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How can you tell if your ECU was really flashed?

Discussion in 'Motorcycle Tech Talk' started by RocketCityRider, Jan 20, 2005.

  1. RocketCityRider

    RocketCityRider New Member

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    Location:
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    '05 Softail - Drag Pipes/SE Air Filter/PCIII

    After laying into it the other day trying to keep up with my Dad, I could feel I still had good pull when I bumped up against the rev limiter. So I decided to have the stage 1 flash done. After that, I downloaded the appropriate PC map. Now when I try to give it a lot of quick throttle it just drowns out like it's way to rich. I suspect the map is way off, although the other 3 maps I've had on the bike have been really good. It got me wondering if the dealer really did the ECU flash. Does anyone know how to verify? The bike ran pretty good after I put the drag pipes on with the 'stock ecu' map before the dealer supposedly flashed the ECU.
  2. CD

    CD Guest

    Rocket, the combo you have may be more of the problem than the Stage I flash and the map you are using. '05 Softail - Drag Pipes=Reversion /SE Air Filter/PCIII. What brand and style Drag pipe? What maps are you using?

    Drag pipes are notorious for reversion and this hurts power in the midrange and can cause large swings in the fuel mixture from way lean to way rich in a very short RPM range. The maps you are using may be going way rich right where you are experiencing the bog. You might have to alter the map and the fuel curve a slight amount at a time to get the bog out.

    The best solution short of changing to a better pipe is to have it run on a dyno to get the mapping as close as possible.

    The only way to know what is loaded in the ECU is via a scanalyzer.

    Also, the TC88B is a counter balanced motor and those weights don't like seeing the 6k RPM range too often. I would set the RPM limiter to 5600-5800 MAX just in case of a missed shift. Bad and nasty things happen to B motors when over revved.

    The other thing to look at is your power curve. With our tractor motors, RPM does not equal more power. In fact the power is well on the downward slope after 4000-4500 RPM and only those engines specifically set up with high RPM cams will continue to have an increasing power curve above 5k. Most people do not realize that in order to get max acceleration you need to know where you are making the power and keep the engine in that RPM range so acceleration is strong as possible. If you take two bikes prepared the same and two riders weighing about the same and one knows where the power band is strongest and the other just wrings it out and shifts I can pretty much guarantee you who will win everytime.
  3. wmiconi

    wmiconi New Member

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    Thanks for the last thread about the re map. I am going to rethink what hop ups to my 88b. Torque is the only way to go with these new counter balanced engines. Maybe a big bore to help keep the rpm's down.
  4. RocketCityRider

    RocketCityRider New Member

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    Hello CD,
    Thanks for the response. I'm running Vance & Hines Drag Pipes with baffles (ordered from DP over the Christmas break). The map I'm running is M805-154 downloaded from the Power Commander website and couple of nights ago.
    I've read the other posts on reversion and the tech articles regarding drag pipes. I was more than willing to give up a little power to achieve the look and sound I was after. However, the way my bike is acting is crazy. The bog is pretty extreme.
    I'm trying to get an appointment for this weekend to have the bike dyno'ed and a custom map built. Do you think I should install some of the power cones before having a custom map built? Just in case they can't tune everything out (what has been your experience?).
    BTW, that's good info on the balanced motors not liking the higher RPM's. I had not heard that before.
    Thanks again for sharing your experience!

    -RCR

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