Flo Commander

[jdugen]

Need info on the Flo Commander (www.flo-commander.com).
Anyone actually used one?

[cad600]

Thatkid and Zero9243 have them on there bikes. I think there is a write up somewhere too, but I can't remember. Just send one of them a PM and they will tell you all about it.

[yamaha_george]

Try this from our own WIKI:-
http://fzronline.com/wiki/doku.php?id=f ... der_tuning

[zero9243]

If you need more info I have the installation instructions that they send with the flo commander I could scan in. What kind of info were you looking for?

[yamaha_george]

My question to the users here on the list is does it at 140USD + represent value of bang for buck in engine tuning ?

[racerd14666]

My question to the users here on the list is does it at 140USD + represent value of bang for buck in engine tuning ?

i dont see the bang for the buck there since a jet kit is around 100 bux, you have to do more modding to the carb to get the flow commander to work and you still have to swap jets. a older bike each cylinder isnt gonna want the same amount a fuel and this system wants to balance it out and claims to work after 3k rpm when your not gona notice any power losses if your carbs are outta sync at after that rpm range cus its basically running off the slides witch smooth out the transition between circuits like that system claims to do. and all of the adjustments you can make with that setup you can already do with the carb. personally i wouldn't run that setup just cus it over complicates tuning the carb

[thatkid]

Whilst I have no hands on experience with a Flo Commander. From what I've read, they're suppose to work wonders if you have pods fitted. I can't see the point of fitting one if you have the stock airbox/filter.

[racerd14666]

Whilst I have no hands on experience with a Flo Commander. From what I've read, they're suppose to work wonders if you have pods fitted. I can't see the point of fitting one if you have the stock airbox/filter.

i cant see the point of fitting one of these at all, basically from what i gather all it dose it allow you to adjust the fuel mixture screw with you can already do with out spending the $140 on this kit, and hell you could probably swap jets tuning the old fashion way faster than than installing this kit witch still requires to swap jets

[thatkid]

Whilst I have no hands on experience with a Flo Commander. From what I've read, they're suppose to work wonders if you have pods fitted. I can't see the point of fitting one if you have the stock airbox/filter.

i cant see the point of fitting one of these at all, basically from what i gather all it dose it allow you to adjust the fuel mixture screw with you can already do with out spending the $140 on this kit, and hell you could probably swap jets tuning the old fashion way faster than than installing this kit witch still requires to swap jets

I may be wrong but, the flo commander has nothing to do with the fuel mixture screw.

Taken for their site

The Flo-Commander takes all fuel air circuits, from the MAIN AIR JET LOCATION

As to the kit requiring a Jet swap, I don't think so

If have installed a “Dyno-Jet” Jet Kit, you may have a plug or restrictor in the main air passage. This is a list we have compiled so you will have an idea if you will need to remove a plug or restrictor so the passage can be used to it’s original flow potential again.

Like I said "I could be wrong"

[thatkid]

Having installed it and used it for two seasons I can say it was worth the money. Tuning an FZR with pods installed is a nightmare. It jumps, it hunts, it does everything but stay synced. On a newer engine with an airbox, syncing is easy as pie. On an older engine with pods, it's not fun. The Flo-Commander allows it be a very simple process.

As Mawler stated, it has nothing to do with fuel mixture screws. It gives the carbs a consistent and smooth air source through the main air jet. This allows for a lot less hunting and an overall smoother power curve after tuning properly.

Now here's where the money spent really kicks in. It allows to adjust a full jet size by turning a knob. You don't have to stop the bike, let it cool, pull the tank cover, pull the carbs, open them, etc etc. Big deal you say....I have my jets and needles in perfect placement you say. Alright, let me throw something out then as I experienced this first hand. Jets and clip position are affected by altitude. Jets more so to the thinning air. On my way to a DH bike race, I rode my motorcycle. It was tuned for about 6k feet. The area I was camping for the race was at about 11.5k-12k feet. Want to know how shitty a bike tuned for 6k runs at 12k??? Try hardly at all. I was only able to use first gear and with a ton of throttle to get my bike to move.

If I had my Flo-Commander installed at that time I could have turned a dial to adjust for the altitude and ridden on by with no complaints. It might not have been perfect power curve but it would have been usable.

The idea is that you get the bike as close as you can to tuned and then tweak with the flo-commander instead of having to open the carbs back up and swap jets. Nothing is going to make up for an inability to tune the bike in the first place, but this gives you a margin of error in case you guessed wrong on the jet size when you upgraded that exhaust.

So I would say it's worth the money. I've used it first hand and I've compared it to tuning other bikes in my shop without it. The price is steep but if you're going to run pods or run your bike to massively different altitudes, it's extremely useful.

Also, as far as the install....it takes about 20 minutes so I doubt you could swap jets faster. Especially if your carbs still have the from the factory butter screws installed.

[jdugen]

Thanks thatkid, just the info I was looking for.
I agree fully with you about altitude changes, my old 'blade certainly started gasping in some of the higher regions we have around here and was well down at the Nurburgring (thats up in the Eifel mountains in Germany). The FZR seems to be even touchier about carburation. An easy jetting change is very attractive, indeed.
Right now I'm getting the jetting right, wrestling with 20 YO carb rubbers, anything that saves that hassle has got to be worth the money.
Time to ponder and look at the relative costs.

Heres another Bye the Bye. Has anyone tried linking the inlet stubs by taking a pipe from the balance screw holes and linking them all together?
This used to be done on older bikes to smooth out imbalances between carb settings. Once I am sure my jetting is correct, it is something I will play with, unless I hear to the contrary.

Cheers

[yamaha_george]

Heres another Bye the Bye. Has anyone tried linking the inlet stubs by taking a pipe from the balance screw holes and linking them all together?
This used to be done on older bikes to smooth out imbalances between carb settings. Once I am sure my jetting is correct, it is something I will play with, unless I hear to the contrary.

JD,
you mean like the more modern 2strokes did with a vessel / tube with access to the inlet tracts?

[jdugen]

Hi george.

Yes, something exactly like that. Deep in the dredges of my memory I sem to recall this on a bigger Suzuki. The pipe bore was small, so I can only see it having any direct effect at small throttle openings, but it might help to smooth tickovers a little (?)

[jdugen]

Oh, and by the way. I've fitted the 110 main jets that came today, along with making the airbox as tight a seal as a human can. Glad to report that it now sings its way up to the redline with a smooth delivery at lower revs. Hmmmm what to do with my time now?

[ragedigital]

What I want to know is when the FZR-specific "TK Commander" coming out, Nate?