ECU Adapt Re-Adapt Question

BritTwit · Mar 1, 2018

encountered something strange yesterday while de-winterizing my 961 in preparation for the Spring. I started the bike for the first time since replacing the battery last December. The thing actually started on the first stab at the starter, rev-ed to 2000, then back to 1500, then down to 1200 automatically, and set a strong idle. I was shocked! The bike never, NEVER behaved this way in the 4 years that I have owned it. I had always taken me at least 3 tries to get it started, and then some throttle to prevent it from dying. Then a little more throttle for 30 seconds to get a weak idle. That was my drill for 4 years, and the reason that I wanted a Power Commander.

Now I have to see if this new attitude that the ECU has is permanent. I don’t know for sure why all of a sudden the ECU/EFI seems to work as it should have originally, but I suspect it probably has something to do with the battery replacement. I believe it was the first time the ECU on the bike was completely powered down since I purchased it.

Could removing and replacing the battery have forced the ECU to reboot and into a full adapt/re-adapt mode and automatically resolve any issues that were preventing the EFI system from fueling the bike properly?

richard-7 · Mar 1, 2018

BritTwit said:
encountered something strange yesterday while de-winterizing my 961 in preparation for the Spring. I started the bike for the first time since replacing the battery last December. The thing actually started on the first stab at the starter, rev-ed to 2000, then back to 1500, then down to 1200 automatically, and set a strong idle. I was shocked! The bike never, NEVER behaved this way in the 4 years that I have owned it. I had always taken me at least 3 tries to get it started, and then some throttle to prevent it from dying. Then a little more throttle for 30 seconds to get a weak idle. That was my drill for 4 years, and the reason that I wanted a Power Commander.

Now I have to see if this new attitude that the ECU has is permanent. I don’t know for sure why all of a sudden the ECU/EFI seems to work as it should have originally, but I suspect it probably has something to do with the battery replacement. I believe it was the first time the ECU on the bike was completely powered down since I purchased it.

Could removing and replacing the battery have forced the ECU to reboot and into a full adapt/re-adapt mode and automatically resolve any issues that were preventing the EFI system from fueling the bike properly?

This is interesting. Very possible. I had a chevy truck that did the opposite. If I disconnected the battery for longer than 10 minutes the ECU had to re learn and stalled like crazy and took about 2 days to act normal again.

BritTwit · Mar 1, 2018

Richard,

This was the first time I replaced the battery on my 961.
ECU was powered down for maybe 10 minutes at most.
Quite bizarre, I have other EFI bikes I replaced the battery on, never had a reaction like this before.
Not that I'm complaining though.

Just wondering if any other 961 owners experienced a similar effect.

richard-7 · Mar 1, 2018

BritTwit said:
Richard,

This was the first time I replaced the battery on my 961.
ECU was powered down for maybe 10 minutes at most.
Quite bizarre, I have other EFI bikes I replaced the battery on, never had a reaction like this before.
Not that I'm complaining though.
Just wondering if any other 961 owners experienced a similar effect.

We disconnect batteries all the time and have never experienced this. This is a good observation though. Perhaps Ive just never noticed it. I’ll pay more attention from now on.

Fast Eddie · Mar 1, 2018

You’ve not changed any thing else over winter, sensors, plugs, etc?

BritTwit · Mar 1, 2018

Fast Eddie said:
You’ve not changed any thing else over winter, sensors, plugs, etc?

Nope, nothing else was touched.
I was feeling guilty about letting the bike sit for so long after the battery replacement, so I decided to start it.
I'm working today and tomorrow, but will light it up again this weekend just to check.

Just another wrinkle in the 961 character I suppose.
Seems more and more like a real Norton every day.

Britfan60 · Mar 1, 2018

BritTwit said:
encountered something strange yesterday while de-winterizing my 961 in preparation for the Spring. I started the bike for the first time since replacing the battery last December. The thing actually started on the first stab at the starter, rev-ed to 2000, then back to 1500, then down to 1200 automatically, and set a strong idle. I was shocked! The bike never, NEVER behaved this way in the 4 years that I have owned it. I had always taken me at least 3 tries to get it started, and then some throttle to prevent it from dying. Then a little more throttle for 30 seconds to get a weak idle. That was my drill for 4 years, and the reason that I wanted a Power Commander.

Now I have to see if this new attitude that the ECU has is permanent. I don’t know for sure why all of a sudden the ECU/EFI seems to work as it should have originally, but I suspect it probably has something to do with the battery replacement. I believe it was the first time the ECU on the bike was completely powered down since I purchased it.

Could removing and replacing the battery have forced the ECU to reboot and into a full adapt/re-adapt mode and automatically resolve any issues that were preventing the EFI system from fueling the bike properly?

Congratulations. That's exactly how mine behaves. That started after the remap that Matt Capri designed and especially with RICHARD 07's wires and advice to use the Bosch coils. Once in a while, but rarely, I will need a second try. Always reset the key before trying again. Prior to that, it was embarrassment at the bike runs. Lets hope it wasn't a one time stroke of luck.

BritTwit · Mar 1, 2018

Amen!