techlusion vs. rhinewest

[phoenixtexas]

I ride a 1996 R1100R, and am trying to decide between a Techlusion box or Rhinewest chip aside from the cost difference. Any suggestions or experiences appreciated. ACS, Howe, TX

[refinger]

At about the 6000 mile point I added a Techlusion to my '04 R1150R and all has been well (surging is 98% gone). I remain disgusted w/BMW on this issue however.

[gambrinus]

I was under the misguided impression that the surging was cured with the dual plug models...

RW

[phoenixtexas]

Thanks for coming to my assistance. At 30,000 miles, my bike doesn't have a hint of a surging problem. Performance-wise, are you satisfied with the Teclusion? I've read that people install it primarily for a surge cure.

[cat0020]

I never though my 02 R1150RS single spark had much "surging" problem for 19000 some miles, I installed a Techlusion 83i since then, within two blocks of riding, I noticed the difference of the engine smoothness at low RPM. :D
Now at 22500 miles, numerous non-Techlusion, oilhead, R-bike owners have tried and compared my bike to their own.. most comment about the lack of "surging".. even at 2500 rpm and below. :D
I didn't notice much performance increase from the installation of Techlusion EFI box, but since the engine pulls nice and smooth through the powerband from low RPM, it does seem that there is more usable power at lower RPM. Which is great for stop and go city traffic.
Very important things, precision throttle sync should be performed right before the Techlusion being installed. Techlusion EFI box require carefull adjustments at initial set-up, the test ride method is less acurate and troublesome because each adjustment require you to stop the engine and open up the Techlusion EFL box. Better method is making the adjustment while the engine is running and check the Techlusion EFI box adjustments with a voltmeter, the more accurate the voltmeter the better you will be able to adjust the Techlusion. Luckily for me, I had a very experienced and equipped person who performed this adjustment during the installation. :bliss

[refinger]

Please allow me to correct myself - my R1150R is an "03 - a single plugged model of course - it never surged until the 6000 mile service. Dealer shrugged their shoulders and shook their pointy little heads. Was up to me to spend $250 at the Charleston Rally and have Batteley Cycle install the Techlusion 259 to solve the problem....grr!!!

[kbasa]

We've had an oilhead in the house for about 7 years now. It's a 94 RS beta.

I've learned that careful valve adjustment and throttle body synchronization work wonders on this particular bike. Surging is gone on this machine. When it starts to surge, it's tune up time again.

[phoenixtexas]

It's sounding like the Techlusion is more of a surge cure than anything else. Is the TFI box different than the 259? As a matter of explanation, I'm a former airhead and Brit bike wrench (one of Jack Wilson's vagabonds in Dallas back in the late 70s). The '96 R1100R is my first oilhead after owning 3 older airheads.

Box stock, the oilhead exhaust has too much back pressure as evidenced by clean plugs but soot at the end of the can. I have a good mercury nanometer and checked the throttle body sync, timing and then valve lash, something I would do with any used bike new to me. I then drilled the can (8 7/32 holes), which helped significantly just like it does on an airhead, and didn't raise the noise level much, can't even hear it on the road. I'm going to replace the air filter with a K&N or other high-flow type and a larger air scoop, but wanted to do it a step at a time to prevent serious leaning of the mix.

The bike is still starving at the high end, evidenced by valve clatter and pinging, although reduced by the can drilling. At 5,000 rpm and above in top gear, it should come on like a storm. In short, the oilhead acts exactly like other box stock airheads I 've worked on -- overly muffled and underfed on the top end. I've stopped communicating with BMW mechanics since one shop tried to sell me Nickasil rings for a '78 R100/7 I was rebuilding for a customer some years ago. I have other horror stories like that.

Anyway, my basic question is, is the Teclusion a good answer for better top end muscle or is it primarily for lower-end surge control?

[kbasa]

I don't think you'll see appreciably better flow from the K&N. If you look at the size of the intake tube and where it fits into the airbox, the filter has more area.

You need to bear a couple things in mind with an oilhead. First it has FI, so the bike is going to regulate the fuel/air ratio via the 02 plug. Secondly, it has a catalytic converter, so what you see at the tailpipe is going to be a scrubbed version of what goes into the cat.

The only way to really effect change in an oilhead is to rechip it. Whatever you do to the intake and exhaust will be overridden by the chip/02 sensor.

Have you read any of the oilhead tech articles over at www.ibmwr.org? Rob Lentini wrote a fairly extensive treatise on oilhead performance tuning.

[phoenixtexas]

Thanks. That makes sense. Having worked with conventionally aspirated bikes all these years, I'm learning that FI is a different animal. I'll check out the IBMWRA site you suggested.

[j-budimlya]

Sorry Dave, but on this one I think you are misinformed...

I have two Oilheads, and I have onstalled a R259 on my "01 1150GS...

The Techlusion R259 intercepts both the signal from the Oxygen sensor to the Motronic and the signal from the Motronic to the throttle body fuel injector; so it does permit increasing the fuel to air ratio...as you see fit. You can increase the fuel independently to 4 portions of the fuel delivery ramp as you see fit.

You cannot "decrease" the fuel to air ratio, only add fuel to the existing amount.

You do need to be careful, the unit can significantly increase the fuel to air ratio...and cause the engine to become carboned up, I did, and have then to de-carbon the cylinders.

If you are worried about running too lean and have tried all available other techniques; then the addition of the techlusion R259 will allow you to "richen" the mixture, as you see fit.

But I suggest that you start out adding very little fuel, using the voltmeter adjustment technique, only start at very small increments above zero volts, tecting as you go, and not start at the settings they advise.....unless you want a gas guzzling hot rod that starts like a jackrabbit and then gets carboned up badly...only add enough fuel to get the desired results, and no more...best bet would be an exhaust gas analyzer upstream of the the cat.; or go to a Y-pipe and eliminate the Cat.

Jim Bud

[kbasa]

There ya go.

That's what I love about this forum. Jim's been there done that and we all get to take advantage of his experience.

Jim - I'll look for you in Spokane. :wave Thanks for putting this up!

[phoenixtexas]

Jim & Dave: My thanks to both of you. I read Lentini's tech article, and that route is a little too involved for a FI newbie like me. I was just a little puzzled, though, because a larger volume of air being forced into the box is a key ingredient in performance for an airhead. I would assume the same on a 259 engine, and there's nothing in the FI that controls the volume of air going into the intake other than the butterfly valve in the throttle body. Positive pressure equals performance in an airhead, which is the function of blowers and turbos.

Anyway, I think I'll go with the Teclusion, leaving the low and midrange settings at the leanest and use the voltmeter as Jim said to adjust the high end. The bike is very anemic on the top end, 108 was the best I could get on an airport runway using a radar gun. I can easily get 117-118 on my modified 1978 R100/7. At a 75 mph roll-on in top gear, the R100/7 will run away from the 259, very embarrassing. The speedometer on the 259 is also 6-7 mph optimistic, according to the radar gun. Once again, thanks to both of you. To repay you, if you have any airhead friends with nagging electrical glitches like frequently-trashed starter relays and charging problems, send 'em my way before they waste a small fortune replacing components.

[j-budimlya]

Since my goal was a "smooth running efficient engine", I'll be curious how you make out...going for horsepower???

My experience running fast has taught me that these puppies tend to have a pretty large profile to push through the air....they are high and we tend to make them higher and of course add all kinds of stuff to make them wider too.......

I've never pushed for anything past 120mph on the speedo, but I have traded my speedo hub for a modified ratio to at least get the speedo closer to real speed.

One exciting side benefit of mounting loaded Jesse bags on a big GS is that it can help you achieve a state of death defying terror when you begin a high speed side-to-side dance or wobble...this is extra likely when using a big windscreen on the front.....all it takes is an extra dose of side wind gust to start the ball rolling.....so just be careful in your fun....

And let us know how it goes??

Jim Bud

[phoenixtexas]

Jim: I will keep you and Dave posted on down the road. FYI, aware of the wind factor, I removed the stock windshield before going onto the runway. The R100/7 doesn't have one. To be fair to the 259, the R100/7 has had a lot of specialized work like the sport cam, laser-fitted forged pistons, mirror-polished porting and combustion chamber and piston crowns, matched Norris springs and weight-matched stainless valves, high-energy ignition, Nology wires and Silverstone plugs. Ride safe.