Will Richer Fuel to Air Foul Plugs

[rfmueller]

Has anybody got any data as to whether or not an ECU reflash will foul out plugs or require more frequent engine cleans?

[stickshift]

When you adjust the air:fuel ratio to suit your modifications it does not necessarily result in a richer mixture. 

 

If the engine is breathing better (more air in & out via better flowing exhaust, filter etc) then more fuel is put in to adjust the mixture back to a more effective setting.

 

Some tunes do result in slightly richer mixtures, mostly because it's beneficial for power and emissions regulations require settings to be on the leaner side of ideal. However this setting is not close to fouling plugs or washing oil from bores which can reduce engine life.

 

This engine is made well: strong & reliable based on applied tests and user milage reports. I wouldn't be worried at all.

[r1limited]

Fouling a plug in today's four strokes is virtually unheard of.  With that rich/lean can cause many issues such as melting a piston or burning a hole in it to destroying valves.  typically the term fouling a plug is attributed to smokers wit to much oil in the mix or to cold a plug.  Part of the reason I am no fan of fuel controllers as it does take some knowledge and can cause sever issues if not done right.  The art of reading a plug is lost and most do not understand the basics of doing so.  I am old school, so you can show me charts and graphs until you are blue in the face, I will read the plug for the final thumbs up in a race tuned bike.  Street average tune close enough.

OK I digress, Merry Christmas Eve all

[Beemer]

With my EJK I tried different settings other than the preset one for our bike. I had some popping and adding fuel helped but I noticed the bike didn't seem to be as responsive, which I didn't like, so I went back to the original, 'optimal setting' and when I did it was like the bike came back to life. It was peppy once again and I have to say the guys that made the EJK knew what they were doing.

[Old Man]

r1... There is no art to the bike that I am not keenly aware of. I own a 1986 Yamaha SRX-600. Double carb, single cylinder. Beautiful patena on my spark plug. 55mpg, jetted,  SuperTrapp, no baffles. Have to re-tune for different seasons.   Loud as... a Harley. 

 

Getting a good ECU flash is the same to me as jetting a carb. Have to find the optimal for your exact modifications, climate range, even rider weight matters. That's why you really have to sit on a bike on a dyno. You're not a tester, you're part of the test. When you download pre-programmed flashes it's hunt and peck. When you put it on a dyno you can tune it in an afternoon. 

 

Gem of a motor.  I'd like to see them change the gearing more than they have between the models. To really take away from the abrupt torque of the bike I'd like to see it in a 5-speed. It would be such a cruiser in that configuration. Still have grunt too. I hope Yamaha experiments more with this engine. It's really all you need. I come from a 2011 Ninja 1000. That's a nice bike but you can't crank it around like a mid -size.