Rapidbike Evo Install/Mini Review

[rocksarntpeople]

So this weekend I installed the Rapidbike EVO Exclusive kit for the 2015 RC390 and I have to say it makes a huge difference right off the bat. I can answer any technical questions for anyone if they have them, but the install is fairly straightforward and explained pretty well in the instructions they give you. Mine also came with the USB cable and software license needed to hook it up to a computer, (although Im fairly certain this was a mistake on the company's part since the "Exclusive" I believe is not supposed to have these in the box hence the cheaper price) and I can confirm that it is in-fact monitoring all the necessary sensors and making adjustments (pretty cool to watch actually).

Part of the software includes a plethora of different base maps, the ability to change parameters manually and logging which all makes for a pretty solid product for $395.

I guess my only question (and I plan to reach out to Dimsport and ask them myself) is if I should be using a different base map for any mods or if I should just leave it alone and let it do its thing? I would think a base map that is closer to your target parameters would be better since it would limit the amount of adjusting needed by the module itself, but when I get an answer to that I will post in here for people of the future.

All in all, awesome unit for not a whole lot of money. A true set and forget kind of thing and should respond well to any mods down the road without having to do much if any fiddling.

TL/DNR: Buy one now. Its cheap(ish), easy to install and makes a big difference right out of the box. I can post more follow ups as I put some miles on it and let the "auto-tuning" do its magic

 

[Radar1075]

It really is set and forget. Just select the 2015 map closest to your setup and ride for the recommended 100 or so miles then accept the changes. The auto-tune map is added to base map then resets back to zero. Accept change only that first time then your done. After every mod, I've reset back to base map then let it re-tune for the next 100 miles then accept. I'm pretty impressed. You received the correct items. Only difference I know of between exclusive and race/evo is with exclusive, it works only on the model it's programmed for. With race/evo model, you can have it reprogrammed for any other model bike they offer the module for if you decide to change your bike I the future. Features are the same.

 

[John390]

well, colour me strongly intrugued!! Links? other info?

 

[rocksarntpeople]

Here is the link to the actual product: Rapidbike Evo | DIMSPORT - ENGINE CALIBRATION SPECIALISTS

I got mine from a site called MotovationUSA. Shipping was fast, etc.

Heres the link for that: https://www.motovationusa.com/rapid...-management-tuning-module-KRBEVO-065C-EX.html

 

[John390]

mine is in the mail. Any good install tutorials or videos? I'd prefer clear pictures and instructions, but video is fine too.

I found one for the "easy" but I know there are more things to hook up on the Evo

thanks!

 

[Andy]

I think when I fitted mine I found plenty of info on the Duke 390 forum. I actually found the instructions included helpful despite the odd translation to English. Take the time to go through a dry setup, identifying the various connectors and ensuring you can get to them before starting.

Q. Having installed it do you need to access it on the computer first or is it literally install and go?

I still haven’t got round to looking at how the computer tool works.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rocksarntpeople]

So from what I have seen its pretty much install, run and go. The computer tool is simply for tuners or if you have full bolt ons there is a mod base map you can flash on there to get the parameters closer to what you would want out of the gate. As for install, the instructions are actually pretty spot on, you can also use Power Commander install instructions (which is what I did) which are a little more detailed and in color to help you locate things on the bike itself. Also, the gas tank definitely needs to be removed which is not really explained in the included instructions, but is in the PCV instructions if you grab them off of their website.

 

[John390]

thanks! sucks to have to remove the tank, but at least I will know going in

 

[Chuditch]

thanks! sucks to have to remove the tank, but at least I will know going in

It's actually not that hard to do by yourself but it's a lot easier if you can get some help from another person.

 

[rocksarntpeople]

I second that. 2 people makes it much easier to remove. Basically the second person just needs to hold the tank up while you unclip the lines going to it, so no mechanical skill needed whatsoever.

 

[Tom]

Just tie the tank to the end of a rope, and throw the other end over your garage door opener. Once you have the tank fully unbolted, hoist the tank up and tie it off to one of the bike’s wheels to keep it at the level you want.

 

[mattv]

I just stick a piece of scrap 2x4 under the back of the tank. Works great. Fairings and tank come off in 10 minutes after you've done it a few times.

 

[HolyJeansMan]

Besides my ignition bypass I have no other mods on my bike. I know it will be a hot minute before other engine mods but, as a daily commuter is this tuner something to help with stock configuration? And is this equivalent to the pcv and PC auto tuner? Apologize for lack of understanding on all the tuning stuffs. Just trying to find most cost effective way to help bike preform its best

 

[John390]

yea, it will really make the bike nicer bone stock. It will smooth out all the hiccups at lower rpm, tip on throttle and lean spots in the center of the power band.

The bike drives totally differently in this respect.

Plus, you can open up your airbox lid for more sound and more power. Also you can cut out your muffler baffle. Both of these items are free hp, free torque and free cool sounds. very little skill required and not much time needed. Then it really wakes up and if you do them without the Evo module, the bike will be a bit lean. Rideable, but you have to keep the revs down and the throttle not fully open.

Oh and yes, it auto tunes fully. Great that way. you can tune it yourself too, and I did this to avoid having to wait for it to play catchup due to my more open airbox and exhaust. Worked like a hot damn.

Smoothness is the thing on this. You know how these are kinda jerky at low speed, in traffic, or around speed bumps etc. Anywhere that you have to get on and off the throttle at low throttle and low speed. Bike is jerky and hesitates a bit. Annoying and not smooth. Feels kinda cheap. Mine was the same way. My wifes bike is a Honda Rebel 500. Same engine/trans as a CBR500R. Its SMOOTH! In all these areas it made my bike feel like a kids toy and hers like an Italian or German bike.

Now, mine isn't quite as smooth as hers, as hers is a twin, but its MUCH closer. Id say at least 80% as smooth as hers now, maybe more. So much easier to ride in those slow speed things, like traffic jams etc.

And once its learned its mapping, the fuel economy has gone UP!! Yes, the bike has a longer range now, and better fuel economy! I filled up the other day, rode about 35km and parked it. Then my wife and I went for a ride. At a steady 58-62km on a twisty road along a river, I saw 318km range till empty! Before I'd never seen better than about 275 and that was on a FULL tank. I regularly see 2.2-2.6 l/100km on the indicator now that I have mapped it and its learned a bit more. Before it was in the 2.4-3.1 l/100km range.

This is a win/win.

I do have a couple of concerns and haven't had any response from Dimsport. I hope they get back to me. The instructions on how to use the software are non existent. I am muddling my way thru, but I don't know what to do with a few of the pages/settings. I also don't know how to change the rev limit and its clearly sold as being able to do so. Also the software update doesn't seem to be working. it keeps updating, downloading files, saying its updated, but I still have the same software build as when I first installed it.

 

[HolyJeansMan]

I'm just about as new as it comes to tuning but I really want to learn more. As for the low speeds it struggles in a lot of spots here on base with low speed limits and if this will help smooth it out I'm sold

 

[simpletty]

I’m contemplating trying one out in the race version. John390 thanks for the great insight with your experience with the unit.

 

[Superpacman13]

yea, it will really make the bike nicer bone stock. It will smooth out all the hiccups at lower rpm, tip on throttle and lean spots in the center of the power band.

The bike drives totally differently in this respect.

Plus, you can open up your airbox lid for more sound and more power. Also you can cut out your muffler baffle. Both of these items are free hp, free torque and free cool sounds. very little skill required and not much time needed. Then it really wakes up and if you do them without the Evo module, the bike will be a bit lean. Rideable, but you have to keep the revs down and the throttle not fully open.

Oh and yes, it auto tunes fully. Great that way. you can tune it yourself too, and I did this to avoid having to wait for it to play catchup due to my more open airbox and exhaust. Worked like a hot damn.

Smoothness is the thing on this. You know how these are kinda jerky at low speed, in traffic, or around speed bumps etc. Anywhere that you have to get on and off the throttle at low throttle and low speed. Bike is jerky and hesitates a bit. Annoying and not smooth. Feels kinda cheap. Mine was the same way. My wifes bike is a Honda Rebel 500. Same engine/trans as a CBR500R. Its SMOOTH! In all these areas it made my bike feel like a kids toy and hers like an Italian or German bike.

Now, mine isn't quite as smooth as hers, as hers is a twin, but its MUCH closer. Id say at least 80% as smooth as hers now, maybe more. So much easier to ride in those slow speed things, like traffic jams etc.

And once its learned its mapping, the fuel economy has gone UP!! Yes, the bike has a longer range now, and better fuel economy! I filled up the other day, rode about 35km and parked it. Then my wife and I went for a ride. At a steady 58-62km on a twisty road along a river, I saw 318km range till empty! Before I'd never seen better than about 275 and that was on a FULL tank. I regularly see 2.2-2.6 l/100km on the indicator now that I have mapped it and its learned a bit more. Before it was in the 2.4-3.1 l/100km range.

This is a win/win.

I do have a couple of concerns and haven't had any response from Dimsport. I hope they get back to me. The instructions on how to use the software are non existent. I am muddling my way thru, but I don't know what to do with a few of the pages/settings. I also don't know how to change the rev limit and its clearly sold as being able to do so. Also the software update doesn't seem to be working. it keeps updating, downloading files, saying its updated, but I still have the same software build as when I first installed it.

Give me a call sometime at the shop, rapid bike is a hard company to contact so I will gladly give you a few pointers. Instructions are listed online and I will gladly shoot them over in an email or PM if I can do that. The system is much more complex then a PCV but you can also accomplish a whole lot more with it. Consumers can only bump their rev limit 300 RPM and it should be listed as an option in your tuning software but if not it may have a programming issue.

 

[Superpacman13]

We have been testing an Evo exclusive unit on a 2018 390 Duke for about a month now and I have been struggling to figure out how to market it. I am really struggling to show a difference on paper in terms of HP etc. But what I can tell you is that rideability is so incredibly improved that its no longer even the same bike. With the advent of the ride by wire in 2017 all the 390's have had a very persistent stalling issue at low revs, that was very hard to remove using other fueling options. The rapid bike solves that issue immediately and within 10ft of installing the Evo kit I knew it was a winner. The other benefit of the Evo exclusive kit is the pure bargain at $395 priced lower then the PCV and boasting twice the features it makes it a joy to sell and operate.

 

[John390]

fully agree on how much nicer it is to ride.

as for power, I am sure if you ran a stock bike on the dyno 3x back to back, then ran the same bike with a fully setup tune 3x back to back on the same dyno, on the same day, I am damn sure you will find good power gains, and more importantly, better area under the curve and way less dips and flat spots in both the power and torque curves.

I can't call during the day as I am in Canada and it costs lots to call long distance.

If you can show me where the rev limit raise is, and how to do some of the things in the other menus that would be great! I hate not knowing what to do with things like this. I really appreciate it.

 

[John390]

oh, and for the stalling, I have some fairly compelling evidence to another problem causing it.

I noticed with mine that it would only stall when downshifting form 3-2 or 2-1. It NEVER stalled any other time, at all!

I figured maybe it was a clutch drag thing. Single cylinder with very high compression, and lean mixtures. Downshift, clutch in, and the drag on the clutch may make it hard for the engine to stay running.

I adjusted my clutch to be SURE it was being FULLY disengaged when pulling the lever in. I adjusted the lever on the trans so that there was good free play, but only a bit, I am an auto tech, so I know that you need free play, don't worry about me adjusting it too much in that way. There was free play. Then I adjusted the clutch lever to the 1 position. If on 5, and I pulled in the lever, the lever on the trans would not pull as fully forward. From #1 to #5, I could measure about 3 millimeters difference. I rode it like this for nearly 1000km. Not ONE(1) stall. period. And this was before I installed Rapidbike. Also, since I had opened the airbox and cut out the baffle pipe, the engine was leaner than factory if anything.

So, all was good. Weather is getting colder, and with my winter type gloves, the clutch was a pain in the ass so I set my clutch lever to 4 instead of 1 like I had it. On one ride it stalled on me twice! Same symptoms as before. And now I have had Rapidbike Evo installed and tuned for several hundred km. Probably 500 or more. I immediately adjusted the clutch lever back to 1 position, and it hasn't stalled since.

I know, sort of anecdotal, but its follows logically.