Disclaimer: I am no expert on the matter and sorry for the long post. Questions at the bottom.

My story.

2017 883 converted to a 1202, stage 1, TTS tuner, all dealer installed, dealer I bought the bike from, but their dyno guy is a small independent they contract out to. I watched him dyno my bike and he was (clueless) not familiar with TTS software. The bike had a lot of decel popping, which he could not eliminate but the bike pulled hard and his dyno showed 79 torque / 78 HP.

I rode the bike for a little bit and contacted TTS after I couldn't stand the popping anymore. He replied that one Harley dealer near me, not where I bought the bike, buys a lot of TTS tuners, so I went there. This dealer dynos in-house and their guy just tunes bikes all day.

Dealer #2 tuned the bike for me and came back with 76 torque / 75 HP. That obviously could just be a difference of machines but the bike did pull slightly harder after the first dyno and it wasn't just my imagination. Dr also said that dealer #1 used the wrong map for my bike. They used a map for a 1202 with 1202 gearing, whereas mine is a 1202 with 883 gears.

Questions:


Would there be a noticeable performance difference or benefit tuning your bike elsewhere vs at a HD dealership?

Does my bike feel slightly slower now because of the different map?

Could the difference be that Harley dealers still have to meet environmental requirements even tuning after the initial sale? I am in Canada but our dealers probably still follow US rules.

Cheers

 

Is it a HD 1200 upgrade? The numbers seem a bit on the low side from other 1200 upgrades I've read about here.

 

Yes, 1202 Screaming Eagle kit, 4" round intake, V&H Big Radius.

 

Change the exhaust. Those big radius pipes are terrible for performance. A 2 into 1 will be big improvement.

 

I like the way they look and sound too much but thanks.

 

In reference to your first question only, despite the Harley Consent Order [see below] being negotiated with the U.S. EPA, my understanding is that ALL Harley dealers have been compelled to comply. Therefore, I believe you stand to get a better "tune" from an indie rather than a Harley dealer who has compulsory restrictions.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production...avidson-cd.pdf

 

The difference in a tune shouldn't be based on whether it's a dealer or not. It should be done at a shop with a dyno guy that is familiar with the type of FI management system you are using.

 

Sorry to break it to you, but, decal popping is normal in a performance motor (barring an exhaust leak or poor AFR tune), particularly with those type of pipes (it is there in stock exhaust, just muffled out), to remove it you must detune the bike, even then some combos can never get completely rid of it. Not sure what you think is too much, but I like the amount I get with my short shots. So live with the decal pop and the better performance or the detune.

The gearing should be irrelevant, I wouldn't use the 2nd guy at all.

 

This isn't exactly correct. Decel pop isn't any more "normal" in a performance motor than it is in a stock engine, and even with a quiet stock exhaust system, it can be caused (and heard) by something as simple as an air cleaner change. With that said, decel pop can usually be attenuated or eliminated simply by playing with the decel AFRs by either leaning them out or enriching them slightly, depending on the particular engine and state of tune. This will not affect the overall performance in the least if done properly, except for possibly dropping the fuel economy slightly in the event that the decel maps are enriched.

I do agree that there are combinations that make it difficult to totally eliminate the pop. They just aren't as common as we are led to think.

 

You are still detuning the bike to a degree, the tuner manufacturers all agree on this. Yes, some combinations you can remove it by advanced programming on some combinations, usually by cutting off the fuel and sometimes adding fuel IIRC, at certain times.

But, yes it is normal in a performance motor and a stock engine, I stated normal, not necessary. Under normal circumstances and none of the previously mentioned problems are causing it, it does no harm.

But, don't take my word on this....https://tech.bareasschoppers.com/exh...ses-solutions/ and there is a nice rundown on things to check.