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Is a THUNDERMAX worth it?
I have a stock 2016 Tri Glide and would like advice on the pros and cons of installing a THUNDERMAX E.C.U. I plan on doing some modifications in the future (exhaust, air cleaner) but am curious as to improvements on the stock bike. Also, I've heard that the THUNDERMAX loses some functions of the factory E.C.U. I know we have a tremendous amount of technical knowledge here, so any advice would be appreciated. THANKS!
IMO, The Power Vision is a better choice
The Power Vision does NOT replace your factory ECM
The gauge feature alone is a very nice feature on the Power Vision
I think changing values is easier also
See Kevin a sponsor here
https://www.dkcustomproducts.com/
IMO any after market tuner is better than any thing HD has to offer prior to 2017 bikes
The 17 and newer bikes can have power train warranties voided by HD but not older models
The plus of adding fuel, changing timing goes a long way IMO
With the Power Vision tuner you can save your factory tune to reflash it back any time you want
Nuff Said," Were Burnin Daylight, Lets Ride"(Sober 37 years)
Current ride : 2021 FREEWHEELER M8, oldest ride 1960 FL
Full disclosure here - I've never had a Thundermax or a Power Vision but I have used other tuners - Power Commander and TTS Mastertune. I have and do know several people who have used Thundermax and Power Vision. If memory is correct Thundermax was the first to offer an 'auto tune' feature several years ago. But now many tuners including Power Vision and TTS Mastertune have that capability.
There really is no such thing as auto tune but if you have a decent starting map the auto tune feature can help dial in the tune to your specific bike . . . and as Jack said you can also manually adjust quite a few parameters if you wish.
I don't know how it is now with Thundermax but several years ago the folks who I knew that had them were not pleased with either the performance and most especially with the support from the company.
Personally I would not replace the stock ECM as it is more than capable of doing whatever you desire with a proper tuning device. My personal preference is TTS Mastertune since I am familiar with it but I would not hesitate to buy a Power Vision if I were in the market. And DK Customs can help you with that and they have many base maps for various configurations. I suggest you consult with them before making your decision.
+1 on the Power Vision. I loved the control I had on my 15 tri, not to mention, that I went from 27 mpg, to 35 mpg at 75 mph and lots more power and less heat. As stated before, the info you can glean from the little guy is amazing ... and mesmerizing ... I still have nightmares about spark knock ...... and I'm not sure what it is.
You can fine tune the spark VE for each cylinder and get rid of it with the PVOriginally Posted by FuzzyWuzHe
+1 on the Power Vision. I loved the control I had on my 15 tri, not to mention, that I went from 27 mpg, to 35 mpg at 75 mph and lots more power and less heat. As stated before, the info you can glean from the little guy is amazing ... and mesmerizing ... I still have nightmares about spark knock ...
OR get an M8 with knock sensors
Nuff Said," Were Burnin Daylight, Lets Ride"(Sober 37 years)
Current ride : 2021 FREEWHEELER M8, oldest ride 1960 FL
I cannot speak about any other tuner however last spring when I was having issues with my Power Vision on my Triglide Dynojet and DK Customs went far beyond with service and support to assist me in sorting out my problems. As it turns out it was not the Tuner it was the wiring on my Trike. So if you are looking for the long term support give PV a good hard look you will not be disappointed, Call Kevin at DK and visit with him if you have questions.travel safe Fred
Vintage 09' Vivid Black, Boyesen X force intake, DK Customs DIY external breather, PV tuner, Mighty Mite love Jugs,Titanium Wrapped Header pipe, Khrome Werks 2+2 Wide Sweepers, DK 2" tank lift deluxe, Air Deflectors, Rear Bumper, Fender Chrome trim, Kuri. Rear lights, 9" LRS recurve flat top wind screen, LED headlight and spots, Hubcaps rear wheels
+1 on calling Keven. He and I did lots of talking about our results with the Power Vision, and, we kind of came up with a merger of our two tunes that worked very well. Great customer support and even better people at DK Customs ... all are great to deal with.Call Kevin at DK and visit with him if you have questions.
My current ride has been dyno'd with a race tuner, and seems to run very well. If that changes as warmer weather comes, my first go to would be another power vision. And DK Customs would be my preferred dealer. They set you up with a tune (base) that is close based on your configuration, IE., my bike has a stage one air cleaner with vance and hines power duals and high flow vance and hines mufflers. They would send it with a map that is pretty dang close to perfect. You then take it for a ride and auto tune to modify it to your bike.
Can't speak to other tuners, but, the Power Vision can store 5 (I think) maps. In theory, you could have a mpg map, max hp map, general touring map, high altitude map and a sea level map, etc. After the smoke cleared (mostly from my ears),
I ended up with a "Normal Map" and a "lower altitude map". I live at 5200 feet above sea level, and if I went on a trip to say Las Vegas, I would switch maps when came out of the mountains and filled up. Only took about 2 minutes to switch. I also kept the "Stock Map on the PV, incase I need to get service ... on the road, might of saved my warrantee, although I never needed it.
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