My understanding of the BCM is it is basically the fuse block of the bike. I have had one go out and they arent cheap. Has anyone ever done away with it and rewired one? I would like to keep my EFI but ditch the BCm.

 

The BCM is a little more than a fuse block......

It's basically the computer control for a bunch of bike's systems...

This is from a post by Steve Cole, president of TTS, and former ECM guru for the MoCo...

"In very general terms the BCM is the master control of the motorcycle systems. If the BCM tells the ECM to limit power or shut the fuel system down it will. That said, there is a lot of interaction that goes on between the ABS, ECM, Instruments, Radio, Handle Bar controls and BCM."

I don't think it would be possible to replace it with a fuse block...

 

You want to remove the BCM because one fuse went out? Do you want to remove all of your lights if a bulb blows?

A bit extreme, wouldn't you say?

 

Duh…I hate my PC. I want to replace it with a pen and pencil. How do I do that?

 

I think what you guys are missing is if your pc goes out how do you fix it. No I am not trying to change because a fuse went out. BCM $650,Speedo $450, ECM $650, Left controls $300. If 1 thing goes down on that system you are stranded. Your motorcycle will just say nope... Nothing mechanically wrong with me just you cant signal left or honk the horn. Lights worked, finger replaces turn signal. But instead your forced to sit there with a thumb in your butt praying that clearing the code from inside your trip/aux switch allows your bike to turn back on. Or even in my case where my PV2 cant get past it because the 2 aren't talking because the again the turn signal doesn't work at the switch, not even something you need for a rode test and a class M. I still have my efi but I don't need 1 piece to rule all of those components. I know this bike in and out but unless I buy their super scanner which still wont allow an override I'm stuck. Its the K.I.S.S theory guys.

 

I'd like to be rude and a keyboard warrior too but my hands are too oily fixing rubs bikes.

 

You need a 60's era bike. No way to have what one gets with these new bikes without all the aforementioned items. Using your K.I.S.S. acronym, best to get an old school bike then.

 

But I really like my EFI tuning. And that is this winters plan. I built the top end of this bike and destroyed its bottom end 18 miles later. I like learning, and it is expensive but the amount of things I can pull off on the side of the road with a small tool box is a good skill. I took the air cleaner large allen bolt out with a Kbar a few weeks ago, didnt see that coming but Hoorah.

 

Sounds like you want your cake and eat it too. If you're that concerned just buy a spare.

 

I don't recall you saying the year/model of your bike... but it appears you have a full-on CanBus/BCM bike... That is the top of line technology for the HD EFI bikes. The HD EFI bikes weren't always as "high tech"... (I put high tech in quotations, because many would laugh at my statement that HD offers any high tech bikes)

There is going to be a small overlap between the old school fix-on-the-side-of-the-road-bikes, and ones with EFI..

I would stay away from the early HDs with the Magneti-Marelli EFI system. It was fine in its day, but has become hard to get parts for, and those who really understand it are dwindling.

From the introduction of the Delphi EFI in 2001 on softails, and the rest of the models in 2002.. things have gotten more complex as the years went by...

You may be able to find a good balance between old school and EFI, with an early twin cam and the Delphi EFI system... Any bike with an ECM will not be as easy to fix on the side of the road. You certainly won't be able to use a gum wrapper to fix your points, but that's the price you must pay for the luxury of EFI...

The EFI went with O2 sensors in 2007, and the Canbus/BCM system in softails in 2011 and touring bikes in 2014..

I also know that around 2004 or 2005, the speedometers became a little more complex in how they were integrated into the ECM... but those advances also brought about an easier retrieval of DTC codes...

The most complicated things on these early bikes is marrying the TSM or TSSM to the ECM.... and that can be a pain without one of the special tools that do what the HD dealer's Digital Tec can do, but it is doable by the consumer...

So for a softail, if you bought a 2001-2003 EFI bike, you would have the simplest blend of good EFI, and less ECM complexity.. (2002/2003 for a touring bike). There would be no O2 sensors, no ABS, no Canbus system, no BCM, and minimal integration between other systems... Outside the EFI and its sensors, and that pesky ECM to TSM/TSSM interface, mostly just wires, switches, fuses, relays, and connectors.

I have a 2003 Heritage with EFI. My PV tuner allows me to flash, see, and adjust the tune. But I had to buy a DynoJet Auto Tune Pro module, and an exhaust with 18mm exhaust bungs, to do any auto tuning or data logging.

The rest of the bike is pretty basic. Slightly more complex than my old shovel heads, but not by a ton...

To me it sounds like Harley did make an EFI bike you may like, but it's certainly not the one you have....

Good luck with your repairs, or the decision to change to an older bike...