I know this topic keeps coming up over and over again. Can someone give me some info on pros and cons of the different Tuners available on the market. SERT, Power commander, Cobra... The list goes on.

 

Guy, there is so much info posted on this subject.... I don' know if you've browsed through the tuning/fuel injection areas of this board, but there is a plethora of information and opinions there.

There are full tuners, plug in modules, open loop tuners, closed loop tuners, auto-tuners..... it almost comes down to this:

What do you want to do? Plug and play? (as in plug it in and forget it)

or

Plug and play, where you are plugged into your bike, and play with maps?

 

I can help a little. The Screaming Eagle Race Tuner is married forever to your stock ECM and there will never be a divorce, so once installed that's your tuner. It has to be set up by a dealer or someone with the proper software and cables and dyno tested at the time of setup. Each change you make in the bikes performance or engine parts must be reprogramed and dyno tested again. The only way around the marriage is to put another ECM in the bike like the Zippers Thundermax. It is expensive but offers a new ECM and is self tuning after the initial set up and tune. It can be bought with an auto tune function so that (according to Zippers) it retunes itself every 400rpm. It does this by loging the info into the ECM and modifying the original map(to a degree). The Power Commander is more user friendly and comes (depending on where it is ordered from) with a map installed and can be modified by the user to enhance the original map. Guys also have changed their own maps to fit new performance enhancements. One of the local dealers stopped selling or installing the PC because (they said) it fools the bikes' ECM in order to change the AFR (air fuel ratio) and timing.
Anybody please correct me if I am wrong about these points.

 

I'll provide some pro info on the SERT type tuner, of which the TTS is one, since all that was posted was cons. First, yes it locks itself to your bike. However, this type of tuner works with the stock ECM, and does not fool it into doing anything else. Any type of tuner that has to stay plugged in, is fooling the ECM into functioning a certain way. SERT/TTS type of tuner retains the use of the O2 sensors. You have to purchase the separate, and just as expensive as the module you just bought, auto-tune function for the other tuners... if they offer it, to use O2 sensors.

Not 100% about the SERT, but the TTS has software to let you make 'tuning runs', that allow you to refine the map you are running... as many times as you like. Yeah, it's a good idea to get a dyno tune, to really dial the maps in, but it is not a requirement.

The rest of the tuners that have to stay plugged in? You have find a place to put them, and if you search on threads for the PCIII / V, you'll find lots of angst in dealing with that, unless you pull the battery and box.

 

Personally, the only ones I would consider is the TTS for directly accessing the ecm, the PCV as a piggyback unit and either the zippers or dtt replacement ecms. You aren't making a mistake with any of those. Which is best amoung those? It depends upon what you want.

 

What bike do you have? What changes have you done and do you plan to do? What is your comfort level with things mechanical? What is your comfort level with computers?

These questions will help determine which tuner is best for you. As mentioned before, there are a few 'safe bets' out there, but the above questions will help answer the big one.

Steve

 

I just ordered the PC V (upgraded PCIII) for my wife's Deluxe. We bought the bike used with V&H pipes and an HD SE air intake but seems to be chocking itself out. We are hoping that the PC V will open it up a bit and let the bike run a bit smoother with more low end (so it doesn't seem like its going to stall when starting out in first gear). Should have it in 2-3 days. It will come factory mapped for the bike's setup plus a USB cable if we want to plug it into the laptop and re-map it later.

The decision to go with the PC V from FuelMoto was a combination of researching posts on this site and talking with the FuelMoto sales reps.

 

This makes me nervous as I bought an efi race tuner from the dealer and had my bike tune. I have never seen it!!! I figured it was a plug in module that they hid well, Do dealers leave them on the bike? can they be left on the bike? If not I think im in trouble?

 

I like the V&H Fuel Pak. I have used them on my past 4 Harleys and they performed great. You can make changes anytime without the need of a computer or laptop.
It can also be removed anytime.

 

I'd check the receipt to see what kind of tuner they installed. It might have been just the 'download', but who knows. Once you know what they charged you for you can go from there.

Steve