), I'd wait until Saturday and go and pick up a 2001 ZX-6R

[Jamesobrady]

Thanks for the input guys, if you arent inclined to want to do things just for the sake of doing them then i dont expect you to understand why im interested in this. Yes i could fix the carbs, but tbh it'll cost me the same money, ill have months to wait for spares, i learn nothing new, and i end up with the same bike i started with.

By dabbling with Fi i learn some stuff, i have fun, i get to make bits and pieces and research things here and there....Its not going to be extremely difficult, but i do think its going to be interesting and fun.
And its my spare bike im doing it to so if i do make a balls of it im not too bothered.
Sure its probably not going to up the hp...or improve fuel efficiency....but if they were the only reasons to do things to bikes nobody would do anything.....

...why wouldnt i want to do it?

[Farre]

i would like to do it, just to get the typical carb probs out of the way. And finally having to open up your bike , to fix a lean spot or do the carb sync.

It probably would give you more torque, more fun factor! and it just looks so cool to tweak everything with a computer (preferably laptop in plain sight of everybody  )

maybe next year or maybe.... never  .

Future always in motion it is...

Good Luck!!

[Jamesobrady]

Thats exactly part of it Farre.
Some of the more creative guys have added bluetooth to their MS's, so you can be zipping around a track, whilst some other guys are recording your performance and updating it realtime.

Or you can carry a palm held computer and tune the bike as you need to at any destination.

It's not "real world" practical...but its a distraction...a fun one :)

If it works out on the bandit, i'll be upgrading my trackbike cbr600 to the system..add some filters and an exhast to that and you're into the 120+ bhp range :)

[interfuse]

Right-on dude. That's the spirit. Make sure you document it, because I'd LOVE to see it. Anything is possible with a big enough wallet and some know-how.

[Jamesobrady]

Interfuse..thanks for that. The funny thing is though, im trying to do this as low-cost as possible and with limited Fi knowledge....so making it a possibility for anyone to do.

I do have a background in electrics/electronics...and while that'll come in handy with soldering and board troubleshooting, the rest is really new to me.
 
So, if i can do it...anyone can.

[Farre]

The cost is not as high as one would think. IIRC, the MS was around $185. Then add the costs for a TB (with TPS), injectors, Fuel pump, Lambda (O2) wideband sensor.. maybe i'm missing some here, but the MAP is included on the board.

Hell, all those parts you can easily find on ebay! I once saw a ZX6R TB, with injectors for less than 100euro!
The most dubious part is probably trying to fit the parts on your own bike. I hope you have a big stock of Elbow Grease at your place...

Good Luck man! I wish you the best for this to succeed!

[Red01]

I'd think the parts fitting would be the easy part.
Mapping it will be the challenge.

[Farre]

I'm not sure... on a dyno it it done fairly fast i've read. And there is a sort of automatic adjustment in the MS.

Best to get it on a dyno, and get the curves right. Least hassle

[Farre]

maybe you found your pick already but here are osme sites for choosing a suitable setup:

MegaSquirt explained easy:
MS Ignition options:
Other FAQ:

there's a new board coming out mid 2006, called MicroSquirt, made especially for motorcycles and "harsh climate" vehicles but estimated price tag is 350$, and it comes assembled only. Sounds like another aftermarket Black Box (with EFI control naturally). I don't like that idea, and some have expressed it also on the MS forums. We'll see what happens.

Personally i think a MS1 PCB v3.0 with one extra VB921 ignition driver should do the trick perfectly. It's a bit pricey when you buy the kit completely (both unassembled and plug&play), you can always try to get it cheaper by getting various tidbits at a local electronic store.
Then only throttle bodies with injectors and fuel pump of a Gixxer 600 01-03 and you're almost set to go! Well, for a B4 you would be...

But i like the fact you don't need the stock black box anymore