This KTM 990 Adventure (with open cans) was bought in by a customer from Cambridge; he was complaining about the usual problems – the engine surging at slow speed in traffic, and generally a snatchy, unforgiving feel.
The digital throttle is gone, and the carb-style analog feel is in its place...
He wasn’t looking for any more performance out of the engine (which, to be fair is common for most of the 990 Adventures we remap, as most owners are happy with the overall performance) but just wanted it sorted out as he wasn’t happy with it at all. He’s got other bikes, and his last words to us as he left were “If you can’t fix it I’m off down the BMW shop to get a GS…!”
We rode it, then downloaded the stock map. Fuelling adjustments were followed with work on the secondary butterfly valves, as when and how much these open is critical to how the engine feels. The ignition was next, and is an area we spend quite a lot of time because fine-tuning here nets big results for throttle control.
The bike is now rideable at slow speeds, high gear small throttle opening and has the Holy Grail (that the old carb’d 950 had) of an ‘analog’ rather than ‘digital’ feeling throttle. You can barrel up to a corner and it won’t scare you – and it did before.
That’s one less GS sale, anyway…
