It’s official. Royal Enfield has rolled out updated software for the ECU of the Royal Enfield 650 Twins - the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650. This software update apparently helps the bikes “breathe” better at high altitudes.
Given that it’s the season for rides to the Himalayas, this update is timely. Some owners of the Royal Enfield 650 Twins had complained of oxygen starvation and consequent loss of power on their bikes, when they rode to altitudes of over 17,000 feet. This update will help fix that issue.
This video from a vlogger - Bulu Biker - highlights one such incident.
What’s in the Update?
The ECU update is a 30-minute process, which involves plugging in a laptop to the bike’s OBD port of the ECU located under the seat through a custom adapter. Then the “map” is overwritten with a new one, which tells the bike’s “brain” to increase the rate of fuelling on the bike. (The “brain” is a Bosch Motronic ECU, model ME 17.9.71, that’s shared with some Suzuki and Chevrolet cars as well.)
The update will not affect normal day-to-day riding. There’s virtually no difference felt after a software update on the bike in regular usage, but when the air gets thinner, the bike can now cope better with improved fueling.
Royal Enfield dealers are proactively reaching out to owners of the 650 twins to get this software update done. It’s a less than 30-minute process, which one should get done irrespective of the fact that it’s meant only for high altitude “sickness” of these bikes.
The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 were launched in November 2018, and have been selling over 2,500 units a month in India. They come with a 649-cc, parallel-twin cylinder, oil-air-cooled engine with a six-speed transmission. Priced between Rs 2.6 lakh an Rs 2.8 lakh ex-showroom, these bikes are good value for money for those looking at mid-capacity, performance motorcycles.
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