New Cobra powerpro CVT fuel processor on the way

[replay13]

I should have it mid week! I put the Vance & Hines slash cuts on late last summer. Time to open up the intake with a Thunder air kit soon. Just putting on the pipes helped the fuel mileage and it sounds really good. After I get a few miles on the Cobra CVT I'll post a update, and again after I get the Thunder air kit on later I'll post another update.
James

[blowndodge]

Sounds like someone is excited!

[redjay]

Looking forward to a road test update.

[replay13]

Originally Posted by blowndodge

Sounds like someone is excited!

LOL... just having a few nice days to ride is enough to get me excited!

Enjoy that sunny Southern Cal weather, its been pouring down rain here for the last week.
James

[replay13]

Originally Posted by redjay

Looking forward to a road test update.

First impressions. The install was pretty easy, but a little tight getting to the fuel injectors plugs. They only say to lift the back of the tank up but I spent another 2 mins and took the whole tank off. That give me a little more light and also I could check the plugs.

After the install it fired right up and idled good, the first time I blipped the throttle it tried to crap out, but the second time it was crisp and sounding good. I warmed it up driving some back streets to a country hwy where I could get on it a few times. It ran good, no flat spots and it was crisp. My seat of the pants dyno for what its worth tells me it has more power and pulls harder when your in the power band. Like 60 mph and up in 5th gear. I was probably a little lean with just the V&H slip-ons.

I read a few places that they recommend running it to red line a few times for the processor to learn. It ran crisp and hard from 10 mph to over 80 mph just going first through third gear.

I was hoping to keep my fuel mileage or close to it when just out cruising, so today I reset the mpg readout and rode some country roads that I run a lot. I was happy to find out my mileage was still up there just out crusing 55 to 65 on back country roads in 5th gear. I did almost a 70 miles round trip to a small town that I go to a lot and the mpg readout was on 42.6 when I got home. Thats right in the ball park where it usually is if I'm just cruising. Thats not actual mileage, just what it shows on the readout.

It will be a while but I'll give a update when I get the Thunder air kit. Also I'll check in if I notice anything else. For now I'm really happy and its nice to know that I don't have to reprogram anything when I put on the air kit.

[moloprintz]

"First impressions. The install was pretty easy, but a little tight getting to the fuel injectors plugs. They only say to lift the back of the tank up but I spent another 2 mins and took the whole tank off. That give me a little more light and also I could check the plugs. "

Are there any connections other than the injectors?

[replay13]

Originally Posted by moloprintz

Are there any connections other than the injectors?

The Cobra plug has a 3 inch pigtail on each plug. The stock injector plugs connects to the pigtail, then the Cobra injector plugs connects to the injectors. Using a needle nose pliers makes connections easier.

Run the main wires with the stock wiring along the frame, and the Cobra brain unit was attached to the top of the battery box with supplied velcro. The only other connection is a wire from the main unit to the ground side of the battery.

It looks like a break in the weather here today. I got caught in three showers yesterday.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Glad you were able to get it attached without too much of a problem. Sounds like it really does perform very good. Keep us posted as to your gas mileage and how well it performs.

[Jesus Freak]

You will love the difference your gonna feel when you get the Thunder air kit installed.

[moloprintz]

How does it 'tune' without feedback?

[replay13]

Originally Posted by moloprintz

How does it 'tune' without feedback?

I'll let Cobra explain that one, lol. Check out their web page, also a google search will bring up a lot of info. The guys on the Suzuki forums love them, also a lot of the Harley crowd is using them now. High praises from the Yamaha crowd also. I think more and more from some of the Kawasaki forums are using them also.

[replay13]

Originally Posted by AlabamaNomadRider

Glad you were able to get it attached without too much of a problem. Sounds like it really does perform very good. Keep us posted as to your gas mileage and how well it performs.

I have a few tanks run through it now. The bike runs good everywhere in any gear, and now I can say I didn't lose any fuel mileage just out cruising.


I agree JF, the bikes are starved for air... Thunder air kit on the way!

I'll give a more detailed thoughts on fuel mileage for those that want it, if not stop here and be satified that fuel mileage can be good if you control your right wrist. Also I'll give a update after the air kit install in a couple weeks.

I was thinking, how does the Kawasaki calculate the fuel mileage. I still don't know but it probably calculates the number of fuel squirts and duration of the squirts and maybe other things. Ok, if the Cobra CVT changes (increases) the duration of the fuel squirts maybe I'm not getting the milage that it shows in the readout.

I know that I usually see the low fuel light start flashing right around 180 miles if I'm just our cruseing some of my favorite roads. So I filled the tank just up the neck a little bit then had some nice Sunday cruising on a few of my favorite runs. The low fuel light never came on till 186 miles, that is how I am saying that my cruising mileage is as good as before.

Also I got to a gas station and filled up at 190 miles. It used 4.8 gallons, that is just under 40 mpg. That would leave me about 1/2 gal in the tank at 190 miles. My computer readout was showing 43.8 mpg. That is about as good as it has ever done. I did have a few miles of stop and go in town before I started the trip.

[replay13]

Got the Thunder air kit today and put it on after work. The instructions wasn't much, but the install was pretty easy once you dug into it. Install took about 1/2 hr or so.

I had time to play with it about 3 hrs. The power feels a lot better all over, but mostly when you rev it up good. The Cobra Powerpro CVT is working good with all the mods. It runs crisp and strong through all the rpm range, no hesitations or flat spots. The intake sound is a little louder but not as much as I expected. All in all it sounds pretty good, blends in with the V&H pipes.

I'll give a cruising fuel mileage update after I get through playing with the right wrist, lol. I'll make the same run that I used for the last cruising test.
James

[replay13]

Originally Posted by replay13

I know that I usually see the low fuel light start flashing right around 180 miles if I'm just our cruseing some of my favorite roads. So I filled the tank just up the neck a little bit then had some nice Sunday cruising on a few of my favorite runs. The low fuel light never came on till 186 miles, that is how I am saying that my cruising mileage is as good as before.

Also I got to a gas station and filled up at 190 miles. It used 4.8 gallons, that is just under 40 mpg. That would leave me about 1/2 gal in the tank at 190 miles. My computer readout was showing 43.8 mpg. That is about as good as it has ever done. I did have a few miles of stop and go in town before I started the trip.

Update with the Thunder Air Kit. Filled up at the same gas station and cruised pretty much the same route, added a little more at the end to the end to run out the tank.

Low fuel light started flashing at 201 miles, and got to the gas station at 205 miles. It took 4.8 gals to fill back up, that is 42.7 miles per gallon. The computer readout was 45.4.

So just out cruising I picked up about 2 to 3 miles per gal adding the air kit. As close as I could test.

Over all I feel like I got 1 to 2 miles per gal just adding the V&H slip-ons. milage stayed about the same or a little better adding the Cobra Powerpro CVT. Then a couple more miles per gal adding the Air Kit.

Power is definitely up. I can really tell winding it out. Also I noticed on a run that I do a lot that it pulled better out of a couple corners that I had to slow down some and was up hill after the corner. From 55 back to 65 in 5th gear.

Mileage is controlled at the right wrist, so cruising and not passing everything in site is the only way I could test mileage. I hope the info helps anyone thinking about mods to let the bikes breath like they should.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Seems like the 2010 Nomad gets better mileage than my 2008. Low fuel warning on mine comes on around 160 to 165 miles. Seems like your mods were worth the money and effort.