Laverda,
The accuracy of an O2 tailpipe reading AFTER a catalytic converter should be considered suspect at best.
A catalytic converter combines oxygen, O2 with carbon monoxide CO and nitrogen in this format:
2CO + O2 ? 2CO2
2NOx ? xO2 + N2
They are also used to break down unburned hydrocarbons like this:
CxH2x+2 + 2xO2 ? xCO2 + 2xH2O
The above came from Wikipedia
As you can see, unburned O2 in the exhaust is combined by the cat to reduce emissions. If you are measuring for O2 to determine combustion efficiency, then you are going to make the mixture MORE rich to get the "correct" mixture after the cat does its business if you are taking the measurement AFTER the cat. I would assume that emission testing done on vehicles at the tailpipe is based on certified measurements by the manufacturer being provided to the testing stations to get a "passing" measurement. This will work because the testing stations are looking for STOCK values, not something that is being twisted up for performance.
The dyno test you have on your bike is accurate for the HP & torque for that dyno. I am not sure what sensor is being used at the tailpipe, but if it was an O2 sensor, the readings from that sensor have been skewed by the cat.
I too, would question a custom map generated by using an O2 sensor AFTER the cat (the tuner would have to be guessing how much O2 is being consumed by the cat.
As for the stock header material. I THINK it is probably a 400 series stainless steel. I just took my stock headers off and installed a Yoshi full set. When the pipes came off, they had some flash rust and were brown after about 5700 miles. They could also be mild steel, but my guess is that they are the stainless based on the condition of the pipes...there was not a "heavy" (relatively speaking) corrosion on the outside that I would have expected from a mild steel system...but again I am guessing. You can not use the magnet test on 400 series stainless, because like mild steel, the magnet will stick (I tried this on my stock 14 headers and the magnet sticks).
I found this on the Banks Engineering site:
Sometimes using the best material doesn't necessarily mean using the most expensive material. For example, consider the stainless steel used by Banks in many of its exhaust and manifold applications. There are many different grades of stainless steel, and here's a case where less expensive happens to be better for durability. We'll simplify things by lumping the different grades of exhaust system stainless steel into two categories: 300-series stainless and 400-series stainless. The 300-series stainless is significantly more expensive than the 400-series stainless, and the 300-series is classy material. It will polish beautifully and generally retain its appearance even when subjected to high heat. Top grades of 300-series stainless are especially durable, and very expensive. Some exhaust system manufacturers seek to market the benefits of top 300-series alloys by using a less expensive 300-series grade, called 304. Make no mistake, 304 is still more expensive than 400-series stainless. It has just one little problem: it cracks in high-stress areas when subjected to frequent heat cycling, such as in an exhaust system. 304 doesn't have the fatigue resistance of higher grades of 300-series stainless.
The 400-series stainless isn't nearly as classy. 409 stainless doesn't polish up very well, and worse yet, when heated it tends to turn a tannish-brown color. It will even develop light surface rust after time (a condition that does not affect the material's function or longevity), but 400-series stainless has advantages that offset its appearance: it is a durable material for an exhaust system and it doesn't crack in high-stress areas or adjacent to welds when heat cycled. That's why Banks, like the automakers, uses 409 stainless for its performance exhaust systems. Banks could use 300-series stainless, but it would dramatically increase the cost of Banks' system, and unless a top 300-series grade was used, it wouldn't be as durable as 409. It would simply reduce the value of a Banks system. We should point out that where a polished stainless tip is added to the end of the tailpipe, Banks does use 300-series stainless for the superior shine and luster. After all, that's the only part of the exhaust system that's visible on most vehicles anyway.
I have a Banks exhaust on my diesel truck, and the pipes on my truck have the same color as the pipes on the 14.
All hope is NOT lost if you want to use an auto-tuner with an O2 sensor. There is a flat spot on the right side of the stock header pipes in front of cat that is intended for an O2 sensor. Kawasaki uses an O2 sensor on some of the 14's. You could remove the stock headers and have an O2 sensor placed at that location, and you would be alright.
I hope I have not rambled on too much, and that this helps....
If anyone actually knows the material in the stock header pipes, I too would be interested.
Ride Safe...
Black Max
2007 Honda ST1300, Staintunes, Cruise Control, AutoComm, GPS, etc., etc. - A Sport Tourer
2008 Kawasaki ZX-14, Yoshi R77, PCV w/AutoTune, AutoComm - A SUPER Sport Tourer
, and not have to deal with the fabrication for the bung at this time.
. Hmmmmmm let me think about that for a second....NOT. The cool thing about the Bazzaz folks is that they do have a titanium bung for people with a full Ti system, and the Ti bung would be required...nothing wrong there you can not fix with money.
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