Tuning FB Mondial HPS 125 Malossi Forcemaster 2 for The Grand Challenge! + Performance test!

For fun and the slim hope of finding a little more speed and power, I fitted a piggyback ECU, the Malossi Forcemaster 2. The ECU is designed for the Aprilia RS4 125 which shares the same engine. In the vid you'll see how I fit and set up the ECU and also a brief, borderline scientific test of the benefits, in terms of performance.
To recap, I'm taking part in The Grand Challenge, a bit of fun and a good excuse for adventure, dreamed up and organised by Nathan Millward, who is well known for his bike tours and Postie Bike Adventure Days.
My bike is an FB Mondial HPS 125 (No, I'd never heard of them before, either...) It's had a big hit to the left hand side.
Join the fun whilst I try and figure out all the stuff that's wrong with it, probably whilst swearing at it quite a lot..
Fancy signing up yourself? Check out these links:
Link to The Grand Challenge video: • Update on £999 Adventu...
Link to Nathan's KZbin Channel: / @nathanthepostman
Link to The Grand Challenge Facebook Group: / 1311211589722175

[@driftingmemories5737]

I have a fb Mondial. So glad I found this channel. I hope I can get some mods done on mine.

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

Glad you've found it useful. Hopefully you can benefit from not making the same mistakes as I do! 🤣

[@driftingmemories5737]

@@BobsBikingAdventures I'm a complete novice lol so I was hoping to copy you 😂😂😂😂

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

@@driftingmemories5737 You're very welcome to! Best thing you can do is keep it clean and well serviced. When I received the bike, after winning it in an auction as crash damaged salvage, it was in a bad way. Every bolt was rusted and seized, as you can see in some of the earlier vids! It's really good now. I've also made a few more cosmetic changes which I'll post when I have a chance. Happy biking! 😎👍

[@justanothermotorcyclist]

I am impressed it made that much of a difference, take care though - now you have a real weapon on your hands 😁

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

Yeah me too. In practical terms, the modest improvement in the mid range actually makes it a lot nicer to ride. Can cruise in a higher gear without it bogging too much 😅

[@jeroendenhertog4975]

You can also hear the difference: the last ride is much smoother. I want to try this out on my Yamaha XSR too.

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

Yes I recommend it! Especially if you've got a more free flowing aftermarket exhaust. Chances are, on standard fuelling, it'll be running lean, especially towards the top of the rev range.

[@paulterencemiller3216]

I've just ordered my malossi, How much did u have to strip bike down in order to fit it Bob ? Is it straight forward ? Tia 😊

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

Excuse the delay! There's very little strip down required. You'll need to loosen the tank so that you can lift it at the rear or move it over to one side, so you can access the plug for the injector more easily. You don't need to unplug the fuel line or the electrical connectors running to the tank loom. Aside from that, it's just a case of removing the seat and just threading the wiring through where you want it. Best of luck with the installation. Let me know how it performs once it's done!

[@paulterencemiller3216]

Hi mate I'm trying to get hold of one,the one thing I need to ask u mate is are they bike specific? Thanks for your time Rob

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

They can be used on a number of bikes but I believe they need to be flashed for the right engine & ECU combo before being shipped out. If you check out the Malossi website it shows you the list of compatible bikes. It doesn't list the FB Mondial HPS 125 specifically but it is essentially the same as the Aprilia RS4 125 (The Derbi 125 EFI unit made by Piaggio, in China) same ECU, same engine code, same connectors, same fuel pump. You can find the Forcemaster 2 units second hand, quite cheap and as long as it's for one of the bikes listed at the bottom of this web page, it should work! www.malossistore.com/en/gb/force-master-2-electronic-controller-for-injection-vehicles-5515724-P

[@paulterencemiller3216]

@BobsBikingAdventures Rob your a star mate,many thanks 😊

[@brownpatch75]

So other than the power commander and exhaust nothing else was done on this? I've just brought one of these brand new so was looking at ways to improve performance on it. Do you have links for exhaust and power commander please? Also how is the bike running now, any issues experienced with fuelling etc. Cheers and thanks for a great video.

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

Thanks! Yes those are the only changes I made. You could also change the intake on the air box - I.e. Make it bigger and adjust the fuelling accordingly. It's all trial and error really unless you've got a lambda sensor reading off the ECU or a sniffer in the exhaust, to take a reading for you.

[@brownpatch75]

Thanks for getting back do you have the links for the exhaust and power commander as im UK based to?? Cheers again.

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

@@brownpatch75 I got the ECU second hand but it's the Malossi Forcemaster 2 usually advertised as for the Aprilia RS4 125. Same engine, same electrics, you can connect the earth lead to the starter motor earth instead of the throttle body like in the Aprilia installation video. Like this one. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363122765769 The exhaust I got was from Ixil ixil.com/en/335-hps-125-150-cr you need the Forcemaster if you fit the exhaust, otherwise it runs way too lean.

[@brownpatch75]

Thanks so much.

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

@@brownpatch75 no worries! Let me know how you get on if you take the plunge! There's also a Malossi performance exhaust and some people making airbox lids with a bigger intake hole, which could be worth looking into. The Ixil is a very good price point though and is decent quality.

[@faroqhawladar7619]

Ciao da dove devo devo controllare misura di free ply di catena ? Quanto è come posso controllare se mi fai un video. Perché mio catena fa rumore quando guido . Grazie

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

Assolutamente! Ecco una guida amichevole per verificare e regolare la tensione della catena sulla tua FB Mondial HPS 125: **Introduzione:** Verificare la tensione della catena è abbastanza semplice, basta prendersi il tempo necessario e procedere con metodo. Se hai bisogno del manuale del proprietario, posso inviarti un link a una copia. 1. **Trova gli Adattatori della Catena:** - Identifica gli adattatori della catena su entrambi i lati del forcellone. Solitamente sono bulloni o dadi vicino all'asse posteriore. 2. **Misura il Gioco della Catena:** - Con la moto sul cavalletto centrale o in modo sicuro supportata, misura il gioco della catena. Idealmente, dovrebbe esserci circa 1-1,5 pollici (25-38 mm) di movimento verticale a metà strada tra i pignoni. 3. **Regola la Tensione della Catena:** - Usa gli adattatori per ottenere la tensione corretta. Gira gli adattatori in modo uniforme su entrambi i lati per mantenere l'allineamento della ruota. - Serrare o allentare gli adattatori in piccoli incrementi e controllare frequentemente il gioco della catena. 4. **Mantieni l'Allineamento della Ruota:** - Assicurati che la ruota rimanga allineata durante il processo di regolazione. Usa punti di riferimento come i segni sul forcellone per confermare regolazioni uguali su entrambi i lati. 5. **Serraggio del Dado dell'Asse:** - Una volta ottenuta la tensione desiderata, stringi il dado dell'asse posteriore alle specifiche del produttore. Questo è cruciale per mantenere un corretto allineamento e la sicurezza. 6. **Controlla la Tenuta:** - Conferma che tutti i fissaggi, soprattutto il dado dell'asse e i bulloni/dadi degli adattatori, siano ben serrati. 7. **Verifica nuovamente la Tensione:** - Dopo la regolazione, ricontrolla il gioco della catena per assicurarti che rientri nel range raccomandato. Ricorda di controllare le condizioni dei pignoni anteriori e posteriori e assicurati che i bulloni di montaggio siano serrati alle specifiche corrette (o almeno che siano ben stretti!).

[@magicAAA]

What bikes the front fender from? This may be the moment where i hate it the 1st time i see it, and then it starts growing on me until i need it. 'twas the same with my HPS 125 :D

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

It's a generic universal (fake) Ascerbis front mudguard, off AliExpress. It looks a bit odd, and probably causes quite a bit of wind resistance, but it keeps the mud contained pretty well. 😅😅

[@magicAAA]

@@BobsBikingAdventures Oh i gotta stay away from those pages for a while! Somehow they circumvent my saving money instincts :E Removing the licence plate holder and somehow fiddling the licence plate light into another place is still up there on my todo list... Maybe void question seeing the rural area, but how's police reacting to your licence plate angle?

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

@@magicAAA thus far, they couldn't be less interested. I rode two police cars, later realising my numberplate was completely obscured by mud. I think my hi-viz helmet and gloves give the indication that I'm not trying to hide 😅

[@federicobiraghi7526]

Do you have the links where you took the front mud guard, the mirrors and the hand guards? What do I need to mount a rally mudguard removing the stock one? Also i would like to know how did you replace the plate holder with that one. Thanks!

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

Front mudguard: I got this www.24mx.co.uk/product/acerbis-mx-nost-front-fender_pid-0008200.090 and drilled some holes through the guard, to mount it to the forks with jubilee clips. I put some rubber padding between the forks and the clips, to avoid damaging the fork legs. Hand guards I got from AliExpress www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005128856031.html Mirrors I got from eBay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355246044535 and I also got these mounts, to mount them www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126308690800 This was all possible because I fitted some wide pro-taper fat bars. This did mean that I had to make up a new, longer clutch cable, which you can see in my videos. The bars were left over from an old project (the bike was stolen before I could fit these bars) But they were similar to these. You can often find second hand ones, quite cheaply www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375006029566 The plate holder, I jusr removed the old one, then drilled some holes to mount the plate directly to the rear of the bike. However, this doesn't work well. So I will shortly be removing the current rear of the bike and replacing it with this plate holder: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333910920295 Hope that helps!

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

Oh and keep an eye out for a new video in the next couple of weeks. I'm preparing the bike for it's first government inspection. So I'll try to film some of the modifications as part of that. 👍 Happy biking!

[@federicobiraghi7526]

@@BobsBikingAdventures thanks a lot mate! So king of you :)

[@federicobiraghi7526]

​@BobsBikingAdventures also do you know if it is possible to somehow work on the sound of this bike? I see that the dB killer is not removable and I don't want to change exhaust. What can I do? :)

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

@@federicobiraghi7526 If you don't want to change the exhaust, the only thing you can really do to change the sound is change the filter and airbox lid, to get a little more induction noise. There are a few people making these and they're the same airbox as the Aprilia RS125, I believe. I have the Ixil exhaust on mine, which makes quite a good sound, though to be honest, it's a bit loud at times. Be mindful that if you put a more free flowing exhaust, you'll need to add fuel to the mixture, to avoid the bike running too lean and potentially overheating the engine and killing the piston rings. It was adding the Ixil exhaust which made me realise I needed to add the Malossi ECU, to sort out the air/fuel ratio for reliable running (and a bit more power). Here is the video I did on that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3u3foyOpdtmbLcsi=zVxlSNQi9sTQR2Fe

[@FrmiseLocN]

The engine have offical 149cc version and 189cc version , maybe you can try them for more power

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

I am considering the 189cc "Big Bore" kit for the future, as I already have the Malossi ForceMaster to tune for it. However, It'll be a while before I can be bothered to take the engine out again! 🤣

[@faroqhawladar7619]

HI . I wanted to know how many liters of oil goes into HPs Mondial 125? Plz

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

It's about 1.2 litres. However, the best way to do it when changing the oil is to first add 1 litre, then add a little extra, bit by bit, whilst checking the dips tick. That way you don't over-fill it. 👍

[@faroqhawladar7619]

@@BobsBikingAdventures Grazie mille 🙏

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

@@faroqhawladar7619 prego 😁

[@Zac_-ex2xl]

what exhaust did you get bud

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

I got the Ixil exhaust. Pretty good value and decent quality for the price. Not what you'd call quiet, but added a good 5 inches of ground clearance and allowed enough room for the bash plate. Before I tuned it with the Malossi, the Ixil made it run pretty lean. EGTs were very high. Adding fuel to rebalanced AFR has added a bit of performance but also I think massively improved reliability and longevity. 👍

[@paulterencemiller3216]

Was it in your opinion worth the money and worth doing ?

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

Yes I think so. Makes it a nicer bike to ride, with a bit more mid range. Also, I think running with a richer fuel mixture will help the engine run cooler and hopefully extend it's life a bit, despite the abuse it gets. As an older engine design, I believe they've tuned it to run lean to meet Euro 4 emissions standards.

[@paulterencemiller3216]

@BobsBikingAdventures Thanks Bob Much appreciated, think I will invest in one ,happy and safe adventures mate 👍

[@paulterencemiller3216]

One more thing Bob if i may,how easy/difficult is it to fit ? Many thanks 😊

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

@@paulterencemiller3216 pretty easy to fit. Just a case of unplugging the bike loom connectors from the coil pack and the fuel injector, plugging them into the Malossi loom, then plugging the Malossi loom into the coil pack and fuel injector (injector has a fiddly clip which you have to be careful not to lose). Then it's just a case of plugging the Malossi loom into the diagnostic port, then securing the earth wire (I attached mine to the starter motor earth point). Took about 15-20 mins. Shout if you get stuck. Happy to help. I assume you've got a more free flowing exhaust installed already?

[@paulterencemiller3216]

@BobsBikingAdventures thanks Bob Yeagh I've got a catless,straight through exhaust to yet install mate,wasn't going to bother to be honest until I came across the mallosi kit mate

[@malagutino]

Remap your ECU is much easier and brings way more power

[@iker_1384]

how malagutino? Im spanish and i see you in another video coment. How can i do it? I have an UM dsr ex 125 that has the same motor of this hps. I hope your answer, thank you men!!

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

I could be wrong, but I believe you have to upgrade to the Euro 5 ECU in order to remap it. I looked into it a little with the Euro 4 and couldn't find any software or instructions on how to flash the ECU and remap it. If you know a way of remapping a Euro 4 ECU, please let me know as I'd love to give it a try, for science! 😅

[@malagutino]

@@BobsBikingAdventures no, Remap euro5 ECU is not possible. Only EURO4-Remap can be flashed.

[@malagutino]

@@iker_1384 you Need two OBD-Cable a Notebook and the Tuningmap from me. I got a Version of the Map with a new and wider designed Airboxcap.

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

@@malagutino aha interesting! Would you be able to send me information on how I do that please?

[@BigPezza]

if it aint broke dont fix it 😅😅

[@BobsBikingAdventures]

Yes, you have full license to say, "I told you so" when it goes bang.. 😅