Aftermarket parts, Warranty & Dealer

[nylife]

Just a general question i understand this will be slightly different depending on the dealer some are more flexible then others.

with aftermarket parts let say booster plug, will that void your warranty?
or will the headers void your warranty?

just curious?

[tinytrains]

It depends on your dealer and the BMW rep. If either "feel" a problem was caused by your modification (what ever it may be), then you are out of luck. It would not interfere with non-related issues. For example, they can not refuse to fix your brakes because you changed the muffler. But if your engine develops a problem, they may blame the booster plug as it affects engine operation.

Personally, I keep things stock while under warranty.

[ContraMoto]

Dealer has to be able to "show" that your alteration contributed to the problem. Clutch fails...there is no way the Boosterplug caused it, etc...

BUT...you might have to be ready to go to battle to be treated properly.

Depends on what you're up for.

I like the Boosterplug so much I'd put it in a brand new bike. I'd pull it out and plug the stock sensor back in before I took it in for service during the warranty period.

[jkhomes]

I just looked at the Booster Plug online and am interested to find some details from anyone on this board using it on an R1200R. Does it really make much difference? What specific changes are noticeable. Does it decrease gas mileage? Thanks!

[ContraMoto]

The boosterplug...

Smooths out low-speed throttle response. Less abrubt; easier to navigate parking lots, u-turns and such. Bike is much less jerky.

Softens engine braking. Less popping and less abrupt deceleration. (This alone makes it worth the money, IMO)

Improves responsiveness to increased throttle at all speeds. More "right now" power, and power that still comes on smooth. Not more power overall...just more responsive.

Overall average mileage did not change one iota on either the GS or R. It only enriches the mixture on throttle movements up and down, not on steady-state throttle where you burn most of your fuel. I still get 50+ at highway speed.

This little gadget makes such a big difference in driveability...I'd buy it before an exhaust or other mods. It fixes a flaw in the fueling map that emissions rules require BMW to live with. After we buy the bike, we don't have to live with that flaw anymore.

[daveyator]

The boosterplug...

Smooths out low-speed throttle response. Less abrubt; easier to navigate parking lots, u-turns and such. Bike is much less jerky.

Softens engine braking. Less popping and less abrupt deceleration. (This alone makes it worth the money, IMO)

Improves responsiveness to increased throttle at all speeds. More "right now" power, and power that still comes on smooth. Not more power overall...just more responsive.

Overall average mileage did not change one iota on either the GS or R. It only enriches the mixture on throttle movements up and down, not on steady-state throttle where you burn most of your fuel. I still get 50+ at highway speed.

This little gadget makes such a big difference in driveability...I'd buy it before an exhaust or other mods. It fixes a flaw in the fueling map that emissions rules require BMW to live with. After we buy the bike, we don't have to live with that flaw anymore.

I couldn't agree more with the above assessment. I love mine.

[Tr250Tom]

This thread persuaded me to buy a BoosterPlug. I installed it today and went to test the bike before I leave for New England tomorrow.

I was tempted to report "bupkis", since for most of the ride I felt absolutely no difference. Through town, traffic lights, country roads...bupkis. MAYBE there was a little less engine braking, but my bike never "popped" on decel before I installed it either. MAYBE the throttle response was less "abrupt," but a cynic might say it was less "crisp."

I live in a rural area, and my home is on a gravel road. I'm used to a certain wariness in the deep gravel, especially as I turn onto my narrow gravel driveway. I was pleasantly surprised that the bike felt much steadier and the throttle much easier to modulate without fishtailing. Even with hard bags and a loaded top case, my feet were planted on the pegs the whole time and I felt more confident than usual in that place.

So it does "something." I'm just not sure it's $149 worth of "something." I'll leave it in for the 560 mile run tomorrow and see what sort of fuel economy I get. At least there's no "check engine" symbol...

YMMV. Tom

[nylife]

thanks for the update

[Tr250Tom]

OK, so I rode from Virginia to Vermont today (it's theme ride: I'm hoping to make a tour of all the states that begin with "V") and got 46MPG for the trip, according to the Bord Computer. That's about what I'd expect without the boosterplug for 80 mph, 3 hard case bags loaded to the brim, and an 18" windscreen. No difference in fuel economy on the superslab, I'd say.

If you've read the vendor's site, he doesn't claim any difference in steady-state operation, so my experience on the Interstate was what you'd expect. It was a fast bike that got about 46 mpg before, and it's the same thing now. I did a couple of WOT runs to get away from cars I didn't like, and the bike pulled about the same. I spent 20 minutes in 1st gear stop-and-go traffic after a wreck blocked the NY Thruway, and the bike still jerks somewhat if you wind it up and close the throttle abruptly.

This plug didn't do very much on my bike. Most of the effect is apparent below 3000 RPM, but I avoid running the engine that slowly. I like to select lower gears and let the engine rev, and at higher RPM I can detect no major difference. MAYBE a little less engine braking, but is that an improvement?

Performance is primarily enhanced by my wallet being lighter.

Cheers, Tom