My RC is shooting flames at 6/7 grand...

Darkest · #1 (**permalink**) 08-22-2009, 04:28 AM

I don't know much about engines and tuning and I did a search but it kept coming up with paint jobs and GreenyRC51 waiting for chassis 666 to go up in flames...

I was showing off to my buddy tonight (He hadn't seen an rc before) and I rev'd it up to about 7 grand for a sec and it shot 3 inch flames out the exhaust along with a bit of bluish smoke. When I got home I changed power commander maps to a DanKyle thinking that might be the problem (I have the flapper, blockoff and soft rev mods along with D&D pipes) but now I had 7 inch flames....

I never rev it up that much in neutral so I had never noticed this before.

Is this a mapping issue or is something really wrong with my bike? Please tell me this isn't like rings...What causes this? I have no idea if it was doing this before, it did kind of feel like it was down on power though.

My friend said I should change the plugs and I will, he also said he thought it would hurt the bike if I rode it like this (So it's parked). I thought I would ask the experts though, what do you guys think?

robfromsc · #2 (**permalink**) 08-22-2009, 01:34 PM

Dont free rev your bike. Its the unburnt fuel igniting in the cans. You might be a touch rich...but leave it. If it runs well dont frock with it, if you free rev any bike like that it will spit and pop some heat.

RVTMAVERICK · #3 (**permalink**) 08-22-2009, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robfromsc

Dont free rev your bike. Its the unburnt fuel igniting in the cans. You might be a touch rich...but leave it. If it runs well dont frock with it, if you free rev any bike like that it will spit and pop some heat.

+1,

I'd say the worst thing about what is happening, is YOU!

You Tachin' up the poor friggin' thing to 7gran without aload... STOP That! LOL

Other then that, it is perfectly fine mang.,...
FYI and or FWIW. Get on "You-tube" and watch some dyno runs and see what happens to MCs on deacccelllllll.. They'll be popin' with Flames shooting out the back.

As Rob said, It's just unburnt fuel igniting.

mcd · #4 (**permalink**) 08-22-2009, 05:25 PM

Yep, running rich. That is not a bad thing though, a whole lot better than lean! Check out some of the WSB bikes when they are coming into a corner. They get some good flames out of the pipe!

If you want to get technical with it, you can adjust the map to get the right mixture, but like I said, rich is a whole lot better than lean! I would leave it. And like it was already said, don't rev the bike in neutral!

Darkest · #5 (**permalink**) 08-22-2009, 11:29 PM

Thank you guys. I may be able to sleep tonight. I was having nightmares about engine replacement etc. I'd much rather hear what an idiot I am than the RC is damaged. Thank you gentlemen for taking the time to clear that up for me

I feel much better now.

Vitza · #6 (**permalink**) 08-23-2009, 11:12 AM

change plugs!

everytime my plugs get worn, the bike backfires and shoots flames whenever im decelerating... throw new plugs in (same map), and no more flames/backfires

Darkest · #7 (**permalink**) 08-23-2009, 03:48 PM

Planning on doing that this week. I'm glad I swapped the map though, it's like a different bike now, a lot smoother at the lower rpms and the seat of the pants dyno is indicating more power all the way up to redline. I didn't seem to be getting that with with the other map. I need to break down and get it done right.

SifuGR · #8 (**permalink**) 08-27-2009, 09:53 PM

But i like the SpitFire effect
While bouncing off the RevLimiter
in the parking lot
at bike night
with my 8th beer in hand

Chicks Dig it

they really dig it when you wit till they get right up close to it before unleashing the twins on them... They usually unleash their twins for it!

Sarcasm, not directed at anyone, unless they were about to chime in with agreement

Marxist · #9 (**permalink**) 08-28-2009, 09:19 PM

Rev the the piss out of it !!! (not really)... unless you're really cool like me in this video...

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYb9VWu765M[/YOUTUBE]

earlySP-1 · #10 (**permalink**) 09-01-2009, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SifuGR

But i like the SpitFire effect
While bouncing off the RevLimiter
in the parking lot
at bike night
with my 8th beer in hand

Chicks Dig it

they really dig it when you wit till they get right up close to it before unleashing the twins on them... They usually unleash their twins for it!

Sarcasm, not directed at anyone, unless they were about to chime in with agreement

Weirdo...

Darkest · #11 (**permalink**) 09-02-2009, 08:08 PM

Anything for the chicks, then you go and get married to one and....well, NM. Anyway...

The bike started doing the old FI light on for two milliseconds while it hiccuped trick, I don't know if the two are related but may be. It may explain why all the fuel wasn't being burnt. I checked the battery terminals and they weren't as tight as they could have been. (The negative was actually a little on the loose side) so I tightened them back up. That crap is scary as hell all leaned over excellerating out of a curve and suddenly ENGINE BRAKING!!

It still has the bodywork off and I'm going to get the plugs oil and filter done in the next day or so. Hopefully this will take care of everything. It's got about 8000 miles on it and I doubt the previous owner ever swapped plugs. I've kept up with oil and filters but hadn't touched them myself.

Darkest · #12 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 06:55 AM

OK, WTF, has anyone here ever had trouble getting the caps off the spark plugs? I have done a lot of bikes a lot of times and never had this much trouble. On the front (I haven't even looked at the back yet.) spark plug cap it would not release or come up at all. It will move slightly but that's it. I pulled on it wiggling it back and forth and it broke off, I must have pulled to much on the wire. But that sucker isn't releasing at all and the damned thing is still on there. Looks like it's time for new cables.....

Update...ordered TPO cables, looks like I'm gonna need pliers to get off the front cap...sheesh

RVTMAVERICK · #13 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkest

OK, WTF, has anyone here ever had trouble getting the caps off the spark plugs? I have done a lot of bikes a lot of times and never had this much trouble. On the front (I haven't even looked at the back yet.) spark plug cap it would not release or come up at all. It will move slightly but that's it. I pulled on it wiggling it back and forth and it broke off, I must have pulled to much on the wire. But that sucker isn't releasing at all and the damned thing is still on there. Looks like it's time for new cables.....

Update...ordered TPO cables, looks like I'm gonna need pliers to get off the front cap...sheesh

NO.. Never, That's crazy man.. IF I was You... I'd "TRY" spraying some WD40 around the Spark cap and then Hit it with some Air.. = need an Air Compressor.

I Hope this Helps...?

Peace

Darkest · #14 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 07:36 PM

I tried. Looks like the plastic was broken inside. I ended up getting the rubber out in pieces. Then I was able to get the cap out. I was able to do this without scratching up the valve cover so that's good. For some reason or another it looked like the cap had adhered to the plug. There was a lot of white crap in there which I am assuming was at one point in it's life, grease. That sucker was really in there. Got it out, sprayed it out with compressed air and replaced the plug without breaking anything else. Then I went and cried myself to sleep.

Now for the rear one. Heh.

So I was reading a lot about plug wires, are the TPO's really that much better than stock? Has anyone noticed a difference?

killa · #15 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 09:31 PM

BTW, my SP1 was backfiring around 6-7k rpm as well before I replaced the exhaust seal in the first joint of the rear cylinder exhaust pipe (I don't mean the metal ring seal between the header/cylinder head, instead, the mushy gray seal between the header pipes). When I disassembled the headers, I noticed that the sealing material (graphite?) had basically burnt and vanished, pretty much the metal wiring was all that was left = air leak = backfiring.

Darkest · #16 (**permalink**) 09-04-2009, 08:10 AM

Killa I'll take a look at the exhaust while I have all the fairings off. How many miles did yours have on it then?

The rear plug cap came right off no issues and I was able to swap plugs without a problem. Funny, I figured the rear was going to be the hard one. Oh, and RVT, TY. Your right I'm crazy, but I listened and didn't use pliers

I used a screwdriver and needlenose and a great deal of patience. Thankfully I have a compressor, not a big one but it's good for filling tires and cleaning computers etc.

Now I sit here and tap my fingers till the plug wires get here. I wonder if there is a comparable automotive wire I can pick up locally and use in the meantime if they don't get here by Sat. I don't know if I can live through the weekend without the RC.

killa · #17 (**permalink**) 09-05-2009, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkest

Killa I'll take a look at the exhaust while I have all the fairings off. How many miles did yours have on it then?

My pig already had 30k miles on the clock. SP1 has an "extra" header joint closer to the rear cylinder in comparison to SP2, which was the culprit in my case.