This 2004 ZX-10 didn’t travel too far to get to our workshop – Cambridge – and arrived fitted with a Power Commander that had a standard, generic map uploaded. In all honesty the bike’s owner was a little sceptical that he’d notice any improvement after some time spent on the Dyno, but agreed to call us after his ride home and let us know how he felt.
Early ZX-10s are extremely variable beasts; some were very lean, some very rich and the generic map working this PC III was doing a very poor job. It was way too rich down the bottom end – noticeable on the road with a very ‘dull’ throttle response and non-responsive delivery, so we leaned it out and also richened up the fuel in the mid-range as it was too lean. The trick here is to get the fuelling correct and then use the Dynojet accelerator pump for a few turns of the engine as the revs pick up, before the pump cuts and you’re back on the main map.
Anyway, the phone rang not long after the bike left. The ZX-10 owner, in Mark’s own words was so happy, “he was jumping up and down like an onion!” And immediately booked another of his bikes in…
Generic Power Commander maps can be a case of one size fits nobody – especially for early ZX-10s
