To Command or not to Command that is the question?

[bmwbub 0]

I've got a K1300R with a couple tuning mods already and am running about 185bhp. I'm looking to finish it off and have a power commander fitted to take it to a speculated 210-220bhp.
Question is, given its a total of 500 notes, is it worth it?
I'm currently more swayed just by the thought of having over 200 ponies to play with.
What's peoples opinion, and has anyone had any experience with power commanders?
In case it helps it the ex BSB dude in north allerton that would be setting the bike up etc etc.

[Macie_UK 0]

Altering the fuel mapping via a power commander is usually very worthwhile, even more so if you have mods - even those as simple as a race filter and a different end can.

Remember that the stock fuelling is often geared to comply with emissions requirements rather than making the bike run the best that it can, especially in the mid range and a PC will certainly let you smooth out the delivery.

I'd be very surprised if remapping it would add another 25 BHP though, but if it did, at £20 per HP, it would be about the most cost-efficient power gain known to man.

[madcarper 0]

definately worth it stefan,makes the bike so much more responsive and smooth running got mine done by stuart at the dyno centre in northallerton he knows his stuff and is a nice bloke.you can take the power commander off and stick on ebay if you sell the bm.

[Grumpyowl 0]

Hope to be having mine done this coming weekend
power commander v and K & N filter
Would doubt it would take the Busa over 200 ponies

But should give a lot more low down grunt and more torques. Just we're you would want it.

[bmwbub 0]

That's his name Stuart, seemed a real nice guy when I spoke to him. Those power figures are based on what some people have put up on the interweb lol, I would be over the moon to achieve 200 ponies. When I get it done will have to post up the dyno thingy. Stuart was saying fuel economy and mid range power would be beefed up which is where the useable power really matters, I personally think. Might need a regular tyre supplier tho ;-)

[Tony nitrous 0]

Powercommanders are great... on the right bike.

I have one on my GSX1400,
with a full system and a few other mods it
needed a bit of adjustment. The stock ECU isnt great.

Wouldnt touch one on a B-King, the B-Kings ECU can be re-mapped and tweeked far beyond anything a power commander can ever do.
Remapping a Kings stock ECU will remove timing retards,
and tweek secondary butterflys, EXUP vaves etc.

Some folk quote "at the crank" figures,
which are calculated and "somewhere near"
but mean nothing other than pub bragging.

Only figures worth anything are at the tyre.
Crank figures are meaningless.
You'll never seen them, never use them.

[Tony nitrous 0]

210/220 at the tyre is REAL healthy.
200 is bloody good.

That must be some serious mod's because you wont
find that with a pipe / filter and re-map.

I ride with a local BMW mechanic who own's
K1300R, K1300S, the new 800 etc.
Pretty sure none of his hotted up BMW's are near that.

Be very wary of dyno figures.
I've seen bike lose/gain between 15 and 20 ponys
riding between one and another on the same day.
We ran a claimed "190+hp" bike against a 163hp one,
The 163 bike pulled away in every gear,
and ran 2 tenths quicker at the strip.
Both figures from different dyno's.

[Tony nitrous 0]

Powercommanders dont create horsepower,
they may find some if the bikes not running at its best.
They only correct any poor settings in what you have.

A bike running spot on with gain nothing.

To find a LOT of horsepower from a powercommander
a bike would have to be running waaaay off to start with.

I have seen one bike that lost 3 or 4 horsepower top end when remapped with a PC.
It peaked as the mixture went lean,
although it lost a couple top end,
overall it was a much nicer bike afterwards.
Hard to explain to an owner lots of dyno work lost him 3 horsepower!

[fr499y 0]

I've had that before. Lost power up top but the gain low/mid more than makes up for a few hp up top!

[bmwbub 0]

I've got a titanuim akraprovic racing system at min with a kn induction kit fitted currently, otherwise its the standard 175bhp engine set up.
Its definetely food for thought as bike is truely awesome as it is and wouldn't want to risk fudging it up. Although the prospect off 200 ponies would be nice, only downside would cost 500 quid just to find out if you could get anything. That's what I'm trying to weigh up, is it worth the money, vonsidering the possible outcome?

[ptolemyx 0]

I can only assume the bhp figures you are quoting are crank, not rear wheel figures?????

It's like the B-King, where Suzuki quoted 182bhp which must have been a crank figure and loads of us have had 160-165 rear wheel bhp for stock bikes as measured on dynos around the World and are getting up to 185ish rear wheel bhp with exhausts, decatting and airbox mod's. These B-King figures for modded motors are of course after the fuelling has been optimised, be it with a module or ecu editor.

Old and Disgraceful

[fr499y 0]

Its worth the money for the smoother running alone. 150bhp running smoothly is better than 180bhp running like a dog. If you got the money to do it, get it done!

[bmwbub 0]

Yeah just quoting standard manufacture figures. Its 2011 bike so I would hope that's its running nicely currently. I was torn between the k1300 and the b-king, both a pair of big brutes! Will have to have a good think about this one!

[Grumpyowl 0]

@bmwbub wrote:

Yeah just quoting standard manufacture figures. Its 2011 bike so I would hope that's its running nicely currently. I was torn between the k1300 and the b-king, both a pair of big brutes! Will have to have a good think about this one!

I bought all my bits over the winter so as not to take too big a hit all at once.

Having mine done this weekend £190 + having 1st mot fee and he says it will probably finish what's left of the rear tyre so that'll be about £180 on top.

It all adds up

[Macie_UK 0]

@fr499y wrote:

Its worth the money for the smoother running alone. 150bhp running smoothly is better than 180bhp running like a dog. If you got the money to do it, get it done!

Better rideability is the biggest and best change rather than out and out power.