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History
of Honda's PGM-FI development for motorcycles
Honda started more than 20 years ago to develope a FI system
to constantly provide the optimum air fuel ratio required by
the engine using electronic control techniques. Since then,
Honda has been actively promoting the application of FI to motorcycles
as a technique to realize environmental performance and high
level driveability. In 1982, Honda marketed the first-in-the-world,
fuel injected motorcycle CX500TURBO, which attained both better
acceleration performance than the CB900F and better fuel economy
than the base model CX500. In 1998, the environmentally friendly
sport tourer model VFR800FI was marketed. This model, using
the PGM-FI and the newly developed three-way catalyst, attains
1/30 CO emissions and 1/10 HC+NOx emissions from the EURO1,
which is the European exhaust emission regulation enacted
in 1999. And now, the racing machine "RC211V" has been dominating
the MotoGP races. The "RC211V" uses the PGM-FI, which aids
in allowing the overwhelming power output of the RC211V to
be controlled for efficient use by the rider. Honda always
keeps improving the fuel injection system at the highest level
of technical competition. |
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The
first motorcycle equipped with an electronic fuel injection
- CX500TURBO |
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In the late 1970's, Honda R&D was filled with enthusiasm towards
attaining "core technologies that would lead to the development
of new technologies in the 1980's". Through discussions on what
should be the core technologies, "turbo charging" was choosen,
and the CX500 was selected as the base model. Honda defined
the purpose of "turbo charging" not merely as a boost of extra
power output from a large displacement engine, but an increase
of specific power from a small displacement engine, and an increase
in thermal efficiency by reducing the frictional losses per
output. Simply stated, it was to attain both an increase in
power output and a reduction in energy loss. Most critical in
the development were the turbo charger and the fuel injection
control systems. The CX500TURBO eventually made the first step
of innovation into the 1980's with its acceleration performance
better than the "CB900F" and fuel economy better than the base
model "CX500".
Computer
controlled fuel injection
One of the features of the CX500TURBO was the practical application
of the computer controlled fuel injection system. Instead of
using the then-conventional air flow meter, the computer-controlled
fuel injection system calculated the injection volume using
the two control maps, i.e., one for the boost zone where the
basic injection volume was determined by the engine revolutions
and the boost pressure, and the other for the throttle zone
where the basic injection volume was determined by the engine
revolutions and the throttle opening. The actual injection volume
was adjusted by the intake density compensation, the intake
air pressure and/or intake air temperatures, the supplement
for acceleration, warming up, starting, the compensation for
battery voltage, etc. Also incorporated in the computer-controlled
fuel injection system was a self-diagnosis system that activated
the warning lamp and the backup system to keep the engine running
when a failure occurred in the system.
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| CX500TURBO |
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The
racing machine of the 21st century - RC211V |
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In the world of championship motorcycle road racing,
the machine regulations of the pinnacle 500cc class underwent
a drastic reform, and changed its name to "MotoGP" in 2002.
The machine regulations changed from a 2-stroke, 500cc engine
to a 4-stroke, 990cc maximum displacement, and the name of the
class was modified to "MotoGP". The Honda RC211V is the machine
that was developed to meet the new regulations. Honda has developed
a unique engine having the V-5 configuration. After dominating
the races in the debut year 2002, the RC211V keeps winning in
an overwhelming manner in 2003.
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| RC211V |
FI control
ensuring superb driveability
The MotoGP machine uses fully closed or partially opened throttle
conditions way more frequently than the Formula 1 race cars,
for example. Compared to the Formula one cars which use fully
opened throttle frequently, the controllability of the power
output is more critical than the maximum power output. Honda
developed and applied new techniques to provide superb driveability
for the PGM-FI used in the RC211V.
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Twin
injector
Providing the deflecting multi-hole levigation injectors before
and after the throttle valve, and having each one take care
of the low load zone (after throttle) and the high load zone
(before throttle), both the driveability and the high power
output have been realized.
Variable
fuel pressure control
The accurate control of fuel supply and throttle controllability
are attained by the ECU continuously controlling the fuel pressure.
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Predictive
control of residual injected fuel
When the throttle is opened or closed (fully opened, fully closed,
not when kept at a partial opening), the "amount of fuel sticking"
on the inlet port walls and flowing into the combustion chamber
during the following combustion cycle is predicted and applied
to the control to ensure the most suitable air fuel ratio for
improvement in driveability and fuel economy.
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List of Honda motorcycles equipped with a PGM-FI |
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The PGM-FI is one of the core technologies to attain the goals
of clean exhaust gas and fuel economy. An inevitable next goal
is to extend the application of the innovative technique to
models in various categories that respond to a larger number
of users. Through the newly developed compact PGM-FI, Honda
increases the application from large touring models, to the
super sport models, and the models targeted towards a larger
number of people.
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