With the software installed and the Z-Fi unit connected to a laptop, a series of screens allows the various parameters to be changed. The quickshifter can be programmed with a different cut time in each gear. The Bazzaz Performance traction control works by detecting rises in engine rpm, and will intervene by cutting the ignition when rpm rises quicker than the system deems appropriate. The traction control sensitivity can be set using a throttle position/rpm array similar to that of the fuel injection map, with a number between 0 (none) and 10 (maximum) determining how quick the system is to intervene. How much power is cut when that happens is adjustable (likewise using a number between 0 and 10) for each throttle position, but not rpm. The system is delivered programmed with all the sensitivity and cut levels set to 5. The traction control can be adjusted while the bike is being ridden using the handlebar switch to add to or take away from the sensitivity map. Additionally, the entire sensitivity map can be trimmed for each gear position. Two complete fuel and TC maps can be programmed, with the toggle switch on the handlebar being used to switch between the two.
One nice aspect of the Z-Fi unit and software is that what you see on each of the tuning screens is what the unit is programmed with. If you change something on-screen, it automatically changes in the unit, so there is no chance of confusion. Flick the toggle switch on the handlebar, and you see the alternate fuel and TC maps immediately. Plenty of diagnostic features are included, so you can quickly see if something is not working as it should.
The Z-AFM fuel-mapping device...
The Z-AFM fuel-mapping device uses an oxygen sensor in the exhaust to monitor air/fuel ratio and then recommends changes to the fuel map based on the data.
These switches on the CBR's...
These switches on the CBR's handlebar allow you to add or subtract traction control over the entire operating range, or switch between two completely different fuel and TC maps programmed into the Z-Fi.
The Bazzaz Performance Z-Bomb...
The Bazzaz Performance Z-Bomb goes in-line with the CBR's throttle position sensor, tricking the ECU into thinking the throttle is not fully opening and bypassing the bike's top-end restriction.
While the Z-AFM module is not a completely closed-loop system, it is but one mouse click away from being just that. Using the self-mapping feature is a matter of switching it on in the software and then riding the bike, either on the track or on the dyno. While the bike is being ridden, the unit constantly monitors the air/fuel ratio and determines how the fuel map should be changed for best results. Connecting the laptop after the ride shows a series of recommended changes, which you can then accept in whole or in part. With everything installed, we attended a track day and began experimenting. We used the self-mapping feature to map the Z-Fi unit for the Akrapovic exhaust; after one session on the bike we accepted the recommended changes for the fuel maps. The manual recommends a couple of iterations for best results, but a later run on our SuperFlow CycleDyn showed the full-throttle air/fuel ratio to be just about perfect afterward.
With the standard TC settings, it is immediately apparent that the standard map is just a starting point. With enough control dialed in on the handlebar switch to calm things in the corners on the track, the system noticeably cuts power on the straights. Common sense tells us that you want more traction control when the bike is in mid-corner with the throttle barely open, and less traction control when the bike is on the straight with the throttle wide open. We made some adjustments to reflect that, and saw some progress. We'll continue to experiment with the mapping and report back in a future issue with detailed results along with more modifications to the CBR1000RR.