Forum

[Chug666]

Hi all,

I'm seriously close to joining the Enfield fraternity, having found a 2010 Electra efi for a very reasonable price locally. Without knowing vast amounts about bullets (other than I fancy one!) my only query involves the exhaust- on this particular bike it's clearly an aftermarket one, including the top pipe which has had the oxygen sensor removed. Pretty sure I can spy a power commander under the seat too, but I'll have a proper look at a second viewing/test ride on Saturday.

I'm generally one to avoid too much aftermarket stuff at least until I know the bike in standard form, so this is causing me to pause. Is there anything I need to look out for here? Will the lack of the sensor affect performance, reliability or mpg? (I'm a sedate rider & would prefer to go further on a tank than try to eek out performance). And how easy/practical/expensive would it be to revert to stock by putting an old pipe on and refitting a sensor?

I appreciate these are all questions the owner would ideally answer, but the bike was traded in and is now being sold privately by the dealer, so he only has second hand knowledge of what has been done. Any tips from the Enfield community would be massively appreciated.

Many thanks,

Adam

[CGT 535]

Hi there Chug.

It should be simplicity it's self to revert to the standard set up. I could even swap a standard exhaust for an aftermarket one for you. But, why bother? I've found that rather than giving a large increase in power (depending on how the PC is mapped) it simply improves ridability and helps eliminate the stalling at traffic lights that the EFIs can be prone to. I'm not sure how much effect the PC has on economy but I've been getting over 70 mpg from an EFI that's been bored out to 558cc and fitted with an aftermarket exhaust, Hitchcock's cams, K & N air filter and PC. It's not terribly fast but pulls like a steam train!

Buy it and enjoy!

[jefrs]

I'll second CGT 535. My Classic EFI-500 hasn't had that much work, stock engine with free-flow exhaust. K&N air filter, Power Commander V (PCv) and Autotune AT-200, and I haven't fully fettled the AT-200 yet. When removing the narrow-band O2 sensor a bypass resistor block must be fitted, one comes with the PCv kit. I can switch the Hitchcocks map off and use the oem ECU map. The PCv map certainly has more thud when you open up but the main thing is much better throttle control. There's a fair bit more mid range torque. That means you can use less throttle for the same speed and in theory consume less fuel.



The oem mapping basically cannot cope with a free-flow exhaust and the K&N, it barely copes with the stock "I'm towing a log" and the air-strangulation filter; it tends to be on or off not a gradual feed of power as you open the throttle. I had a couple of near nasties taking very tight slow corners where you close the throttle and then ask it to provide just a little urge to exit, whereupon it delivers a lot and had to dodge the ditch. Adding the PCv brings the injector back to something like the behaviour of a carburettor. The AT-200 smooths it further but that is still a work in progress, and can be used to cure a lot of the reversion popping on deceleration.

[Gaz262]

.......what jefrs said!

He's the man for explanation of all things PC(v).


If you suspect the bike already has a PC fitted I would seriously suggest you leave it be - Ride it & enjoy the experience as these things are usually setup & adjusted already by the discerning Bullet/EFI owner.

[Gaz262]

...drat! - .....the one that owned it before you I meant to say.

[Chug666]

Thank you all for your replies- that really helps! If the worst case scenario is a relatively simple fix to revert to standard, and the best case is a better bike setup from the start, it sounds like a bit of a no brainer.

Test ride Saturday afternoon, then I'll update here if I've bitten the bullet!

[Michael]

No brainer... The PCV version is better! The stock exhaust silencer is terrible and outrageously priced. Take the mods

[jefrs]

If you have a PCV fitted it may be worth checking with that you have the Hitchcocks dyno developed map on it because the only (one) Dynojet Bullet download is well out of date (2008?). If it was bought from elsewhere you may have a generic or HD map.

You will need a laptop, the PCV USB cable (a generic thing) and the PCV app software which is a free download from the Dynojet website. The "Fuel" map can be cut n'pasted to/from e.g. Excel spread sheet. There is also an ignition map.



If the Dynojet PCV was bought from anywhere other than Hitchcocks, you most probably will not have their map; they have several maps for different models and state of tune, ask previous owner and phone Hitchcocks.




To enable the RevExtend and release the rev limiter to something sensible (6000?) give Dynojet UK a call for an unlock code. It won't make the motor rev any higher without mechanical tuning but may cure high revs missing. I've only really over-revved the motor once in an anti-BMW manoeuvre where I'm more used to left-foot brake oops, but the ECU cut out completely. Silly minute with dead bike, reset procedure, nothing damaged.

There is good reason for the rev-limiter but the 5400 cut-out is too near to the 5250 max power and it seems to start knocking sparks out before 5400, before it cuts the ignition completely. Otoh I've only once given it a 'maximum' red-line test because I find motorways exceedingly boring, plus I'd probably want a windshield.

[Chug666]

Thanks Jefrs, only issue I can see is I don't have access to the previous owner- its a part ex bike so I can only ask the chap who took it in. He didn't know whether it had a power commander at all and we're basing all assumptions on the fact we can see something zip tied to the unit under the seat!

I'll whip the seat off when I go to see it tomorrow. Assuming it is a PCV, I'll probably just check the bike rides ok, hand over my hard earned, and contact Hitchcocks if it becomes an issue (fingers crossed this won't be necessary).

Can't say I'd ever envisaged any bullet maintenance requiring a USB cable and a laptop, but I guess that's the price of progress!

[jefrs]

Chug666, the PCV is a little black and red plastic box. On my Classic it is in the left hand biscuit tin with the ECU. It has a serial number which may help trace its provenance with Hitchcocks or Dynojet UK, both of whom are very helpful.



The off the peg PCV from elsewhere is unmapped, one then downloads a map from Dynojet (USA). There is but one map for the Bullet from Dynojet although shown for different year models. Bought from Hitchcocks the appropriate map is pre-installed, they do have different maps for different states of tune. I'd give H a tinkle when you have the bike.

The Hitchcocks map for the Classic EFI has "500 BULLET GOLDIE CAN K&N" in its Notes.



If not supplied, the USB is a generic mini type, take a phone pic of the socket into shop.



The are / have been a couple of different versions of the PC5 and then there is the PC3 (PCIII) in a bigger box.



The Power Commander 5 software app runs on Windows, free download from Dynojet (USA). One needs to run the app to enable the black box on the bike but that only needs doing once during set up. IMO it is worth checking you have the Hitchcocks mapping because the PCV is used on many bikes, mainly Harleys, and is more cheaply available on-line in generic form.

It is a little difficult to shift the desktop computer into the shed