The Dynamometer (Dyno) is
probably one of the most useful tools at a racer's disposal...
but if you are not a professional racer, do you really need it?
I don't think I will ever
understand these new age
Harley riders and their obsession with horsepower.
I do understand that some people have a "Need
for Speed" but that thirst
needs to be quenched on the race track or drag strip, not the public roads
and highways where you will more than likely get me, my family and
yourself killed because of your "Hot
Dogging" out on the city
streets.
Even if you do have an uncontrollable need to ride like an idiot, a Harley
is the absolutely WRONG bike to do it on. Why does
everyone continually want to buy the heaviest bike in the motorcycle
world, with the most antique pushrod motor design on the market... and
then spend thousands of dollars to try to make it go fast?
"...I just want
better performance!"
(Buy a Ducati)
The "Performance issue" can be a very touchy subject with most
technicians because "performance" is a relative term, many people have very different views on what they think performance is.
One person
might believe that performance is all about the numbers. These are usually your "Dyno Shootout" guys with more money than brains. He who has they highest horsepower/torque numbers on their dyno sheet wins,
they are often new bike owners and they rarely ever really open the throttle, you usually see them on the street riding at 45MPH in 6th gear (with a teddy bear tied on the back of the sissy bar).
Another person
might believe only in "Seat of your pants" performance, or how the horsepower/torque actually feels on the street when they "drop the hammer". These guys are the ones that blow past you doing 85MPH in a 40PMH zone, riding like an idiot, after a few years you find that their bike is a beaten to death piece of junk parked along side of the garage because now they just want to do wheel stands with their monster truck.
Yet another person
might believe that performance is all about efficiency, getting the best air/fuel mixture, the best performance configuration that
balances good horsepower/torque with minimal wear and tear to the motor or bike. Quite often these guys are riders, they put a lot of miles on their bikes and know it's all
about the ride, not the bike.
Everyone should know that there is a (sort of) scale with performance on one side and reliability/longevity on the other side, if you increase one side - you usually lower the other side.
There are many different components and configurations that can greatly increase horsepower/torque on a Harley, the one
component that ties it all up and either makes it all work very well or not work well at all is
EXHAUST!
Because many people are on a Harley for many different reasons, exhaust choice always causes problems.
Most (in general) good performance exhausts look and sound terrible - and most good looking, good sounding exhausts don't perform worth a shit! Rinehart Exhausts are a perfect example.
Rinehart True Duals are probably one of the nicest looking
exhaust systems out there for the late model Baggers, They open up the transmission area and give the bike a very clean look. They also sound great. They do not perform well on the dyno, quite often there will be a rear cylinder air/fuel spike around 2000-2800 RPM. I have many customers that have invested thousands of dollars in motor work but can't part with the True Duals, it hurt their performance and they could feel it on the street and see it on the dyno sheet.
Rinehart also makes a 2-into-1 system that performs very well on the dyno and it looks and sounds horrible!
I (personally) like the results of the V&H
ProPipe, it's a 2-into-1 system that performs very well on the dyno, and doesn't look nearly as hidious as most 2-into-1 systems and doesn't sound to bad either, although on the baggers you do have to deal with the look of only one muffler, on the right side.
The Dyno does not make
horsepower!
H-D downloads, Race Tuners, Power Commanders, Fuel Packs or any
other of these kind of programs or components do not make horsepower!
(but they can be used to better control engine temperatures)
Engine performance components such as high flow air cleaners, heads,
exhaust, performance cams and throttle bodies or carburetors, stroker
kits, big bore kits, high compression pistons... These are the kind of
things that make horsepower. The use of fuel programs and the Dyno is only
necessary to tune these components to optimum air/fuel mixtures.
There is no need for most of
these modifications on a street bike.
Street Applications
If you want better than stock performance and throttle response along with
many miles of enjoyment on your Harley-Davidson, I recommend a SE or
K&N style air filter, you choice of free flowing exhaust and the
factory Stage 1 download.
This is the best bang for the buck
Just a regular H-D download will be between $150-$200 (depending on your
dealer) and tha't a lot cheaper than any of the systems listed below.
If you think you need more power than that on the street, then I have just
2 words for you...
Jenny
Craig
...or you probably
just need to leave your FAT ole lady at home
Race Tuners, Power
Commanders and Fuel Packs
The Screaming Eagle
Race Tuner allows direct access
to the ECM program. It is, in affect, creating custom calibrations (maps)
for specific combinations (just like H-D's downloads only tunable). The Race Tuner
does, however include many SE calibrations in the map files to select
from. These can then be modified or a completely new file created if the
combination does not match the calibrations part description.
Race Tuner provides a
much higher level of tuning than any other device. Each cylinder's fuel and ignition mapping
can be independently
tuned, resulting in a custom map that decreases the possibility of one
cylinder fighting or holding back the other.
This means better use of
horsepower with smoother drivability. In addition, warm up enrichment,
idle speeds, rev limits, injector pulse width can be changed. To help in
tuning or diagnostics, the Race Tuner also features a data mode to collect
and review sensor inputs or other data. Both of these can only be tuned
accurately by using a Computer controlled dynamometer with real time
air/fuel ratio monitoring.
The Race Tuner software is downloaded into your bike's ECM through the
tuner module and then the module is disconnected from the bike leaving
only the software program in your bike's ECM, no hardware remains on the
motorcycle.
NOTE: If you do not "Dyno
Tune" this system, you will have the same calibration as you would
have with the regular H-D Download.
The
Power Commander by Dynojet, modifies injector pulse width, ignition timing,
front/rear cylinder fuel percent offset and acceleration fuel enrichment as a “piggy-backed”
device that plugs into the factory ECM harness. No splicing is required,
it does not make permanent changes to the ECM and removal returns the bike
to its previous configuration.
The power commander is a hardware item that contains downloadable
software, that is easier to tune on the dyno but unfortunately the
hardware (module) tends to go bad after about 3 or 4 years.
NOTE: If you do not
"Dyno Tune" this system, God knows what calibration you will
have.
The Fuelpack
by Vance & Hines is also another "Piggy-back" fuel
management system designed to allow the rider to alter his air/fuel ratio,
but you have to call V&H and they will FAX you the setting that they
have decided is right for your bike and they offer no assistance for the
dyno tech as to how to adjust the settings for dyno tuning.
This is also a hardware component attached to your bike and they don't
hold up very long either.
NOTE: If you do
"Dyno Tune" this system, God & you knows what calibration
you will have, but you can't adjust it anyway.
Any and all fuel mixture adjustment
systems can hurt your performance and your motor if not properly dyno tuned. Dyno Tuning these system allow the air/fuel to be "dialed in" at any RPM, under any load.
