She doesn’t want to rev the way I want her to..

[frankierose]

2018, 10k miles, Akra dual pipe, DNA air filter, stock ECU.  (XSR) 

It’s  probably just me but, this engine feels like it absolutely hates to rev after maybe 6,000 RPM. I’ve had parallel and v twins before but my last bike was a 675 triple so maybe I’m just spoiled. It just seems too happy to lazily cruise at 4-5K rpm when I’d really rather spank it up to 8-10k.  

Granted, I do mostly urban riding that precludes higher rpms but still, I feel like if I attempt to wind her out properly the motor may explode. 

Any suggestions? I’m unsure if an ECU reflash will solve much.  

Label me (so far) Unsatisfied.  

[topazsparrow]

Mine hits the rpm limiter on a frequent basis but between 8 and 9500k it does fall a bit flat. I haven't done the airfilter yet though, just a snorkel delete.

I'll let one of the racers chime in, but I'd put money on the cams being tuned for that mid range and unless you're doing internal work it just wont like running at high RPM.

If that's your preference of riding style, you might be better suited on a 600cc supersport or something like a YZF600 (more upright). Even the CB650 would fit that category pretty good.

[mossrider]

If you're mainly hoonin around in town then no other bike will touch the MT. Especially if you keep the revs around 5500-7500 rpm with aggressive use of the gearbox. Don't mistake it's raucous engine character for rough running. It loves spinning up to 8500-9000 where it falls off a bit in stock tune but who cares, every other bike is blocks behind it by then. 

It's not as smooth running as an SV650 and overall power is the same but it revs quicker and makes better, more immediate power with more soul.

It's not as outright fast in open country as a 600 supersport or 675 triple. But it will absolutely stomp them in town with one wheel tied behind it's back (in the air actually). And you won't feel like you're passing through the world face down humping a beanbag chair waiting on the revs to rise.

Learn to use it's mid-range power and you'll be rewarded with a painful stupid grin hard fixed to yer face. Ain't nothin gonna splode under ya. Flashes and add-on trollers can be nice but are certainly not necessary and are sometimes troublesome for the novice. These things like big handfuls of throttle as much as their riders do.

Quite frankly if you're unsatisfied then you're riding it wrong. 

[topazsparrow]

Moss nailed it.

This bike just gives you everything it has when you ask. No complaints or waiting for it. Just everything it's got at that moment, every time.

[klx678]

Moss also nailed the range where the torque peak is.    It drops off after the 6500 rpm peak.  Thing is the engine is such a strong engine it seems to reward riding by the seat of the pants ignoring the tach when riding the street.   Run it till it quits pulling strong then shift .   Only wind it out when needed, like passing a car or if you just want to stretch the revs a bit instead of shifting when out play riding.    

Pull up a picturen of the dyno chart from Cycle World's FZ-07 test and it becomes obvious.   The torque curve is strong between 3500 and 8000 rpm, dropping off quicker before and after.

With the cheesy little LED ring and numbers too small to read easily on the XSR, I pretty much ignore it and revert back to the two stroke off road technique, shift when it quits pulling strong, stay in the proverbial "power band".

[peteinpa]

If you have all those mods, without an ECU tune you're killing the power.

Send it to 2WDW!!

[tavisb]

I bet you're running lean. I'll second the idea that you need a tune. 

[scat2me]

OOps...I thought this was a wife issue...

[geophb]

Better just trade that xsr for an r6/r1 if you want revs.

[Cruizin]

Over a thousand of us have gotten ECU flashed at @2wheeldynoworks . Even better, get one of their perfectly matched Tune/Exhaust packages. Whemn you do this from them, the exhaust comes out cheaper than you can get it anywhere else. 

Transforms the engine. The stock CP2 engine and most all new bikes run very very lean from the factory due to crazy USA emissions laws.  Im sending my T7 ECU to them shortly. 

[RobZilla]

I would practice running it more in the midrange, shifting when you feel the power drop off. I have an XSR700 and an R6 - they are just opposite bikes and need to be ridden that way. When I got the XSR I was also rather disappointed until I learned how to ride it where it’s strong. Now, I don’t expect the xsr to punch on the high end and I don’t expect the R6 to pull wheelies off the line. I think the only way to have both ends of the spectrum (reliably anyway) is to get a larger displacement machine which to me has its own drawbacks- drivability, gas, insurance. I have more fun on the XSR the majority of the time, which is what it’s about. 

 

[cornerslider]

I second what @Cruizin said, and I'll even  go a step further!!! Get the Hordpower intake for $299 AND get the 2WDW flash to match whatever exhaust you have (even stock).... The Hordpower intake is the best money that you can spend on our beloved bikes. The OEM airbox is the weakest link. My FZ-07 used to fall on it's face after about 7,500 rpm. Yeah, it would continue to climb, make more noise and such, but gained NOTHING .... After the Hordpower intake, it pulled HARD all the way to redline .

Anyway, back to  2WDW.... "Nels"  from 2WDW is an absolute pleasure to deal with. I have a pretty much stock R3 that I use on the street. I run the OEM headers & CAT, with an Akrapovic GP slip-on. I told Nels I wasn't chasing HP/dyno graphs.... I just wanted it to do everything "better". Nels & 2WDW absolutely delivered on what I was after. I used to feel like I was "settling" for my R3 for street use. Now, I actually look forward street riding the R3. I can "wring it's neck", have fun, and be almost legal -

[mjh937]

I think part of your problem is coming from the 675 you are used to a higher revving engine with more hp.  The 689 twin is a great engine but it makes it torque and power differently than the Triumph (which is also a fantastic engine).  

I do agree the 2WDW tune is a fabulous upgrade though, you will not be disappointed with it but it will still be different to the triple. 

[Spatt]

On 7/14/2020 at 11:11 PM, mossrider said:

It's not as smooth running as an SV650 and overall power is the same but it revs quicker and makes better, more immediate power with more soul.

Haven’t ridden one of our SV’s maybe

[Benh972]

Yeah, I think the big problem here is your fueling. I came to this bike from a Ninja 300. The little bikes pretty much need to be reved out to perform. I like to ride my FZ the same way.

My FZ doesn't punish me if I want to keep shifting and ride for economy, but she's plenty eager when I want to hold a gear and wind her up too.

My biggest complaint about this bike is I hate the damn tachometer display. On my Ninja I was always much more aware of my RPMS. The radial guage was much easier to read at a glance and was in a more visible location.

The dash on the FZ takes more effort and attention from the road to check even for the speed readout. Then my readings from the tach are much less precise too especially after about that 6k mark . I mostly just have to go by feel which took some getting used to.

That said though I've bounced off the limiter on accident and been surprised and never felt like the engine was in trouble.