Know Your… ECUs

We caught up with Nick Morgan, the whizz man at MSS Performance, to find out the truths, tricks and secrets about ECUs, what they do and how to get the best out of them…

- Carlos

FB: What is an ECU?

NM: The ECU is the electronic control unit – so the processing unit for your machine. In simple, basic terms, it’s the bike’s brain and heart which works quicker than we can think, with algorithms running hundreds of times a second – especially on modern bikes. On high-tech sports bikes, the ECU will come equipped with everything from ignition maps to anti-wheelie maps, and literally everything in between. On a bog-standard ECU this is all one set of data, and nothing is adjustable.

FB: What is the primary purpose of an ECU?

NM: Ultimately, just like how your brain works to get your body going to its full potential, a bike’s ECU works to keep the bike running in the best possible way – but it also helps to keep the bikes working, and indeed legal as well. I mean, anything that’s Euro4 compliant is usually all done within the ECU with algorithms, whether it’s setting ABS, or dialing in the right amount of emissions. Essentially, a standard ECU will help to hold all the constraints and restrictions in place, as well as running and looking after diagnostics.

FB: How do you unlock an ECU’s potential?