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Has anyone here ever fitted one to a ktm? I have just bought a secondhand/hardly used unit for my 17 KTM 450sxf but the guy I bought it off has lost the instructions. It came with a matched vortex ecu. It seems simple enough, should just be plug and play, but just wanted to know if anyone has any tips/thinks to look out for. Cheers.
It started up no worries, I let it run for a few minutes then reved it up a few times. there was a small puff of black smoke each rev. I will give it a test ride tomorrow.
I am not getting good vibes from this setup right now, if anyone has any experience with these could you let me know please. I would swap the genius throttle body and the matched vortex ecu for a vortex alone that suits the 17 ktm450sxf at this point.
Thanks.
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Sounds like the bike is running lean, judging from backfiring. Richen the map if you can.
Just a heads up...
Did you ever get the Genius throttle body running correctly?
I ask because I am considering trying one ... but now I notice R&D is totally out of stock on these ---> Probably was just a product that was too finicky & expensive or the masses so they stopped making?
I knew you would be all over one of these things! I don’t have any personal experience but have been very curious over the years wanting to try one. The final nail in the coffin for me though was keefer touched on it randomly in a pod commenting about dubachs yz450f he rode with one and it had a really stiff throttle pull which made it hard to ride which has been the only real world comments about ride ability I’ve come across over the years. That coupled with the comments above of a finicky nature and price tag I don’t think the juice is worth the squeeze for dirt bike applications.
😁 I'm too predictable!
Update:
(1) I visited R&D's website today (first time in ~ 6 months) --- dang near every Genius option is sold out which prompted me to ...
(2) Called R&D today, talked to Dean Dickinson the owner at length. Here's what I learned:
(2a) Dean has a total of ~ 6 units left on hand, that's it
(2b) The machine shop that made Genius bodies/most parts sold their business recently(ish), cost to make them elsewhere would be ~ 2-3x what they cost now ---> Dean is no longer going to make OR sell the Genius products after the units on hand sell
(2c) Dean said he will service them still for as long as he can. In the same sentence he added that ~ "I've been doing this for nearly 50 years, I love it, but who knows how long I'll keep doing it, too."
(3) When I asked about the Genius unit I have lined up to purchase currently and what its configuration is/what mods it might need to have "his latest/best mods" he said he wasn't sure because he had been sending out different variations of Vortex programming, etc., over the years. For example, in some cases he had setup the Vortex ECUs to be able to adjust timing via the trim dials (+/- half a degree), in some cases he leverage the trim dials differently. In the end he said "send it to me and it'll cost ~ $200-250 to get you squared away."
(4) These testimonials are compelling as heck: https://www.r1dean.com/videos/
Given the recent research above, my conclusion is:
The product is a VERY niche product with a rapidly closing window of support potential AND it's probably a LOT of work to get even remotely working right for my bike, so ... I AM ALL IN - HERE I COME GENIUS THROTTLE BODY!
In all seriousness, I am moving on. I cannot afford the time dump this project would entail. I will limit my gymnastics to: gearing changes, 2 ECUs, 2 exhaust systems, exhaust flanges (there's a 350 version on the horizon potentially), possibly an intake mod (to the 2-stroke airboot & air filter cage), and possibly race gas --- but that is as far as I am going to go with these KTM 350 & 450 SX-F experiments engine/power-wise.
(and truth be told, I went down this SAME path ~ 4 years ago for a YZ250F - ended up bailing then, too - for basically the same reasons ... but I still want one to try this so bad - the tech is solid!)
I've been using one on my 270 Sxf for the last 6 years. I never used the stock throttle body so I can't compare, but when the bike was built w it and the Vortex, it dyno'd at almost 53 hp. I would say that motor was amazing and I am going to be rebuilding the mod head to get it back to how it was.
Only problem I have found with it, is that I have a bit of a hanging idle, sort of like if the slide isn't closing completely. Although this does rectify itself after hitting the brakes/clutch to bring the revs all the way down. Not sure if its just an effect of vacuum , sticky slide, or what. I have messed around with it, but not been able to fix it. I did try going with a single cable throttle and then went back to double, no change. It doesn't affect the bike while riding, so I have just learned to live with it.
We had these units on our 2017 yz250f sx bikes. Had great results. You can add more spring tension the the unit to eliminate this… they actually flow so much the volume of air holds the slide open ever so slightly.
Awesome, I will do that, thanks!
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