dynajohn

Hondavfr1200dct, You have nothing to worry about with warranty problems from Honda with a Guhl ECU re-flash. The only way anyone at a US Honda dealership is going to know anything was done to the ECU is if they see the sticker Don Guhl puts on the ECU or you tell them it was modified. Take the sticker off if the bike is still in warranty. No US dealer has the tools or ability to look at the ECU software code inside you're ECU. The only information the dealer can get off the ECU is alarm codes which pertain to failures of external sensors connected to the ECU. As far as I know all the DCT owners who have had the Guhl re-flash have been very pleased with the results. The list you asked for would start with

1. the Guhl re-flash. When the re-flash is done you have a choice of options from Guhl (eliminate the software based power limitations in all gears, eliminate the 155 mph top speed limiter, raise the rev limiter to a higher RPM, install a new fuel map for either the stock muffler or a selection of other aftermarket slip on mufflers, lower the coolant temperature the radiator fans comes on at, eliminate the software alarm code if you plan on changing the pipe and removing the secondary muffler flapper actuator). The Guhl re-flash price is the same whether you choose one or all of the options. In regard to the fuel map if you are going to leave the exhaust stock then request a map for the stock exhaust. If you choose later to change the pipe to an aftermarket one you can send the ECU back to Guhl and he will re-flash you're ECU for the new exhaust. There is no charge for software updates except for the shipping charges. Communication by phone directly with Don Guhl about the available ECU options and what you have done to the bike or plan on doing is the best way to get a good result. Call Don do not e-mail him. He does not respond to e-mails in my experience.

2. replace the stock muffler. You can find pictures and owner feedback on most of the available choices on this site. You will gain about 5 HP from the pipe change and more if the ECU has been re-flashed by Guhl or you install a fuel controller like a DJ Power Commander with a optimized fuel map.

3. Replace the stock air filter with a K&N or modify your stock filter by removing the metal sneeze screen from the filter which restricts airflow.

4. Remove the cat converter from the stock exhaust and replace it with a 2 into 1 collector. This is the most labor intensive option mentioned here but it is effective at increasing HP, especially if you have replaced the restrictive stock muffler.

Done properly the above 4 suggestions will give you around 165 HP and 95 ft.pounds of TQ at the rear wheel.

Fasty of course your bike is restricted in 3rd gear. It is restricted in all 6 gears if it only makes 115 HP due to restrictions in Belgium. The 1st & 2nd gear restrictions as well as the speed limiter on US & English bikes are restricted by using the TBW to restrict how far open the throttle plates open. I assume this is also the way they restrict your bike to 115 HP.

First off...congrats to dutchgixxer for being what appears, on the verge of solving the lower gear power limitation. But would someone help me out here? I may have missed it but in all the reading of posts, I have not seen it addressed why the VFR1200 was detuned in the first place. Somewhere....in Japan...around some engineering table, the decision was made to do this. On a bike that is already at or beyond the maximum consumer price point, why did they elect for the added production costs of the sensors and what-not for this detuning? Was it to make the rear tire last longer? Was it to keep the front wheel on the ground? Was it to keep the rear passenger on the seat? Was it to prevent over-torqueing the shaft drive system? Somewhere out there is THE valid reason this was settled upon in that engineering room. I'm like everyone else in that there is a never ending desire for more power but before I snipped or jumpered anything on my brand new bike, I would have to understand what was on the minds of the people that built it that way. I understand rev limiters and I understand max speed cutouts designed in some bikes but this detuning in those lower gears is for some other reason. Please anyone/everyone give me your best guess as to what the reasoning might be. Thanks in advance.

I have derestricted the 1st and 2nd gear power limitations. I have made a simple scematic :

Gearposition_sensor_VFR1200f.jpg

GPS_mod.jpg

You will get falsh readings on the dash when 1st or 2nd gear are engaged.

I am busy decoding the serial link between ECU and dash.

To be continued

While this looks feasible in some respects, I would caution that unless you know what the I/O interface properties are, you may be violating circuit constraints which would then risk a blown sensor or worse. I offer the following scenarios:

1. Each output of the GPS is an open drain that is asserted Low (or simply grounded) for a given gear selection. Then tying 3 output wires together into one input as you have shown is a wired OR gate and will logically work.

2. Each output of the GPS is an open drain that is asserted High (or simply opened) for a given gear selection. Then tying 3 output wires together into one input as you have shown is a wired AND gate and will NOT work as all 3 outputs must be asserted High simultaneously which will never happen.

3. Each output of the GPS is a CMOS type output that is asserted High (i.e. actively driven high) for a given gear selection. Then tying 3 output wires together into one input as you have shown is a definite circuit rules violation as the output that is attempted to be driven high will be actively countered by the other two outputs which are actively driven Low, thus causing a near direct short to the supply voltage and maybe a fried GPS.

Perhaps you've already found that it does work as shown, in which case scenario #1 is most likely true. If it doesn't work, then beware of scenario #3 which could end up costing you some $$$ to fix.

Good luck in your efforts, I wish I could do the same but the DCT control needs to know the actual gear selection otherwise it would be constantly trying to downshift below third and never finding it.

Did you see that youtube video of the kid that throws down his brand new gixxer as he guns it out of the dealership? Rear wheel just spins out like the tire was made out of plastic! Then down she goes...

I saw a video of the VFR1200 being driven by a journalist at a japanese track way back at the initial release and he spun out the rear wheel...saved it, but still... I have a feeling 'if you don't know what your doing' the torque at the rear wheel will bite you in 1st or 2nd gear in this new VFR1200, so Honda played it safe. That's all they needed, all kinds of stories about it being a 'dangerous' bike. I think that is why is has been restricted...poor man's traction control.

Brian

I have also heard that the new 2012 bikes with TC also keep this restriction!

Yes the 2013 is still restricted although I haven't measured it on a dyno yet. My 2013 felt like the real potential did not arrive in 1st or 2nd gear until well up into the RPM band. It felt like there was a hesitation in the 3 to 5 thousand RPM range. Installed the Z Bomb and everything changed in 1st gear. Suddenly the bike was trying to lift the front wheel in 1st which the traction control immediately kicked in and shut down the fun (TC light comes on and bring the front back down, feels like hitting the rev limiter). Turn the TC off with the ZBomb installed and the bike will now do nice but not dangerous power wheelys in 1st gear. This is with a compleatly stock bike except for the Z Bomb. I will have the bike on a dyno sometime in November after making all the changes I have planned. I want to quantify on a Dynojet how much difference the Z Bomb de-restriction makes on my 2013.

I am new here and just looking for information to decide whether to buy a new VFR12 or a used or leftover earlier model. If the new model has traction control did they unrestrict the power in the 1st 3 gears. In other words will the new bike run as hard in the lower gears (assuming traction is not an issue) as one of the earlier bikes with a Z bomb??