05-03-2014, 09:33 AM
(05-03-2014, 08:18 AM)The Spaceman_imp Wrote: So a Power Commander and a dyno-tune is the better choice if you think you need more power. Unless you ride an FZ8.Not at all; for the benefit of those who want to make some meaningful performance and rideability changes in accord with 21st century digital engine control management, I say again, the first place to start is the ECU. If you CB1100 owners, or owners of any motorcycle that can be reflashed, want to increase performance substantially across the board -- without buying a pipe, gutting the cat, or any of those deprecated 19th century modifications -- you reflash. Then you work outward from there.
(Power Commanders are also somewhat, if not entirely, deprecated with the advent of complete ECU tuning.)
A dyno run is always in order no matter how you tune your bike, but it's much more effective to tune using the ECU than a Power Commander. Stock dyno charts are available for a lot of bikes, and thus vendors like Guhls can have on hand an instant reflash package for those bikes.
One thing we need to understand is that the ECU allows everything -- every last minute parameter that controls the engine -- to be adjusted. A partial list would be ignition timing curves per gear (unique curve for each gear); engine braking; air/fuel ratio across the board; rev limiter ceiling; and top speed limit, which can be completely removed or adjusted to some other value.
A Power Commander cannot adjust anything but the air/fuel ratio, although they do have some very expensive add-ons that can make some adjustments to timing. That's about it.
My write-up on the FZ8 was submitted to confirm what CIP57 stated, and is completely analogous to his experience. As both of us also mentioned, for casual riders, tourers, city cruising, etcetera -- that is, riding where aggressive throttle and brakes aren't often required or desired -- we can take a pass on the reflash.
I would also deign to comment that for those unfamiliar with this process, don't knock it until you've tried it.
I get the fact that some folks are from Missouri (that's the "Show-Me" state, reputed to be full of skeptics, for you all who are not familiar with the "Missouri Mule") but even a Missouri Mule will accept something once they've been shown how it works.