So I will do my best to keep this brief. I rode a friend’s 2015 FJ-09 a couple weeks ago, because I was considering buying one. I loved it, bike ran great, “A Mode” was scary fun, “B Mode” was muted but still fun, and I love the total package.
Fast forward to today, and I had negotiated a purchase of a used 2019 Tracer 900 GT with 6,000 miles, at a Kawasaki dealer. I traveled 300 miles to buy it, but on the test ride I noticed something funny about the way it ran. In A Mode and STD Mode, the power felt restrained in the mid-range, almost like it was choked off. Not bucking or cutting out, just a little down on power. When I switched to B Mode, I noticed it was the fastest one! These problems were present with the traction control set to Off, 1, and 2. The salesman rode the bike and confirmed B Mode is the fastest, but he doesn’t really know what may be causing it (it was at a Kawasaki dealer, so not their product).
For my own analysis, I counted off the time it took to accelerate from about 4,000 RPM to almost redline. In B Mode it looked like 3.5-4 seconds. In A Mode and STD Mode, it was 5-5.5 seconds.
I chose not to buy this bike. The dealer would not budge on price, and I am inclined to think this could be an ECU issue (so unknown cost of repair, etc). I searched and could not find any record of anyone describing this particular issue on the FJ-09/Tracer, though I know many folks have experienced a wide range of fueling issues with the stock ECU. Does anyone have any other suggestions as to what might cause these problems?
What would cause “B Mode” to be the fastest mode?
in FJ-09 Tech Questions
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So I will do my best to keep this brief. I rode a friend’s 2015 FJ-09 a couple weeks ago, because I was considering buying one. I loved it, bike ran great, “A Mode” was scary fun, “B Mode” was muted but still fun, and I love the total package.
Fast forward to today, and I had negotiated a purchase of a used 2019 Tracer 900 GT with 6,000 miles, at a Kawasaki dealer. I traveled 300 miles to buy it, but on the test ride I noticed something funny about the way it ran. In A Mode and STD Mode, the power felt restrained in the mid-range, almost like it was choked off. Not bucking or cutting out, just a little down on power. When I switched to B Mode, I noticed it was the fastest one! These problems were present with the traction control set to Off, 1, and 2. The salesman rode the bike and confirmed B Mode is the fastest, but he doesn’t really know what may be causing it (it was at a Kawasaki dealer, so not their product).
For my own analysis, I counted off the time it took to accelerate from about 4,000 RPM to almost redline. In B Mode it looked like 3.5-4 seconds. In A Mode and STD Mode, it was 5-5.5 seconds.
I chose not to buy this bike. The dealer would not budge on price, and I am inclined to think this could be an ECU issue (so unknown cost of repair, etc). I searched and could not find any record of anyone describing this particular issue on the FJ-09/Tracer, though I know many folks have experienced a wide range of fueling issues with the stock ECU. Does anyone have any other suggestions as to what might cause these problems?