power commanders

this may end up being a dead thread but hey, i'm looking for info and others may benefit.

as we all know, i have an '03 Honda Fireblade 954. i changed the air filter and the end can.

now apparantly (i'm going on good info here) my bikes ECU will recognise the changes through the sensors but will not be able to re-map its self. hence the need for a Power Commander. what i didn't know was that the stock ECU will infact put the bike in "limp home" mode and not run the bike properly.

this may damage the motor if run like this for extended period of time.

i have found "cheaper" Power Commanders on Ebay but they are imports from dodgy dealers getting around the registered suppliers. these are apparantly Canadian units that won't work in an Australian bike due to fuel blends and octane levels.


so my question is, has anyone fitted a power commander found that the bike was that much better once fitted. or has someone had problems with motor damage from not fitting one

i suppose i'm asking Jeffcoslacker and Dealsgap since they have more mechanical and racing knowledge but anyone with info would be appreciated before i do something dumb.

Good question and I'm sorry I have no good answers, just some general thoughts...MC EFI systems aren't something I've had a chance to deal with in the real world yet...

I can tell you that every computer controlled vehicle I've ever dealt with will indicate when it is in open loop (limp) operation when fully warmed up by triggering a warning light (Check Engine, etc)...that is the prompt to have the system checked. I can't see Honda allowing a potentially damaging situation to continue on one of their motors without giving warning...

When you turn the ignition on at first and it's running self diagnostic (roll call)...looking to see if the sensors and warning systems are active) does it display some kind of "check engine" or "service" light? If it does, but it goes out when you start the engine, then the ECM is apparently able to cope with the new parameters. If there is no such light, then it would be hard to know for sure....

Anyway, as far as cars go, limp mode is not dangerous to the motor per se, because it is supplying a fuel mixture that falls right down the middle of the parameters that the ECM had seen in normal operation under various conditions....not sure if MC systems are that sophisticated though...but in cars the main concern is catalyst damage and ecessive emissions from a potentially over-rich setting when open loop is allowed to continue.

All I can think of right off the bat if it were mine and I was concerned would be that I'd unplug the temp sensor, which will force open-loop operation, and see if it runs differently (or sets off a warning light), which would prove that it was in fact operating normally before...

Power commanders on bikes work similarly to a reprogrammed PCM on a car. They remap fuel metering, timing and rev limiters, as well as injector on-time, and sensor signal recognition. A shady one may damage your engine by making it ignore important signals like from a knock sensor. The good ones have new programming that shifts the rev limiter safely up the RPM band, and enrichen the fuel mixture for more power (factory OEM calibrations are still a compromise between ultimate performance and low emissions). My Aunt has a Fuel injected Fatboy, and her reprogrammed ECU made a marked improvement in performance (although her Fuel injected bike still isn't as quick as my 01 carbureted model, :grinno: ). My suggestion is to buy a quality unit from a reputable manufacturer calibrated for your particular bike, as cheaping out here could damage it. Always remember, sometimes cheap is cheap, and buyer beware!!

I was trying to think if bikes have a knock sensor...I can't think of one (that I've seen) that incorporates one...I was actually thinking about that while typing my response.

My conclusion (may be wrong) is that bike motors, with the tranny case incorporated in the engine casting, may just be too "noisy" for it to work correctly...there is so much meaningless gear backlash, clutch basket and jackshaft rattle in the typical bike motor, all of which I would think might be interpreted as detonation, unless the sensor was very highly tuned and/or isolated somehow...

I agree Jeff. I was speaking more generally, as I wasn't sure what a bike's ECU would use to monitor high cylinder pressures or pre-ignition either. It's been my experience that using a cheapo recalibrator for any vehicle is a recipe for disaster. I was using the knock sensor reference more as an example of what could go awry.

I understood that...I was just thinking out loud...:iceslolan

Well stop it, I have enough voices in my head, I don't need your's too!!!! :lol:

i should have been more clear on the "cheap" part.

i'm only looking at Dynojet Power Commander 111 USB.

some are coming into the country through canada and have no dynojet warranty when sold outside their country of original sale.

my workshop today checked the price with the supplier and explained the situation on pricing.

they came back with a genuine unit with full warranty, programmed to suit my mods and an O2 sensor for under 600 bucks. about $65 more than a dodgy canadian unit.

so i've gone that option and when i get time/cash off to get it properly mapped on a dyno

Now you're talking aussie, sounds like you did your homework and I'm sure you'll be much happier with the results.

i got the power commander on thursday last week and sat in my gym carpark reading the instructions. if its hard, gym first bike later. all the instructions said was unbolt seat, unplug Fi and put back together. simple huh. :nono:
:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

not when the FI plugs have to be released on two sides using different direction release tabs, the fuel rail is above the plugs and the cables are all tioght as a tioger.:swear: . 2 hrs later and the tank off with the fairings on the ground, i'm still looking for an oxygen sensor.... somewhere....

finally got the shits and put it back together and started it without the O2 sensor disconnected. no probs.

it was raining but i still test rode and wasn't overly impressed.

today i hooked up my laptop to the PCIII and found that the "map" loaded for my bike was............drumroll........ dudah.......stock settings.

no bloody wonder it felt the same.

uploaded a real map and.............:eek2:

oh yeah:evillol: