Radical Ron and I made a new map. I was playing with maps while riding in my meadow, and thought that the X map was a little soft off the bottom. (my last ride was a 520 KTM, remember...) This soft spot wasn't evident in the C/E map, only with the X map. Curious, I started to take apart Ron's spreadsheet. I made a new sheet comparing fuel delivery at 100% throttle opening throughout the RPM range. This is what I found.

You can see that the fuel delivery is significantly less at the lower RPMs in the X map. (The C & E maps are identical) More fuel will equal more power, so I got the idea that we should do a little 'cut and paste' number on our existing maps. Radical Ron, the map master, thought it was a good idea and did the deed. He delivered me a map the same day, with the C/E fuel delivery and timing up to about 4000 RPM and the X numbers thereafter.

Initial testing was promising. My first run in the meadow reminded me of my KTM. The Cannondale doesn't quite have the sheer thrust that the 520 had, but the powerband is identical. It pulls HARD right off the bottom into the solid midrange and top end. It's the X map with the ability to cut under someone on the track without using the clutch. It is probably a bit more tiring to ride, as it is pretty relentless; you twist, you rock!

Further testing was done in Phoenix, Arizona on my riding vacation. I did a 35 mile loop in the desert with my old friends, and used the C map. It barks nicely to get you up obstacles, but mellows a bit on top reducing wheelspin and fatigue. I then rode 3 tracks (three days) with the 'Harry Moto' map. It seems perfect to me on the MX track, especially if the track is prepped. At Speedworld and Thrasherland I feel that we had the solution. At ET (in the East Valley) there is a lot of desert clay, and it can be pretty slick wet or dry. I used that snappy bottom end to exit a turn briskly (doubles ahead!) and it spun the rear too much; down I went. I was riding like a squid, dragging my toe to keep the back end in line, so when it came around going down I did the splits. First time since I was about 8 years old. Groin muscle pull: Ouch!

The X map will be better if traction is iffy. It runs like a CR or YZ 450, easy off the bottom then spinning up into the power at a predictable point. The C or E map is certainly better for long cross country rides, conserving energy and fuel. The 'Harry Moto' map will be useful for competition, aggressive riders, or good traction conditions. It's strong point will come when you follow a guy into a turn and have the opportunity to change lines to the inside to make the pass. You won't need the clutch or time to plan the exit; just point and shoot!

The 'Reliability' argument: The new map uses all the parameters from existing certified maps. No new ground is broken at any point in the map, it is all from Cannondale. In regards to the total power output of the motor, it too is unchanged. If you run the X model bike through the gears you will produce as much power in the same time as you will with the new map. The only difference is at low RPMs, where not much power is made. If you short shift the bike, you can stay in the increased output range of the X map, but that would be the same as riding the C map in the same way. I cannot imagine a scenario wherein the new map could cause more heat or strain than the original Cannondale maps are capable of, except in the case of opening the throttle at/near idle and running through a single gear. This case is a 5 or 6 second event with a slight increase in total output compared to either Cannondale map, but produces far less heat/stress than running through the gears with any of the maps. In conclusion, I don't see any possibility of increased wear or damage from this map. I am presently running it in my C440.

The 'Harry Moto' map, courtesy of Radical Ron, should be available on Cannondaler.Com in the immediate future. You can find the Harry Moto map and others here.