Can a Dyno Tune really make a difference on a motorcycle? Absolutely it can, and you’ll be able to feel the difference too! For over 100 years Harley-Davidson has been pushing the limits of speed and power with their motorcycles so why shouldn’t you? Today, in the age of performance baggers and squeezing the most out of your machine, a key part of that process is the Dyno Tune. Higher flow air cleaners and exhausts are great first steps to tapping into your motorcycle’s potential, but making sure it’s properly tuned will allow you to get the absolute most out of your system. A stock system can typically handle making minor adjustments to itself with small changes like a new slip-on exhaust. However, when switching out the full system or especially going from a 2-2 system to a 2-1 system, a motorcycle just cannot run at its best without the the help of a tuner.
During a Dyno Tune appointment, our experienced professionals map out the bike’s power and torque readings throughout the full range of a motorcycle’s engine speed. This ensures that the onboard computer 
is communicating the release of the correct mixture of fuel and air required for peak performance. This data is collected from the bike by reading the exhaust gasses in a controlled environment, while the rear wheel spins on a sensor-filled roller. Taking readings from the rear wheel show what power and torque that bike is putting to the ground. Working inside the Dyno will always be more accurate and safer than trying to do the same on the highway. I don’t believe “Sorry, Officer, I was trying to tune my bike,” will get you out of that speeding ticket! Also, keeping the bike stationary keeps the focus on the data and not the road. The technician will compare the collected data with maps from previous bikes containing similar set-ups to ensure your bike is running correctly and see how it can run better.
Folks that have gotten their bikes tuned can personally tell you that it’s worth it. Recently, one of our customers had a full 2-1 exhaust system and a new Harley-Davidson high flow air cleaner installed on their 2018 Harley-Davidson Softail. To finish the job, Master Technician at Tobacco Road H-D, Jason, performed a Dyno Tune on the bike, utilizing the Dynojet Power Vision Tuner. The customer noted as soon as they put their hand on the throttle, that they could already tell a difference in the responsiveness of the motorcycle. Now, you’re not gonna shave 5 seconds off your 0-60 with just a tuner, but you will certainly be able to feel it run better. Your bike will run much smoother and allows you to quickly get the RPMs right where you want.
When you get your motorcycle tuned, the more information you can give the technician, the easier the process will be. Knowing the previous motor work done, as well as the selected exhaust and air cleaner will allow the technician to know the parameters of the tune going in. When selecting the tuner for your machine, you’ll see just how many there are on the market. While a lot of them are good tuners, you will benefit the most from using what the technician recommends and is proficient with. At Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, we recommend using either the Harley-Davidson Pro Street Tuner or Dynojet Power Vision Tuner, because that’s what we know best.
Our service department has almost 50 years of combined tuning experience and is the only Harley-Davidson dealer in the Carolina’s with two dynos! Our professional technicians have been trained to handle big bikes, small bikes, and even nitrous and turbo bikes! Overall, the process takes about 3 hours and will be worth every minute of it. Tell us in the comments below if you got your bike tuned and what differences it has made for you!
