I am currently riding north through Brazil and my 2002 DL1000 is experiencing problems with the expensive fuel they sell here. I've been told it has something like 25% alcohol content and they don't say anything about the octane. I have tried all the very best grades (and only from the reputable stations as the others add water) and even added octane booster, but nothing helps. After 10 or so tankfuls it's still running badly.

The bike backfires, or rather pops (sometimes very loudly), every 100-200 meters while riding at any steady speed below 100 km/hr. I'm not sure if they are coming from the exhaust or intake side of the motor and I'm afraid that one of them is going to damage something. Today I think it may have blown the airbox off the intake manifold, but I'll have to check it later to know for sure.

I've got allot more kms to go in this country before I'm out and I'd appreciate any help! I plan on visiting a Suzuki dealership in Rio de Janeiro over the next few days.

Cheers,
Daren

I'm presuming your V-strom is EFI. A standard sort of fix is to start the bike from cold and not touch it for 15 minutes. The EFI goes through a self test as it warms up and resets itself for the fuel your using. Try it you've got nothing to loose. It's really hard not to do anything for 15 minutes, make sure you use a watch as it seems like an hour!

Daren,
Are you still having problems with the Brazilian gas?
Tell me about this, then I'll try to find some friends that can help you on your trip.

__________________
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Robson Giovanni Parisoto.
Fortaleza dos Bruxos Moto Grupo
Visite: http://fortalezadosbruxos.blogspot.com
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Jaborá, SC - Brasil
Fone: +55 (49) 9104-5536
GPS: 27° 10.445' S 51° 44.107' W

Thanks for the replies guys, but I think it's under control now.

Flyingdoctor: My bike got worse as soon as I rode into Brazil and better when I left shortly for Argentina, and it actually seemed to get worse the longer it ran on their gas. I have since learned from Suzuki that the 2007 models have a different ECM that can handle this type of gas, but that didn't help me.

Through a contact I had from Suzuki Colombia I was introduced to someone at the factory in Sao Paulo who offered to help, but the timing and location wasn't good for me so he introduced me to a dealer named Ego Motos in Rio de Janeiro (the oldest Suzuki dealer in Brazil). Even though they were small, these guys knew what they were doing and as soon as I pulled up they started working on it. They installed new cooler running spark plugs (NGK CR9EK instead of my typical CR8EK), cleaned the injectors (ultrasonic) and throttle bodies, installed a new air filter and tie-strapped the intake manifold to the engine (the backfires blew the manifold off the rubber boot connector).

After riding more than 400 kms since their work, it still backfires, but very rarely, and with much less force than it used to. Their friendliness, workmanship and genuine effort to help me solve this problem was admirable. At this point it seems to have successfully reduced the backfire problem to a non-issue for me and to say I am very pleased would be an understatement.


If you ride Suzuki and you are ever in Rio, be sure to stop in and say hello to Mr. Manuel Vechina, the owner of Ego Motos. GPS coordinates: S22 55.196 W43 13.856

Thanks mollydog.

I forgot to mention that I had them install a new inline fuel filter (which I installed 3 months ago). I did a modification that bypasses the expensive internal pump filter and allows me to use a $5 Italian car filter instead. Never cleaned the cheap mesh filter on the bottom of the pump though, as I did that 3 months ago also and thought it would be fine.

Your advice about the TPS and ECU sounds good, but I'd need to find a place with the equipment down here to do that - and that could be difficult unless I go back to the factory. These shops down here are prettty small and basic (I have more tools in my garage at home). Although they could do the sync.

Just a note. US 87 octane is similar to UK 95 octane. They measure it differently over there. I don't know how they measure it in South America.

Hi,
You might consider making a post in here:-
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...south-america/

as he is so good (maybe he is in there already).

Cheers,

__________________
Dave