Hi All, I ordered a Power Commander and saw the vid on installation. Seems straight forward enough, but I'm just wondering if it's really a bolt it in and go type of a deal, or do I need to find maps, etc, etc? I've never used one before and obviously know next to nothing!
Not only am I tech for BMW. I work for BMW Australia, not a dealer. Head quarters for Motorrad here in Aus. Part of my job sometimes includes approving or declining PuMA cases for all the dealers in Aus. We decide based on many factors whether something is covered under warranty or not.
@d40 I was not having a go at you at all. It's all good. The part about full systems and tuning was to the countless thread posters on here. Needed to vent that one. You are correct with what you have said. I have no disagreements with any of it. The confusion comes with the various "codes", "tunes", "maps". It can get very confusing for the average punter. Confusion of information and the way different people word things can sometimes be the issue. Carry on
Guys, let's not get too far off topic. We all agree that there's lots of ways to modify this bike, and it's important that people reading through our posts get an understanding of that part of modding.
The part that many of us forget is that there are more than a few riders who are very focused on having the right "look" with the right hardware, and what's behind it (like tunes for example) is very much a secondary consideration. These people are riders too, but not strictly performance oriented like others might be on here. So to say a pipe without a tune is worthless is a little drastic - for these guys anyway. Give them a chance to understand the options, all the options, and the implications that may come as a result of their choice (yes, they may be missing a few ponies) and then let them figure it out.
I will ALWAYS support a rider's right to spend money on their motorcycle. But I would like to think that we can guide him/her in the best direction rather than fight amongst ourselves.
Skapan I agree. Pointing them in the right direction is the idea. Discussing the ins and outs of every possible option, letting them read and learn, and then they are able to make an educated decision. Bikes with full systems and no form of tuning is something I disagree with, performance minded or not. The 2 just go together. Maybe I'm old school
Can one of you who understands how this actually works (warranty impact of the various options) put together a little chart/short list describing the options? This would help the readers who come upon this thread.
On the tuning issue, the bike will run amazing well without it. But I am in the camp that a tune is a must do with a full system. The improvement is amazing. There is nothing wrong with doing it in stages; install the system first, and tune it some months later - and enjoy both events.
Can one of you who understands how this actually works put together a little chart/short list describing the options? This would help the readers who come upon this thread.
I am thinking of just the BMW options. I suspect the after-market impacts on warranty get a bit more complicated and depend on the specific nature of the tune/flash.
Dealers ultimately report the to the National HQ for warranty claims. They do not have the authority to approve or deny warranty claims. They simply are the meat in the sandwich between customer and BMW.
BMW lists 2012-14 as 117 links. 2015 as 119 links. That's what I'm reading from a direct BMW parts site. Chains from the factory normally come joined. You need to remove the swing arm. Anyone in their right mind wouldn't do that. So I always make sure to order a joining link just in case. This may have changed as it's been a while since I have had to order a chain.
As I said before, a sincere thanks to all that contributed to this thread. I gained a lot of valuable insight and knowledge.
As for the the bickering about warranty terms and tuning, I feel compelled to simply say this.
It stands to reason that if you mess with a warrantied product, you can fully expect the warranty to be voided. There are exceptions that will be made within the individual dealerships, etc, but as a general rule of thumb, it's a given. This was expressed to me when I bought my bike.
As for tuning, a lot of guys buy the slip ons and full systems to save weight, change the appearance, as well as to change the sound. That was my motivation. It's no secret that all the ads we see claim exponential HP gains, etc, but the bottom line, is that these pipes were not designed by BMW and common sense dictates that in order for them to be fully functional, one would need to get it tuned to the bike. Is that step necessary to get YOUR desired effect? Only YOU can answer that. I answered my own question as a result of all the generous input on this thread.
As I said, thanks for all of the insight and knowledge. I learned quite a bit. Make up your own mind for what will work for you and keep it cool on these boards.
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