Power Commander advantages?

GS TRV · 04-13-2011, 08:47 AM

I'll be installing a full Akra at 1sr service and dealer tells me that no PC is reqd and bike will auto adjust for fuelling and still is covered by warranty etc.

I was going to go the PC route but was just wondering if its money wasted bearing in mind i'll just be doing road riding.

Thanks

Trev

P.Reed · 04-13-2011, 09:14 AM

I have been told the samething.. I plan on adding a taylormade exhaust. Have been told by the dealer as well as taylormade that I dont need a pc.. Have asked her too have been told to instal the pipe first, after riding it some you will know whether or not you need a pc.

**chopt** · 04-13-2011, 09:21 AM

Not a waste of money for the streets. It'll smooth your throttle inputs and meter the fuel for optimal performance. Win, win if you ask me.

**1000RR** · 04-13-2011, 09:22 AM

Depends on how much you want the fueling "to be right". The bike even w/a pipe seems to run rich on top, and lean in the middle. So there is certainly some advantages to getting the PCV and having it mapped correctly. As far as raw HP gain you'll see, it is noticeable, but nothing extraordinary. To give you an example, I had a custom map (for the PCV) produced on a dyno when I first got the bike (stock) and we gained a little over 3hp by producing a custom map. It seemed smoother to me too. That being said, the bike is pretty smooth stock.

Personally, whenever I change the exhaust (like deleting the Cat), I opt to get a PCV. Why go half way seems to always wonder into my decision making.

kismetcapitan · 04-13-2011, 01:34 PM

Downside: you use more fuel, and your bike may not be emissions-compliant. You can always use a zero map to pass an emissions test (assuming all your cats and whatnot are still in place), but if you're concerned about running a clean bike all the time and your fuel economy, a Power Commander isn't for you.

Upside: the engine gets fueled more optimally, it'll therefore last longer. More outright power, and the bike makes more usable torque. My last bike was a BMW F800S, and during the break-in period on my S1000RR, it felt anemic compared to my old 800cc twin thumper, only going crazy up top. After doing the exhaust and PCV w/Autotune, it gets moving a lot more quickly, and around town, I use very little throttle - you could probably put a throttle lock at 20%, and around town, I'd still be able to accelerate in and out of traffic and squirt out of potential dangerous situations. Not so with the bike stock, weighing 10kg more, without a PCV.

**1000RR** · 04-13-2011, 02:22 PM

There are ways to still achieve fuel economy and power/smoothness/great acceleration with running a PCV. When my bike was new I typically saw 39mpg... put the Akra and PCV/AutoTuner on and saw 35-36mpg... the last time out, since I've put the 6-gear map w/afr tables and maps for each gear (separately) I was back at 39mpg. This was by changing the AFR tables around a bit for some of the gears and various part of the corresponding RMP range.

Bisfor Beaver · 04-20-2011, 10:04 PM

Hi mate, If you just fit the Akro full system you will get a fault code due to not having exhaust flaps in the headers. This will cause the stock DME (ECU) to alter the mapping to a safe for the engine default mapping. I'm looking into the enable code to see if it works on the stock DME (ECU) but that on it's own is $680!! Trying to find ways round this by talking to friends who race these or Tech on race bikes. Still awaiting replys. The whole race kit is like over $4000 for the exhaust side of things inc new DME! I'll tell you what I find out.

**1000RR** · 04-20-2011, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bisfor Beaver

Hi mate, If you just fit the Akro full system you will get a fault code due to not having exhaust flaps in the headers. This will cause the stock DME (ECU) to alter the mapping to a safe for the engine default mapping. I'm looking into the enable code to see if it works on the stock DME (ECU) but that on it's own is $680!! Trying to find ways round this by talking to friends who race these or Tech on race bikes. Still awaiting replys. The whole race kit is like over $4000 for the exhaust side of things inc new DME! I'll tell you what I find out.

If this is occurring on your bike, you likely have something else going on... I've been (as has others) been running a full Akra for quite some time. And yes, there are internal codes (not on the dash) on the ECU saying basically the exhaust servos aren't functioning properly, but this is normal and does not adversely affect the performance.

Nigel · 04-21-2011, 07:01 AM

You get a fault code on the diagnostics (Mobac) at the delaer, not on the dash. I am not aware that it goes into any safe mode or changed map. There is a definite performance advantage of a bike with a full pipe without a map over the stock bike. And the stock bike runs rich at the top and lean in the middle just like the piped bike so that woulde support my statement that I am not aware and have not seen a defualt safe mode for the piped bike. The valve in the rear is for noise and the one in the headers is for scavanging up top (in other words no effect up to 12k), I doubt these affect fuelling in any significant way.

N.

GS TRV · 04-21-2011, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel

The valve in the rear is for noise and the one in the headers is for scavanging up top (in other words no effect up to 12k), I doubt these affect fuelling in any significant way.

N.

I assume the valve is for reducing the noise?? I notice that its not present on the full system so will contribute to the full system making more noise.

T