What's Re-mapping?

We get  a lot of people asking us what a Power Commander is, and how we map the unit when we put it on, if it stays on the bike, does it do anything to the stock ecu, is another unit better than the PC etc? We've also had people telling us that other bike shops and "self confessed experts" on bike forums had told them how we map their bikes, how we fit them, what it will do for your bike and why you shouldn't bother or why another unit is better which has been totally wrong, so this page can be of service to them also for informing their customers and/or shutting their mouths on forums when they simply just don't know.

First up, the Power commander works inline with your ecu and the injectors. (for PCIII and later). They do NOT do anything to your standard ecu. Rather, they take the signal that the stock ecu is sending to the injectors and either add to or remove fuel from that signal after the air/fuel ratio is measured on the dyno when we map the PC. The PC stays on the bike (mostly in the rear cowl) as it is the PC we actually map, not your ecu. This means that if you remove the PC? You are back to standard, simple as that.  The blatant crap that certain companies go on with about Dynojet dyno's not being eddy current dyno's, reading high, mapping for air/fuel and not for power and the like is not only based on ancient information and products, it's just downright laughable that they aren't up to date with what is happening in the market today. But anyway let's get on with it shall we?

Standard bikes (and with a pipe or system) are generally on the rich side at cruising speeds etc but vary between rich and lean throughout the map. Bikes will be leaner where emissions are tested and richer everywhere else in general. Different bikes respond differently to the mods done to them, even with the same model bike and the same mod which is why it is always best to have your bike mapped on the dyno instead of using a map from someone else's bike with the same mods. 

Even a standard bike will benefit from re-mapping. We did AMCN's CBR600RR with the stock muffler and in their long term magazine report they wrote that it was much smoother everywhere, used less fuel and made more power from further down the rev range. But in general, if you've changed the pipes on your bike, and/or an air filter your bike will run more efficiently, be much more enjoyable to ride, be smoother, have more power and make the best use of your performance add ons once it is re-mapped.

Re-mapping Methods

There are several ways of re-mapping your bikes injection system. Many are a compromise at best and we'll explain why.

New to the Australian market is the SFi unit from Staintune. These are made for them by someone else and ONLY ADD fuel. Now, seeing as 90% of Japanese sports bikes are actually rich in most places to begin with, (and more so with a pipe, or system contrary to what many people say and/or believe) I'm at a loss as to how this will help. In a recent news letter sent out, it states that you'll get an "increase in fuel economy". Can ANYONE at all please let me know, how by ADDING fuel to your bikes fuel map can that in ANY WAY lead to better fuel economy? The mind boggles. Here is an air/fuel graph of an 04 R1 with Micron slip ons, to show you what we mean.  The bike was rich from 9K onwards at 100% throttle (blue line is before mapping) and pretty much everywhere in the smaller throttle openings by a bigger margin. So how exactly, would adding fuel help you out?   

Then there are pre programmed chips you can get for some bikes (Ducati, Harley, Aprilia seem to be the brands we see most for this) which you just put on in place of the standard chip or add to it. These are done overseas for the most part (Factory chips to match pipes etc) and due to different fuels and/or atmospheric conditions and that it is being done for a different bike (someone else's), can actually make the problem worse in some cases and at best, it's a compromise. Or there is the Ulti-Map which is the one we are seeing on the Ducati's that are all over the place. It's not because they are a bad product as such, but the problem is that your bike doesn't get analysed for what "your" bike is doing. This is crucial as you'll see shortly. Ask people that have used these and see how many times they have been sent back for remapping due to being "out" and again, it's not the product itself but because each bike is different, regardless of being the same model with the same mods.

Even the pre done maps that come with a Power Commander are no good for bikes in Australia as the Dynojet Rep from the U.S. found out when here last. The reason that each bike needs it's own individual map is that each bike is different. We mapped 2 identical GSXR600's on the dyno with the same mods, same system, same day and while they made the same h.p when we were finished, each map for each bike when done was very different in some places, by up to 20% and close in others. I fail to see then, how a "1 chip/map does all" method can be the best thing for your bike. We spend how much on the performance mods to start with and even the bike for that matter, yet we then want to get out of making it run at it's best which is dare say why you wanted the performance parts to begin with, as cheaply and as haphazardly as you can.........does this make sense?

Also, there is a map that Suzuki dealers tend to download on to TLR's and GSXR's according to what pipes etc that you have. As for the reasons outlined above, these are not fixing the problem. There is no analysis of what "your" bike is doing either before or after it's been done and the maps have been worked out in a different part of the world, with different fuel etc etc. How do you know if it's better or not? Yeah, you can ride it, and in some places it MAY be better, but is it at it's best? Is it as good as it could be? For example, say your bike, at 40% throttle and 5000rpm, is running lean. The map that is downloaded to you bike or the "adjustment" they do with the box, may have a value that leans the bike further or not enough, which is only making it worse or making it fractionally better. We've got maps with the same bike where one bike will need 5% less fuel at that point and another bike, same make and model and mods etc, will need 5% more. Therefore it's impossible to have a map "downloaded" to you bike that is going to get it right. It's also pointless "leaning a bike out" or adding fuel via a box and some knobs when you don't know how much you needed to add or remove, and you don't know how much you ended up adding and removing. Customers worry endlessly about what brand of oil goes into their bike, yet are happy to have a knob played with to hopefully sort out their fuelling problems... Funny stuff.

Yoshi have also introduced a "Power Commander style" box that does pretty much what the Power Commander does but with a few more features and a lot more $'s. But most importantly, it can't be mapped using the Tuning Link program. It's only able to be mapped via the old method which just holds the bike at a set rpm and throttle position. As does another method that's just been released by S&R Pro (Interceptor). Their unit is wired in to your standard loom and is much more complicated to both install and remove if you later wish to do so and can only be mapped via "steady state" ie, holding your bike at say, 7000 rpm, at 80% throttle, while the fuel is adjusted to the desired ratio. While this method is reported to be "mapping for power", your bike is NEVER at any throttle position and rpm under the load required to hold it there for any length of time. It passes through there under the load of the bike and rider, but does NOT get held there. The difference in air/fuel ratio's between those two instances is huge and also adds heaps of time to how long your bike is on the dyno. Now if you take that into account, then you can see that while being held at 80% throttle and 10K rpm, adding or removing fuel until you see the most power "live on the screen" being made at that point is great for the "story" but again, what your bike does on the road/track "passing through that rpm under load" is very different and so, the h.p will be also, so it's more about marketing than actually being a better way to map your bike. 

There is also a Teka unit which the dealer will have (you don't need to buy) at the shop. They hook it up and adjust the map at certain points can add or remove fuel and you only pay for the time it takes to do the adjustment. Problem is, it can only add or remove fuel to a maximum of 10% difference. Now , this will help in some way as long as you're adding or removing fuel in the right places, but considering most bikes , especially down low in the rpm, have changes much larger than a 10% difference, while it helps a little, will it help enough?

Which brings me to the next method of mapping......

 The use of a Power Commander and the Tuning Link program. This, we believe, is the best way of mapping the fuel injection for any bike. Not because the Power Commander does anything "better" than the others, but 1)we can see what the bike is doing and adjust the map to make it better at individual throttle positions and rpm. The yoshbox dialin method and some stock ecu's now that are adjustable, only change BLOCKS of your map. For example, the whole rpm range, up to 30% throttle, then between 20 -80% and then at 100%. This won;'t work as the air/fuel changes throughout the rev range. At 40% throttle and 3000rpm, it may be rich, where at the same throttle position and 8000rpm it's lean. See what I mean? and 2) it's done via "real world" conditions. There is an air/fuel ratio that is widely regarded as both safe for your bike as well as giving the best performance which is around 13:1. (varies slightly from bike to bike) We've seen maps with the Ultimap chips and Yoshi programs, that in cruising conditions, ie at 2-10% throttle positions and with a slight load put on the bike on the Dyno,(simulate road conditions) are running at 10:1on some and 14:1 on others. Incredibly rich and/or pretty lean, which means you'll get poor fuel economy and it'll feel like it's bogging down when you turn the throttle, hunting at constant low speed and throttle etc or not making the power it should be and protecting your engine as well as it should be either in the lean case. On the other hand, when they get up to high rpm and 80-100% throttle positions, they run at 14:1 which is pretty lean. Not too good for your bike in the long run and not the problem of the units themselves, rather the mapping of them.

To map the PC, we use the latest Dynojet technology for mapping the Power Commander called "Tuning Link". This is the most realistic way (and gets the best results) of mapping your bike. Basically, instead of the bike being held at set rpm and throttle positions, Tuning Link reads the information via loaded dyno runs at given throttle positions. So, for example, we begin a run at 2000 rpm, and say 10% throttle. The Dyno's brake holds the bike at 2000rpm and then slowly, under load, releases the bike through the rpm (as it would be ridden on the road). We can vary the speed of each run to correspond with the throttle position etc as well, making it as "real life" mapping as you'll get. Once the run is finished, the dyno shows an air/fuel graph of what was sampled on that run and then adds or removes fuel at every 250rpm at that throttle position to get the air/fuel ratio to the target we set. There is no better way to map your bike on a dyno.

When all's said and done, Dynojet do some of the most extensive research in the U.S with race teams that use Power Commanders such as multiple A.M.A champion Miguel Duhamel, Ben Bostrom and Nicky Hayden when he was in a.m.a,  as well as Team Suzuki here in Australia with Shawn Giles, Team Nikkon Yamaha with Kev Curtain etc, 4 of the top 5 guys in Pro Twins ended up using the Power Commander and had Doin' Bikes, their competitor in the series, map it for them. Zac Davies, Craig McMartin, Roland Kruck and John Allen (was mapped at Serco) after most of the year struggling with chips and factory ecu's etc and seeing us running out front, smooth as silk used Doin' Bikes to get them back to their winning ways. Years of research have given you the best system for your bike that is constantly being used and tested in some of the most successful race teams around the world..

How it's done.

 "Tuning Link"

Once the Power Commander has been fitted ( it just connects in line with standard connections on your bike. if you want it removed? Just disconnect it and it's back to standard) it's on to the Dyno. The Tuning Link program then receives the information it needs from us ie: what bike is it? the target air/fuel ratio at each section of the map etc. Then, we just do a run on the dyno at each throttle position (2, 5, 10% etc) and Tuning Link measures the current air/fuel ratio at ever 250rpm (USB model PC's) and adds or removes fuel to get it to the target we have set. Once it's done, the bike is running at it's best...the right air/fuel at each rpm and % of throttle which in turn, gives better throttle response, more power and better fuel economy (where it was running rich before hand) and with the shortest time on the dyno.

We do a power run before we map it and another after to show you the difference the Power Commander and mapping has made. But while this gives you a look at the gains in h.p, the real difference is felt when you ride it. The runs are done starting at the same rpm and ending at max rpm so the comparison is under equal conditions etc. There is no increase in max rpm  or anything else to give a dodgy readings and we cannot change parameters or air conditions etc etc to give inflated numbers on the dynojet 250 dyno. But the best measure we get is the feedback from our customers. Take a look at the latest news page and scroll down to the "Happy Campers" to see the difference and how happy the guys are with their bikes. The Power Commander and Tuning Link system WORKS by testing for YOUR bikes needs and changing the map on the bike to suit those needs. Here's one of the happy campers:

You can see what others have said about the PC and our work by clicking here

If you need any further information please click on the "contact" link on the front page. We'll get back to you within 1-2 days with the answer. Or you can call us on