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Flash now available for the 900 ECU!

41K views 95 replies 31 participants last post by  Ramakill 
#1 ·
Am I first with the news? ...there's now a flash available from Ivan for the 900 motor!! Now I can't provide you with any personal experience of this one, but if it's even remotely as good as the 1700 flash (and I've never heard a bad word said about any of Ivan's work) - then I think it's sure to become the new "must have" performance upgrade.

I had intended to trade off my 1700 a year ago for something else (my wife likes the social aspect of being a rider of HD, and we'd even selected the color for our Street Glide). Ivan has changed all that, and this Voyager is now a long-term keeper.

See Ivan's Performance Products for details.

Like I said recently over on the 1700 forum...

When you get it back, your ECU is going to look pretty much the same... There will be a label and some etching on the outside, and the inside will be filled with Magic!
Disclaimer... I have no affiliation at all with Ivan's Performance Products, or the business' owner Ivan. I'm simply an extremely satisfied beneficiary of the work and effort he's put into improving our ride.
 
#3 ·
Turn around time from him is under a week depending on where you are at in the country. He normally gets them done and out the door the same day he gets it in.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Never mind just read Ivan's page.

'I sometimes choose not to make the final fuel mapping inside the ECU because it is not possible to make changes to your ECU without mailing it back to me. I do adjust most fueling problems inside and try to make the tune 90% for most users... this makes a fuel tuner optional for many of the models that I offer this service for.'

Anyone know if I still need my Cobra Fi2000R PowerPro Tuner with the flash. I noticed on the form that he asks if you have one. Will the flash and the Fi2000R make things better or is it overkill?

This has me rethinking selling my 900 Custom.

TIA
 
#5 ·
Those comparative dyno charts Ivan has posted are all from a bike without a fuel tuner. Almost all of us who have had our 1700 ECU's have either sold our tuners or like me have them hanging on a nail in the shop gathering dust. There's no market for used tuners for the 1700 any more - everyone is being sent to Ivan instead. So I don't think you'll need it, but you should give Ivan a call. He likes to talk to every potential customer (or in my case we had long discussions by PM) before a sale.

I had my 1700 running fairly well with a Dobeck EJK tuner, but any tuner is really just a "band-aid" solution trying to fix the programming that Kaw had to use to keep within strict emissions regulations. Ivan's gone into the source of the problem, and fixed that and many other issues. The bike is very much more "rideable".

I'm looking forward to hearing from the first few 900 riders to have their bikes Ivanized. Those charts are even more impressive than the 1700 ones are.
 
#12 ·
No worries...maybe someone will put one together in the future.


Looking forward to your results post.
 
#19 ·
Flawed logic... A fuel processor doesn't so much fix one small part of the problem, as just cover it up a little bit. I was quite happy with the processor on my 1700, but the flash is far, far better, and fixes everything else that's wrong with the bike along with the lean fuel issue.

From this country it was more than 2 weeks down time, expensive to ship, the ticket was clipped by NZ Customs - and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.
 
#20 ·
First impressions - only had time for a 25 mile ride after plugging it in. These are all subjective observations and you can refer to the dyno charts for the hard data Ivan's Performance Products Throttle response is much smoother, much better transition from full or rolling stop. Felt more in control of throttle movement and response. Smoother shifting is also enabled with this.
More power (not drastic) dyno charts show about a 3.5% increase with my stock set-up. Seems to accelerate faster and more willing to rev. Seems to be working less at a given speed.
My route only allowed for 55 mph max but I could tell there was less buzz and vibration at that speed.
Need to get used to the decrease in engine braking. No longer do you get the dropped anchor effect when you let off the throttle. It still slows but not as abrupt, again smooth.
It's supposed to run cooler. I could not assess this on the short ride. The fan did kick in once at a stop light after a roll thru a school zone at 20 mph (80 degree air temp)

Smoother, a little faster and less vibration at speed.
So far, so good.
 
#24 ·
CRG,

900buba is all stock so not much room for power improvement. Changing exhaust and/or intake should allow for a significant power gain.

I agree with you if there is no plan to change from stock set up that money might be better spent on something else. That said I like what I am hearing about a smoother ride and the down shifting reducing engine braking. I have locked up the rear tire several times during spirited riding when downshifting which was not intended.

WB
 
#25 · (Edited)
No new news - Big power gains come from removing restrictions on the engine with intake and exhaust mods, again see the graphs in Ivan's website. The flash does increase power and it's noticeable but the big thing to me from my experience so far is the 'drivability'. More consistent power thru the full range of throttle application, feels quicker, smooth throttle response and much less buzz at higher speed.

I suspect the benefits of the flash would be more pronounced with bikes with intake and/or exhaust mods already.
 
#32 · (Edited)
CRG,

1). Ivan will turn around within 1 business day i.e. Comes in Monday back out the same day or the following day so there would be no big advantage to having them in stock. He could consider sending you one for say $750 with a $400 refundable core charge when you return the original ECU but I am not sure how many folks would want to do that.

2) the $350 sounds high, heck it probably only takes 5 min to flash the ECU. But that logic is what most folks who pirate movies etc say, Why should I pay $30 for a DVD when I can buy a blank DVD for $1, they seem to forget about the $50M it cost to make the movie. At this point I will give Ivan the benefit of the doubt. My guess is he invests hundreds of hours testing and analyzing the data to tweak the ECU. The market is fairly small so it is difficult for him to price it, if he invests $15K in developing a new flash and only sells one his breakeven price would be $15k. The dyno charts indicate a 28% increase in HP when the new flash is used in conjunction with new exhaust and open intake. That is a huge increase for pretty basic modifications.

3) Kawi, most likely does not want to make the investment in developing a new flash either it costs money and is a second version to support. They are more likely to invest in new model devopment.

4) You are WRONG on rear wheel lock up when down shifting. It is called engine BRAKING for a reason. When you downshift you should be off the throttle, the lower gear requires the engine to spin faster to maintain the current speed, when you let out the clutch the engine will rev higher and because you are off the throttle the engine acts as a brake slowing the bike down. If you are downshifting quickly and releasing the clutch quickly engine braking will cause a temporary lock up of the rear wheel which will often cause the rear end to shift a bit to one side.

The forum is a great place for each of us to express our opinions (we all have one). But when it comes to facts, like engine braking (there are no alternate facts) we need to stick with reality.

WB
 
#33 ·
When the flash first became available for the 1700s I was the first to think NO WAY my bike runs fine, I am not pulling my ECU out and sending it away, but as more and more reviews came in I finally did it. The results were everything advertised, and after speaking with Ivan on the phone before and after I found him to be a no nonsense mater of fact kind of guy. Since he offers re-flashing for various bikes I can see why he would not want to get into the business of stocking and selling re-flashed ECUs. Now as for the 900s I will be looking forward to hearing more about the results that people are getting.
 
#34 ·
I've noticed on his form that he asks about intake, exhaust and fuel controllers.. is there a benefit to a controller on top of this flash? While searching for reviews of Ivan's work, I had read on another forum (for another bike mind you...) that he had recommended a PCV in conjunction, as his flash didn't "add" fuel, so much as redesign the map upon which the fueling was delivered.. do we know if this applies to the vn9? Was this person misinformed?
 
#37 ·
I can't speak for the 900 - mines a different bike. The form was the same though, and at the time I had my ECU flashed - there was only one version of the flash, which suited all 1700's whether they were completely stock, or had pipes & air, or anything in between. Ivan asked us all to remove, or for the PCV "zero-map" any fuel tuners.

A very few riders experienced some ping at WOT under load, and it seemed to be those with BAK's, and probably very heavy right-hands. So Ivan tweaked his flash, and offered the re-flash for free to anyone who experienced that issue. A very few of those who accepted the offer, and at Ivan's suggestion, have mapped their PCV for a little extra fuel at WOT. Most 1700 users, like me, have simply removed their tuner.

I had a little ping, once, in too high a gear, two-up & fully loaded with luggage, and with a tank of regular gas. I've changed to premium, and never had any more issue. I've also currently taken my Chuckster's BAK off there, in favor of a K&N OEM replacement filter. I have no plans at this time to take Ivan up on his offer of a free re-flash.

That doesn't really answer your question for the 900 though, so perhaps you should give him a call, and please report back any guidance he offers?
 
#40 ·
For what it's worth, I want to thank you, Bubba, as well as all the others who have contributed to this thread so far.

But 5 stars to you, Bubba. You bit the bullet and spent the money, yet we gain the information that will contribute to our decision making without having spent a dime.

THANK YOU.

May your roads be rolling and twisty, my friend.

Buskman
 
#41 ·
Ivan's Performance Products

That's a page where Ivan explains his pricing, and some of the R&D that has to be done before he's going to release a flash to market.

If anyone thinks they can do something comparable for less money - good luck! I wish you every success in business. There are already other places who do similar work, but none I'm aware of for any of the Vulcan family.

From everyone who's ever had their ECU flashed, I've only ever heard that it's up there as one of the best things they've ever done to their bike. I have it pegged myself as first equal with my seat (Russell), and my suspension (Öhlins) - which makes it the most outstanding value by far, since the seat cost me twice as much, and the suspension work was around four times the cost of Ivan's.

It's early days, and it's clear there's much pressure on 'bubba as the trailblazer. Well done mate, and thanks. I look forward to more reviews both from you, and maybe from others with pipes & air kits as well.
 
#42 ·
Update:
Went on a longer and faster ride yesterday. Confirms some from earlier post with some additional insight.

Better throttle control, smoother from stop and thru full range of movement. No jerkiness when opening and closing throttle. Enables better shifting.

There is a power boost but most noticeable to is the responsiveness. Twist the throttle to accelerate and it responds instantly with power. Quicker acceleration. Power is available at a wider range of rpm often eliminating the need to downshift for a quick move. Much fun.

Previously mentioned reduction in engine braking. Just takes a little getting accustomed to especially if you used it to control your speed around town and in traffic. It just want to keep rolling.

Much less vibration and buzz at 55 MPH+. A much more relaxed and confident ride at faster speeds. This is a very significant change for me and this alone is worth the price of admission.

Highly recommended.
 
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