I read this forum, and decided to call Ivan and order one for my '07 ST1300. The bike is mechanically stock- stock pipes/air filter/plugs. I had just done a long loop through Canada, and found the on/off throttle "snatch" to be unbearable. My riding buddy had an older carbureted Yamaha FJR and he had a lot of fun in the sharp twisties Canada has to offer, but I was fighting my bike most of the time. And Canada has a lot of twisties!
Ivan was a nice guy, and answered all my questions over the phone before I ordered. He was a little defensive about the product- I think there a lot of customers out there that don't understand the little things that can go wrong when you rush an install that requires splicing into your ECU. Just follow the directions EXACTLY. And Ivan includes an extra few crimping parts so you can practise with the crimper- very thoughtful.
I recieved the FCE one week after ordering it, just as Ivan promised. The instructions could not have been any more clear, and the crimping tool he sent with the kit was excellent. I followed his instructions exactly, and it only took 2 hours for me to do the install. (I was being exceedingly careful- this is the ECU we are talking about!!!). The install could not have been smoother. Most of the time was spent removing the body panels, and carefully measuring and crimping the wires.
I have ridden the bike on my commute and a canyon run, and the throttle is now tamed! I can smoothly roll the throttle on and off, and high speed cornering (50+mph) is problem free! The most noticeable change is at small percentages of throttle- I can vary the throttle forward and back and the bike isn't acting like I am flipping a light switch on and off. Definitely worth the $130.
I must note the following though: There is a lot of "driveline lash" on the ST. I think this contributes to the "lurch" many riders still experience after installing the FCE. When you throttle up, the drive line elements must all clash against each other. My rear tire (when in first gear on the centerstand) can be moved about 2" (total travel) forwards and backwards (as measured on the outer diameter of the tread). If you are hard on the throttle, snapping it quickly from a "full off" position, you will always experience a "lurch" that is attributable to the looseness of the drivetrain- essentially the engine spins up before it starts applying power to the wheel. As soon as the driveline catches up, it smacks the rear tire pretty good
The difference with the FCE installed is that you have the ABILITY to SMOOTHLY roll the throttle on and off. Before you were stuck with what was essentially a light switch. Once again- definitely worth the $'s and time to install the FCE.