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TRE mod = Must Do!

73K views 106 replies 53 participants last post by  Blasc 
#1 ·
I just completed the TRE MOD, maybe 10 minutes start to finish including tool prep. Once again, a MUST DO. I can feel the difference, and hear the difference.

Some here have mentioned the increase in MPG, but I can tell you that my bike feels stronger in 2nd & 3rd in the mid range. It goes through the RPMs in the formerly affected range much quicker. Also, on deceleration you can hear a lower (rumble) exhaust note.

Call me crazy, but this is the first mod I would do to a first generation SV.

I remember one guy on here getting beat up because he said he felt the gain on top. Well, we all know that the upper rpm range is not affected. However if you pull through the mid in 2nd & 3rd gear quicker (and you do!) then it will feel that the top is stronger (although it is not).
 
#8 ·
Strick said:
Some here have mentioned the increase in MPG, but I can tell you that my bike feels stronger in 2nd & 3rd in the mid range. It goes through the RPMs in the formerly affected range much quicker. Also, on deceleration you can hear a lower (rumble) exhaust note.
I agree with Strick, I've got an '03 and in addition to the above, the jerks and hesitation that I used to get when closing the throttle in first and second has disappeared.

I don't know if anyone is offering the four-pin connectors found on the SV650 but you can get the three-pin connectors from Jeff Wallace at http://www.jsdproducts.com/Products/JSD-1_Kit/jsd-1_kit.html. I bought two of these kits and used one of them simply to replace the factory connectors- you can just extract the male & female pins from their respective locations and re-install in the new connectors. The only thing different is the plastic housings - no soldering, no fuss, no muss. Then I built the TRE and plugged it in nice & neat. I even used the blind plugs from the four-pin block to plug the 2 blind holes in my new TRE. Secure, water-resistant, professional looking, and easily removeable in case a trip to the dealership is necessary.

The only bad thing is that Jeff doesn't sell his kit with the proper resistor for the SV650, but I picked up a high-quality metal film resistor - 15K Ohm 1/4 Watt 1% Tol. - for 15¢.

No matter how you accomplish it, this mod is worth your time and trouble.

Oikaze >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
#9 ·
Guys, do a search for TRE!!!!

I know the search engine in this site is not that great, but I found tons of relevant hits the first time I tried. Here are some (and no, I haven't done that mod):

How to do it...
http://www.svrider.com/tips/retard.htm

http://www.sv650.org/ig_retard/ignition_mod.htm

A different way to do it (weegaz22, the Scottish guy's site)
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/junej.hendry/scottishsv650site/ignitretmod.htm

In a 03-04
http://www.sv4me.com/tre.html


Ignition Advance info from Suzuki Canada
http://www.svrider.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=21498

It doesn't make any difference in the dyno?
http://www.svrider.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=14674

Racers' opinion
http://www.svrider.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=17338

Bottom line, IIRC no one has ever posted here two dyno graphs showing a real difference after the mod. But plenty of people has done it and report a very small difference, and mostly no problems.

Whoever wants to do the mod, and have the money for two dyno runs "before and after", please post results.

Marcos
 
G
#11 ·
Strick said:
I just completed the TRE MOD, maybe 10 minutes start to finish including tool prep. Once again, a MUST DO. I can feel the difference, and hear the difference.

Some here have mentioned the increase in MPG, but I can tell you that my bike feels stronger in 2nd & 3rd in the mid range. It goes through the RPMs in the formerly affected range much quicker. Also, on deceleration you can hear a lower (rumble) exhaust note.
+1 I got beat up once for saying those same things, especially the decel part. On my SV and my bros GSXR we both noticed the same results. You need less throttle on acceleration in lower gears, and fuel economy increase. Also before the mod it felt as if the bike was geared too low on decel in the lower gears, after it feel much smoother.
 
#12 ·
J.J. said:
Marcos Santiago said:
Whoever wants to do the mod, and have the money for two dyno runs "before and after", please post results.

Marcos
+1
I thought the TRE mod didn't affect anything at WOT. If that's the case, the benefits wont show up on a dyno chart.
 
#13 ·
Poe said:
J.J. said:
Marcos Santiago said:
Whoever wants to do the mod, and have the money for two dyno runs "before and after", please post results.

Marcos
+1
I thought the TRE mod didn't affect anything at WOT. If that's the case, the benefits wont show up on a dyno chart.
It doesn't effect RPM's above 8200. So, at redline WOT no improvement, but getting there through 2nd and 3rd you feel a difference. Therefore on the Dyno chart if you were to plot the powerband in 2nd or 3rd gear to WOT, you SHOULD see a slight shift upward in the power band through 3500-8200 rpms, but NO improvement near, at, or beyond redline.

I hope that helps clear things up.
 
#14 ·
I'm just trying to get the facts straight for myself. From what I've read, on the '03-up EFI models, the factory timing retard is only active at less than 50% throttle in gears 1-5. If that's true, (meaning it's based on throttle position and not RPM) the dyno will not show any difference - because theoretically there wont BE any - since on the dyno you're WOT the whole time. If it activates based on RPM, then, yes, the dyno WILL show whatever difference (if any) there is above whatever that RPM is (anybody know?). Either way, that's not saying there's no benefit to this mod. I can see how it might smooth out the engine a bit and maybe give a slight MPG boost, but if it's throttle position based, I don't see how if would make the bike any faster or wheelie easier - unless you typically do those things at less than half-throttle. :wink:

So which is it? On EFI models, is the timing retard based on throttle position or RPM? Does anyone know FOR SURE?
 
#16 ·
Poe - I have a first generation SV - 2001. I cannot comment on the 2nd generation. I have no idea how to perform the TRE mod on the newer bikes, or the impact it does (or doesn't) have.
 
#21 ·
I know this is an old topic but I had to bring it back up cause this mod kicks ass!

I did it to my bike last night. Today my buddy came over with his so I rode each after one-another and there is a very nice improvment below 50% throttle. The mod is so easy to do too! A little soldering of wire onto a resistor and some crimping. After my buddy rode my bike he had to do his!
 
#22 ·
there is no way the difference is enough to even be measurable on a dyno... the variation/error in the dyno would make a bigger difference. You'd have to do many runs both ways to get anything even remotely valid.

That said, it was as simple as cutting two wires on my 02, and it certainly didn't hurt anything.
 
#26 ·
It's worth doing, but I've never been able to feel or measure a difference, other than improved mileage around town. On first gen bikes the retard is not dependent on RPM but on throttle position, so if you crank the throttle open you essentially get no benefit, so acceleration runs don't show any change. I've tried to figure out if there was a way to do an acceleration run at, say, 40% throttle, but the methods I came up with are too fiddly.

I think the sensation change is mostly in the rider's mind. Why would timing affect closed throttle feel, for example?
 
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