Hey folks

Dazed and confused - please HELP!

I just bought a used '05 Ultra with K&N air filter, D&D Fatcats and the SERT tuner. It was used by its owner in Colarado Springs at an elevation of 6,000 ft. I live in Las Vegas at around 1,700 ft.

I have been reading different threads about tuning using SERT until my mind has turned to mush! Joe Minton says that all stock H-D maps run 10% too lean in the 15% - 40% throttle setting, but run rich in the upper throttle settings. Some people posting have said to throw out the stock H-D map because they are garbage. I have seen other people take the stock H-D SERT map and then wholescale change the 14.5 AFR numbers down to 13.5 or so, but leave the other numbers intact. I have seen some people with heavily modified maps say that the bike runs great but they their mileage is crap. I have seen other people say that their bike was dynoed at a flatline 13.5 AFR, whatever that all means... I have seen yet other people say, "don't screw aound - just get it dynoed!". The problem is, I don't know of a good dyno tuner in my area except the Harley shops, which as I understand, are duty bound to run lean maps for EPA purposes.

I figure that the 2-into-1 Fatcats will have the effect of flowing more air i.e. make it run a little lean. But the thinner air of 1,700 ft above sea level will tend to richen up the AFR a little. For all those experts out there, if I take the standard SERT map for a Stage 1 engine, and then richen it up by 10% across the board in the 10 - 40% throttle range, will that give me good results, or is it more complicated???!!!

 

IMHO it's more complicated than that. I'm in the same predicament as you with the availability of dynos. The only one functioning right now within 100 miles of me (an HD dealer) will only do PC3's. Someone with more knowledge than me will be along soon with a better "seat of the pants" tuninginfo for you.

 

I just went and got my 06 RK dynoed and drove 260mi round trip to a good tuner which is a HD dealer by the way. We installed the sert and made a new map,taken about 2 and a half hours but got my numbers back up. I would drive or ride 300mi one way for a good tuner. Any small changes I make now I will use my laptop but always save your changes if you do it yourself on the laptop. Find a good tuner and get the bike tuned and base lined than you can learn the sert and its capabilities with a laptop. My 2 cents.

 

I agree with this post, if the owner'a of newHDsaregoing to modify thier bikes, be prepared to travel to get it tuned right.For obvious reasons there is a severe shortage in the HD world of good, knowledgeable, experianced dyno tuners, tuners that takes years of heavy dyno tuning to be one. You can't depend on someonewho was a basic wrencher, send him to a tuning seminar and now he thinks that he is an expert. The experts don't usually have the time or interest to sit an monitor forums and if they do, are more apt to realize that answers are not so simple, throwing base maps or more fuel isnot theright solution. WhatEFI HD riders are going to have to learn is that a good tune is more important then the mods and they are not inexpensive.

 

Good post and dialogue. Would appreciate comments from Shovelhead BoB and One Screamin Eagle.
I have come to the realization that the three shops around me do not have the technical skill level I am looking for. I'm going to Latus HD in Oregon which is only a short 5 hour hop once the bike is broken in!