Purchased a whole slew of MNNTHBX parts and just got done installing...

kcramp

New Member
and wow, it makes a huge difference...It feels like a whole new bike.

I purchased:

  • Bazzaz (The $300 one)
  • Airbox lid
  • K&N filter
  • Mirror wedges
  • Fender eliminator
  • RAM Mount w/ X grip

The install was actually a little bit of a bitch due to tight tight clearances. I started by doing the whole dis-assembly of the bike (seat, tank cover, battery box cover, tank, rear seat), which was actually quite easy. I installed the airbox lid, which was a very nicely made and nicely finished cover, very easily -- two screws. Installing the Bazzaz took me way too long. I couldn't find the connectors that the instructions specified, and spent probably 80% of it just looking around for them. The O2 Sensor, according to the directions, was on the left hand side just in the frame near an earlier connector -- I was going crazy, unable to find it. I finally found it up underneath the battery box. Why is mine so far away? I routed all the cabling, zip tied everything to be clean, and then installed the fender eliminator. This was quite easy and straight forward, taking only about 15 minutes. After that was the mirror wedges, which I also had some trouble with. They make the mirrors functional, and I love them, but the clearance of the levers to the mirrors is an issue. When I turn all the way left or right, they get very, very close. If I have my hand on the lever, I definitely hit them (the mirrors). I installed the RAM Stem Nut very easily again, and found that my stem nut was almost finger tight. Interesting.

I re-assembled everything, and hooked up the Bazzaz to my laptop and started it for the first time. I was confused a little bit, and I am not 100% certain I did everything correctly, as on the Bazzaz interface I get (I think) all of the data except the gear position. It always says neutral in the program. I also get the RPM/throttle response on the main screen, but on the Diagnostics page, it does not get the RPM data and gives me an error. Not sure how I can have RPM on one screen and not on another. Program issue? Anyways, didn't change anything with the program because I had no idea what I was doing with it, and just assumed that Map 1 is the correct map, labeled as "Enhanced RC390 Map."

I took it for a ride and immediately noticed a few things: The sound was amazing even with the stock exhaust. The intake howl makes the thing sound way more sporty. The throttle also feels a lot more smooth and less..."jerky." I also noticed that before I made any changes, I couldn't really 'lug' it and go too slow in certain gears. With this new map, it feels as if it is a lot more forgiving and I never sputter. I went for a ride and accidentally popped a small wheelie, which was a little scary for me as I am a relatively new rider, but it feels like it definitely wasn't something I could do before! I am very, very satisfied with everything that I purchased! Also, Greg was VERY responsive, getting back to me via e-mail within the half-hour every time, GREAT customer service!!

To sum it up, the 'pros' and 'cons':
PROS:
  1. Acceleration is way smoother, no more sputtering.
  2. The intake howl sounds amazing, changing the sound of the bike with the stock exhaust. I love it.
  3. Definitely feels like there is more power.
  4. The mirrors are now functional!!
  5. The ram mount and the airbox lid are very nicely finished, and don't look like some hack-job accessory kit that someone threw together.

CONS:
  1. I have significantly more vibration now, not sure if it is a changed frequency due to the intake lid mod? Maybe I did not put everything back together correctly? Mostly feel it in the foot pegs, an area that I did not touch.
  2. The bike still runs just as hot (as in, fan comes on at the stop light, etc.) I heard that a re-map would fix this, but maybe I am misinformed.
  3. My hands hit the mirrors at full left/right travel if they are on the levers. Not that big of a deal, because how often are your hands going to be on the levers at full travel? Only really when I place my hand on the front brake and am parking, etc.

This post came out way less structured than I had hoped, but I hope it helps others in deciding to purchase some stuff!
 
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