Power Commander

[SmokennFasTT]

I was looking online at a 01 RC51 it says the bike comes with everything you need to hook it up to the comp(Power Commander) what is that thing? forgive me if this is a really stupid question

[reiobard]

from what i understand it is just like a "chip" for a car. it mamages the fuel system to provide the most horsepower possible. I Beleive you have to "Map" them which means getting them configured for the specific mods on the bike, air filter, exhaust...ect. customized fuel control.

[benVFR]

If the bike has the Power Commander and it's already been setup you don't need to do anything, just know it's going to ride a lot better if it's setup correctly.

It lets you hook up a laptop via a USB cable to tune the fuel injection map and/or the ignition timing. It's a little computer about the size of a pack of cigarrettes that piggybacks into the bikes wiring harness and alters the fuel injector pulse length based on it's programming.

It's a very useful mod... they run $200-350 depending on what kind of deal you get, they can make a big difference on many bikes, and it would definitely be considered a plus when looking at a used bike.

Some of the RC51 owners can chime in but I believe the RC51 is one of those bikes that is really "unlocked" with a PC3 + Pipes and a few other mods, it can be a big jump in power. (20+ hp?)

The only caveat is if the previous owner loaded in a really dumb map, then it's the equivalent of having poorly jetted carbs, the bike won't run so good, but that's a hell of a lot easier to fix then a bike with messed up carbs.

[Half Squid]

The bike is set up and ready for a PC. All you really need to do is pull out a few plugs on the main wire harness that are keeping internal connectors protected. From there you find a location to mount your PC and plug your PC connectors into the Main Wireharness. After instalation be sure to tape the wires or shrink tube those to keep all your wires protected.

Here is where I found the link for my bike instalation instructions.
Main page: http://www.powercommander.com/

The main page you will find the link for instalation, find your model bike and open the Adobe Acrobat Viewer for the instructions. Print them out so you have them while installing the unit.

It looks and sound easy enough. I will find out for sure tonight as I am replacing my rear wire harness and hooking up my PC again.

[SmokennFasTT]

love this site so helpful. thx alot guys- Smokey

[union]

Ok Im a bit tired but lets see if I can add some more to this. FIrst if its an 01 rc51 chances are its not a usb power commander. In such a case you will need a serial cable to hook up the pc to it. Not a big deal jsut buy the cable at compusa for lole 10 dollars.

You definately want one on your rc. As good of a bike as it is the power commander with a proper map for the pipes makes it a completely different animal. Stuff to look for is the free mods which most maps take into consideration. These include the flapper mod, softrev(can make the kit for under 2 dollars) and some times the pair valve removal which really doesnt add power but tkaes away some weight and clutter.

A great place for info is www.rc51.org. Can surf a lot of the site for free. Look up the mods link. If you do end up getting the rc then pony up the 20 dollars for the lifetime membership. A lot of good guys there and they really know their stuff about the rc51.

[Currently]

I know that all bikes are not the same ...

My SV PCIII experience was a total waste of money.

200 for the PCIII and 300 for the dyno runs.

2 horsepower and a half pound of torque ...

My personal opinon FWIW ... put your money on tires, brakes and suspension ....

It ain't like people did not tell me ... I just chose not to believe and now I do ... take that for what it is worth.

[SmokennFasTT]

its already on the bike. i dident buy it

[union]

Youre right all bikes are not the same. Unfortunately for the rc its not very great out of the box. It requires a little investment to turn it into what it is supposed to be.

The power commander is one of those investments. However the PC alone wont add anything. They are usually bought with a set of new pipes and with a proper map that is where you see the HP gains. Its not like you will gain 50hp. On the dyno chart over on Rogue it shows a 9hp gain over stock. It may not seem like a huge gain but remember a motocycle isnt a huge veichle either.

Ill agree that tires are definately important but those get changed multiple times or should get changed multiple times. I look at it as more of a safety thing with tires. They are more of a requirement then an optional mod.


The rc51 according to many people has some of the best stock brakes on a sportbike. Ive seen people change out the calipers but its for no gains. Most just toss on a radial master cylinder.

As for the suspension on the rc. Ya you should work on that some if you have the money. Its not cheap. Probably close to 2k for front and rear set up. Also add the rear link that is made for the rc which can be picked up for around 200. This will be my next purchase for the rc. From what I understand it gives the bike more grip but I suppose I will find out if I ever get it done.

Originally posted by Currently
I know that all bikes are not the same ...

My SV PCIII experience was a total waste of money.

200 for the PCIII and 300 for the dyno runs.

2 horsepower and a half pound of torque ...

My personal opinon FWIW ... put your money on tires, brakes and suspension ....

It ain't like people did not tell me ... I just chose not to believe and now I do ... take that for what it is worth.

[mycirus]

Originally posted by Currently
I know that all bikes are not the same ...

My SV PCIII experience was a total waste of money.

200 for the PCIII and 300 for the dyno runs.

2 horsepower and a half pound of torque ...

My personal opinon FWIW ... put your money on tires, brakes and suspension ....

It ain't like people did not tell me ... I just chose not to believe and now I do ... take that for what it is worth.

Another important thing is that is smooths out the jerkyness at low RPM and makes the RC a lot more friendly.

Bruce

[benVFR]

There are probably plenty of other people who say the SV1000 responds great to a PCIII despite only picking up (who cares how much) horsepower.... it really is all about smoothing out the throttle response so you can get on the gas earlier and more often.

There are also 27 maps free on dynojets website which I would have tried before forking out $300 for a custom map. Unless you're running some strange combination of parts that no one else has you probably didn't need dyno tuning.

[Currently]

I understand what you are saying, but I am saying for the SV650, you get nothing, throttle response is just a very little bit smoother.

Plus if you would look at my dyno curves ... not much smoothing there.

What I am saying is the SV650 is as close to perfection as you will get from the factory. There is not a tuner out there that could do better.

So for this bike, put your money where it really matters ... the suspension. Now THAT totally transformed my bike! Michelin Pilot Powers and Pilot Roads ... THAT totally transformed my bike!

I am just putting this out there not because of sour grapes.
I am telling people not to waste their money on something that brings minimal returns to the SV650.

[Half Squid]

Oh just an update. The Power comander is much easier to install than I thought. It is pre-wired with the correct plug units to what they call plug and play install.

Unplus your grey input harnes on the computer and plug that into the male side of the power comander, take the other lead from the power comander and plug it directly into you bikes computer input location.

Next hook up your laptop and download your specific Map. Best place to match up which map you want you should go to Rogue and check the Modifications section. Match up what mods are done on the bike, ( Specific pipes, air box mod, flapper calve etc....) Download map. If it's not there either do a search for maps on RC51.com, or post up in the technical section asking for map help. I am positive there will be one if not more that will gladly shoot you a map via E-Mail for you.
After the maps downloaded take a rip and see how it feels!
Mike