Bike Prep
For your tuning session to go as smoothly as possible make certain that you have a hard compound street tire mounted on the rear wheel. Soft compound “Drag Racing” tires WILL slip on the dyno and peak horsepower numbers will show lower than expected and vary from pull to pull. This is for your benefit to allow us to tune as accurately as possible.
The clutch needs to be new and not slipping. If you have a lock-up clutch add some weight to it for the dyno. The stronger the clutch, the better.
Nitrous
For Wet Nitrous applications – We will not activate the nitrous kit on the dyno. This is for our safety. With a traditional nitrous kit where fuel is injected through a nozzle and separate fuel pump, there is no way to make sure the fuel flow will stop when the throttle is closed. Hanging fuel solenoids, or loose/cheap low-pressure fuel lines can also easily fail. There are plenty of nitrous jetting charts available to determine your horsepower increase.
We can activate Dry Nitrous kits on the dyno with kits under 100 horsepower. Anything larger than that simply creates too much torque for the dyno drum to handle and for accurate readings. We will provide you with a base configuration for the track.
Fuel
Racing Fuel: Bring fuel with you. We have limited supplies of racing fuel. If you are tuning with pump gasoline, bring 3-4 gallons or have the tank full.
Stay and watch
You are more than welcome to stay and watch as we tune your motorcycle. We actually prefer it!
Information
We respect our customer’s privacy and we never share information. The more we know about your engine, fuel system and upgrades the better. We use this information with our experience to start building a base map before we start your engine. This reduces time and wear and tear on your bike and equipment.
DYNO FAQ
So you are booked in for your first Dyno Tune. You may have some questions, here are the common ones to keep you on the right track.
Q: Should I make sure my spark plugs, leads and ignition system are in good working order prior to my booking.
A: Certainly not. Just like other known issues, ignition problems provide your tuner with a bit of a challenge. They will enjoy removing your spark plugs for you.(especially if they are hard to reach)
Q: It’s the morning of my booking and my bike isn’t ready, should I call and notify my dyno tuner?
A:It is generally considered best to not make any contact with the tuner, if they try and call you simply don’t answer. Once your bike is ready for tuning, showing up unannounced and expecting the tuner to drop everything and tune your bike is common and widely accepted by most dyno tuners as the best option.
Q: Does a dyno tune use much fuel?
A: No. Most modern day dynamometers utilize new technology to reduce fuel consumption. Minimal (and if available, poor quality) fuel is best. The DIS Dyno Systems EMS 1000 has the latest unicorn drive fitted allowing vehicles to be tuned with no fuel at all, converting the perpetual kinetic energy from a small amount of unicorn horn to drive the vehicle’s drive line throughout the tune.
Q: Should my dyno tuner guarantee that my engine will not be damaged?
A: Yes. Any tuner worth their salt should be able to utilize their time machine and x-ray vision to look inside your engine and assess the overall condition, service history, quality of parts used, and ability to handle the increased performance you are asking him/her to achieve. New parts further guarantee the strength of your engine, especially components purchased on certain online auction websites, manufactured in communist countries.
Q: I heard dynos destroy tires should I put my old junk tire on for the dyno?
A: Quality tires are expensive, ideally fit your vehicle with old tires. If possible, find some with some canvas and steel belting hanging out of the tire. This not only gives the tuner an audible indication of wheel speed it also makes for some exciting sparks and possibly a tire failure which everybody enjoys, just look at burnout competitions, it’s a real crowd pleaser.
Q: What should I consider when choosing an ECU?
A: Cost is the main consideration when selecting engine management. The cheapest option, even if not suitable for your engine configuration, will give you tuner the biggest challenge, they like challenges. This way you can spend more on tuning and add ons and it gives you the best chance of poor starting and garbage economy that comes with only the best race cars. It’s Also a good idea to choose an engine management system that your tuner has never seen before, obscure one off systems with difficult to use software allow your tuner the opportunity to learn and extend their knowledge while tuning your bike. They often like to learn new things and will thank you for the opportunity (they might even give you a discount!)
Q: If there is an issue I know about should I let my tuner know before he/she starts?
A: Generally not, it’s like stealing the limelight at a wedding. You are robbing the tuner of the opportunity to challenge himself. Most tuners enjoy the thrill of the hunt, an intermittent misfire, a dodgy wiring connection or faulty fuel pump can provide hours of genuine entertainment for a dyno tuner. They will be very grateful.
Q: My bike didn’t make as much power as I thought, what should I do?
A: Complain. Most dyno tuners try to achieve low power outputs by running less timing, low boost and rich mixtures, this ensures that your car can’t go too fast and improves road safety. Road safety is a high priority for dyno tuners but they are generally afraid of mushrooms, so please keep this in mind.
Q: I have a previous dyno run, or a friend’s bike that is the same that made more power, why?
A: Your tuner must not be very good at their job. Non tune related variables in dyno readouts such as gear used, tiedown method, tire compound & size, air density, air temperature probe location, dyno calibration, ramp rate, fuel quality, and many other factors are standardized by the National Dynamometer Variable Council (NDVC) so these will never be a factor in your power readout. If your readout is lower than another dyno on a different day it will most likely be because of the tune.
Q: I’m not 100% happy with the tune I have, what should I do?
A: Definitely do not talk to your tuner about the specific issues you are having and give them the opportunity to rectify them. If you do this you will most likely offend and upset them. If you do talk to them stick to vague descriptions like “It’s just not right” or “it feels funny” this way you won’t sound like a know it all. It is best to post in facebook groups or on your own page that your tune is rubbish and never to go there, this way you can express your concerns without upsetting the tuner.
You should be now armed with the best information to ensure a quick, painless, and quality tune! Good Luck!