Thundermax Tuner
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 192
Likes: 1
From: NC
I do not yet have one but plan to have it installed after the 1st of the year. My local indy races bikes and swears that this is the only tuner to use. They will actually install, program and reprogram as necessary for a bit less than the price I have seen listed online.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,133
Likes: 125
From: Japan
Have had one on my bike since Spring 2009. It's awesome. Bike runs like a dream with T-Max dialed in.
Some downsides to be aware of:
1. Some experience speedometer shutdown from time to time. It's been a couple months since it's happened to me, but when it happens I lose speedometer, odometer (freezes), and auto-cancel for turn signals. You remedy this by shutting down the bike and re-initializing the ECM.
2. You will lose your distance-to-empty meter permanently.
3. The user interface is not exactly user-friendly or intuitive. There is quite a learning curve.
To my knowledge there are no software updates, as of yet, to fix 1 & 2.
With regards to 3, there are tutorials on the Internet and some very knowledgeable people here, who will help you out. There are also indies, who can program it for you. Once it's dialed in, however, you will probably never have to mess with it again, unless you do a major engine mod or build.
Some people can live with the above, including me, because we love the way the TM makes our bikes run and these things are just minor annoyances.
Some downsides to be aware of:
1. Some experience speedometer shutdown from time to time. It's been a couple months since it's happened to me, but when it happens I lose speedometer, odometer (freezes), and auto-cancel for turn signals. You remedy this by shutting down the bike and re-initializing the ECM.
2. You will lose your distance-to-empty meter permanently.
3. The user interface is not exactly user-friendly or intuitive. There is quite a learning curve.
To my knowledge there are no software updates, as of yet, to fix 1 & 2.
With regards to 3, there are tutorials on the Internet and some very knowledgeable people here, who will help you out. There are also indies, who can program it for you. Once it's dialed in, however, you will probably never have to mess with it again, unless you do a major engine mod or build.
Some people can live with the above, including me, because we love the way the TM makes our bikes run and these things are just minor annoyances.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,179
Likes: 0
From: Great Falls, Va.
Have had one on my bike since Spring 2009. It's awesome. Bike runs like a dream with T-Max dialed in.
Some downsides to be aware of:
1. Some experience speedometer shutdown from time to time. It's been a couple months since it's happened to me, but when it happens I lose speedometer, odometer (freezes), and auto-cancel for turn signals. You remedy this by shutting down the bike and re-initializing the ECM.
2. You will lose your distance-to-empty meter permanently.
3. The user interface is not exactly user-friendly or intuitive. There is quite a learning curve.
To my knowledge there are no software updates, as of yet, to fix 1 & 2.
With regards to 3, there are tutorials on the Internet and some very knowledgeable people here, who will help you out. There are also indies, who can program it for you. Once it's dialed in, however, you will probably never have to mess with it again, unless you do a major engine mod or build.
Some people can live with the above, including me, because we love the way the TM makes our bikes run and these things are just minor annoyances.
Some downsides to be aware of:
1. Some experience speedometer shutdown from time to time. It's been a couple months since it's happened to me, but when it happens I lose speedometer, odometer (freezes), and auto-cancel for turn signals. You remedy this by shutting down the bike and re-initializing the ECM.
2. You will lose your distance-to-empty meter permanently.
3. The user interface is not exactly user-friendly or intuitive. There is quite a learning curve.
To my knowledge there are no software updates, as of yet, to fix 1 & 2.
With regards to 3, there are tutorials on the Internet and some very knowledgeable people here, who will help you out. There are also indies, who can program it for you. Once it's dialed in, however, you will probably never have to mess with it again, unless you do a major engine mod or build.
Some people can live with the above, including me, because we love the way the TM makes our bikes run and these things are just minor annoyances.
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Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: Bismarck, ND
As I'm now installing a big bore kit and new cams, I've been trying my best to learn about the different tuners out there. I do have a screamin eagle pro super tuner right now which is a very good tuner. However, what I have been finding is that is it not always easy to find a good tuning person who can write a good map for your specific set up and get it flashed to the bike. My local Harley dealer just installs a canned map. That is not what I want for my bike. The indy that is doing my upgrades can use the SEST but he is obviously more comfortable with the software on the Power Commander V and will program that one quite a bit cheaper. So for now, I'm letting him install that and get me set up on the dyno. I've considered the Thundermax as well but had a friend buy one in Stugis and the installer set it up so poorly it barely made it back to Bismarck. Once here we got it set up on a dyno and got it tuned properly. My main point is that no matter what tuner you go with, you need a good tuning man. Over the winter months I hope to explore both my SEST and my Power Commander V so I can better control more of my destiny so to speak. It's interesting and fun, but there are way too many different opinions out there on what is best that's for sure.