has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

General discussion of the BMW R1200RT/R1250RT
Post Reply
ds99
Posts: 404
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2016 3:06 pm

has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

Post by ds99 »

has anyone here re-mapped/re-flashed their ECU?


here in the UK Hilltop are quite a well known outfit that do this, there are many others. costs are about £350


i would be interested in hearing peoples results, especially with a 2007 era model RT


thanks
User avatar
David.
Subscriber
Posts: 8038
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2014 7:29 pm
Location: North Yorkshire
Bike Model and Year: R1200RT (Camhead) 2012
Been liked: 333 times
Great Britain

Re: has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

Post by David. »

PM sent.
MEM62
Posts: 159
Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2015 3:40 pm

Re: has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

Post by MEM62 »

David. wrote: PM sent.
Not sharing?
User avatar
Beagle
Posts: 582
Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:42 pm

Re: has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

Post by Beagle »

MEM62 wrote: Not sharing?

He could tell you but then he’d have to kill you.
Last edited by Beagle on Wed Aug 05, 2020 12:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
David.
Subscriber
Posts: 8038
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2014 7:29 pm
Location: North Yorkshire
Bike Model and Year: R1200RT (Camhead) 2012
Been liked: 333 times
Great Britain

Re: has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

Post by David. »

MEM62 wrote:I am also going to run the bike up to Hilltop Motorcycle for a remap. These engines do run lean and the feedback on the difference the remap makes is very positive.
Pope wrote:Had my RTLC Remapped by Hilltop MC in Leicestershire yesterday….and…..I’m very pleased with the result.
simbo wrote:A friend of mine had his F800 remapped at hilltop, he said it made a big difference in smoothing throttle response and better fuelling overall. They also offer a discount on block bookings on the V-Strom forum where again they get good reviews.
RTs4me wrote:I had my twin-cam RT remapped at Hilltop. It made a very good improvement, over the entire rev range. After remapping - what a different bike!
milleplod wrote:I had my 1200ST Hilltopped, it was the best £300 I've ever spent on a bike, end of. Low speed running and pick-up in higher gears were vastly improved.....and that's definitely not an exaggeration.
Northern Soul wrote:Get the ecu remapped - try Geoff at Hilltop motors. Done a fantastic job with mine. As well as smoothing out the dyno curves there's now more bhp and torque. Great results and well worth the money.
Casbar wrote:I have only read good reports from owners that have had a remap by Hilltop.
fatnfast wrote:Hilltop Motorcycles seem to be the place of choice in the UK.
David. wrote:ECU re-mapped by Hilltop Motorcycles. A greater pleasure to ride, the bike is transformed. Geoff & Rob at Hilltop are spot on, I'd have no hesitation in recommending their services.
Casbar
Posts: 2670
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:25 am
Been liked: 45 times
Great Britain

Re: has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

Post by Casbar »

Not sure about the quote from me about I have only read good reports about people that have had their bikes remapped at Hilltop. Go to UKGSER and search Hilltop for views. My personal view after doing some research and reading the views of other tuners is: Hilltop can map bikes up to the LC. The LC secret code remap that Hilltop do is snake oil. There has been many people that have dyno their bike before the update then dyno afterwards and nothing has changed, although their bum thinks it has. The claimed gains are ridiculous on are at worst fiddled on the dyno at best a mistake. But like everything make your own decisions and do the research. I have had many years of having Caterham 7s and bikes mapped for racing and nobody has ever managed to do this with a software update, that nobody can see, so its hidden in the ECU and isn't impacted by the manufacturer ECU flashes. BMW ECUs are now locked pretty well. But again pre LC can still be mapped by the old and tested ways, but think the LCs need a lot more work than a bit of code added.
User avatar
David.
Subscriber
Posts: 8038
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2014 7:29 pm
Location: North Yorkshire
Bike Model and Year: R1200RT (Camhead) 2012
Been liked: 333 times
Great Britain

Re: has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

Post by David. »

Casbar wrote:It's not so much about power, but more drivability, as the standard map on the LC is lean. I have only read good reports from owners that have had a remap by Hilltop.
Casbar
Posts: 2670
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:25 am
Been liked: 45 times
Great Britain

Re: has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

Post by Casbar »

David, there was a long thread earlier about Hilltop, where I expressed my thoughts, I don't remember saying I thought Hilltop were good, because I don't. So that was either before I had done my research or a lot earlier in my RT ownership. I do not endorse them at all and believe it is snake oil. I do believe they can remap earlier models but as far as I am concerned, the LC mapping is a scam.
User avatar
David.
Subscriber
Posts: 8038
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2014 7:29 pm
Location: North Yorkshire
Bike Model and Year: R1200RT (Camhead) 2012
Been liked: 333 times
Great Britain

Re: has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

Post by David. »

ds99 wrote:I would be interested in hearing peoples results, especially with a 2007 era model RT.
Casbar
Posts: 2670
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:25 am
Been liked: 45 times
Great Britain

Re: has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

Post by Casbar »




I think earlier models are fine, they obviously know their stuff, I just believe (IMHO) that the LC mapping is a bit of a money spinner and what they claim to do is not really plausible, hiding code on an ECU that the manufacturer can't see, code that doesn't get impacted by ECU flashes and their power gains are ridiculous, you would get the gains they post if you changed a whole exhaust, air filter, and did major engine changes, let alone just a bit of software. Just doesn't ring true if you have any experience of mapping. To do one of my race cars used to take all day on a dyno :)
User avatar
David.
Subscriber
Posts: 8038
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2014 7:29 pm
Location: North Yorkshire
Bike Model and Year: R1200RT (Camhead) 2012
Been liked: 333 times
Great Britain

Re: has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

Post by David. »

LC Re-mapped, viewtopic.php?t=8
Casbar
Posts: 2670
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:25 am
Been liked: 45 times
Great Britain

Re: has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

Post by Casbar »

David. wrote: LC Re-mapped, /viewtopic.php?t=8

Like I said, there have been many bikes that have been "mapped" and have had independent dynes, not Geoffs at Hilltop and nobody has found and difference. So I am still in the snake oil camp whatever anybody says. It just doesn't ring true. If you pay ££ for something and given a piece of paper you get the placebo affect. But I don't really care what people spend their money on and I know your a Hilltop deliver and again just for the record I believe other bikes than the LC can be mapped by them. Its just not believable that Hilltop have found the silver bullet that no other tuner in the country can do and nobody can see this mysterious software.


Just have a search on facebook for Treetop tuning for an alternative view
Last edited by Casbar on Fri Aug 07, 2020 10:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
gogs01
Posts: 628
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2015 8:32 am

Re: has anyone re-mapped their ECU??

Post by gogs01 »

I'm one of the many people who would like to believe that a session at Hilltop would make my LC smoother, faster and more economical.  However, I'm a natural cynic and :


1.  My LC is already extremely economical (rarely less than 50mpg, regularly 55mpg and occasionally 60mpg.
2.  I don't believe "seat of the pants" dynamometers are accurate - I have in the past felt that a bike ran better immediately after filling the tank (because it was heavier / quieter ??)
3.  Dynamometers have parameters set by the operator.  It is therefore possible to fudge the figures, and a gain of almost 20% from a few electronic tweaks is very difficult to swallow.
4.  I once had my diesel car ECU modified (not at Hilltop) for "30% more torque 20% more horsepower and 10% more fuel economy". After that it was slightly thirstier and not one mph faster.  Maybe I was unlucky .....
My 4th R1200RT = 2016 (2017 MY) R1200RT LE
Post Reply