Dyno Dialogue

• ABC H-D has a new, State of the Art Dyno Facility.
• Our Services include Authorized Power Commander Dyno Tuning.

Talk to our dyno technician every Thursday at boomers bike night. Located at Boomers ~ 6650 Highland Rd (M59) ~ Waterford, next to Oakland County Airport. Join us at the biggest bike night in Oakland County

DYNO INFORMATION:What You Need to Know About Dyno Service

• Why Should I Dyno My Bike?

  Many people think the only reason to dyno-tune your bike is to get peak horsepower and torque out of it. However, the main reason is to make a bike easier and more enjoyable to ride. We have all ridden or been around bikes that are not running at peak capability. Whether they hiccup and die, backfire or miss, any fuel injected bike that has not been dyno-tuned is most likely not running up to its full potential. The results you get from dyno-tuning might only be a couple horse power and torque more than before, but the way the bike runs will be so much smoother that you will not care if it is a one-horse or 10-horse gain. Dyno tuning your bike, in most cases, will also help it run cooler.
  Today’s Harleys utilize the newest technology in fuel injection rather than being carbureted. You can no longer use the “guesstimate” approach when tuning Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) and Mapping a bike. In order to dyno-tune a fuel injected bike it must be with a tuning device, such as a Screaming Eagle Pro Super Tuner or Power Commander by DynoJet. Without the aid of a dyno and air/fuel analyzer, tuning a motorcycle is like lobbing a hand grenade blindfolded – it’s a best guess and you hope it hits close enough to accomplish the goal.

• Exhaust and Air Breather Only?

  Changing pipes and air breather seems simple enough. However, fuel injection is serious business. A download truly is the minimal addition to a bike with Stage 1 upgrades – and truthfully, any bike with EFI. Through the use of a Dyno, equipped with an Air/Fuel Analyzer and Eddy Brake, the difference between a properly tuned bike and a reflashed bike is night and day. A “download reflash” works okay with some combinations, but more often than not, leaves the motorcycle running lean or rich.

• What Can I Do?

  If you want the bike to run right, these conditions can only be corrected using a programmable fuel management product. We recommend using the Screamin’ Eagle Super Tuner or DynoJet’s Power Commander to correctly adjust EFI equipped bikes. Through the use of these tuning devices, our trained technicians can have your motorcycle running the way it was meant to.

• What’s a Map?

  Dynamometers are useful in both the refinement and development of modern day engine technology. The concept is to use a dyno to measure and compare power transfer at different points on a vehicle, thus allowing the engine or drivetrain to be modified to get more efficient power transfer. Modern chassis dynamometers can do much more than display RPM, horsepower, and torque. With modern electronics and quick reacting, low inertia dyne systems, it is now possible to tune to best power and the smoothest runs, in realtime. This is done using a “Map.”
  A “map” consists of groups of tables containing fuel and spark timing data. There is also data pertaining to throttle position percentages and RPM ranges that the bike operates in. Some of the adjustments made are to the front and rear cylinder fuel and spark tables in order to make the bike run properly at the desired time and position. Maps are specific for each type bike, and then each bike’s engine or upgrade combination.

• What Else Can the Dyno Do?

  In addition to performance enhancements, the dyno is an incredible diagnostic tool. With the aid of the dyno, our technicians can get a snapshot of your motorcycle’s health to determine and repair many number of problems that may exist. Powertrain issues such as slipping clutch, worn or loose chains and sprockets, as well as wheel irregularities and tire slippage can be determined through the use of the dyno. In addition to these the inductive RPM Pick-Up can detect ignition misfires and other related problems.

• How Much Does it Cost?

  For EFI Tuning, the charges are set at a flat rate fee. Some bikes may be harder to tune than others and may take longer, so we set a standard price based on the average time to tune a bike. For diagnostic purposes, dyno time is based on our shop labor rate. Baseline runs, are a set price for three (3) dyno pulls. Often we offer discounted baseline runs with a performance evaluation to better provide our customers the understanding on how to make better performance. For more information, please contact our Service Department or email us at Service@ABCHarleyDavidson.com

• Super Tuner or Power Commander?

  SUPER TUNER: This product is sold by Harley-Davidson and uses a tuning “key” that get mated to the bike’s ECM. This mating is monogamous, can only be used on the motorcycle it is mated to, and is mated for life. If you sell the bike it goes with the bike, and you must buy another one for your new bike. The key acts as an interface between the tuning software on the computer and the bike’s ECM. The programming is done to the ECM and then the key is removed after tuning is done. It has numerous tuning features, which make if very versatile.
  POWER COMMANDER: This product is sold by DynoJet Research and is a hardware tuning device that is installed on the motorcycle. It plugs inline with the bikes ECM and the fuel injectors. In a nutshell, it bypasses the information sent from the ECM to the injectors and coil to adjust fuel and spark timing. Cost comparisons show that it is a bit cheaper that the Super Tuner, but requires additional labor time to install. Being that the Power Commander is a physical unit, there is also the potential for component failure.
  When looking at all 3 options, (Download, Power Commander, or Super Tuner) we consider the Download to be “GOOD” – the minimum requirement recommended; the Power Commander to be “BETTER” – as it is inline on the bike and has the chance for component failure; and the Super Tuner to be the “BEST” – as the Tuner Module is kept separate from the bike itself and allows a reflash at any time. All three options are available at our Dealership.