If a dealer upgrades a bike to a 103" or whatever, they use SERT to program for the changes, who's SERT is it and who takes possesion of the program, dealer or bike ownerthat actuallypaid for it? Has any precedent been established?

Maybe this should be agreed to up front with dealer before work is done.

 

The SERT and program belong to you. The dealer might want to keep a copy of your program for easy upgrades but you paid for it. Make sure you get everything before you leave with your bike.

 

Thanks for the reply, a friend showed up with an '05'RK that he just purchased used from a HD dealer. It is a stage I, 95 incher with no piggyback, so we assume that it was SERT programmed by this dealer. He did not get the program so we will try to track it down.

 

I thought that also. Dealer in my area says the program belongs to them.
Will not give up a copy. Told them they need to stick that in their a$$.

 

There is a tricky subject. Powercommander has a "get tune" feature that enables anyone with a computer to see your tune and save it if they want. No "get tune" feature exists with SERT and I think this is one of its biggest drawbacks. I know guys who use laptops which are never connected to the internet and never connected to a printer meaning their tune information is theirs. I have been told you paid to have a bike tuned not for a tune to be passed around. I don't think it a big deal to release tune info as every bike will tune a little different anyway. The problem here is if you have to retune later due to say a mild component change, the next guy does not have your base tune to work off of (assuming the one you have is good) to work off of and must start the tune from a new base tune. SERT has more capabilities than PCIII without question but PCIII has more tunes available and is easier to work with. If you have your bike dyno'd at a shop using Dynojets "Tuning Link" your end result is basically as good as a SERT tune. I have seen back to back runs on bikes switching from PC III to SERT and the lines follow each other. My other problems with SERT are cost (Direct Link does the same thing cheaper) and in the rare event of ECM failure you SERT key is dead. I know of several occassions where HD would not release a new key to the owner of a failed ECM. I really do not understand why a get tune feature is not available on SERT, but as it is not. You should have an understanding with your tuner upfront as to whether or not you get a "copy". Some tuners will refuse to do SERT's rather than release their tune information.Others don't care. Make sure you find out first.

 

To the original poster,

The SERT is one way of programming a new map into the ECM. With a generic 95" build they may have used a Download.A Download is a one time install of a generic MAP to the EMC and does not require a SERT to install. It is possible this is what you have.

As mentioned, with a SERT there is no way to get the currently installed MAP from the ECM. But when you hook up a SERT to the ECM it should display the part # of the download or currently installed MAP if it was a generic MAP off the CD. Also you shouldn't need to "GET" the current tune as you should already have the MAP that is loaded in the ECM if you had it tuned with your SERT. If it was a download that was installed, that MAP is on the SERT CD as well.

If you have your bike Dyno tuned using the "Tuning Link" software with no additional tweaking, the bike isn't tuned as good as it could be. The Tuning Link software is not as good as a good tuner.

The Direct link is not the same as a SERT. The Key is cheaper but you don't get the software to tune with, only the Key for your bike. The Direct Link software is about $700 and also requires a Key to use. If you lose your ECM that has been tuned with Direct Link, the Direct Link Key should nopt work on your new ECM, just like the SERT.

I would NEVER use a tuner that will not supply the custom "tuned" MAP that you paid for.

 

It is most likely in his friends case that the previous owner only purchased a download from the dealer. As I understand this is a one time, one shot generic map selected to "match as closely as possible" the components and increased cc's of the bikes modifications. In this case there in noting transferrable and the new bike owner gets the advantage of the generic map download, but has nothing to "take with him". The download is cheeper than the SERT (around $ 100 - $ 150 for download vs. $ 400 - $ 450 for SERT), but next time hesubstancally changes components, he has to pay the pied piper again to load a new map closer to his new modifications. As a newby.. someone please correct me if I'm wrong, I don't want to mislead anyone.

 

Geargrinder,

My response to your question is as my dealer put it to me. I own the SERT for as long as I own the ECM or the ECM is still alive. Everytime I want to make a change to the SERT (I own) it will cost me $100.00. Now there is no way to see that the change I made or the original SERT is near perfect withour running it on a Dyno (Another $200.00-$300.00 in tuning). Hence the reason for going with the PC III for now. If HD was to make the SERT more open architecture or a least reflash a new ECM if the old one fried, I would give more consideration to the SERT.

 

Travelingman.... I presume that the ONLY reason you pay $100 each time you use the SERT is because you have the HD Shop do the adjustments for you. If you use it yourself on your own PC you pay nothing. It is true that IF the ECM fails, you will have to purchase another SERT, since the old SERT was "locked" to the fried ECM. As I understand the first time the SERT Tuner module is connected to the bikes SERT, and establishes communications, it burns the ECM's ID Code into the module, and forever after will not work or be able to establish communications with any other ECM. Again gang let me know if this is incorrect.
FUN

 

Where did you get this????

"It is true that IF the ECM fails, you will have to purchase another SERT, since the old SERT was "locked" to the fried ECM. As I understand the first time the SERT Tuner module is connected to the bikes SERT, and establishes communications, it burns the ECM's ID Code into the module, and forever after will not work or be able to establish communications with any other ECM."

If the ECM fails, due to something OTHER THAN Improper tuneing (Faulty Internal Grounds, Bad memory, short to ground), the MoCo WILL replace the ECM and provide a new SERT Key.....

As far as not being able to work with another ECM, that is crap... You can only TUNE 1 ECM with it, but you can Data Log, ECM Diagnose, View/Clear DTC's on ANY HD M/C with a Data Link.....



GearGrinder... Before you go off, validate that the bike has a SERT, and not an ECM Flash.....

SERT and ECM Flashes are 2 COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ANIMALS........