In stock trim the Gixxer made 164 hp at the rear wheel, and with the Z-FI TC, Micron and BMC air filter max power jumped to 174.9. While impressive on paper, the most notable difference is in what we call the "street range" from 5000-9000 rpm. The current king of the literbike crop is no sloth when it comes to getting out of it's own way, but like all 1000cc sportbikes they were made to go fast around a racetrack. What's been missing lately is the stump-pulling midrange of early GSX-R1100s-power in the street range. Peak torque went from 82.3 to 85.5 lb.-ft. (+3.2), but in the street range it averages between +5.5 to +7.5 lb.-ft. more torque. Now bottom-end and peak torque are within 10 lb.-ft. of each other, which makes for a nice linear pull all the way up the engine's rpm band.
This is where traction control comes into play, and we're happy to have it. When making peak torque levels the engine's ability to spin the back tire is just as easy at 6000 rpm as it is at 10,000 rpm. The Z-FI TC is ready for moments like this like a fat kid ready to pounce on a slice of chocolate cake. Bazzaz has broken down the traction-control mapping into an easy-to-understand 0-10 point scale; 0 being "off" and 10 being max. You can create a map with different sensitivity levels (including off ) at different operating points (rpm, throttle position and gear). There is also a cut level portion of the map that adjusts the severity of the cut (1=least severe, 10=most severe). We also installed the optional traction-control adjust switch on the bar to increase or decrease the sensitivity level of the map on the fly.
All of this works without any additional sensors fitted to the bike-it's all in the magic Bazzaz box. Initial testing had us turning the traction-control adjust knob down a few clicks as it will cut power to stop even the slightest slip. We'll dive into this quite a bit more as we get some more seat time.
 A little box makes a lot of...  A little box makes a lot of magic. |  Traction control and fuel-map...  Traction control and fuel-map tuning on the fly - sick! |  |
The Z-FI TC has an updated version of the Bazzaz QS-4 quickshifter with a new shift sensor. The map for the quickshifter is adjustable as well for gear-dependent kill times (longer in low gears, shorter in higher gears), so you simply hold the throttle wide open and toe the shifter. not only does it save the skin on your foot and sound cool as hell, but it'll dramatically knock quarter-mile and lap times down. With the Micron MotoGP cans our bike now sounds like an F1 car banging through the gears. This is one feature that'll have you smiling every time you get off your bike.
The long-awaited Bazzaz Performance Z-FI TC box has proved to be the most technologically advanced electronic modification for the street that we've found. With only a half-day's worth of installation and set-up we achieved impressive power gains, and equally important is its user friendliness. Not only does it have cool add-ons like the AFM self-mapping module and quickshift system, but the tunable traction control in its own right is worth the money. After all, half the fun of making modifications is getting it dialed in specifically for your own needs, and we've had as much fun adjusting the settings as enjoying their benefits in the seat.
Project: Next Month we get the chassis sorted to handle the GSX-R's improved power delivery with a full Brembo and Galfer brake system paired with some sick Galespeed magnesium wheels.
Bazzaz Performance
Z-FI TC With QS-4 Quickshifter And Z-AFM Module
Z-FI TC: $995.95
Z-AFM: $349.95
TC & MAP Switch Housing $249.95
O2 Sensor: $49.99
http://www.bazzazperformance.com
Micron
Serpent Header And Motogp TI Cans $1199.99
http://www.micron-exhaust.com
BMC Air Filter $74.95
http://www.bmcairfilters.com
Ammar Bazzaz
After leading the team at Yoshimura R&d for six years and securing Mat Mladin as an AMA Superbike champion three years running, Ammar Bazzaz started Bazzaz Performance in 2003. The man behind Mladin's success saw a need for advanced electronics to the average rider-and it's now available for us.
Completing its second expansion in the last three years, Bazzaz Performance now operates out of an 8500-square-foot facility in Chino, California, that houses both R&d as well as manufacturing operations.