Have an 03 SERK . . . not sure which way to go, PCV Retro or Screamin Eagle Race Tuner?

What is the difference?

Taking advice before I buy: which would be better?

Reason? I bought my bike used a year ago . . . with 3700 miles . . . love it. First owner put V&H pipes on . . . but seems about all . . . seems to have not remapped the bike when he did . . . have some popping when revving down and only getting about 26 mpg . . .

I am thinking of putting a heavy breather on . . . so rather than just pay for a one off remap, time for a tuner . . . probably.

I want to be able to tweak it myself some without getting into carrying a laptop on the bike to record things . . . just some garage tweaking.

So . . . ideas?

 

Well, the heavy breather is a bit excessive. That's mainly if you like the looks. Few have a build that would see a performance boost from that over the SE high flow ac.

Which is better comes down to what features you like best. Just as an example you can switch maps on the PCV on the road. So you can ride to sturgis fueled for economy and once you get there switch to a map that sounds good, feels good, tis good. If you're use to dinking around with a carb and miss the days of old the PCV is the closest you'll find to that on an EFI bike. Properly tuning a bike takes a dyno, both can do that fine and the PCV is cheaper. If you're not tuning it then it don't make much differance. The single biggest benefit to me of the SERT/SEST is the ability to read the ECM performance data, but, I believe, the PCV does that now too.

Personally I would go TTS over the SERT if it's available for your model year. TTS is who wrote the SERT so the TTS unit is basically the evolution of the software without the constraints placed by Harley. Harley has competing interests. They are to be commended since they are about the only one in the automotive field that gives any access, but they are not a software company.

The bigger issue to me is the that 26 mpg. Professionally tuning your bike is the right choice and that means on a dyno rather than guessing games. You like are in need of repairs, perhaps a leaking injector. If you try tuning that on a dyno that's going to become apparent. So they'll need to stop, do the repairs and restart. If they go ahead and tune it in need of repairs the tune is worseless as soon as you do the repairs. So you need to resolve that problem first. I assume 26 mpg is city, not highway. Personally, that's a problem city, but if that's highway you really have a problem. Not that it is necessarily expensive to repair, but you're chewing through a whole lot of gas.

 

A couple of footnotes:

The PC can be unplugged on the road and the OEM ECM plugged in and you can get home. Same with the Thundermax but it's more expensive than the PC. You can't do that with the SERT.

The SERT, probably the best system after the TTS, marries to the bike's VIN and your stuck with it. The SERT reprgrams the ECM so should a problem develop on the road, the ride is over. The SERT is not the most user friendly of the available systems but in the hands of a qualified tuner, will probably get those last couple of foot pounds of TQ that you may not able to get with one of the other systems, with the exception of the TTS.

I have one EFI bike and one carbed. I run the SERT on the EFI bike and I understand there is, or will be, an upgrade for the SERT to "convert" it to the TTS. The previous poster pointed out that the SERT developers also developed the TTS. I haven't followed up on that rumor so it is unconfirmed.

It's a tough choice but if I was doing it again, I would probably go the TTS route.

Don't do the heavy breather with the expectation of improving performance over the SE air cleaner but if it's the cool factor you are after, it's the answer.

 

No matter what you will end up either loading a canned map or having it dyno tuned. IMHO (and I did this myself), I would first look for an older SERT on ebay that is still in the packaging (it is married to the ECM the first time it is used so beware on ebay). I bought one for 150 bucks and it 6 years old but still in original package. Then I would take it and have it tuned. Option two (again IMHO), I would go with a power commander and have it tuned. Both of these will be much less money than buying a current tuner (TTS or SESPT-if it works for an 03...) and then having it tuned.

In regards to tweaking it yourself, you will need to get a way to sniff the exhaust without using your nose. So I am not sure how you plan to tweak it without damaging something.

 

You can do some tweaking. You can't calibrate the fueling without a sniffer, but you can certainly change the fueling. You can't seek the max torque advance without putting it on a dyno, but you can eliminate knocking. You can certainly experiment as a learning experience even if you just leave it where it was when you're done.