An interim service for us (and it’s not about ticking boxes) means we go through the brakes, properly. We change the fluid, deglaze or replace the pads, grease the pins and take out the levers and grease the pivot points. We also check/replace the plugs and air filter, plus the throttle body balance. If we’re replacing the engine oil, which we usually do, we use Silkolene plus an OE filter. All the running gear gets carefully examined to make sure things like the suspension is working properly. We also check seals, bearings and linkages.

A major service is valve clearances, cams out etc plus a full suspension service option – everything (forks, rear shock, linkages) taken to bits and sorted. One of these every now and again keeps a bike feeling tight and like brand new!

A family duo of very clean bikes in for a pair of interim services. Nicely done!

What we have found with these KTM maps is that the TPS setting (Throttle Position Sensor) is critical; we’re only putting back in what was already there. Upload a ‘foreign’ map and you’re asking for trouble with TPS alignment, and these bikes will run like a sack of spanners, as two grids are being overlaid with the net result of being slightly out everywhere.

Nearly every KTM V-twin we remap comes in for the same thing – the owner is looking to smooth out the over-sharp throttle response. It’s not, generally about more horsepower or a higher rev limit (both of which we can do, as well…). This bike turned out well after a day plugged into the ECU on the Dyno – we rode it in the rain, and you could roll around on the throttle, on wet roundabouts, and bring a little gas in when you needed it, safely.

Another remap for smoother throttle response, done.

And he was right. So, working on the Dyno with Tuneboy and the bike’s ECU, we sharpened up the ignition in the mid-rpm range – no need at the top end – plus did some major fuelling changes, this time especially at the top end as it was short of fuel. We gained 6-7bhp all the way through from top to bottom, and on the test ride after the bike felt great, sharp as a pin. The owner’s been back, and has given it a very big thumbs up.

An extra 6-7bhp everywhere and a pin-sharp throttle response – a full ECU remap has transformed this Speed Triple!

We ran the bike up as it came into us and found the usual problems; a very snatchy throttle off the bottom, plus the fuelling was way out because the airbox’s larger area was pulling more air in. We started by disabling the lambda via the ECU (the only real way to do it properly), re-set the secondary butterfly valves and then worked on the ignition and fuelling maps.

It gained 7bhp in the midrange over standard, with lovely power/torque curves and smooth delivery at the throttle. That’s how we like ‘em!

Aftermarket airbox and full Akra' system hadn't helped this KTM – a full ECU remap did!

Conservative is the word we’d use for tuning a bike to do the TT. That race will break motorcycles and engines, the stress on every part is that much higher and all the things you don’t expect to happen can, and will. Wear and tear is phenominal – bits shake undone or to pieces, and fairings bottom out.

Bigger engines cope a little better than smaller ones, as they’re not on the stop for the whole lap (!). It’s a difficult balance to strike because you want the best horsepower you can get, but with a huge margin of safety and reliability for a motor that’s running flat out for so long. Chad, as a Newcomer will be finding his way around, so missed gears and the odd over-rev are a distinct possibility, all of which can push a motor to destruction.

So we’ve given his engine a little extra compression, some head work and extra valve lift, but all with durability firmly in mind, rather than outright horsepower.

Good luck, mate.

Chad's ER650 with fettled stock motor, ready for the NW 200, then the TT...

We did have a quick look at the torque map, and dialled everything up to 100%, but really the job needs doing in entirety to get the full benefit. Next time!

Just switching off the lambda sensor via the ECU helps, but is not enough...

The point here is that if you do fit an open end-can to a bike like the GSX-R (of any cubic capacity) you won’t notice much of a difference at first (mostly because of the extra noise you’ll think it’s a lot better). But then, the on/off throttle transition will become gravelly, and it’ll start popping and banging down the pipe on the over-run and generally not running as sweetly as it should.

The reason is that you’ve made a big change to the engine’s airflow – more air through the K&N, and more out the back via the exhaust – and the way it ‘holds’ fuel. Minus the backpressure of the stock set-up it also starts burning the carbon deposits, further messing things up, and making it all a touch rough around the edges!

Fitting an open end-can means that the fuelling will needing sorting out – eventually...

Mark didn’t get to speak to the owner before he test rode the bike after the work, and was a little worried because the character of the engine response was now very different – but he came back in with the biggest grin on his face. “That’s brilliant, mate.” he said, “Why aren’t they like this from new? No KTM dealer can do owt with ‘em!” He was pleased.

It’s worth pointing out here that no two big KTMs are the same. This one took an entire day to get right; time on the Dyno, out on the road, back on the Dyno, out on the road again and so on. Then, it’s left overnight so we can see how it works driving off from a cold start the next morning. It’s laborious, but worth it, and seems to be the best value £250 (in our eyes) you can spend to sort out what otherwise is a fantastic bike.

A full day spent on the Dyno and out on the road sorted this KTM's ECU remap.

Now the ZX-7RR was a rare beast in its day, never mind now. A homologation special for racing purposes, it has flat slide carburettors that work well at the track, at high rpm, but are quite frankly rubbish on the road at more normal speeds. The owner wanted us to have a good look through it, so we did, and found a nice, genuine bike.We went over it, gave it a minor tidy up, and then a quick run on the Dyno confirmed a power output of 115bhp, not bad for a 15 year old 750!

The Kwika Kwaka, booked in for a post-winter fettle...

...and its distant ancestor, in for a look over and a Dyno run.

The PC V allows you to put a speed signal into it, so we fitted the speed sensor (a genuine BMW part that takes a reading from the gearbox sprocket, the ABS version of the bike’s loom is ready for it) and plumbed it into the unit. We then enabled the Power Commander program to let us to map fuel for each gear on the Dyno. Running a full Yoshimura system, it made 191 not-to-be-messed-with bhp at the back wheel after the work.

ABS SS1000RR needs a speed sensor adding to make a Power Commander PC V work.