GTM ECU V7 & V9 Flash Tool

[Midnite]

Adding to the chorus of positive reviews of the the GT tool and customer support, I'm increasingly happy with the re-flash of my V7ii. I ordered shortly after buying my Stone in May, and updated the ECU with less than 200 miles on the clock. For some odd reason, the initial updated map that I loaded caused my bike to stutter badly - revving up, then nearly dying, revving up, then nearly dying - so I immediately contacted Todd, who sent me two tweaked maps in short order, and walked me through some of the odd error codes I was getting on the diagnostic tool. Todd told me that the vast majority of V7's that he's updated via the GT tool have run like a charm with the first map he sent. It remains a mystery why that one didn't work on mine, which should be identical to all of the other V7ii's that have been updated, but, the last map he sent is now working perfectly on my bike, so I guess it doesn't really matter.

I noticed smoother acceleration and power throughout the rev range when the final map started working on my bike, and it completely ironed out the problems that I experienced in low revs - particularly at low speeds in first gear. What has really surprised me though is how much smoother the bike runs after the 600 mile service with adjusted valves (intakes were tight on mine) and new fluids all around; it's as if the re-flash has now been completely revealed. At only 750 miles, the bike runs MUCH better, and is much happier than it was before the re-flash. I'm now completely happy with the engine characteristics. Now I just need to iron out the suspension...

So, as others have said, if you're on the fence, and have the money for the tool, go ahead and order! It's well worth it.

 

[emab]

I added mistral slip ons to my 2016 v7ii stone. It definitely ran leaner, popping on decel with a long warm up time sometimes stalling. Purchased the ecu programmer box which is very easy to use by the way and did a re flash thanks to Todd. It made a world of difference in the way my bike runs. So much smoother. I decided to pull the db killers to see how it sounded. I liked it but some power was lost rolling on the throttle. Contacted Todd and he sent another map free of charge- runs great. Now I have 2 revised maps. Great mod- highly recommended. Thanks Todd.

 

[MotoBug]

Very tempting this FT. My bike is running well although I'd love to get rid of that jerkiness in first gear. Most annoying in car parks and slow cornering like roundabouts or tight bends. But then there's the warranty issue. I was told fiddling with the fueling will definitely void the warranty. I have to be patient I guess

 

[My name is Jeff]

Very tempting this FT. My bike is running well although I'd love to get rid of that jerkiness in first gear. Most annoying in car parks and slow cornering like roundabouts or tight bends. But then there's the warranty issue. I was told fiddling with the fueling will definitely void the warranty. I have to be patient I guess

When you get the jerkiness just use a bit of rear brake at the same time as your using throttle.

 

[BearV7]

Just copying my review (5 stars) from the product page for anyone reading through the thread:

My bike is stock besides this reflash. I purchased it to resolve the rough idle/stall issues on cold starts and the on/off feeling at low throttle. After the reflash the bike idles perfectly and the throttle no longer jumps at low positions. The latter gives me a lot more confidence at low speeds and rolling on the throttle through corners.

I was skeptical about the claims that a reflash would totally transform the bike, assuming riders reporting this had a more subtle feel than I would. I am happy to report that all of these claims are not hyperbole. The bike feels different across all speeds and throttle positions. It is a very obvious improvement. I am no longer hunting for the right gear or rpm. There is just adequate power everywhere. Sounds better too.

I highly recommend this. It has made the bike much better all around.

 

[GTM®]

I was told fiddling with the fueling will definitely void the warranty.

Guzzi's warranty isn't worth the paper it's written on(!), and really, there is so little that goes wrong outside of leaks and clutch adjustment issues. If they blame the fueling on those, find a new dealer!
The FT allows you to set the map back to stock when you take it in for service (and is mandatory to not be locked out of the ECU.)

 

[MotoBug]

I've heard good and bad about the Guzzi warranty. I'm going to sit it out and be patient for the time being.

 

[TweeZ4]

Guzzi's warranty isn't worth the paper it's written on(!), and really, there is so little that goes wrong outside of leaks and clutch adjustment issues. If they blame the fueling on those, find a new dealer!
The FT allows you to set the map back to stock when you take it in for service (and is mandatory to not be locked out of the ECU.)

Hi, Todd!
What are dimensions of FT itself (without box)?
How long will it take to ship FT to South Carolina?
May I ask for some discount as GT Site contributor?

 

[GTM®]

Hi, Todd!
What are dimensions of FT itself (without box)?
How long will it take to ship FT to South Carolina?
May I ask for some discount as GT Site contributor?

Email please; Todd at GuzziTech.com

 

[Moss Jacobs]

Laugh if you must, but i would prefer to pull my ECU and send it to some one. Is this device only good for one VIN? (One Bike Specific) it seems like a waste to buy this if it only works with one bike. I would prefer to save some $$$ and Fed Ex my ECU , Is Todd willing to do this?
Todd.. Are you listening or rolling your eyes?

 

[Wisconsin v7 Racer]

Laugh if you must, but i would prefer to pull my ECU and send it to some one. Is this device only good for one VIN? (One Bike Specific) it seems like a waste to buy this if it only works with one bike. I would prefer to save some $$$ and Fed Ex my ECU , Is Todd willing to do this?
Todd.. Are you listening or rolling your eyes?

I had to send my ecu to Todd since this was not available at the time and I also had to buy the Centurion software to reset my tps. It's nice to have the software for diagnosis and resetting the tps. If I had a choice like you do I would definitely purchase the programmer box. Easier then removing the ecu and still does all the other stuff plus Todd can just email you updated maps.

 

[My name is Jeff]

Hey Moss if your bike has the single throttle body the ecu and throttle body are one unit so it would be a pain to pull all that crap out.

 

[James.Jasond]

I just did the Evap removal on my V9 Bobber, AND the ECU reflash using the tool from Todd - bike runs AMAZINGLY well. For those that are interested, the tube from the gas tank has the valve much lower towards the bottom of the engine, you can easily remove the plastic cover (2 screws) that exposes the starter and access everything super easily on the left side of the bike. So, I just cut off the valve completely and extended the vent hose about 4 inches to be well below the engine. I cut the hose to the canister right about the same length as the vent hose and taped them together so they don't flap around and tucked them behind another wire. I had a bolt in my garage that I screwed into the manifold hose to plug it and stop the "leak". I just left the canister on there below the bike disconnected. I put the cover back on and voila - you can't see a thing and it runs freaking great! As I mentioned before, I also put Agostini pipes on it, sounds amazing (DB killers removed) and the bike flies down the road. Couldn't be happier.

 

[James.Jasond]

I just did the Evap removal on my V9 Bobber, AND the ECU reflash using the tool from Todd - bike runs AMAZINGLY well. For those that are interested, the tube from the gas tank has the valve much lower towards the bottom of the engine, you can easily remove the plastic cover (2 screws) that exposes the starter and access everything super easily on the left side of the bike. So, I just cut off the valve completely and extended the vent hose about 4 inches to be well below the engine. I cut the hose to the canister right about the same length as the vent hose and taped them together so they don't flap around and tucked them behind another wire. I had a bolt in my garage that I screwed into the manifold hose to plug it and stop the "leak". I just left the canister on there below the bike disconnected. I put the cover back on and voila - you can't see a thing and it runs freaking great! As I mentioned before, I also put Agostini pipes on it, sounds amazing (DB killers removed) and the bike flies down the road. Couldn't be happier.

Thought I could expand on this a little for others out there like me that are NOT mechanics or incredibly computer savvy. That being said, I did take auto-shop in high school back in the 80s and have a Bachelors degree, so armed with the bike manual and some intuition this project was very manageable.

The tool to reflash the ECU is pretty intuitive - follow the instruction and email with questions along the way, its not very hard and I'm glad I bought the tool.
- first get the program loaded on your computer,
- then connect the tool to your computer and watch it auto-update itself,
- then connect it to the bike and read the stock file,
- reconnect to your computer and save it / email it to Todd,
- take the one he sends you and upload it onto the tool,
- reconnect the tool to the bike and upload the new file.
- After the flash, while it's still connected you run the auto-learn and throttle control programs on the tool under diagnostics.
I had a few questions along the way and Todd was quick to respond and lead me through a few things for the ECU reflash.

I went for a ride and immediately noticed a difference, particularly in throttle smoothness and consistent power. Low speeds are easy and not jerky, it seems like there is a more consistent range of power through each gear, and each gear seems stronger/I go faster in each gear. On some windy backroads I wasn't thinking about downshifting for corners, almost any gear I was in had plenty of power even at the low end where it would have bogged before. My exhaust still popped/backfired on downshift/deceleration, but markedly less.

Todd suggested for optimum performance with the reflash and to stop the popping/backfiring I should disconnect the intake manifold hose from the evap canister and plug it, and to also either gut or remove the tip-over valve that is on the vent hose connecting the gas tank to the evap canister. That is the valve I referenced in the previous post. From what I read those valves are under the tank on V7s, not so on the V9 (as I mentioned above). I was trusting yet hesitant as I took a utility knife to the hoses on a bike with only 2k mi on it, but I figured worst case scenario I'll just reconnect them to the evap cannister - no that hard. Plus, I referenced the manual to make sure I was working on the right stuff. So I cut and plugged the hose leading to the intake manifold and cut and removed the tip-over valve altogether (see post above).
WOW! Went on a 70mi ride that included highway, 2 lane twisties, and back country roads - the throttle / the power / the shifting everything seems in synch - fast and smooth, very few pops or backfires from the Agostini exhausts on downshifts/deceleration, incredible acceleration in every gear - if you're going to invest in some aftermarket pipes and want to improve the overall performance of your bike (new pipes or not) I totally recommend the ECU reflash tool and program from Todd and "reworking" your evap system (for those in CA). You WON'T be disappointed.

 

[TweeZ4]

Its my turn to praise Flash Tool and new fuel map for my V9 Roamer.
Many thanks to Todd for great product and support.

Reflashed bike runs very smooth, jerkyness at low rpm is gone, even gas mileage improved - i dont need to downshift and revv that often. Overall bike feels more powerful. I didt fix evap lines yet, but I'm gonna do this.

I was so impressed by 2017 Honda CB1100 smoothness everytime I rode it right after stock V9 Roamer.
But reflashed V9 is at least as good as CB1100.
Anyway, V9 is my favourite

 

[Kofiko]

It is my turn to add my review and there’s no point in repeating what the others wrote, so I keep it short:

1- It was as easy to install as everyone mentioned.

2- The improvement was immediate and equal to upgrading B&W TV to color (for those who remember).

3- Todd says it adds ~20% power and torque, but to me it feels more like 30% with the GT-RX exhaust on. The bike just wants to fly, and keeps begging for more and more throttle – what a joy!!!

4- I now feel that my 2017 V7III Special is as close to perfect as it can be. I’m riding a flickable ~450lbs motorcycle with a smooth engine that acts and feels like it is a big-bore Guzzi, and I can't get enough of it.

It is a no-brainer upgrade if you want to feel what this bike is all about - period.

 

[TweeZ4]

It is my turn to add my review and there’s no point in repeating what the others wrote, so I keep it short:

1- It was as easy to install as everyone mentioned.

2- The improvement was immediate and equal to upgrading B&W TV to color (for those who remember).

3- Todd says it adds ~20% power and torque, but to me it feels more like 30% with the GT-RX exhaust on. The bike just wants to fly, and keeps begging for more and more throttle – what a joy!!!

4- I now feel that my 2017 V7III Special is as close to perfect as it can be. I’m riding a flickable ~450lbs motorcycle with a smooth engine that acts and feels like it is a big-bore Guzzi, and I can't get enough of it.

It is a no-brainer upgrade if you want to feel what this bike is all about - period.

Did you remove evap canister?

 

[Kofiko]

Yes, on the day I got the bike home. It is always the first thing to go. The only other performance mod was the GT-Rx Megs.

 

[JACoH]

So, I got the Flash Tool Saturday and got everything downloaded and uploaded (after a glitch which meant I had to get a different USB cable from my son) and went for a 200 mile ride today. Bike (stock) seems to have better throttle response, I noticed I was riding in 5th and 6th gears, where previously I had been using 4th and 5th. I guess, for $500, I need to believe it must have improved something. Maybe, when I get the Agostinis this winter, I'll appreciate it more.

 

[GTM®]

Bike (stock) seems to have better throttle response, I noticed I was riding in 5th and 6th gears, where previously I had been using 4th and 5th. I guess, for $500, I need to believe it must have improved something. Maybe, when I get the Agostinis this winter, I'll appreciate it more.

Hmmm, well, as I think I mentioned, plugging the intake leak (evap cann) and unclogging the tank vent (tip valve) is what my map is built around. You would be the very first who didn't feel a difference... however every bike is different. All you'll feel with a completely stock bike is a smoother throttle response and cooler running. Power comes from mechanical revisions (yes, mufflers).