Booster Plug

[Fjm]

UPDATED 2.2.12. Added assembly drawings and references. Hope it helps. Torrential rain here, so not in a position to undo fairings and take happy snaps!

Recently installed a BoosterPlug on my 2011 R1200R. Some comments for forum members interested in installing one.
1. It takes more than 10 minutes to install. But a beer and half an hour will see you through ok!
2. Remove the left hand lateral trim panel (Denoted item 2 on the assy drawing) and cover completely.

3. The Air temperature sensor connector is located at the top left of the air box.
To get to it, remove the M8 ISA torx screw (Denoted item 9 on the assy drawing) which holds the tank to the frame & pivot the fuel tank up around its bump stops (Denoted item 4 on the assy drawing)

TIP: make sure the fuel tank is not full!

4. Connect the BoosterPlug and route sensor cabling to suit.

Is the performance improvements as stated? Yes
Is it worth the $ outlay for that subtle enhancement? Yes
Compared to other farkles, is this a must have? Yes

The throttle response is much smoother, therefore I am satisfied that the outlay was worth it. Recommended

[nylife]

take some pictures of the install

[SDMAX]

Had not seen this post; tried to install Booster Plug myself tonight; failed. It fits connectors that are under the left panel but those are obviously not the AIT deal which I finally figured out was under the tank.

But, gave up at that point. Might start again if you could take a few pictures or explain what it is that holds the tank from the left side What is an ISA screw?

Found pictures on internet of another type of device that hooked up in same place under tank but by then I was not going further. Directions that came with the plug are useless.

Otherwise. The dealer can abuse me Saturday when I take it in early at 17K for the 18K service.

Glad to hear it works. Rode a bunch last weekend to see what it was I was buying the booster for; basically crap throttle response, very jerky which I expect will smooth out with booster taking care of too lean running for euro smog.

I will tell you that hooked up to the wrong connectors under left and right side panels, the bike runs on one cylinder....did fit the connectors though.

Wrench within your limits. Mine were exceeded.

[daveyator]

Still thrilled with mine. Took prob 15 min to install. Hardest part was simply undoing and redoing all the trim screws. Works as advertised.

[ammolab]

fjm: Thanks for the endorsment (I just ordered a Booster Plug for my 2011 R) and MANY thanks
for the instructions.

[Tarmac]

I'm sorry, I am still a skeptic on this one.

Has anyone actually done a before and after dyno test on this?

"I took a pill, so I must feel better." It's called the placebo effect.

[M249Joe]

I'm sorry, I am still a skeptic on this one.

Has anyone actually done a before and after dyno test on this?

"I took a pill, so I must feel better." It's called the placebo effect.

L O L

It works 100% as advertised. The lower the intake air temp the more gas given until cruising -
then the o2 sensors take over.

Using the GS911 and my cell phone. Bike is in a 64 degree heated garage.

[Remow2112]

While I no longer own a R1150R. I currently own a 07 r1200GS and just did the booster plug. It is a night and day difference. Engine is no longer starved for fuel. Revs quicker and holds rpm better. Surging is gone and on flat ground you can let the clutch out slow and the bike will take off. It is remarkable how different it feels. To the point, I have been considering trying to find a trade of my R1200GS for a R1200R. The booster plug will not go with the bike.

Dan...

[Tarmac]

All these claims will show up on a dyno run. If it revs faster, you will see it. If the power curve is smoother, you will see it. If it makes more power, lower in the rev band, you will see it.

So, why not do a before and after dyno run, and publish the results? If it shows an improvement, im certain you will sell LOTS more of these. If it doesn't meet the claims, im sure there will be a class action lawsuit.

[ammolab]

All these claims will show up on a dyno run. If it revs faster, you will see it. If the power curve is smoother, you will see it. If it makes more power, lower in the rev band, you will see it.

I doubt a "Dyno Run" would settle this... A Dyno measures Horsepower and or Torque and can plot these parameters as a curve with RPM and HP or Torque.

This is all about Mixture and throttle sensitivity. We are not seeking a "smoother power curve" but the smoother individual combustion cycles you get from a stoichiometric mixture and the smoother transition from acceleration to trailing throttle and back again that an engine has when running at or close to a stoichiometric mixture at any given throttle setting. You know how a LEAN engine will stumble and pop on many given individual combustion events at some power settings? Well the R1200R is about half way to that point methinks.

It is not a MORE POWER thing. My K75C runs at 1hp/liter just like my R1200R and it does it with 1986 Fuel injection technology. It also is seamless when going from ANY throttle setting to any OTHER throttle setting. It isn't horsepower...it is driveability.

[deilenberger]

Indeed - I doubt very much if a dyno run would show much or any power increase.. it might show less small fluctuations at higher RPMs. The small fluctuations (seen in an undamped scale) indicate a lean mixture. The claim the Booster Plug makes is better throttle response, especially at low RPM. It does this by making the mixture richer when in open-loop operation. That's an old trick - BMW themselves used it on the E28/535i engines, they added a resistor in series with the engine temp sensor for the FI after complaints of touchy throttle response started hitting the press.

I offered a long time ago to get my friend to toss a bike on his dyno with and without the booster plug, but so far - no takers. Anyone want to be the first? The dyno in question also gives (when this is working correctly) real time readouts of the mixture.. but this won't work on many BMWs with catalytic converters since we can't sample before the cat-converter (and after it - the exhaust is too cleaned up to measure the mixture.)

[Tr250Tom]

All these claims will show up on a dyno run. If it revs faster, you will see it. If the power curve is smoother, you will see it. If it makes more power, lower in the rev band, you will see it.

So, why not do a before and after dyno run, and publish the results? If it shows an improvement, im certain you will sell LOTS more of these. If it doesn't meet the claims, im sure there will be a class action lawsuit.

A dyno run is a plot of torque at wide open throttle, from which HP is calculated. I think most of us bought the booster plug without intending to use full throttle every time we launch from a stop light.

You're right to be cynical, there's a lot of crap on the market. But not everyone who enjoys their bike more with a booster plug is a fool.

[mogu83]

I offered a long time ago to get my friend to toss a bike on his dyno with and without the booster plug, but so far - no takers. Anyone want to be the first?

The friend would be me.
Two things: First: I'm happy with the Booster Plug. I've always rejetted every motorcycle I've owned when they had carburetors, usually one or two sizes higher on the main and rarely one on the pilot. From what I've read and a basic understanding of how the injector system works that's all the Booster plug does when the motor is pulling. Just getting around the restrictions the EPA people put on the machine, doubt their is a power increase but a rideability improvement.
Second : I have a problem with letting someone wind the snot out of my bike on a dyno. I've seen people blow up engines and just roll the bike off the machine with a "Oh Well" attitude. If the snot gets wound out of my bike, I'll do it out on the road.

[rokinrider]

I put one in right before I rode to the Black Hills last summer. Plus one from me!!! Awesome roll on power, fuel mileage, smooth throttle response, etc. Grab a handful in second gear and nice little lofting of the front wheel I'm liking mine.

My butt dyno never lies to me???

[Tybus]

New member and was wondering what a Booster plug is?

Could you provide a photo of one?
Is it something that I should look into getting?

Cheers Ty.

[dewi sant]

Hello Ty, the Boosterplug is a little plug-in wire gizmo that fools the air intake temp sensor in thinking that the incoming air is cooler than it actually is. The result is a richer mixture at low speed throttle openings which cures the "snatchy" throttle that most fuel injected bikes suffer from. It's done by placing resistors in-line between the air temp sensor and the bike's ECU. That's the basic description - it's called "Resistor tunning" and has been around for a while. Manufacturers are dictated to how they design an engines fueling system by the emssions they're allowed to produce. This means havng to use Fuel Injection rather than carburetters as it allows for a much leaner burn. This results in an engine that burns too lean for it's own good, so all a Boosterplug does is restore the fuel delivery to what it should be for a smoother ride. That's the basic story -more here: http://www.boosterplug.com/shop/cms-21.html There's a similar device called an Accellerator Module which is cheaper.

I fitted a Boosterplug a few weeks ago - I chose that because it had a more linear graph quoted than the Accellerator Module, which on paper makes it deal with more extreme ambient temp differences better. It takes about 20 mins to fit and can be removed easily for when you take the bike in for a service - no evidence of it having been fitted will show up on the BMW diagnostics computer. I've not heard of anyone actualy taking a bike into the dealer for a service / repair with one of these devices fitted but it would be interesting to know what the dealers reaction was! My guess is that they would cry "Warranty invalidation"

On the road, the difference isn't earth shattering and if anyone is thinking of buying one for performance improvements they'll be disappointed. However, there is a marked improvement on the bike's low speed throttle response, it's now nowhere near as snatchy as it was without the B/plug. Town riding is now more of a pleasure than the chore it was previousy and there's a lot less clunking from the final drive unit as the throttle goes from off to on. In short it makes a great bike even better simply by smoothing out the low speed jerkiness issue. I've been riding bikes for over 40 years, and in that time seen all sort of dubious "snake oil" devices come and go, so I was totally sceptical about these things. However, after reading some great reports I decided to go with it and I've got to say, the change is subtle but the thing does work as the maker describes.

Dewi

[Tybus]

Thanks Dewi.

I might ask at my mechanic if he knows of these in Australia.

[dewi sant]

If you do a search on here and other BMW forums, Ty you'll find that amost everybody who's fitted a B/Plug is pleased with the result. My bike now rides like it should have done when it left the factory, & there has been virtually no increase in fuel consumption - from 53 to 52 mpg average as shown on the OBC (that will depend on how much city riding you do though - I do very little as we live in small town on the doorstep of lots of open countryside to ride in). The B/Plug only actually works at low speed, once you get going & the throttle is opened up the air temp sensor is taken out of the equation by the ECU whch is why there's so little difference in fuel consumption.

A few years ago when I had my R1100S a mate bought an R1150 when they first came out. That thing had the worst surge and snatchiest throttle of any bike I'd ever ridden. It was back at the dealers time after time but they couldn't make it any better - in fact on one occasion it actually came back worse than when it went in. He spent a fortune on a PC3 and an end can, then a lot of dyno time trying to sort it but it was never cured. In desperation he replaced it with a Honda when it was 12 months old. If the cheap 'n cheerful Boosterplug or Accelerator module had been around back then I'm sure it would have cured the problem.

If your mechanic is at a BMW dealership, then the chances are he'll either claim not to not know much about the B/Plug or he'll take the company line and dismiss it. Probably not the best person to ask to be honest.

Dewi

P.S, I notice the link I put up on my last post doesn't work - try this one: http://www.boosterplug.com/shop/cms-21.html

[Tybus]

That explains it better, thanks Dewi.

[kidtwist]

I attempted to install a Booster Plug in my bike but couldn't figure out where to plug in the sensor portion of the device. I think I found where the other plugs go, but there seemed several possible candidates for the other "long metal thing" to go. If someone can tell me which of these wires is the one I'm supposed to unplug from the airbox and replace with the one from the booster plug, I'd appreciate it. That is, if it's even visible in this photograph.

Note: this photo is of what's there before even attempting to plug in the booster plug device.

EDITED to remove photo. I was looking in the wrong place.