Kawi 1500 swap question?

CHRISRACERX

Get Wet
Location
Galloway, nj
so, I’ve never really thought about this but when your doing a race hull with the Kawi 1500 engine, what harness and electronics are you guys using? I get if your pulling the engine out of a sxr1500 it’s pretty cut and dry but what about the stx models? Bc they have a gauge and probably longer wires or even maybe shorter wires in some cases. I know when I worked in the dealership when the Kawi gauges would take a crap from water intrusion they wouldn’t let the ski run at full potential if not at all. You couldn’t just unplug it and go on your way neither. Do you repin? Do you buy a sxr harness? Do you have to buy a sxr ecu?
 
Not saying there isn’t a way to make it work because where there’s a will there’s a way, but, I haven’t heard of a single person using stx wiring or ecu. You can use the engine from the stx if that’s the donor you have, but at a minimum you’d need the ecu, wiring harness, and intake manifold setup from an Sxr unless you wanted to get crafty trying to fit the stx intake manifold or zx-12r throttle bodies.
 

CHRISRACERX

Get Wet
Location
Galloway, nj
Thanks for the reply. Ok, figured buying the sxr harness and ecu would be best. Never really thought about the intake. Never really paid attention that the stx n sxr were different. Gonna have to look at some engine bay pics now, lol.
 
I was thinking link but theres alot of options out there, microsquirt, even motec might be comparable if you plan to tune the stock ecu.
link to link:
 

88kawi5fiddy

pew pew lazers!
Location
So Utah
so, I’ve never really thought about this but when your doing a race hull with the Kawi 1500 engine, what harness and electronics are you guys using? I get if your pulling the engine out of a sxr1500 it’s pretty cut and dry but what about the stx models? Bc they have a gauge and probably longer wires or even maybe shorter wires in some cases. I know when I worked in the dealership when the Kawi gauges would take a crap from water intrusion they wouldn’t let the ski run at full potential if not at all. You couldn’t just unplug it and go on your way neither. Do you repin? Do you buy a sxr harness? Do you have to buy a sxr ecu?
stx will swap over. manifold and throttle body faces same direction as sxr so cant see why it wouldnt fit.
stx ecu is fine. you will either have to chop up the harness or zip tie extra wiring in loops.
the one thing you'll need is to order a fuel tank, run new fuel lines, and oil tank modification.

a motec is about $5000, really have zero clue as to how that is cheaper than a stock ecu.
also a lot of the flashed ECU's run like crap. yes they run, but have weird tendencies from the flash "work a rounds" and not being actually tuned to the engine like a motec or emtron can be with a lambda and AFR.

motec can be tuned by your tuner over the internet as long as you have 4G or wifi and a laptop hooked up to your ecu. so they can check logs and ask you what its doing and tune it on the beach without ever being there after setting up a good base map, and keep it on open or closed loop tuning.
 

88kawi5fiddy

pew pew lazers!
Location
So Utah
Not saying there isn’t a way to make it work because where there’s a will there’s a way, but, I haven’t heard of a single person using stx wiring or ecu. You can use the engine from the stx if that’s the donor you have, but at a minimum you’d need the ecu, wiring harness, and intake manifold setup from an Sxr unless you wanted to get crafty trying to fit the stx intake manifold or zx-12r throttle bodies.
i am running a full stx 15f engine/electronics in my aftermarket hull. i have to run the gauges, they are tucked in front of the fuel tank.

I had to pretty much undo all the rash guard and electrical tape on the OEM stx15f harness and re-wrap a bunch of stuff, but only had to extend the stator power wire, red and black wires that go on the battery cables.

the stx intake manifold is skinnier than the 1500sxr intake

and you have to mount the ECU on the hood flange next to the intake manifold. it has about 1 inch of clearance and i can still remove my intake manifold without moving the harness.
 
stx will swap over. manifold and throttle body faces same direction as sxr so cant see why it wouldnt fit.
stx ecu is fine. you will either have to chop up the harness or zip tie extra wiring in loops.
the one thing you'll need is to order a fuel tank, run new fuel lines, and oil tank modification.

a motec is about $5000, really have zero clue as to how that is cheaper than a stock ecu.
also a lot of the flashed ECU's run like crap. yes they run, but have weird tendencies from the flash "work a rounds" and not being actually tuned to the engine like a motec or emtron can be with a lambda and AFR.

motec can be tuned by your tuner over the internet as long as you have 4G or wifi and a laptop hooked up to your ecu. so they can check logs and ask you what its doing and tune it on the beach without ever being there after setting up a good base map, and keep it on open or closed loop tuning.
Hey--
Then in your opinion, is the motec the best ecu for the 1500?
Thanks
 
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