has anyone used it? tips, tricks? how many data collections are needed? does it change more than AFR (e.g., timing, etc)?

as the weather is becoming warmer here in central NY, the riding fever is setting in and I want to get things rolling. I thiought i would bring this up as there doesnt seem to be much discussion on this smart tune feature.

 

I have just recently used it. Lots to learn.
Be patient. Read all material several times before trying.
I took 3 test runs. Partial throttle, full throttle and cruising. I will take more later, I would like to see what the tables look like with 2 up.
As far as I can tell it just changed to AFR and VE tables.

When you see the difference between the original calibration and the adjusted one you may be suprised. If you do a search I have posted numbers.

 

Rumor has it that the table values shown on the screen are not what actually gets programed into the map. The SEST uses some magic that frustrate the better tuners, ones that think they know what the values should be set to, not some whacky software program. Should be fine for you, if you look at these as relative values, not absolute.

 

do you use the same base map for each data recording and then after 5-6 collections generate a new map...or do you generate a new map after the 1st data recording, and use the "new map" as a new base to record data, and so on...

 

I used the same base map (1) for data gathering and then made a new map (2) based on data gathered for "smart tune". I then adjusted some numbers that were hightlighted in red and loaded those changes into the map (3) that was changed from data gathered.

1 is base calibration.
2 is smart tune calibration.
3 is adjusted smart tune calibration.

It all seems a little confusing at first but once you get into it, it will click.

 

I don't get it? That rumor doesn't sound right or logical.

Numbers may be different from one brand tuner to the next. It just doesn't sound logical that the SE software would trick you with magic. I can see a dyno tuner not agreeing with the "smart tune" adjusted numbers. But to say the numbers are false.

 

Not saying the numbers are false, just that you are often not getting the adjustment that you thought you made. When you look at the thing carefully, there are a lot of things about the SEST that are strange, not logical, and most pros would rather not deal with the quirks. And there is no one at HD that really knows it or how it works. You ask them a simple question and they can't answer... just want to sell more of them. The thing just does weird stuff, and there is little or no factory technical support. All this is probably a don't care for the average Joe. You know that HD even had to include SESTs into the phase upgrade packages or few would be sold to the wary consumer. There is certainly some marketing glitz but smart independents throw them out and substitute the TTS kit. It just ticks off the pros that the thing accept their input, but ignores them in practice, as if that range of adjustments is locked out. Perhaps a safety or legal thing, I dunno. Really weird.