I sold the FuelX lite on my Himalayan 411 and got the FuelX Pro. Why did I do that and how does it perform? Let’s get into it.
In my post on the performance mods on the Himalayan 411, I mentioned I got the FuelX lite along with the BMC air filter and the Powerrage exhaust. I didn’t want to fiddle around with the maps on the pro version and the lite was tuned to incorporate an after market air filter and exhaust. Hence I went with the FuelX Lite.
After that, I installed the TEC cam and the decatted bend pipe from Ht exhaust. Once that was done, I started getting some fuelling and stalling issues. I figured it might be from the FuelX and I contacted race dynamics for support.
They told me that the lite version’s maps were not tuned to include a high lift cam and a full system exhaust. So they advised me to get the Pro version and run the bike on a much richer map. So I sold the lite and got the Pro installed.
The sweet spot for my Himalayan with all the mods to be around 6-7 map setting for city commute and 7-8 for the highway. Now let me get to the pros and cons of fuel X pro.
Pros of the FuelX Pro
1. Improved throttle response
As with the lite, the FuelX pro also improved the throttle response of the bike. The bike became more responsive and quicker to accelerate. The fuelling issues I had after installing the TEC cam were almost gone and it overall increased the smoothness of the bike. The bike felt peppier and engaging to ride.
2. Less stressed engine
The bike felt less stressed at higher RPMs. Cruising on the highway at 120 kph became much smoother and calmer and you could do it all day. This made long distance highway touring a bit more relaxing.
Cons of FuelX Pro
1. Malfunction at high altitudes
The pro version has 10 maps and a switch to change the maps. Maps 1 and 2 run a leaner air fuel mixture than the stock, map 3 is stock setting and maps above 3 run a richer air fuel mixture which progressively increases in richness.
Now when you go to high altitudes like Ladakh, a leaner setting should be used as the air is thin there. But the Fuel X Pro started malfunctioning right from the ascend to Jispa from Manali. During our Ladakh trip, as we ascended from Chandigarh to Manali, I reduced the maps from 8 to 5 by the time we reached Manali which is around 6k feet above sea level. The next day I planned to reduce it to 2 by the time we reach Jispa which sits 10k feet above sea level.
But to my surprise the switch stopped changing maps. This affected the ignition of the bike. The bike failed to start at high altitudes and needed the application of choke and throttle to start. Luckily my Himalayan which is a 2020 BS6 model, has the choke. I wonder how the 2021 models would’ve started at that situation. It also used to switch off during idling so I had to keep the throttle pinned the entire time it idles.
I thought this would be a problem only with my unit but later I got to know from many users about the same issue with their Fuel X at high altitudes. Some had to disconnect or bypass it to get their bikes started. The issue completely resolved and started working again once we reached Srinagar. I reached out to race dynamics about this issue and they didn’t seem to have a definitive solution.
2. No performance boost
Race dynamics markets that FuelX improves horse power and torque but in real life usage you don’t feel any improvement in acceleration or top speed with Fuel X. It’s just that it makes the bike run smoother and a bit peppier and nothing else.
Who is the FuelX Pro for?
If you’re looking to improve the throttle response and overall smoothness of the bike, Fuel X is a good option. It makes the bike a little peppier and calmer to ride at high speeds. It’s better to have a free flow exhaust and air filter if you’re planning to get one. If you’re planning to ride to Ladakh with it, don’t! Disconnect or bypass it before you climb altitude.
Is the FuelX Pro value for money?
I think FuelX pro is a value for money product if you have a free flow exhaust, air filter and a high lift cam. It makes good use of all these mods to provide a better ride. It costs around 12k INR. If you don’t have any of these mods, I don’t think Fuel X helps much.