Booster Plug Review

[Thundernz]

After travelling some 12,400kms on my 2020 T120 (last of the Euro 4 models) I have fitted a " Booster Plug". On the roads I ride on here in New Zealand we have a lot of tighter 2nd gear type corners on all sorts of terrain (uphill, downhill etc. ) where rpms drop back to idle or close to it as you pull up for the corner. My T120 has always suffered from the much reported bottom end flat spot and has not been nice to ride at low engine speeds and I have got into the habit of holding a few rpms on with the palm of my hand on the throttle along with a little bit of clutch slipping out of tight corners at times. After a 200km ride yesterday I have to say the Booster Plug has cured all the low rpm problems and for me at least, exceeded my expectations. I noticed the change immediately on leaving my garage and riding up my driveway (slightly uphill) , I didnt have the slip the clutch and coach the bike up the drive way with a few revs on! Im 100% sold on this device, paid full retail for it and shipping and it took just 8 days to get to me. The technical blurb on their website is a recommended read also, while its quite technical it made sense to me.
This along with a few other mods I have done to my T120 have turned this bike into an ideal ride for me ( I'm 73) as I use it for one up riding, day trips of 200-400kms and overnight / extended touring. Mods include : - TEC progressive front springs, YSS rear shocks re valved and sprung to suit my 86kg weight, 39 tooth rear sprocket, re foamed and slightly raised height seat, Dart screen, sintered brake pads front and rear (an attempt to get better "feel" not entirely sucessfull however). I have resisted the "de cat" as from what I read there is a loss in back pressure and engine breaking I understand? (as I ride in all weathers all year I prefer to have lots of engine breaking on wet days).
Trust this assists others.

 

[DaveM]

The T120 is a really nice bike and anything you can do to make it better is well worth the effort.

I must admit I have not heard of the booster plug and how it works as of now so it is nice to hear that it seems to be doing what you expected from it.

 

[bigdavewhit]

Great report thank you. I too fitted a booster plug on my 2016 T120 for the same reasons and the improvements were instant and very noticeable. It now runs so smoothly at low revs and when idling along with slow traffic. Well worth the investment IMO

 

[griffindog]

I agree it works great on my 2019 XC Scrambler for over a year now

 

[PhilsTTR]

I agree, I fitted a boosterplug a few weeks ago along with a DNA air filter to my 2016 Thruxton 1200R.
Yesterday was the first day it had stopped raining long enough for the roads to dry, So out came the bike. Much smoother at low revs and easier to burble along without changing gear.
I'm wondering of some of the "beastness" of the bike has been lost as the lurching and bucking has been calmed, but that was first ride out for a few weeks and it's work in progress.

 

[Velocette]

Jeg har også montert Booster-plug på min 2019 1200 XC fra Tech Bike Parts.

Den ujevne motorgangen på lavt turtall ble forbedret med 60%. Jeg er fornøyd med det.

Jeg byttet også til Tech Bike Parts avgassystem. Det ble jeg svært fornøyd med.

Motoren ble sterkere på middels omdreiningstall. Den bruker noe mindre drivstoff. Og den fikk en grovere lyd. Men ikke for høy. Vekten avtok med 66%. ;-)

 

[brooke]

Generally speaking the WCTwins run quite lean and even more so at low rpm and constant throttle cruising . This leads to excellent mileage for hiway use but fussy / baulky lower engine speed performance on some . Obviously the performance 1200s have some issues with the low speed lean condition to a point of stalling abruptly when the throttle is opened at idle on a hot engine . On the 16 TTR the safety recall remap addresses this problem nicely by richening the “accelerator pump” in the map . This stops the stalling and makes the performance from 1500 rpm up much more enjoyable . Of course the booster plug will do the same thing for the low speed problem , richening things up by tricking the ECU into believing it’s colder out there than it really is so that more gas is thrown into the mixer and no doubt negating all the work those poor engineers did to make these things pass E 4 or 5 or 3 whatever .
Engines love some extra fuel . In the days of carbureted cars they came from the factory with chokes adjusted on the rich side , no one cared if they burned extra fuel on the test drive . Race bikes and in my case snowmobiles also were often sold with attention to jetting at peak hp and a good estimate for low rpm was enough. That’s why when you go to the races you see guys revving the bejeez out of cold engines . A lot of them won’t idle until they are ripe hot , some thing a larger pilot jet would easily cure .
Not only does the Booster plug make the bike work nicer at low rpm it’s works nicer everywhere
as it richens the mixture every where , even during acceleration where the stock ECU is also sending in a huge blast of JD Irving to keep the pistons from developing holes . The extra petrol used will be detrimental for fuel mileage but that’s the price of having fun .
So why does a cat delete help out with the low speed issues while at the same time getting better mileage and how does the use of E fuels fit into these issues ?
Just asking

 

[Velocette]

Jeg har også montert Booster-plug på min 2019 1200 XC fra Tech Bike Parts.

Den ujevne motorgangen på lavt turtall ble forbedret med 60%. Jeg er fornøyd med det.

Jeg byttet også til Tech Bike Parts avgassystem. Det ble jeg svært fornøyd med.

Motoren ble sterkere på middels omdreiningstall. Den bruker noe mindre drivstoff. Og den fikk en grovere lyd. Men ikke for høy. Vekten avtok med 66%. ;-)

I also fitted the Booster plug to my 2019 1200 XC from Tech Bike Parts.

The uneven engine running at low revs was improved by 60%. I am satisfied with it. I also switched to a Tech Bike Parts exhaust system.

I was very pleased with that. The engine became stronger at medium rpm.

It uses slightly less fuel. And it got a rougher sound. But not too high. Weight decreased by 66%. ;-)

 

[PhilsTTR]

Generally speaking the WCTwins run quite lean and even more so at low rpm and constant throttle cruising . This leads to excellent mileage for hiway use but fussy / baulky lower engine speed performance on some . Obviously the performance 1200s have some issues with the low speed lean condition to a point of stalling abruptly when the throttle is opened at idle on a hot engine . On the 16 TTR the safety recall remap addresses this problem nicely by richening the “accelerator pump” in the map . This stops the stalling and makes the performance from 1500 rpm up much more enjoyable . Of course the booster plug will do the same thing for the low speed problem , richening things up by tricking the ECU into believing it’s colder out there than it really is so that more gas is thrown into the mixer and no doubt negating all the work those poor engineers did to make these things pass E 4 or 5 or 3 whatever .
Engines love some extra fuel . In the days of carbureted cars they came from the factory with chokes adjusted on the rich side , no one cared if they burned extra fuel on the test drive . Race bikes and in my case snowmobiles also were often sold with attention to jetting at peak hp and a good estimate for low rpm was enough. That’s why when you go to the races you see guys revving the bejeez out of cold engines . A lot of them won’t idle until they are ripe hot , some thing a larger pilot jet would easily cure .
Not only does the Booster plug make the bike work nicer at low rpm it’s works nicer everywhere
as it richens the mixture every where , even during acceleration where the stock ECU is also sending in a huge blast of JD Irving to keep the pistons from developing holes . The extra petrol used will be detrimental for fuel mileage but that’s the price of having fun .
So why does a cat delete help out with the low speed issues while at the same time getting better mileage and how does the use of E fuels fit into these issues ?
Just asking

I reckon a cat delete helps because the cat slows and restricts the exhaust gases so they have a chance to interact with the metals inside. The E fuels are just there because the Ethanol is a renewable resource....saves on burning oil.

 

[brooke]

I reckon a cat delete helps because the cat slows and restricts the exhaust gases so they have a chance to interact with the metals inside. The E fuels are just there because the Ethanol is a renewable resource....saves on burning oil.

Great answer ..I might add that Ethanol also acts as an octane booster even though it has 33 % less energy by volume than petrol . E10 then has about 3% less energy than none enhanced (?) fuel and IMO delivers at least 3% less mpg . It feels a bit slower too but that could be me being opinionated . Over the years since blending began the price of Ethanol has risen to the same as gasoline .
Q … could you tell me if 91 octane in Fredricton is ethanol free . Particularly interested in Irving and Shell . Any 93s in NB .. thanks
Brooke

 

[Qship]

Q … could you tell me if 91 octane in Fredricton is ethanol free . Particularly interested in Irving and Shell . Any 93s in NB .. thanks
Brooke

Don't know of any 93 octane here, but many 91 rated fuel at the pump claims 0% ethanol if supreme used. Yes Irving and Shell both.

 

[brooke]

Don't know of any 93 octane here, but many 91 rated fuel at the pump claims 0% ethanol if supreme used. Yes Irving and Shell both.

Thanks , I am led to believe Irving is the only gas distributed on PEI . Wondering if they make a special e free 91 blend for shell here . Don’t think my Shell’s pump sticker claims pure 91 grade , will have to check it next fill up . Did you ride a new 1200 yet ?

 

[Greyfell]

Lucas Oil makes a fuel treatment to undo the ethanol in the fuel from the pump.

 

[brooke]

Thanks Greyfell , you are indeed a gentleman and a scholar

 

[PhilsTTR]

Which opens up the question.... if you were to use non Ethanol fuel would you have write a non Ethanol ECU map? As E5 & E10 has been use for years in different parts of the world, I guess the mapping takes that into account, a non Ethanol petrol would be running richer.....
For those with a nerd tendency, here's an in-depth (and by the look of it, authoritative) analysis of various ICT fuels by the British Historical Vehicles Clubs: Fuels
(I haven't read it more than a fraction of it )

 

[Vector]

I run ethanol free 91.

 

[brooke]

Which opens up the question.... if you were to use non Ethanol fuel would you have write a non Ethanol ECU map? As E5 & E10 has been use for years in different parts of the world, I guess the mapping takes that into account, a non Ethanol petrol would be running richer.....
For those with a nerd tendency, here's an in-depth (and by the look of it, authoritative) analysis of various ICT fuels by the British Historical Vehicles Clubs: Fuels
(I haven't read it more than a fraction of it )

Now your making me think ,which I don’t do so well but
The TTR which is supposed to run on mid grade , which is likely to include ethanol , Would run richer if non E is used . The engine would like the extra richness I’m sure . When in closed loop mode the o2 sensor will be keeping the air/fuel ratio proper despite the change , I think . And even though the the ECU doesn’t adjust for the change in open loop the only negative would be a decrease in mpg . No doubt it is still running leaner than they did before we were blessed with this new system .
The mixture becoming richer minus the ethanol is a similar situation to changing the oil fuel mix in 2 strokes . If you reduce the amount of oil you put in the petrol , the engine runs richer , cooler too and the plugs will head toward a darker chocolate.
That’s how I remember it anyway , I think

 

[brooke]

I run ethanol free 91.

Good idea . I think I have talked myself into doing the same . Why didn’t you mention this before ?

 

[Velocette]

In Norway we have 95 oct and 98 oct. 95 oct contains E10.
I allways use 98, (who is quite clean) - on my motorcycles. It costs about 7% more. But the consumtions is somewhat less. So the total costs pr./km will be quite similar.
98 oct is also much better when petrol engines are stored for a longere period of time (winter).
The lawnmover and snowthrower also start more easily after longer storage.

 

[brooke]

In Norway we have 95 oct and 98 oct. 95 oct contains E10.
I allways use 98, (who is quite clean) - on my motorcycles. It costs about 7% more. But the consumtions is somewhat less. So the total costs pr./km will be quite similar.
98 oct is also much better when petrol engines are stored for a longere period of time (winter).
The lawnmover and snowthrower also start more easily after longer storage.

Norway is obviously on a different rating system than North America , perhaps AKI . Suspect your 95 equals our 89 , 98 = our 91 which is rated 95 on the RON system . Confused enough ?
Anyway for what it’s worth I found research from the AFPM ( American Fuel Petrochemical Manufacturers).They have been lobbying the US since 2018 to move all fuels sold to be 95 RON ( E or not , our 91 ). Their research findings seem to pick the 95 Ron number as the most efficient spot for modern gas engines , considerably higher compression ratio than a few decades ago . Interestingly one of the main selling points for standardization to 95 RON is a 3 to 4 percent efficiency gain over 91 RON (our 87).
At the 4% gain that would basically cover the price difference between 89e and the 91 pure presently about $1.60 /litre and 6 cent differential.