Author Topic: Newbie questions about my Vee (Read 3065 times)

P248 · « **on:** March 27, 2018, 10:48:09 »

As a newbie to Vees (I took delivery of my K7 GT 2 weeks ago), I’ve got a couple of questions about my bike:
1. When started from cold the left side exhaust emits a lot of vapour which disappears when warmed up. The right exhaust emits no vapour. I’ve noticed this on other Vees on You Tube. I’ve had the bike serviced and asked them to check it out and they told me everything is fine. Can anybody tell me what causes this?
2. I’ve seen lots of talk on these forums about fitting a TRE. Where would I look to see if one is fitted to my bike?
All help gratefully received.

Pug27 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2018, 11:57:17 »

The Vapour is just condensation, I recall mine doing the same. it will take the path of least resistance, once all the moisture has evaporated in the exhaust system it will stop.
The TRE is fitted in line just under the rear of the tank, you may need to lift the tank and take a look..it will be a small black box possibly with TRE written on it.
The easiest way to check for a TRE is when you get into 6th gear if it displays O/D on the screen there isn't one fitted. If no O/D is displayed there is, as the TRE fools the ECU into thinking its in a lower gear (one of the unrestricted ones 4th or 5th can't remember which). TRE will look something like this..

P248 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 27, 2018, 12:45:14 »

Thanks Pug27. Dash shows O/D and I can see the connectors under the back of the tank and there’s no sign of a black box in there, so I guess I’m TRE-free!

Flanners · « **Reply #3 on:** March 28, 2018, 08:02:27 »

I have a GT K7 and it was a complete dog before I fitted the TRE, bogged down, surged at lower revs...beacame rideable and a great bike after! Get one on it! Money back too if not satisfied from aTrader on the 'bay.

The TRE bypasses Suzuki's electronic balls up of a gear/rev restriction to meet EU emissions on the thou for it's aging lump, not as ingenious as VW/Audi's

by using a fuel map of a gear that has no restriction on it, think EU 1st and 2nd gear DL1000's had the restriction as do other large capacity models in the Suzuki range. No extra 'power' but it is much nicer and smoother through the rev range/gears.

If I had purchased the DL1000 and had not fitted the TRE I would of outed it just like the GS I had before it.

P248 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 29, 2018, 22:13:42 »

I've got some more questions about my new (to me) Vee which I hope you blokes can help with:
1. Behind the headlamps, inside the fairing, below the instruments there seem to be a lot of black boxes with cables.running to/from them; I'm guessing these are relays, but are they standard fitment or has a previous owner modified the wiring?

2. How do I access the front parking lights to change a bulb. Neither the owner's manual or workshop manual (both free downloads this or other foums) mention he parking lights.

Thanks again for any light you can shed on the matter (sorry!)

tallpaul · « **Reply #5 on:** March 29, 2018, 23:05:24 »

Photos would help but it sounds like relays and no, they won't be standard.

P248 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 30, 2018, 10:22:42 »

Thanks TP. I'll try to upload some pics but it won't be until the end of the coming week because, due to circumstances, I don't have access to the bike until then.

Fat Rat · « **Reply #7 on:** March 30, 2018, 10:53:10 »

Could they be HID controllers?

P248 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2018, 11:19:20 »

Hmmm. That's also a possibility. Headlights are v white, now I think about it. Again, I'll have to check it out when I can get at the bike.

P248 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 05, 2018, 11:47:28 »

I've had a look at the "black boxes" now, and they are indeed HID ballast units. I can't upliad a photo for some reason beyond my understanding.I've no idea which brand or how to maintain/remove them; I've never had them on any if my other bikes. I guess a little more trawling of the internet is on the cards.

Sasquatch · « **Reply #10 on:** April 06, 2018, 20:14:00 »

If your headlights look normal from the front then you should be able to swap HID's for normal h4 bulbs without any issue. If your headlights were cut up and you have projectors installed then you're stuck with them.

Technically your bike isn't road legal now, and MOT has nothing to do with it.
Changing type of light source renders any vehicle illegal to use on the road.
Only exception would be swapping headlight unit to type approved in same way as your original was approved.

Eg. Toyota Celica 7th gen in 99.9% cases has halogen headlamps, but there was limited run(100 cars in Japan) with HID headlamps, you can swap headlights from them and remain legal. Sorry, no motorbike examples.

P248 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 07, 2018, 08:25:22 »

Thanks For the information/warning Sasquatch. The lights do indeed look normal from the front, and the rubber bulb covers at the rear are still in place. Hopefully I won’t upset the law because the lights are the best I’ve ever experienced in any of the bikes I’ve ever owned. So far I’ve only been out at night about 3 or 4 times, but I don’t seem to be causing oncoming drivers any problems. Fingers crossed, eh?

tallpaul · « **Reply #12 on:** April 07, 2018, 08:46:08 »

P248 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 12, 2018, 11:04:11 »

More questions about by headlights, I'm afraid. I've attached some photos of my set-up. Does anybody recognise who supplied them and know where I can get any user instructions, etc?

As you will see from the pics, I can remove the bulb holder & bulb from the reflector, but I've no idea how to take the existing bulb out of the holder and to insert a new one, nor which particular type of bulb I need to buy as a spare.

Can anyone help, please?

tallpaul · « **Reply #14 on:** April 12, 2018, 23:09:15 »

You can't change the bulb, you can only buy a complete assembly with the relay unit. These are on eBay, just search for H4 HID bulb. The silver reflector you can see in the pic will still be in the headlight of your bike.

P248 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 13, 2018, 08:35:32 »

Thanks TP.

How do I identify which bulb power, 35W or 55W, I should to buy to match the rest of the installation? Does it matter which colour choice (6000K or 8000K) I buy? And will the connectors be compatible?

I’m sure these are very basic questions but I have no previous experience of these kits and no information came with the bike, so I’m in the dark.

tallpaul · « **Reply #16 on:** April 13, 2018, 22:11:47 »

In all honesty I don't know. I would expect this info to be shown on the ballast units. I have a full set of HIDs in the garage that I obtained for my strom but fitted LEDs instead. I'll dig them out and see what the units state on them.

P248 · « **Reply #17 on:** April 13, 2018, 23:08:21 »

I’ve managed to get a clear pic of the label on the ballast unit but can’t upload it. It looks like they are 35W bulbs, drawing 3.2 amps at 9v to 18v but I don’t understand the rest of the info there.

tallpaul · « **Reply #18 on:** April 13, 2018, 23:22:57 »

The colour of the beam is determined by the bulb unit. 5000k to 6000k gives the best light in my opinion. Any lower is tending towards yellow and any higher is going into the Blue to pink spectrum. Yellow light is OK but but the blues and pinks are worse than halogens for illumination! I'm willing to sell the unused kit I have here if you're interested?

P248 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 14, 2018, 12:44:29 »

THopefully I've managed to upload the pic of the label on the ballast box. Thanks again for your help TP and thanks for the offer of the HID kit. I won't take you up on it for the time being at least. I've found a supplier who has seen the pics and is sending me a spare bulb which he believes will be a direct replacement for the ones in my set up. Whether it is or not it will do as a spare to show any Spanish or French policeman who ask to see it.