I bought the TTS Mastertune last year when I did my Stage 1 and had the bike Dyno'd. The bike ran nice with that upgrade. I don't care to go back to the local tuner here in Costa Mesa, because they scratched up my bike and left it with a slight exhaust leak. Careless mechanics. I asked for the finished map from the tuner, but never got it.

Anyway, since then...I recently installed Andrews 21n cams, along with the hydraulic cam plate upgrade. No issues. The bike runs about the same, throttle wise. My bike is a 2002 Heritage. 88" motor.

Just a couple of questions to start....

Should I tune further?
I do 99% of the work on my bikes myself. I'd like to learn the TTS and hopefully get quality results, as opposed to shelling out another $400. I will have to buy the cables and a Windows laptop. I figure I can get one cheap and be in for less than another Dyno, while learning along the way. I'll only be running the 1 program, on it.

I have the Black J-1850 TTS module. Can the map that is currently installed on my bike be found on the module?
Or will I have to pick a base map and start over?

Thanks, I appreciate your replies!

 

You will NOT like this answer... you will NOT be able to DIY self tune with your TTS, or any other 'flash' based tuner. Your bike is simply too old to add O2 sensors to. If the bike was an 05 or 06? We could tell you how to add these sensors. Any of the flash tuners on the market, like your TTS, the PV or the SEPST ALL not only need oxygen sensors installed in the pipes, but also needs an ECM that can handle those O2s. 2002 ECM will not suport you installing O2 sensors.

O2 sensors are at the heart of almost ALL tuning. One needs a way, one way or another, to sample the exhaust to see what fuel is being outputted and adjust accordingly. If... big if... your previous tuner sold you the TTS (I would have done so, too), then he would have also had to use a wide band set up to see all of the fuel values and then adjust the TTS to suit things. Tuning like this is a time killer for sure, to dial things in correctly.

Soooooo..... what options do you have? You have three as I see things.

1) Have a different dyno shop do another tune. I would recommend a tune due to the cam change. Those 21s will really like to have a bit different timing. THAT will make you 'feel' the cams a teenie bit better, my friend. Go north to Hayward and RC Cycles (Bob) can tune you right up with no real issues. Bob has been tuning forever and is a very good dyno tuner. He would love to use that TTS along with old time sniffing to tune it right in.

2) Buy A TMax tuner for your bike. This will run you close to $750 from Fuelmoto to do, but you will weld bungs into your pipes and then be able to do tuning yourself. I know this price sucks, too. But this option would be the 'easiest' way for you to DIY tune.

3) the last option, as I see it is to buy what is called a Twin Scan Plus Kit made by Daytona Twin Tech. (DTT). This kit is like $600+, and what it is is a wide band sniffing kit with logging ability. With a little trial and error, you will be able to transfer the changes suggested by the DTT to the tables inside of the TTS.

ANother option for you would be to ditch the TTS, and go with an add on tuner. I like PC5 and one is available for $320 from Fuel moto and you would want to also have the wide band tuning AT100 kit for another #350.

I am a HUGE fan of TTS, but what I would recommend you do is search the web for the best price on a TMax, buy it and install it. $750 from Fuelmoto sounds like a decent price to me, BWTFDIK. TMax is a simple kind of tuner. It would be easiest for you to quickly understand, too.

On 07up bikes, I NEVER recommend a TMax, because once the O2s showed up on bikes, the flash tuners are like 100% better. But for older bikes, I DO recommend the TMax.

Whatever you do, I would leave things alone before I ever would install a "Fuel Pak, or any type of add on tuner, except for possibly a PC5.

I know this blows. TTS is such a good tuner, too. I feel it is the absolute best going. But with your year of Softail, there really is no way to use this and not be attached to a dyno shop. I own a dyno shop, too... and I still recommend this over continuous tunes at $400 a pop.

 

Wurk Truk

First, Thanks so much for the informative answer!

Ironically, I just read a post about not being able to Vtune in open loop... in the TTS sticky. I started to realize where i was at........now I know for sure!

I guess the good thing is that the bungs are already welded into my head pipes.

So in reality, the cheapest option IS another Dyno. Haha! Maybe Ill have to reconsider the dyno tuner.

I don't see any more motor upgrades in the near future. Next would be a Big Bore and ported heads, but thats a ways off.

Well, Ill look into the TMax, If thats a good option for me. One question...can I add the TMax to the bike with the existing flashed tune?

Great advice!
Thanks Again!

 

Hey Truk (or anyone else who might jump in),

Can't you use the twin scan in conjunction with MyTune software to produce a good tune? I think this would significantly reduce trial and error time involved in Option 3 above.

Last I heard there was some issue with the number of rows or columns matching up in one or more of the tables, but it seems like that would be a pretty easy fix in Microsoft Excel. (I could put something together if it hasn't already been done).

I haven't used the (MyTune) software myself, but it sounds like an interesting possible option 4.

Twin Scan - $600
MyTune (commercial) - $199.99

I think this is an interesting option to the T-Max. I know nothing about the T-Max software and will leave the comparison to the experts here. What I do know, is that there are a lot of tuners that use Twin Scan with MyTune. Your results won't be as good as they would be on a dyno, but I'm betting they'll be pretty darn good for 85% of your daily riding. JMHO.

Edit: It looks like you have to buy the commercial version of the software ($199.99) to use the twin scan for tuning.

 

If it was me I'd take Truks advice and go with the RC Cycles option. You would have a top notch tune and be done with it. My two cents.

 

On second thought, a good tuner trumps anything you can do yourself. Unless you plan on adding more upgrades on a regular basis (each time requiring a new tune), I'd go with the RC Cycles route too.

 

At that price, you are much better off going with the Tmax.

I had one for years on my 2005, then I was given a 2006 Delphi ECM, added narrowband o2's and used the TTS V-Tune...but with a 2002, that really is not a viable option.

Bob at RC Cycles has a known track record for providing excellent tunes. For the money, that is the best option IMO, unless you plan to continue to make performance upgrades? Then Tmax.


To answer your question on the Tmax using your existing tune...no. Tmax is a complete ECM replacement. It is a very nice solution, even for the money! It supports Wideband O2's and auto tune (tunes as you ride). The Tmax is an Alpha-N system versus Delphi, which is a Speed Density system. Two totally different animals.

 

Thanks Fellas

Dozer40 "If it was me I'd take Truks advice and go with the RC Cycles option. You would have a top notch tune and be done with it. My two cents."

Couldn't agree more! And..... Ive been strongly considering it, but RC Cycles in Haywood is 400+ miles from me, here in Orange County. Im thinking I'd need at least 1 over night stay, to make that work. That add to the bill.

Maybe theres a recommended tuner closer to my local??

I googled and come up with a couple other shops. Just don't know anything about their reputation.

I did find the TMax for $688 on the Net. Maybe thats an option.

CraigB1960
"To answer your question on the Tmax using your existing tune...no. Tmax is a complete ECM replacement. It is a very nice solution, even for the money! It supports Wideband O2's and auto tune (tunes as you ride). The Tmax is an Alpha-N system versus Delphi, which is a Speed Density system. Two totally different animals."

After looking into it, I do see that the TMax IS a replacement ECM. So thanks for that info! Didn't know anything about them before.

I'll keep feeling around an come up with a resolution. Thanks for all the insight!!

 

ihate cats, I think there is still a non commercial version of My Tune. And yes, I, myself, use MY Tune with a Twin Scan.

To the OP, I myself went to Herko's shop in Indiana before I got involved in this tuning stuff. That was a trip down with a bike on a trailer, drive home. Fly back on my buddies plane and rode it home.

For quality tunes? There are not that many folks I feel are truly decent at tuning. There are so many dyno operators out there, that finding an actual tuner is hard.

If it were me? I would go see Bob and get a tune. a motel would simply be part of the cost. If you wish to try a TMax or use the TTS and buy a Twin Scan, we, here on HDF, will help you out, OK?

 

sjbodie...what better reason for a road trip?