Dyno skills - If they’re good does specific Rocket exp. matter?

~ was talking in messages with a couple of fellow captains and we thought this might be a valid general question about having a Rocket dyno’d.

Living in an area that is the most diehard Harley country you could imagine, I cannot find anyone with specific experience tuning a Triumph or any metric bike for that matter.

So the question: Acknowledging experience with tuning a Rocket is desirable....What if a Dyno shop has no specific experience with a Rocket BUT has a great reputation as a Dyno tuning shop ...albeit for Harley’s.

- Is it still going to be better to have a non Triumph experienced tuner BUT a tuner with a great reputation have a go at tuning our machines? After all he knows his ‘Dyno stuff’ ? ( existing tune is pretty close however)

- Wouldn’t a skilled , experienced Dyno Guy be able to simply apply this skill to a Rocket?

- Would this in all probability still produce better results rather than simply leaving the existing (pretty good) tune and PCV / Autotune do its stuff?

- Any or what are potential down falls?

Thanks...

( Roadster / Air delete / DP shorties / PCV / recommended tune from the AT tech dept downloaded in PCV / AT / DP shorties /)

I'm no dyno expert but have watched about 6 bikes get tuned on the dyno now. Seems to me it's important to get the air/fuel ratio correct...not lean...not too rich and in doing so have the arch building a nice smooth curve. The dyno jet tunes every 250 revs thru the range in the different percentages of throttle so a good dyno man will be able to tune any bike. He just needs a base rocket tune to start with.

Just my opinion, experience tuning is what you are looking for!

I've had many of mine and bikes I've worked on dyno tuned. Some I was very happy with, while others ran ok, but I could tell the tune wasnt right.

The limitations of only tuning only with a power commander is they are only trimming fuel.

My opinion (for whatever its worth) is if you aren't making sure the timing is right along with the right fueling its may not be tuned right.

I concur with the position that an excellent tuner will be able to handle a Rocket.

The caution here, is that DynaJet sells their dynamometers such that any high school kid can push the buttons and get answers.

Having the knowledge about both the specific installed dynamometer operation and practical science of internal gasoline engine principles, and the experience that comes with mistakes - you want all that BEFORE having someone work on your bike.

We have the same problem with doctors -- we know every doctor had to do whatever is they're doing on us, the first time -- we just don't want to BE the first time for any doctor.

Joesmoe said:

I concur with the position that an excellent tuner will be able to handle a Rocket.

The caution here, is that DynaJet sells their dynamometers such that any high school kid can push the buttons and get answers.

Having the knowledge about both the specific installed dynamometer operation and practical science of internal gasoline engine principles, and the experience that comes with mistakes - you want all that BEFORE having someone work on your bike.

We have the same problem with doctors -- we know every doctor had to do whatever is they're doing on us, the first time -- we just don't want to BE the first time for any doctor.

Click to expand...

Great advice thanks...I guess just have to search for feedback on these guys near me somewhere...

The Harley tuning software is way more involved than tune ecu or pcv, so if the dude knows what to look for to tune an engine, he should find out relatively easy. Mixtures on the rocket will be a little different to the air cooled lump but he should know that. Tell him to tune it like a V Rod

Neville Lush said:

The Harley tuning software is way more involved than tune ecu or pcv, so if the dude knows what to look for to tune an engine, he should find out relatively easy. Mixtures on the rocket will be a little different to the air cooled lump but he should know that. Tell him to tune it like a V Rod

Click to expand...

Thx that’s great advice!

If that is you in your avatar, you may want to sling a shirt on before you go into the shop.

Neville Lush said:

If that is you in your avatar, you may want to sling a shirt on before you go into the shop.

Click to expand...

I would be worried about his lower half personally !

Great video and more of the Tabacco Motorwear Company vids here - Tobacco Motorwear

Neville Lush said:

The Harley tuning software is way more involved than tune ecu or pcv, so if the dude knows what to look for to tune an engine, he should find out relatively easy. Mixtures on the rocket will be a little different to the air cooled lump but he should know that. Tell him to tune it like a V Rod

Click to expand...

As Mr. Lush states a good tuner knows what to look for and the Rocket is just a motor. The men that tuned my bike had never done a Rocket before but did a great job. Experienced tunes know what motor needs to run correctly.