toro1

Hi Jamie, In a nutshell, normal riding feels exactly the same as before. If anything, compared to stock, throttle response is crisper, starting out is easier, and the engine feels smoother, but it is still a VFR800. Now, there is no doubt that you have more power available to you at all points in the powerband, but in general, if you are at very low rpms (2500-3500), you will not feel much of a difference over stock as the Rotrex is only pushing ~1psi. In most situations it has always felt to me like the bike is a gear (or two) lower than it would be stock. If you have a steeper gear ratio, the change will be even more noticeable. The power really starts to build around 5000rpm, with serious steam coming around 7-8000. From there on up, there is absolutely no resemblance to a stock VFR, as depending on the ride height and gearing, the front end becomes very light (with stock ride height and a -1/+2 gearing setup, I've had the bike wheelie in 5th-gear, but now with a lowered front end and stock gearing, it stays much more planted). The bike will pull to redline with absolute authority, as the power never stops increasing -- if you hardly ever reached the redline before, you will once you add this kit. To give you an idea of the power, the bike will wheelie on command from any rpm in the first two gears with the stock gearing, and can easily power wheelie in 3rd & 4th. However, due to the nature of the supercharger, the power is still actually controllable, and you don't have to worry about a sudden boost spike coming out of a turn. 160whp is still 160whp, though, so you need to treat it with respect, and you can have some tense moments if you're not careful. I have not ridden a Blackbird, but I can compare the powerband to a GSXR1000 & ZX10R. Basically, if it's low rpm torque you're looking for, this kit is not the answer. The bike is only 781ccs, and with low boost output at low rpms, this engine is not transformed into a 1200cc monster. Compared to the literbikes, around town I feel the VFR is actually a bit quicker due to the tranny gearing, but once you get in 3rd & 4th gear (and up), the greater torque of the 1000s (and their smooth firing 180° crank layout) provide a vibe-free, stronger pull from low rpms. If you really want to experience greater torque, changing the final gearing does wonders, but no matter what, 781ccs cannot compete with 1000-1300ccs in the torque department down low. However, if you're used to the VFR powerband, and are looking for more power, this kit does give you more oomph at all rpms, with an insane amount coming from midrange on up. It makes a great bike even better, and really puts on smile on your face when you crank on the throttle. Hope that helps.

It will compensate for the small stuff, but not WOT (which is why the map I provided, though perfect for me at sea level, was ultra rich for you at 4000ft). We are adding so much air & fuel to the engine that the stock sensors can't keep up. Remember, we bypass the boost from the stock MAP sensor so it doesn't throw a code, but at the same time, it renders it useless once we're pushing boost. Ultimately, the best way to handle tuning would be to base the fueling off of boost, but to do that, the cost really starts to go up (due to needing a 3-bar MAP sensor, the multi-function hub if using a PCIII, or an entirely different way of handling the tuning). With most riders, unless they are significantly changing elevation, the PCIII is by far the most cost-effective way to dial in the AFR. In your case, since you already have the LCD unit, you can store as many maps as you like, but if you want even greater tuning capability, then we'd have to look at getting you the multi-function hub and an aftermarket MAP sensor, at which point it truly would not matter where in the world you rode since the fuel added would be proportional to boost.

Yep, I'm very close to the Delaware river, so while it's very, very hilly in my area, I'm basically at sea level (the dyno I use is only @ 100ft). Steve, for your trip, keep my original map (and your tuned map) loaded on the LCD unit -- that way once you come down from the mountains, you can richen up the mixture on the fly (the LCD unit will let you store and swap as many maps as you like). With the denser air, your uncorrected hp will go from your current 156.4hp (173.6hp/ 1.11 - SAE correction factor) to a true uncorrected 170+hp, and you'll need more fuel accordingly (just for reference, my bike pulled 167hp uncorrected).

Steve's bike is officially the highest power VFR800 on the planet now. The initial map was pig rich, I'm sure, from the change in altitude (close to 4000ft, I believe), and once it was adjusted back to realistic AFRs, the power increased accordingly. What is very interesting to note is that this bike pulls all the way to 12100rpm (as does the '06 I'm working on now), whereas my '98 stops right at 11700rpm. I'm not sure if this is fueling or ECU related, but either way, the dyno chart for Steve's '99 and my '98 are identical up to 11500, but his bike keeps pulling and thus ends up with 14 more ponies.

I don't think your insurance company needs to know if you are adapting the kit to a bike you already own -- it didn't come with it stock, and with most companies I've dealt with, they only care about the OEM specs of the vehicle you're covering. Now, if you purchase a motorcycle with a supercharger already on it, that's probably a different story. I've also noticed that the insurance forms have a check box for Turbo/Nitrous, but not one for Supercharger, and besides, the kit is intended for off-road use only anyway... :rolleyes:

I did the same thing when I built my bike, Rob. I loved the look of the later gauges (and had to have that little VFR logo) and went through multiple clusters on ebay before I had the proper combination (it seemed like I could only find metric units for some reason). I wonder how many other '98-'99 owners have updated to the newer gauges?