Quota (ES1100) Fuel Injection

[HRC_V4]

I bought my Quota back in 2018 after my V11 Greenie was violently taken away from me in 2017.  It was a great choice, I am sort of tall and long legged, so the size is comfortable for me and I am more of a sport touring rider and the Quota fits that bill.  I sort of consider it a tame adventure bike, much better suited to the asphalt than the trails, but just fine for some hard packed gravel roads.  I bought it from a gentleman who had a garage full of Guzzis, so it came from someone with knowledge, he said all the updates had been done on the bike including the Fuel Injection (FI).  The bike came with the Mistral center section and stock front and rear.  I added the Mistral front section once I saw the crack on the stock front section at the cross over pipe.  I also added Happy Trails aluminum side bags to add to the touring side of the bike.  The fit and fitment is top notch.

The things I love about the bike are the comfort, a previous owner added a Guzzi cruiser handle bar extension and an after market bar which raises the bars a little more than stock.  I also like the handling of the bike even though it has a 21" front wheel, I added a used (rebuilt) Ohlins rear shock with remote preload. In theory, I like the potential range of the bike with a 5.3 gallon tank.  I also like the looks of a bike, I think there was an article that described the Quota as Guzzi's answer to a question no body asked...  It was an adventure bike before they became popular.

Things about that bike that have not been as nice is the Fuel Injection, and the overall engine performance. My Quota had a switch about 4000 rpm where below there was lots of vibration and very little power, but once above 4000 rpm, smooth and powerful.  That might be good for a more sporty bike, but for touring, it is not so good.  You end up always staying down a gear to keep the rpms up, and I would find myself not able to use 5th gear unless I was doing 70 mph plus. Since most of my rides I try and stay on back roads, I very rarely used 5th gear, so much so when I talked to my buddy (via bike to bike communication) while riding, it was a major announcement when I entered 5th gear.  This is also related to the poor fuel economy that I had.  Low to mid 30's was the norm, and that was a gentle touring pace, which puts the range blow 200 miles, which is fine for around here (SE), but not good for an out west trip.  Another issue is that every time I passed a car and got above half throttle, my buddy would call me "Smokey" and asked how the Italian Tune Up went...  The good news is that these issues should be able to be fixed by someone with some programming knowledge.  I spent sometime looking for that someone, sending emails to tuning shops and got nowhere.  So I looked in the mirror, I am retired, I have been driving a car with a Go-Tech programmable engine management system since the early 2000's, so why not give it a try.

Edited May 26 by HRC_V4
Photo

[HRC_V4]

So the Quota FI system is an early system that was now well received when first introduced, I believe that Guzzi offered new ecu to early Quotas in an attempt to improve the fueling.  One of the main issues with the Quota FI system is the lack of an Air Flow Meter (AFM) sensor, Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor, or Mass Air Flow sensor.  It runs primarily on RPM and Throttle position, it does have air and engine temp sensors and I assume an altitude sensor, but I have not verified that.  The weakness of this is the computer can not sense engine load, so if the throttle and rpm are the same maintaining speed going up hill, or accelerating down hill, the fueling will be exactly the same.  This leads to the fueling being a little on the rich side during low load situations to make sure it does not lean out in higher load situations.

Because the FI system is based so heavily on throttle position, adjusting the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) is crucial, there is a good write up on Adventure Ride forum that details the TPS adjustment, and I had the same issue as the author in that I could not get the reading to go as low as what the book says.

https://advrider.com/f/threads/the-quota-thread.215106/page-48

I then found a software package online that allows me to modify the bin files used on the Quota FI system, TurnerPro and I really like the software. The first thing I found to play with was ignition timing.  I had the base map on the Quota vs. a tune someone had sent me for my V11, when I compared the ignition maps the Quota was way too conservative below 4k compared to the V11 map.  I did expect there to be some difference, but this was almost comical.

This is the V11 Map

This is the Quota Map

This is where i ended up with my map.

I am still less aggressive than the V11 tune, but I am more aggressive than the original Quota tune.  I have been running this ignition map since 2022 and had zero problems.  I do believe I could get closer to the V11 map, but the improvement in the running below 4000 rpm has made me happy and it matched my goals for my Quota, which are;

Better fuel economy

Longer engine life

Better running/enjoyment

This single improvement gave me the confidence to go farther.

 

Edited May 26 by HRC_V4
add a little more.

[HRC_V4]

My next step was to look at the fuel mapping, what I learned through Turner Pro is that the left cylinder is the base map and the right cylinder is the offset.

I started to compare head temperatures with a temperature gun and realized that my right head was significantly hotter than my left head, I attributed this mostly to the Mistral center section of the exhaust which replaces the center box exhaust with a nice two into one section.  But I believe then original box kept the left to right balance in check along with the original cross over of the front section.  The Mistral system basically makes the right cylinder a straight through with the left cylinder having two significant bends along with being an overall longer exhaust.  So I blindly added some more fueling to the right cylinder and then would ride and test head temp, I never got the cylinder heads close to the same temp, but I did bring the temp down some and got the bike to run a little better.  But I also fouled a few plugs in the process.  I ran this way for a single trip, taking my computer and making adjustments along the way.  I thought it was pretty good until after the trip and went for a long ride and started getting a missfire due to another fouled plug.  It was time to get a little more serious.

I did some research and ended up purchasing a WEGO III dual sensor system.  This allowed me to watch the AFR for both cylinders and record about 18 minutes of data that I could then analyze and make adjustments to the map.  I only ended up with 4 data points and could only graph two data points at a time, but I learned to work with it and it did pretty well.  My 4 data points were cylinder 1 (left) AFR,cylinder 2 (right) AFR, RPM and throttle %.  My first ride with the system was eye opening, cruising on the Interstate I was seeing AFR of 10.x which is richer than it should be at full throttle.  Also the balance was way off in certain throttle/rpm situations.  The other issue I ran into with the system was that the WEGO and the TurnerPro did not measure the TPS the same way, WEGO used a Zero to 5 range and TurnerPro just used a numeric system from 0.6 to 77.8 in varying separations. I took me a while to figure out the reconciliation between the two, and I am not sure I am 100% correct on it, but I was able to get things improved.

Edited May 26 by HRC_V4

[HRC_V4]

When I installed the WEGO system, one main goal was not to hack up the stock harness, I was able to do that with help of some amazon and ebay purchases.  The two main connections were the tach signal which had a connection right under the dash and the TPS which is a little difficult to get to, but can be reached easier by removing the the left rear body panel.

I also attempted to add O2 sensor bungs on my Mistral front section, I drilled the holes and took it to a friend to tig weld, turned out good, except I did not have the head mounts in place and they would not fit over the bungs, so I had to cut them off and waved the white flag and used the cheesy clamp on bungs, which worked out well, but I ended up ordering new front pipes...

Edited May 26 by HRC_V4

[HRC_V4]

My goal all along was to have any throttle great the 60% be between 12.0 and 12.5, 40%-60% in the low 13's 20%-40% in the high 13's and less than 20% be in the low to mid 14's.  I ended up pretty close to this, maybe a tad richer in the mid throttle positions, but my balance is good in low throttle situations, and ok in high throttle situations.  It is hard to get the higher throttle situations balanced, there is a bit of a delay in readings and I am not sure if that is the WEGO or the ECU.  But I always errored on the side of caution.

This is one of my first rides with the WEGO, this has my blind balance attempt in the programming (which was not bad a low throttle, but look at the AFR, this was cruising at around 3600 rpm and low throttle.

 

And this is the AFR for that same spot.

11.8 and 11.2 AFR, too rich for cruising and not a great balance.  My blind balance added too much fuel, but better than being too lean.

 

This is where I am now, same RPM range, better AFR and Better balance, although not perfect.

 

 

Edited May 26 by HRC_V4

[HRC_V4]

And here is my current full throttle results

An AFR in my range.

This is an example of changes I made to the balance, this is my current vs the original map before I started messing around.  Please keep in mind I have concentrated me efforts on reasonable riding, I have not messed with cruising at 6000 rpm or full throttle at 1200 rpm, so ignore the top right and bottom left of the maps.

My current map

And the original on my bike.

Edited May 26 by HRC_V4

[HRC_V4]

Not sure of my fuel mileage results yet, I did get about 35 mpg after doing some full throttle runs up and down the Bays Mountain Dyno (I-26), but I have a trip coming up soon so I will report back what the results are.  I have removed my WEGO from the bike, installed my new front pipes, but not being able to see the current AFR made me a little nervous, so I added a VDO temp sensor with the sending unit mounted in the engine oil drain plug.  I have one of those oil dipstick thermometers on the bike, and it always reads about 110-120C when I get back to the house, but my house is on top of a ridge in a neighbor hood, so climbing hills at 25-30 mph does not keep the oil cool.  I used it a few days ago on a good long ride with air temps of 58 when I left and 64 when I returned.  When cruising around 50mph on back roads my oil temp was about 175-180F, riding through a small town about 30 mph, it rose to about 190F, then dropped back down to 180F after a few miles of 50mph riding.  On the interstate at about 70, it dropped to 160F.  I am happy with those readings.  There is a difference between the dipstick and the gauge, not sure if that is quality, or the difference in temp at the top of the pan and the bottom of the oil pan.

If any Quota riders out there want to try my bin file, I am happy to share, only three requirements, do the TPS adjustment I linked above, have a Mistral center section and a Mistral front section.  I don't think the rear section being stock or Mistral will make a difference, mine is stock.

Edited May 26 by HRC_V4

[p6x]

3 hours ago, HRC_V4 said:

It was a great choice, I am sort of tall and long legged, so the size is comfortable for me and I am more of a sport touring rider and the Quota fits that bill.  I sort of consider it a tame adventure bike, much better suited to the asphalt than the trails, but just fine for some hard packed gravel roads. 

My Quota experience is documented in this forum. I bought mine in February 2024, from a lot seller in Peoria Arizona. I went there, purchased and brought the bike to Houston riding. I completely agree with you about the Quota. It is my GOTO vehicle, the V11 Le Mans being now the exception. In 2024, I unwillingly got dragged into riding in terrain while participating in a drive to raise funds. All the other bikes were proper Dualsports. We did not do anything that would have impressed Travis Pastrana, but the Quota (and me) surprisingly held their own! during that ride, we hit all kind of terrain, including sand and loose gravel. I was more the limit than the bike itself. Equipped with Trail Mission tires.

3 hours ago, HRC_V4 said:

Things about that bike that have not been as nice is the Fuel Injection, and the overall engine performance.

My Quota was tuned by MPH in Houston. When I brought it back from Peoria, the bike had no idle, but otherwise did the 1200 miles without a flinch. I am on a Quota group on Facebook. I have had a rear end issue, when I lost the final transmission oil drain plug. Some Quota owners have replaced the 8/33 by a 7/33 ratio, including an 18" rear wheel. I have done some far and away travel with the Quota, still do, and I am fine with the current gearbox stepping. That 5th overdrive comes in handy when I have to be on highways.

 

3 hours ago, HRC_V4 said:

In theory, I like the potential range of the bike with a 5.3 gallon tank.

Not in theory! this bike is a camel...

 

[HRC_V4]

5 minutes ago, p6x said:

Not in theory! this bike is a camel...

Man, if I can get mine to that range I would be very happy!  My goal is 40mpg, we will see how it does on my trip.  I just had the Dunlops mounted on mine, I had Avons on before, great road tire, not so good in the gravel.  Gravel and trails are not my scene, but good to know the bike is capable.

What exhaust do you have on the bike?

[p6x]

10 minutes ago, HRC_V4 said:

What exhaust do you have on the bike?

 

[Lucky Phil]

12 hours ago, HRC_V4 said:

Man, if I can get mine to that range I would be very happy!  My goal is 40mpg, we will see how it does on my trip.  I just had the Dunlops mounted on mine, I had Avons on before, great road tire, not so good in the gravel.  Gravel and trails are not my scene, but good to know the bike is capable.

What exhaust do you have on the bike?

You have some misconceptions around an open loop EFI system operation but be that as it may, how can you even think about comparing V11 Sport mapping to a Quota map and say the differences are comical? I mean the Quota has less compression, different cam timing, smaller valves, different intake runners, a single throttle body and an entirely different exhaust. Of course the mapping will be different in many ways.

Phil

Edited May 27 by Lucky Phil

[HRC_V4]

10 hours ago, Lucky Phil said:

You have some misconceptions around an open loop EFI system operation but be that as it may, how can you even think about comparing V11 Sport mapping to a Quota map and say the differences are comical? I mean the Quota has less compression, different cam timing, smaller valves, different intake runners, a single throttle body and an entirely different exhaust. Of course the mapping will be different in many ways.

Phil

Feel free to fill me on what I don't understand.  But did you look at the maps? At cruising throttle the V11 sport is at 29 degrees of advance at 2200 rpm, the Quota doesn't get to 28 degrees of advance until 4000 rpm.and is at 13 degrees at 3000 rpm.  That is a huge difference regardless of compression or cam.  Also, the Quota is a duel valve throttle body, very similar to the Maserati system pictured below, they use the same TPS.

[PJPR01]

How interesting...Single Throttle body with Dual throttle intakes..so there are still then essentially the same issue of balancing the cylinders throttle activity/ignition/combustion, but how do you balance the single throttle body then to compare to what, is there some other mechanical device on the bike that you hook up the manometer to that is not the throttle body itself?

 

Thanks!

[HRC_V4]

22 minutes ago, PJPR01 said:

How interesting...Single Throttle body with Dual throttle intakes..so there are still then essentially the same issue of balancing the cylinders throttle activity/ignition/combustion, but how do you balance the single throttle body then to compare to what, is there some other mechanical device on the bike that you hook up the manometer to that is not the throttle body itself?

 

Thanks!

On the Guzzi, Yes, in the Adventure Rider link in an above post they detail how to balance the throttle body, but they are one butterfly per cylinder.

On the Maserati, it operates like the secondaries on a 4/2 barrel carburetor, mechanical.

Edited May 27 by HRC_V4

[HRC_V4]

Just got back from an almost 1,200 mile trip on the Quota, mostly Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. She did great, best tank was 44.5 mpg, worst was 38 mpg, average was a touch over 42 mpg.  She ran great, I was basically up one gear when cruising. I do get an odd miss when cold, but only 2 or three times the whole trip.  I did get a touch of spark knock in 5th climbing a steep hill, it was the tank with 89 octane and not 93.  I did plenty of heavy throttle hill climbs before and after and no issues with 93 in the tank.

The bike ran much better, smoother, more responsive, just more enjoyable.  I'll pull the plugs tomorrow and give them a look.  Oil temps were good, liquid cooling (rain) does a great job. They stayed about the same as testing, it did get hot in traffic in town, up to 220-240, but dropped quick enough when back up to speed.

I really enjoyed the Quota as a touring bike, both bags were fully loaded, and it was still fun on the twisty roads, and it was comfortable cruising 4 lanes at 65 mph.