Exhaust System Topics New and old exhaust system discussions. Fitment issues to sound bites and suggestions. Post them here.

Engine load

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 2, 2008 | 07:56 PM
  #1  
LilBudyWizer's Avatar
LilBudyWizer
Thread Starter
|
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 3
Default Engine load

What is it? I roughly understand what it is conceptually, but how is it measured?
 
Reply
Old Jun 3, 2008 | 01:50 PM
  #2  
LilBudyWizer's Avatar
LilBudyWizer
Thread Starter
|
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 3
Default RE: Engine load

Well, this was the wrong forum. I just thought engine load, engine forum, seems right when it's the ECU that provides the value. As near as I can tell it's the intake manifold pressure over the atmospheric pressure. I guess it uses the MAP sensor to get an atmospheric pressure reading prior to starting the bike.
 
Reply
Old Jun 3, 2008 | 03:12 PM
  #3  
lecomte38's Avatar
lecomte38
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 452
Likes: 2
From:
Default RE: Engine load

load is resistance to engine rotation. It is measured in horse power and torque. A engine reving up in neutral has "no load" on it.
 
Reply
Old Jun 4, 2008 | 02:43 AM
  #4  
LilBudyWizer's Avatar
LilBudyWizer
Thread Starter
|
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 3
Default RE: Engine load

That's what I was struggling with, i.e. how would the ECU know? It seems it doesn't, but rather it knows how much air and fuel is being sucked into the cylinder. Rather than how much work the engine is doing it's relatively how much power it's producing. At least that's my understanding from what I've been able to find.
 
Reply
Old Jun 4, 2008 | 07:01 AM
  #5  
geargrinder's Avatar
geargrinder
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,058
Likes: 6
From: Omaha Nebraska
Default RE: Engine load

The ECU knows how much load the engine hasby monitoring how much air is being consumed during the combustion process at a given RPM. Two different methods are used on a HD engine to allow the ECM to compute this mass of air, the TPS (throttle position sensor) monitors how far the throttle blades are open and/or, depending on year, the MAP (manifold absolute pressure) sensor monitors the vacuum in the intake manifold. With this and some other info, such as air temp, cyl head temp etc, the ECM computes how much fuel to inject and spark timing for the different engine loads. Today's car and truck ECUs do this with a MAF (mass airflow) sensor which is more accurate, but it not used on Harleys due to space limitations.
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Lunchboxx
Engine Mechanical Topics
5
Mar 2, 2023 10:37 PM
BobRR
General Harley Davidson Chat
50
Jul 13, 2019 09:07 AM
artsbest
Engine Mechanical Topics
10
Aug 16, 2018 10:55 PM
HDF Tech
Engine Mechanical Topics
0
Aug 2, 2005 06:13 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:26 AM.

story-0
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-1
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-3
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-4
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-5
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-6
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE
story-9
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider

Slideshow: Graeme Billington's left-hand-drive Shovelhead is as much about problem-solving as it is about classic Harley form.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2025-12-30 11:27:08


VIEW MORE