Tuning up the tuner

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Sep 10, 2022 | 01:28 AM

#11

Brew61

Cruiser

Joined: Apr 2014

Posts: 235

Likes: 76

From: Surrey, British Columbia . Canada

I have been running a ThunderMax for a number of years now. The map I am running now is one I made up and then fined tuned to run just the way I like it to. I have found over the years that the maps you can down load on their site are set up for Max HP and Max RPM. Thats fine if you plan on riding your bike at full throttle all the time.

My map runs smooth through all the rpm ranges and gets good fuel milage and the bike runs great in town as well as on the Hwy. I find that most of the maps just dump a ton a fuel in and Timing cranked right up to get that max power at full throttle. The problem with that is crappy fuel milage and once you load your bike down and ride two up you get pinging at times when hitting the throttle hard. Also when riding in town in traffic in the heat you get over heating and pinging when getting to hot.

Once you start learning how the ThunderMax works and how to make the adjustments and you tinker with it you can get your bike set up pretty nice. There are a few YouTube videos out there that can help and explain how to make certain adjustments. I downloaded a ton of maps with set-ups similar to mine and studied them just to see how they were set-up. There are some tunes out there for trikes as well. They give you an idea how they set those tunes up for a heavier bike. Just remember before you make changes save your map so you can always go back to it if the changes don't work out.

Bruce

Sep 10, 2022 | 09:42 AM

#12

hattitude

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Sep 2008

Posts: 14,156

Likes: 11,247

From: San Diego, CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfixit1

Well Sir,, you are correct. I did get the Tuner from Fuel Moto. Thought my mods. were fairly simple and with all the rave reviews I recon I expected a better/not perfect Map out of the box. As the rig I bought has the auto tune I knew it would learn and make adjustments over time. I live in an area with a wide variety of roads, some rolling highway, some interstate, lots of curvy, hilly back roads and a fair amount of what makes the Dragon's Tail look tame. So I knew it would take some time to adjust for all those varying road conditions. I had stopped by the my Indie shop, which is more of a hang out for me since I've been doing my own wrenching as it was along the route for my first trip out to see how the tuner was going to work and get in some road time to let it start making adjustments. He looked over the work I had done over these last many months and was , ,,well I'm not sure impressed is the correct term but happy to see what I had done worked out as well as it did. He is a dealer for Zippers and knew they had an inexpensive part that would cut out that decel pop and not impede the auto tune. He thought he had one laying around but couldn't find it. When I returned home, I pulled up their web site. and found the part at less than 5.00 BUT over 30.00 to ship. I had sent them an email ONLY asking if they might send it usps at a lesser rate of shipping cost. I was not given instruction to nor was my intent to seek a different Map, all of that came about as I was just asking for a little break in the shipping cost. It was more like asking Santa for a new pair of socks and getting a new pair of shoes to go along with the socks to replace the ones that had holes after 19 years of wear and darning the holes closed had not held up well. That is the reason I "Pleaded the 5th" and did not bring up Fuel Moto in my observation of the difference the Zippers Map made. I was just stating my experience of Zippers going above and beyond with out even being asked anything about a different MAP and the fact I had not purchased the tuner from them either. I was just trying to share my experience and not disparage a well thought of company. But since you did ask,,, that is the story. It may be for a variety of reasons the Zip Map worked better, they do make the 511 cams and I did leave a message on the FM Sticky Thread re 103 cam shoot-out and never got a response. I was told by all that commented on my statement re; that fact, that FM was a very busy place and likely wasn't able to respond to my question so I was a little disappointed but understood that and when I said decel pop. it wasn't just now and then, it was constant. So,, again,, was not trying to knock FM by bringing them into my experience. I do have a question for you as well. As I have not purchased a tuner before I knew it would have needed a Base MAP loaded my question is do they hook the o2 sensors up and test run before shipping it out? I guess they do, the sensors came with what appeared to be anti- seize on the threads and light brownish color on the sensor tips. I guess that would be a "Best Practice" method to verify all parts were working properly. Anyway,,, again just trying to share my experience while not Poo-Pooing a well thought of company. Hope that answer is what you were looking for as Hattitude and a few others have been very helpful with my first dive into the deep end of this project.

Thanks for sharing your experience.. I was curious as to why you went to Zippers to fix it... I have nothing against Zippers, and good to know they give good service too.. Pretty sure if you had been a little patient with FuelMoto and taken the time to send them a data log with an explanation of the issue, they would have straightened it out too...

In any case, glad you got it all worked out...!!

As to the map question, as far as I know, the maps are made during a dyno tune on a bike with the same mods as yours.... so it is "kind of" tested when it is made. It is then cataloged and sent out when needed... I can't see the need, or how they could test each map before sending it out... If you're talking about testing the ThundrMax, not sure that's done either on an individual basis...

I have no idea about the condition of your O2 sensors when you received them. I would call them if I had a question about their condition...

Enjoy the good running bike...!

Sep 10, 2022 | 11:09 AM

#13

dfixit1

Thread Starter

Tourer

Joined: Aug 2021

Posts: 449

Likes: 197

From: NC Mountains

Quote:

Originally Posted by hattitude

Thanks for the input and all the help, All of this just happened so fast I'm sure FM would have worked to smooth out the Map. I had only contacted Zippers about a shipping charge that was 6x what the part in question cost. I had no idea they would send a Map espically since I did not buy it from them it just showed up in my email after they asked questions about the bike, engine and mods.. Funny thing, rode out yesterday cause the rains were coming and I really feel the need to break in the new tires espically for slick road conditions on these curvy roads. Stopped by my Indie shop and chatted a bit about what had transpired. The Pop-stopper mentioned is in effect basically an Automobile engine freeze plug with a smaller hole center drilled for the left side to prevent air from being sucked in causing the decel pop as most of the exhaust flows out the right side with my 2 in to 2 stock set up. I measured my old pipe left side where the slipon attaches that I replaced with the good used set I bought that had the o2 ports already in place, I got 19/32 ID which is apparently a freeze plug size sold from NAPA etc. So far so good but if that annoying pop reares it's ugly head again while my Map adjusts and changes, this will be an easy stop gap measure.

Nov 13, 2022 | 03:16 PM

#14

dfixit1

Thread Starter

Tourer

Joined: Aug 2021

Posts: 449

Likes: 197

From: NC Mountains

Quote:

Originally Posted by hattitude

A little follow up from the Mountain.
Just remember, I didn't go to Zippers to resolve tuner questions. I was trying to get a shipping price for an inexpensive part down to something reasonable. Zippers CS initiated the conversation re; what bike, mods, etc. and just sent the MAP. I guess either map being close would have been fine to start with so that's not a problem and have auto tune take over, which it has. That was the decel pop issue and later finding out even adjustments in the program would likely not have done much if any good with my stock header pipe configuration. I had contacted FM with 1 quick question re; not starting as fast after tuner was installed. I believe at that time I had not had many if any miles for enough corrections to take place. So, for 1 simple question which I now see could have been answered in a 2 min. call or email response. I haven't counted the days but that contact to them on their site support and a follow up call to them the next day, I was told I was in the que for a response. Seemed reasonable, That was Sept. 21st. 2022 and to date, no call back, email or contact in any form or fashion. Since you have done some business with them I might ask, what has become over 6 weeks now with no contact. Does that seem reasonable?
Over these weeks I have tinkered a wee bit in the program. I raised the Cranking Fuel some and Initial Pulse a little. Bike fires up 1st poke at the button cold start so I answered my own question. As to sending data. When changes to the map are done by me or auto tune and written to the module I get a question in dialog box {Do I want to send data now}. Apparently answering YES, has it going straight to the MFG. ThunderMax. They review and contact me within a day or if its a weekend then by the next business day.
I still have no clue why FM has not reached out in response and I'm not one to worry the S--T out of a business and become their Top Problem Child.
If you have any input on FM I'm sure open to try and figure out WTF. They did get full payment so that can't be an issue?
On a brighter note. A couple weeks ago South Arts asked my Sweetheart and another artist to meet with for dinner, do a short performance and speak to a Phlianthropic Board about what their support means to artists in Traditional Music helping them have places and venues to perform, teaching younger folks, sharing and promoting this part of The Culture. At our table we sat with, lets just say a higher up in a certain church in San Diego. We talked on several topics which devolved into bikes and his time racing sprint cars as a younger man.
As Sheila has sent in paperwork to attend the Alaska folk festival next year, he said if we could make it down that way he would open up the Rectory for a performance. Seems they do some of that.
Maybe we'll be in your neck of the woods next summer, I'd like to get a closer look at your, all but Top Fuel Bagger.
Thanks again for all the help over this last year. Without that input I'd likely have the pinion gear attached to the top cam and still trying to figure out why I was running in reverse.