At ECU WERKS, our objective isn't simply to make a motorcycle produce the biggest possible number.
We tune for how the motorcycle actually responds to the rider.
Peak horsepower is part of performance, but it's only one part. Much of what you experience on your bike happens between closed throttle and full throttle — accelerating through the midrange, rolling back onto the throttle after a corner, overtaking, changing gears and controlling the motorcycle at partial throttle.
USABLE PERFORMANCE
Every motorcycle has a different engine, character and intended use, so there isn't one definition of a good tune.
What we're generally looking for is stronger usable performance, clean throttle transitions and predictable power delivery.
Fueling and ignition are part of that, but modern motorcycle ECUs can also control throttle behaviour, engine braking, fuel-cut strategies and various factory restrictions.
These systems interact.
THROTTLE RESPONSE MATTERS
One of the most important areas for us is the relationship between the rider's throttle input and what happens at the rear wheel.
When you start feeding throttle back into the motorcycle, particularly while exiting a corner, the response should be clean and predictable.
Too soft and the bike can feel disconnected.
Too aggressive and it can become unnecessarily difficult to control.
We aim for a direct but progressive response — the motorcycle should give the rider what they ask for, when they ask for it.
MAKING THE MOST OF THE ENGINE
Factory motorcycles are calibrated around far more than outright performance. Manufacturers have to consider emissions, noise regulations, different markets, fuel quality and a wide range of operating conditions.
Motorcycles are also frequently modified after they leave the factory.
Exhaust systems, intake changes and other modifications can change the conditions the original calibration was designed around.
We inspect the available calibration, understand the motorcycle and its configuration, and determine where changes are appropriate.
A change to throttle behaviour alters engine airflow and load. That can affect where the engine operates within the fuel and ignition maps. Changes to an exhaust or intake can alter airflow and cylinder filling, which means the calibration needs to be considered in the context of the motorcycle's new configuration.
KEEPING THE CHARACTER OF THE BIKE
A good tune shouldn't make every motorcycle feel the same.
A large-capacity adventure bike, middleweight twin and 200-horsepower superbike require very different approaches.
On an already powerful motorcycle, for example, we're often more interested in how effectively the rider can access and control the available performance than simply making the initial throttle response more aggressive.
On a middleweight motorcycle, improving low-to-midrange response and making the engine more willing through the usable rev range may transform the riding experience.
Our Aim is to - make the performance more usable. Make the response more predictable. Make the motorcycle better to ride.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE
Ultimately, the calibration should disappear into the motorcycle.
You shouldn't be thinking about fuel maps, ignition tables or throttle strategies while you're riding.
You should simply notice that the engine responds more naturally, the transitions are cleaner, the performance is easier to access and the motorcycle does a better job of responding to what you're asking of it.
Not simply more performance. Better performance.
ECU WERKS
Built for the Rider. Ride Without Limits.
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