Fellow Coggers, I don't spend too much time on this forum (no reason in particular), but some of you should remember me from years past. I received my ECU with Steve’s Flash w/decel on Wednesday and now have a couple days of riding/commuting with it. These are my thoughts and hopefully it helps you to decide if you're on the fence…
BLUF:
A simple and amazing way to rid yourself of the annoying nuances of the C14. The flash turns a diamond in the rough into a true ‘Gentlemen’s Riding Machine’. It is smooth yet strong, refined yet eager to give you everything it has. There is no easier or cost effective way to transform your bike. And suddenly, third gear is actually useful around town and top gear roll-ons work! The ‘Decel’ option to me matches that of the factory decel, but it less abrupt due to smoother throttle responses. Do not dismiss this mod simply because you do not like to go fast. It is so much more than that!
DETAILS:
About me and my riding style:
I am a very conservative rider, with most of it consisting of city/interstate commuting (including plenty of rush hour traffic). My bike has taken me around the U.S. and enjoys trips to the mountains. It primarily lives below the 4,000 RPM range, though. Every once and a blue moon, I’ll feel giddy and run her up to redline. Otherwise, I’m not very picky about the technical aspects of my machines. All I ask is that they do what they are supposed to do; get me from point A to point B, reliably. With that said, I was satisfied with my pre-flash C14, which I purchased new in ’08 after having traded in my C10. Up to that point, I was pretty happy with the C10 as well. The C14 proved to be the fastest and most technical bike I have ever owned, but as with any vehicle, there are things I love and things I would change. The things I didn’t care for about the C14 I assumed I would always have to live with. Boy, was I wrong! I tinkered with the idea of pulling the secondary flies and getting a PCV, but I just couldn’t chance damaging the engine or voiding the warranty with a mechanical alteration.
Things I didn’t like about the pre-flash C14 performance:
-The off-idle hesitation drove me nuts! It made low speed maneuvering annoying and dangerous. More than once, I would be in a slow, full lock turn and hit that stumble which would nearly cause me to drop the bike.
-Low RPM range performance. The engine would shake and shudder in protest with even the slightest input below 3500 RPM’s. As most of us know, the bike needs a lot of downshifting when in the low range.
-’Snatchy’ on/off throttle. Although I adjusted to it, it was still quite annoying.
-Upper RPM range. While I rarely used it, I still enjoyed an occasional tug on the shoulder sockets as I held on tightly. However, I always knew there was more power hiding in there just waiting to be unleashed. It’s too closely related to the ZX14 to not have more in store.
-Fuel economy. Ok, I didn’t exactly have a problem with it. I consistently get 39-43 MPG’s, which is fine.
Starting C14 post-flash and quick ride:
I did not disconnect my battery for removing/installing the ECU. Upon starting it, she fired right up and slowly climbed to 2,000 RPM. The engine maintained that speed for about 30 seconds, right about the time the first bar on the temp gauge illuminated. After that, it settled down to normal idle and I went for a quick ride around the neighborhood. At first, I’ll admit I was a little under whelmed. I could tell there was an improvement in shifting smoothness and throttle abruptness, but it hadn’t really sunk in yet on such a short ride. It is when you spend some time on this bike under your usual riding circumstances where it really starts to hit you!
First couple of commutes:
I experienced the same 2k RPM cold idle, which Steve says is normal. I always wait to ride until the first bar on the temp gauge lights up, so it just gets there a bit quicker now. The off idle stumble never reared its ugly head! IT'S GONE FOREVER! The shifting was still buttery smooth…I was not dreaming! In-town stop and go riding is so much more tolerable now. The smoothness of the shifting, the gentle on-off throttle, and the improved low-end grunt/traffic/low speed handling is so much easier. On the way home one day, I ventured off of the beaten path and found a good open area to test the upper RPM range. HOLY CRAP! I did not expect the pull that I experienced! As I suspected, there was more power hidden in this engine. With a quick downshift and a twist of the wrist, I was at triple digits nearly instantaneously. I slowed down and then performed a 6th gear roll on. The bike responded respectfully and powerfully, offering nothing but responsiveness and a rising speedo needle with no hint of protest.
Specifics:
-4k RPM and below-the fussiness and shudder of low speed rolls-ons in too high of a gear are at thing of the past. If you need a lot of power to accelerate quickly, you should still downshift to avoid burdening the engine. However, any moderate acceleration needs (ie; normal traffic, freeway on ramp merging, passing) can easily be handled without downshifting. You can easily shuttle around town in third gear all day long. Low speed maneuvering is much easier now...have I mentioned that already?!
-4k RPM and above-have I said HOLY CRAP yet?! The bike was fast before, but it’s fast and smooth to a whole new level now. You can feel it pull harder than it ever has before. Be aware of your front wheel’s elevation…you have been warned!
-Shifting is made so much easier due to the gentleness of the throttle opening/closing. I believe any passenger would be pleased with the smooth shifts due to softer throttle inputs. I can not emphasize enough to you how smooth Steve made the shifting. Seriously.
-Throttle inputs (speaking of) are no longer ‘snatchy’ or abrupt. It now requires less operation of the throttle to perform a shift, which ties back into the previous item of them now being smoother. It’s a beautiful symbiotic relationship…
-Decel. To me, the rate of decel with that option is unchanged compared to stock. The perception of there not being as much decel could be due to how smoothly the throttle closes. For me it’s perfect and engine braking is equal to that of the factory flash.
-Fuel mileage. I haven’t completed a full tank yet, but if the numbers on the display are any indication, there will be a considerable bump in economy! My DTE, Current, and Average figures are pretty accurate, historically. With that said, there was a huge increase in reported economy. With a fresh tank, my DTE showed “264(+)”. I have not seen that high of a number prior to this. My reported Current MPG at TRIPLE DIGIT SPEEDS (106 indicated) was low 40’s! Seriously?! The number for constant throttle at 75 MPH was showing 54 MPG! I’ve only ever seen that before with a tailwind. Temps were in the upper 50’s/low 60’s F. My second day of commuting was much colder (40’s F), so the number were a little lower.
Steve's customer service:
Second to none. Period. Upon you contacting him, he sends you a detailed email that tells you everything you need to do. He is very quick to respond to your questions, both on here and via email. I never spoke to him on the phone, but I'm sure he'd answer if you called! He stays in contact to let you know when he has finished and shipped your ECU.
Summary:
It is beyond my comprehension why Kawasaki could not do this to our bikes from the start. There is so much potential, power, and politeness to be had, but they robbed us of it. Enter Steve…his only fault is that he took so long to give us this gift! The President should appoint him Czar of the Bureau of Power and Energy Conservation. This mod is truly for everybody; the speed freaks and the Sunday putters alike. It makes the bike compliant, yet commanding. Polite, yet powerful. Low speed maneuvering and in-town manners are remarkable due to the improved low-end power and smooth throttle inputs The unleashed power up top is stunning, to say the least. All of this and improved fuel economy; the cherry on top!
Steve should name the flash ‘Perfection’, or perhaps ‘Bliss’. Oh wait, he did…Shoodaben! Thank you Steve!
