What's Re-mapping?

We get  a lot of people asking us what a Power Commander is, and how we map the unit when we put it on, if it stays on the bike, does it do anything to the stock ecu, is another unit better than the PC etc? We've also had people telling us that other bike shops and "self confessed experts" in magazines and on bike forums had told them how we map their bikes, how we fit them, what it will do for your bike and why you shouldn't bother or why another unit is better, how it takes 8 hours to map your bike properly and numerous other things which has been totally wrong, so this page can be of service to them also for informing their customers and/or shutting their mouths on forums when they simply just don't know.

First up, the Power Commander works inline with your ecu and the injectors. (for PCIII and later). They do NOT do anything to your standard ecu. Rather, they take the signal that the stock ecu is sending to the injectors and either add to or remove fuel from that signal after the air/fuel ratio is measured on the dyno when we map the PC. The PC stays on the bike (mostly in the rear cowl) as it is the PC we actually map, not your ecu. This means that if you remove the PC? You are back to standard, simple as that.  The blatant crap that certain companies go on with about Dynojet dyno's not being eddy current dyno's, reading high, mapping for air/fuel and not for power and the like is not only based on ancient information and products, it's just downright laughable that they aren't up to date with what is happening in the market today. But anyway let's get on with it shall we?

Mapping of a Power Commander from scratch, IF the tuner knows what they are doing, should not take any more than 2-3 hours. If you are being told that it takes 6-10 hours to map your power commander we would suggest the tuner has no idea what they are doing. As part of the Dynojet accreditation process, each tuner needed to display that they could in fact map a bike within this time frame, competently, and thoroughly, so if your tuner can't map your bike within this time frame, FROM SCRATCH, then we suggest he is not the tuner he is telling you he is.

Standard bikes (and with a pipe or system) are generally on the rich side at cruising speeds etc but vary between rich and lean throughout the map. Bikes will be leaner where emissions are tested and richer everywhere else in general. Different bikes respond differently to the mods done to them, even with the same model bike and the same mod which is why it is always best to have your bike mapped on the dyno instead of using a map from someone else's bike with the same mods. 

Even a standard bike will benefit from re-mapping. We did AMCN's CBR600RR with the stock muffler and in their long term magazine report they wrote that it was much smoother everywhere, used less fuel and made more power from further down the rev range. But in general, if you've changed the pipes on your bike, and/or an air filter your bike will run more efficiently, have a sharper, crisper throttle response, drive harder out of corners from lower in the rev range, be less snatchy on/off the throttle, be much more enjoyable to ride, be smoother, have more power and make the best use of your performance add ons once it is re-mapped.

Re-mapping Methods

There are several ways of re-mapping your bikes injection system. Many are a compromise at best and we'll explain why.

The SFI unit from Staintune are a unit like many others that are made for them by someone else and ONLY ADD fuel. Now, seeing as 90% of Japanese sports bikes are actually rich in most places to begin with, (yes, even with a pipe, or system contrary to what many people say and/or believe going on what worked for bikes with Carb's) I'm at a loss as to how this will help. Even maps that do have fuel added don't have it added everywhere in the map. They still need some fuel removed at various points. In a recent news letter sent out, it states that you'll get an "increase in fuel economy". Can ANYONE at all please let me know, how by ADDING fuel to your bikes fuel map can in ANY WAY lead to better fuel economy? The mind boggles. Below is a screen shot from a map we wrote for a CBR1000RR, just as an example. The numbers that are positive, are a

Then there are pre programmed chips you can get for some bikes (Ducati, Harley, Aprilia seem to be the brands we see most for this) which you just put on in place of the standard chip or add to it. These are done overseas for the most part (Factory chips to match pipes etc) and due to different fuels and/or atmospheric conditions and that it is being done for a different bike (someone else's), can actually make the problem worse in some cases and at best, it's a compromise. Or there is the Ulti-Map which is the one we are seeing on the Ducati's that are all over the place. It's not because they are a bad product as such, but the problem is that your bike doesn't get analysed for what "your" bike is doing. This is crucial as you'll see shortly. Ask people that have used these and see how many times they have been sent back for remapping due to being "out" and again, it's not the product itself but because each bike is different, regardless of being the same model with the same mods.

Even the pre done maps that come with a Power Commander are not necessarily going to fix your bikes fueling. The reason is that each bike is different. They are built differently (hence difference in h.p from one bike to another, same model), they are run in differently from person to person and so many other variables that mean that what one bike needs the other may not. For example, we mapped 2 identical GSXR600's on the dyno with the same mods, same system, same day and while they made the same h.p when we were finished, each map for each bike when done was very different (up to 20% in places) while being close in others. So while the map written for one bike may have helped the other, it would still be far from being right for that bike. For this reason, we fail to see how a "1 chip/map does all" method can be the best thing for your bike. You spend so much on the performance mods for your bike to start with, yet then want to get out of making it run at it's best and fuelling right to get the best from those mods, by using things that cannot achieve what you are trying to achieve..........does this make sense?

Also, there is a map that Suzuki dealers tend to download on to TLR's and GSXR's according to what pipes etc that you have. As for the reasons outlined above, these are not fixing the problem. There is no analysis of what "your" bike is doing either before or after it's been done and the maps have been worked out in a different part of the world, with different fuel etc etc. How do you know if it's better or not? Yeah, you can ride it, and in some places it MAY be better, but is it at it's best? Is it as good as it could be? For example, say your bike, at 40% throttle and 5000rpm, is running lean, but at 40% throttle and 7000rpm it's rich. The "adjustment" they do with the box will make that whole area either richer or leaner, so you will help one area while making the other worse.  Without being able to isolate sections of the map, it's impossible to have a map "dialled" in to your bike that is going to get it right. It's also pointless "leaning a bike out" or adding fuel via a box and some knobs when you don't know how much you needed to add or remove, and you don't know how much you ended up adding and removing. Customers worry endlessly about what brand of oil goes into their bike, yet are happy to have a knob played with to hopefully sort out their fuelling problems... Funny stuff.

Yoshi have also introduced a "Power Commander style" box that does pretty much what the Power Commander does but with a few more features and a lot more $'s. But most importantly, it can't be mapped using the Tuning Link program. It's only able to be mapped via the old method which just holds the bike at a set rpm and throttle position. As does another method that had been released by S&R Pro (Interceptor) but even they have abandoned it now (another point on why to use Dynojet PC's, while others come and go, you can be sure Dynojet will there for ever and a day). They do still claim to map your bike at whatever air:fuel ratio is needed for it to make the most power at each point. While this method is reported to be "mapping for power", your bike is NEVER at any throttle position and rpm under the load required to hold it there for any length of time on the track or road, as it is on the dyno mapping in this way. It passes through there under the load of the bike and rider, but does NOT get held there. The difference in air/fuel ratio's between those two instances can be huge and also adds heaps of time to how long your bike is on the dyno. While being held at 80% throttle and 10K rpm, adding or removing fuel until you see the most power "live on the screen" being made at that point is great for the "story", what your bike does on the road/track "passing through that rpm under load" is very different and so, the h.p will be also, so it's more about marketing than actually being a better way to map your bike. And if you think about it, what is going to rev out better, a bike mapped to a specific air/fuel ratio that allows the bike to cleanly rev out from whatever throttle position or rpm you are at, or a bike that may vary from 12:1, to 13.5:1, back to 13:1, then to 13.6:1, back to 12:1 etc, as it passes through rpm, because when held there, they were the air/fuels that made the most power at that rpm and TP???? We'd suggest it will more likely resemble why you wanted to have it mapped in the first place, coz the fuelling is all over the shop. 

Which brings me to the next method of mapping......

        The use of a Power Commander and the Tuning Link program. This, we believe, is the best way of mapping the fuel injection for any bike. Not because the Power Commander does anything "better" than the others, but 1) we can see what the bike is doing and adjust the map to make it better at individual throttle positions and rpm. The yosh-box dial in method and some stock ecu's now that are adjustable, only change BLOCKS of your map. For example, the whole rpm range, up to 30% throttle, then between 20 -80% and then at 100%. This won't work as the air/fuel changes throughout the rev range. At 40% throttle and 3000rpm, it may be rich, where at the same throttle position and 8000rpm it's lean. See what I mean? and 2) it's done via "real world" conditions. There is an air/fuel ratio that is widely regarded as both safe for your bike as well as giving the best performance which is around 13:1. (varies slightly from bike to bike) We've seen maps with the Ultimap chips and bikes that have been mapped "for max power at each rpm", that in cruising conditions, ie at 2-10% throttle positions and with a slight load put on the bike on the Dyno, (simulate road conditions) are running at 10:1on some and 14:1 on others. Incredibly rich and/or pretty lean, which means you'll get poor fuel economy and it'll feel like it's bogging down when you turn the throttle, hunting at constant low speed and throttle, or not making the power it should be and protecting your engine as well as it should be either in the lean case. On the other hand, when they get up to high rpm and 80-100% throttle positions, they run at 14:1 which is pretty lean. Not too good for your bike in the long run and not the problem of the units themselves, rather the mapping of them. In the case of mapping the bike to produce "max power at each rpm", this involves using a dyno dynamics dyno or similar where the user can see live h.p figures at each rpm and throttle position, as the bike is being held there and add or remove fuel until it shows it makes the most power.

To map the PC, we use the latest Dynojet technology for mapping the Power Commander called "Tuning Link". This is the most realistic way (and gets the best results) of mapping your bike. Basically, instead of the bike being held at set rpm and throttle positions, Tuning Link reads the information via loaded dyno runs at given throttle positions. So, for example, we begin a run at 2000 rpm, and say 10% throttle. The Dyno's brake holds the bike at 2000rpm and then slowly, under load, releases the bike through the rpm (as it would be ridden on the road). We can vary the speed of each run to correspond with the throttle position etc as well, making it as "real life" mapping as you'll get. Once the run is finished, the dyno shows an air/fuel graph of what was sampled on that run and then adds or removes fuel at every 250rpm at that throttle position to get the air/fuel ratio to the target we set. There is no better way to map your bike on a dyno. There are also "Self Mapping" versions or additions you can get for your PCV. These are great if you are racing and chasing .1/sec or are travelling around the country and may need to fine tune the map for a given track, however even with these units, you would be best to begin with a dyno made map via Tuning Link and do your fine tuning from there. For 1, the 02 sensors don't come cheap, so you want to be using them as little as possible for their lifespan is determined by how long it is being used and 2ndly, you would spend many many hours writing a map from scratch via the auto tune feature, time that could be spent fine tuning everything else on your bike not to mention concentrating on your riding and times, instead of if the bike is at it's best fuelling wise. But again, great tool for sorting out minor changes in mapping for differing tracks around the country. 

When all's said and done, Dynojet do some of the most extensive research in the U.S with race teams that use Power Commanders such as past multiple A.M.A champion Miguel Duhamel, Ben Bostrom and Nicky Hayden,  as well as Team Suzuki here in Australia, Team Yamaha,  4 of the top 5 guys in past Pro Twins series ended up using the Power Commander and had Doin' Bikes, their competitor in the series, map it for them. Years of research have given you the best system for your bike that is constantly being used and tested in some of the most successful race teams around the world..

How it's done.

 "Tuning Link"

Once the Power Commander has been fitted ( it just connects in line with standard connections on your bike. if you want it removed? Just disconnect it and it's back to standard) it's on to the Dyno. The Tuning Link program then receives the information it needs from us ie: what bike is it? the target air/fuel ratio at each section of the map etc. Then, we just do a run on the dyno at each throttle position (2, 5, 10% etc) and Tuning Link measures the current air/fuel ratio at ever 250rpm (USB model PC's) and adds or removes fuel to get it to the target we have set. Once it's done, the bike is running at it's best...the right air/fuel at each rpm and % of throttle which in turn, gives better throttle response, more power and better fuel economy (where it was running rich before hand) and with the shortest time on the dyno.

We do a power run before we map it and another after to show you the difference the Power Commander and mapping has made. But while this gives you a look at the gains in h.p, the real difference is felt when you ride it. The runs are done starting at the same rpm and ending at max rpm so the comparison is under equal conditions etc. There is no increase in max rpm  or anything else to give a dodgy readings and we cannot change parameters or air conditions etc etc to give inflated numbers on the dynojet 250 dyno. But the best measure we get is the feedback from our customers. Take a look at the latest news page and scroll down to the "Happy Campers" to see the difference and how happy the guys are with their bikes. The Power Commander and Tuning Link system WORKS by testing for YOUR bikes needs and changing the map on the bike to suit those needs. Here's one of the happy campers:

You can see what others have said about the PC and our work by clicking here

If you need any further information please click on the "contact" link on the front page. We'll get back to you within 1-2 days with the answer. Or you can call us on

0409 248895