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V & H FP3 VERSUS Cobra Fi 2000 Powrpro

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Old May 12, 2015 | 11:47 AM
  #1  
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Default V & H FP3 VERSUS Cobra Fi 2000 Powrpro

Hi guys , trying to figure out which is the best tuner for me. Very very basic tech knowledge for me . I want to be able to put it on the bike and leave it on . I want to have auto tune running all the time .
Anyway I was looking at the RevZilla site , the V & H has about 96 reviews and the cobra has ZERO .
One review for V &H has my bike an orion 2014 , and put on an Arlen Ness stage 1 , and short shots siad it was fantastic .
The cobra has mixed reviews when i read the other sites about it . but is says that it will run non stop and any upgrades to the bike will get factored in .
Problem how does the cobra factor in when it has no memory ???

So for a dummy ( me ) who wants to set and forget , which would you choose ?
Thanks Michael.
 
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Old May 12, 2015 | 12:43 PM
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Originally Posted by MikeLaPlaya
...which would you choose ?
Thanks Michael.
Neither.
 
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Old May 12, 2015 | 12:48 PM
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ah , thanks Pine Tree , any particular reason ? if you would not choose either , what would you do ? if i have modified the air flow. I would need to retune ...reading Terry's post about tuning EFI ...the nearest dynotune is about 120 Kms away ..and i doubt whether they have ever done a dyno on a harley before ..
One guy here without a dyno , but he was a fuel injection specialist in gp2 can advise me , but the same he has never worked on bikes,
 
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Old May 12, 2015 | 01:04 PM
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Mike,

I do not have the Cobra but I will say that the reviews on it within various forums doesn't have me really wanting one either. There are quite a few respected folks out there who discuss some fairly serious faults with how the system works.

I will say that for the non-tech person the FP3 is pretty darn easy (and only one connector vs. multiple on the Cobra ). So long as you have a blue tooth enabled Android or Iphone you will be fine. There are certainly detractors from it as well, but most who have one can and will tell you that it has been a great update to their bikes and regardless of what anyone (with no actual time on the unit) might say, this is a fully functional flash tuner that should you ever decide to put the bike on the dyno can be utilized for tuning, albeit not as easily as a TTS or PV2.

It's a nice, and reasonably priced unit that's incredibly easy to use, it stores up to 6 maps, can be autotuned, and has outstanding customer service (you can email them directly via the app).

One note, you would not autotune continually with a tuner. You would run some sessions to populate your map and then save and ride. You can leave the FP3 on the bike full time should you desire.

Good luck, tons of reading out there, some will make your head spin.
 
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Old May 12, 2015 | 06:13 PM
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Originally Posted by MikeLaPlaya
ah , thanks Pine Tree , any particular reason ? if you would not choose either...
Neither are tuners. And being someone that knows a little about tuning, I would not consider any unit that does not provide me access to the various tuning tables especially the VE tables. Until the VE's are correct, there's really no sense in adjusting any of the others.

Originally Posted by MikeLaPlaya
...if i have modified the air flow. I would need to retune...
That depends on what's modified. If nothing more then an air filter change, then I'd say no, there's no need to re-tune.

There's a big misconception that using an air cleaner that flows 2, 3, or even 10 times the capability of the engine will magically cause the engine to flow that much too! Nothing can be further from the truth.

So, unless you've significantly modified everything beyond the air cleaner including intake, heads, cylinders, cams, and exhaust, generally no need to re-tune.

With modern-day systems, there's about 25 to 30 different tables and parameters that should be reviewed and adjusted to properly tune a motor. To do that requires a rather complex set of programs and access to the bike's ECM.

Proper tuning is like being fitted for a pair of shoes...while the width is important so is the size. Get one of those too far off and you'll have an unhappy owner.
 
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Old May 13, 2015 | 07:59 AM
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Thanks guys for your information ..i am only going to change the air and exhaust at this stage . Did like how some guys said the tuner helped the motor run a bit cooler , normal riding temp here is mid to high 30's Celsius . Yesterday was over 40 C .
will keep on reading and see what i can learn about VE tables etc ..
Guess I will have to get the guy from GP2 to explain it all to me .He should know a think or two about tuning as that was his job .
 
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Old May 13, 2015 | 05:31 PM
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There are A LOT of threads dealing with the FP3. I think it comes down to what you ultimately want to do with your bike. If you are just going to do a stage one and maybe cams at a later date then the FP3 would be a good choice. If you think you wan to go to a stage 4, then not so much.
I am not going to go past a stage 1 so an FP3 will be all I will need.
 
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Old May 14, 2015 | 06:20 AM
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Originally Posted by Pine Tree
Neither are tuners. And being someone that knows a little about tuning, I would not consider any unit that does not provide me access to the various tuning tables especially the VE tables. Until the VE's are correct, there's really no sense in adjusting any of the others.



That depends on what's modified. If nothing more then an air filter change, then I'd say no, there's no need to re-tune.

There's a big misconception that using an air cleaner that flows 2, 3, or even 10 times the capability of the engine will magically cause the engine to flow that much too! Nothing can be further from the truth.

So, unless you've significantly modified everything beyond the air cleaner including intake, heads, cylinders, cams, and exhaust, generally no need to re-tune.

With modern-day systems, there's about 25 to 30 different tables and parameters that should be reviewed and adjusted to properly tune a motor. To do that requires a rather complex set of programs and access to the bike's ECM.

Proper tuning is like being fitted for a pair of shoes...while the width is important so is the size. Get one of those too far off and you'll have an unhappy owner.
To be fair, the FP3 does give you access to all the tables that the others offer including VE, AFR, Spark, etc
 
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Old May 14, 2015 | 08:50 AM
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thanks Robbyville and pine tree , all good points . I am on a very step learning curve about EFI and what all the tables mean . But to put in perspective , on a road trip i can be at sea level to start and 3 hours later so high that my fingers are tingling from lack of oxygen . If i am suffering i am sure the bike is as well . Road trips for me, are with huge changes in temp and pressure . To be honest I am very nervious about changing any VE tables and values . I would like to be able to change it to run cooler at sea level and a bit more power in the mountains . So basically i need to make 2 maps , one sea level and one for mountains and high altitude .
Next year i might go the hammer route for a 1250 upgrade , i love the size of a sporty , a big cruiser here is not worth it for me . to many small and bad roads .
Going for new air filters , that are washable , buying 2 so i can change them every month .
I have way to much decel pop .
So thanks for your advice , my decision is for a FP 3 ( with advice from an expert car tuner ) new air filters and maybe a full upgrade at the end of the year or early next year .
A girl friend is cheaper than a Harley .
 
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Old May 14, 2015 | 11:09 AM
  #10  
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Good luck!

And remember you don't need to be playing with tables, the tuner will do that for you once you download the right map for your bike (or close, then you can auto tune if desired).

Regarding two maps for altitude, I could be wrong but I don't believe that to be necessary, that's the joy of Fuel Injection the ECM will adapt for altitude. But again I could be wrong
 
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