Hallman Gets Into The Details

hen you work in the motorcycle industry, it is very easy to get in a rut. Closing your w mind to new ideas, especially when a new product is introduced into the marketplace, means you can miss out on some really cool technology. I have a tendency to gravitate to comfort food. Give me some gummy colas, and I’ll be your friend forever! I also tend to find comfort in my daily routine in the shop, regardless of whether I’m at the sales counter or back in my lair, adjacent to the service department. When it comes to

Article And Photos By: Jason Hallman www.cyclestopusa.com

EFI tuners, lately, my comfort food has been the Fuelpak FP3 from Vance and Hines. I’m a technerd at heart. When it comes to devices, phones, or anything that uses an internet connection, I am a dyed in the wool Apple iOS user. Say what you want…but it works for me, and besides, I hear the ladies like the blue bubbles!

Let me start out by saying, just because I like using the FP3, that does not preclude me from looking into or using the other tuners on the market. We use several different tuners depending on the application and our customer’s

budget. While there are several options, each tuner has its “pros” and its “cons.” Here is what you should know about all of the tuners in the marketplace today: they all do [basically] the same thing; they all have their own way of doing it. After you read this if you still think that what you are using is the best, then good on you! I only seek to educate, inform and entertain you for a spell. 1st Impressions:

From the moment you receive the FP3, you are ready to go. The only thing you need will be the device you are going to use to use your bike. I recommend downloading the FP3 application and playing with it in “DEMO MODE” until you become familiar with the tool’s functionality. The FP3 packaging is nice, and the item is safely nestled, and the package is sealed from the outside with cellophane (shrink) wrap. The contents included in the package are limited to just the unit and your printed instructions. My first impression was that this should be a pretty simple install on my motorcycle.

Once I was ready to install the unit, I only needed to locate the diagnostic plug under the left side cover opposite the battery cover (I currently own a 2016 Dyna Low Rider). Based on the model you have, the diagnostic plug will be located specifically to your model. On 2014 and up Can-Bus models, the diagnostic plug is a grey plug. On non-Canbus models, the plug on the

FP3 will be a red color. Once

I located the plug and plugged in the tuner, I was ready for the most fun part of owning the Vance and Hines FP3, the integration with my cell phone through the Vance & Hines

FP3 application downloadable in the Apple iTunes Store (or the Google Play store if you prefer the Android operating system). I used my iPhone, but you can use any device to download the app to like a tablet or even an iPod.

Note: A laptop will not connect to your FP3. You must use either an Android device or an iOS device to communicate with your motorcycle.

Moving On: Once you have the app downloaded and the FP3 installed, you are now ready to link your device to the motorcycle. Do this by turning the RUN/ STOP to the ON position and powering up the bike. (You may want to put your bike on a battery tender for this next part. Once the motorcycle is powered up and the

RUN/STOP switch is on the ON position, you’ll need to leave the engine off while the tuner links to your motorcycle. You’ll likely need to link the tuner the first time through the Bluetooth connection just as you have with a Bluetooth speaker or any other add-on device to be controlled by your phone or tablet device.

Once the motorcycle and the tuner communicate with each other, you’ll need to wait for the tuner to contact Vance & Hines HQ and download the latest firmware patch. This may likely take several minutes to complete. For this reason, I recommend you leave your bike on the battery tender to not compromise the battery life of the motorcycle. Once the firmware is downloaded you can search for the correct map for your application in the FP3’s app on your device.

The Vance and Hines map database is ever-expanding. When I purchased and downloaded it the first time in 2014, the database was not very large. Today, the database is massive, and the device’s abilities

are astounding, especially compared to seven years ago.

Once you are ready to search for the map, this search begins in the year and model section of the tuner. Once you have your year and model selected, the FP3 now needs to know what type of exhaust you have, and they sort these by exhaust manufacturer. The database currently has 12 manufacturers listed, plus an additional selection labeled “Generic,” which has about five additional maps for base map selection.

Once you have a map selected, you can upload your map into the ECM via the FP3. To do this, you must choose “Program Bike With This Map” and follow the prompts. You’ll need to shut the bike off at one point for 30 seconds. Once the transfer has been completed successfully, you can turn the bike back on, fire it up, take it on a test drive and start using the other functions of the FP3.

We will cover the other functions available like the Map Optimizations, Sensor Data, Maintenance schedule, and Auto Tuning in the next issue. Ride safe!