Fuel Moto was fortunate enough to be able to test and evaluate the new soon to be released Zippers Thundermax with Auto Tune for 2008-2010 drive by wire Touring models. As you know this product has been in development for some time, but if you have an understanding of control systems developing a complete ECM including reverse engineering it to work with the stock harness and all of the other components and functions is no easy task. The final result is an excellent product.



There are many new updates to the new Thundermax. A welcome change is a standard USB connector for linking up to the Smartlink software, gone is the RS-232 DIN connector as used on other models. The new Thundermax also now has the ECM and Auto Tune modules integrated into one unit. There is less wiring and the harnesses for the Bosch Wideband sensors now plugs directly into the side of the Thundermax unit and is secured by 2 screws. The O2 harness wires are very durable and are silicone covered for protection from heat and the elements. The Thundermax unit itself is contained in a very nicely CNC machined case and is very durable.



Install is very straight forward. You basically start by removing the ECM fuse, unplug and remove the stock ECM and replace it with the Thundermax unit, replace the stock nb sensors with the included Bosch LSU 4.2 sensors, plug in the O2 harness, re-install the ecm fuse and the install is complete. Unlike the earlier models, you do not need to initialize the unit as there is no IAC. For the software you will simply run the included CD and once loaded run the updater and it will automatically look for any new updates and will give you the option od downloading them. This will keep your software and calibration list up to date. Before connecting to the software for the first time you will need to install the driver which is very straight forward. Once linked up the Smartlink software will check the unit for firmware and upgrades and if needed download them. The software itself is for the most part just like the earlier Smartlink with several updates and is very straight forward and easy to use. You have full control of the fuel, ignition, AFR tables, as well as many other utilities such as idle RPM, rev limiter, decel fuel, speedo calibration, and others.



We got the Thundermax installed on our 2010 bike in about a half hour. Started the bike and put it up on the dyno for some testing. We went thru the gears and tested several different features in the unit. Our bike currently has a Rinehart true dual exhaust and stage 1 air cleaner and there was a Thundermax calibration for this exact setup. I was very impressed at the accuracy of this calibration, I spent the better part of an hour on the dyno reading the wideband from the dyno as well as both Thundermax O2 sensors in the Smartlink software all of which are in real time. There were some areas where the Thundermax made some changes, others where the calibration was right on. The unit adapted to changes very quickly and very accurately. I even purposely richened and leaned and map to see how the Auto Tune would react and it very quickly correct them to the target AFR. In all, the new Thundermax is an impressive unit and will be another great option for those looking for a very flexible product.

This is a screenshot I took while running the bike on the dyno, note the accuracy of the AFR. The target AFR and the actual front and rear AFR are within three hundreths of a point.

 

Thanks for the info! It's taking them a long time to bring this to market and I'm sure there will be lots of T-Max lovers who can't wait. I have been running one on my '07 for 25,000 miles.

 

I have been watching to see when they would release the unit for 2008 and up. Looks very interesting.

 

How does this unit compare with the PCV? Is it different, better or just doing the same thing?

 

The PC-V with Auto Tune and Thundermax units are very different, however both are excellent tuning products and feature Bosch Wideband sensors for real time tuning. The main difference is the Thundermax is a complete replacement ECM while the PC-V is a piggyback product that works in conjunction with the stock ECM.

 

Will they offer this upgraded unit to the non-DWB bikes??

 

This is a new evolution of the Thundermax specifically for drive by wire models. I do not have info if and when they will be updating the other Thundermax supported models. They did recently release a very good Smartlink update for these models.

 

I'm on the waiting list for one of these. I wonder how it will improve my bike's performance. This past summer I rode up from sea level to Mt. Evans in CO (14,130 feet) and my 103" w/SE Air Intake and V&H Monster Ovals never skipped a beat while others (Honda ST and Kawaski) stumbled. So what I'm looking for is the broad band and to make adjustments which will give me lower idle rpm; better low end torque; less lean run (run cooler) and better mileage. Will the ThunderMax do the trick?

 

I'm wondering if the original ECM will work with the BOSCH sensors, should an emergency warranty friendly switch be required ?

 

With a properly tuned bike you will see the benefits you are looking for. I cannot say any of these tuning products will give you increased fuel mileage, as in most cases we are correcting a lean running condition.