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Loud backfire on change-up...


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As above really. I'm used to the occasional burble / pop when decelerating but yesterday there were a couple of proper 'old-style' BANGS when accelerating hard and changing up - scared the bejesus out of me!

Should I be concerned? Will my inside rear arch explode? Has my engine gone out of tune (carb'd Fireblade)? I've recently had a Flatshifter fitted if that's a possible culprit...

Any ideas? Ta'.

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There's a pressure switch on the gear lever. When you start to pull the lever it senses you're about to change up and kills the spark momentarily, allowing the engine to decelerate enough to comfortably slot the next gear in. All without using the clutch or needing my right foot to relax any pressure.

 

Have I answered my own question? Carbs wide open, fuel and air going in, but no ignition until it gets to a hot exhaust? :-) 

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I have one fitted to my BEC, but it has a separate on/off switch in the power feed.

When you're going slow, or in traffic, you'll be using the clutch as normal, so don't want the ignition to cut out.

Sounds like it may be set up wrong, with too long a cut out allowing too much unburnt fuel to build up.

Mine's set for milliseconds, just to unload the gearbox when you're pulling back the gear lever, but the timing must be right. I don't tend to use mine much, as I prefer a quick throttle peddle lift to do clutchless upshifts. Does your's blip when going down the box?

Probably no harm done. What exhaust can do you have?

Clive.

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Absolutely the Flatshifter.

Listen to any car with proper flat shift and they will do that.  They are cutting spark but the fuel is still going in - unburnt fuel exiting and bobs your uncle.

Proper closed loop systems should not do it but I do still here it regularly and we were discussing this at Gurston last weekend.

If its an injection set up that works as it should the injectors are cut also = no bang!

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Thanks Ivaan, there is some adjustment so I'll have a twiddle.

I replaced the original non-repackable James Whiting exhaust with an Andy Bates (AB Performance) one last winter because it was struggling with Brands' noise levels. I'm yet to find out how much quieter it is but I notice that Brands' levels have reduced again in the meantime...

Hi Simon - I don't think I'm serious enough for a closed loop system, nice as they are!

Jonathan - it does have a rev limiter, but it's somewhere north of 12,000rpm I believe. I'm curious why you want to know now!

 

Okay next q - why does the rev counter needle drop momentarily to zero during the shift? I'm thinking it's not good for the longevity of the counter. Does the counter read the spark for it's information?

 

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... why does the rev counter needle drop momentarily to zero during the shift? I'm thinking it's not good for the longevity of the counter. Does the counter read the spark for it's information?

At what point does the flatshifter cut the ignition? The feed to the rev counter must be downstream of that. I wouldn't worry about the instrument.

... it does have a rev limiter, but it's somewhere north of 12,000rpm I believe. I'm curious why you want to know now!

Because if I was going to back off eg the duration of cutting with the throttle wide open and no load on the engine I'd like a security blanket... :-)

But for this protection you'd need an engine speed feed that isn't disconnected when you need it!

Experts, please: how is this usually managed?

Jonathan

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"why does the rev counter needle drop momentarily to zero during the shift?"

 

Your rev counter is looking at pulses from the ignition coil to determine engine speed.  No pulses = engine not turning (as far as the tacho is concerned).

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