Power Commander PC-V 2012 RT

[snooser]

Hello Everyone,

I just purchased a PC-V for my 2012 R 1200 RT. The bike is in perfect tune and running fine (7200 miles). I bought the PC-V because I like to tinker with my bikes & should it work, so much the better. At best I hope it helps get that very high first gear going a bit smoother on take-offs. I am used to the dry clutch and have no problems with stalling it or smoking it up.

The PC-V has worked great on my other bikes with a seat-of-the-pants-dyno result of about 3-5 HP gain. And smoother running, especially in the 2000-4500 RPM range.

I have read all that I can find on the subject and there is not too much info on the newer RT's.

One thing that concerns me is that the directions call for disconnecting the O2 sensor and leaving it that way.

Putting aside emissions debates and so on, does anyone know if the CANBus or ZEF will freak-out or show an error code all the time, as a result of the O2 sensors being disabled?

I ordered it from FuelMoto.com who has been great to deal with before. It is coming with the map suggested by DynoJet for a stock setup.

Another reason I ordered it is that my riding buddy's new 2013 Triumph Trophy walks away from me on high-way roll-ons or just taking off from a dead stop and I just can't have that. Hoping I may gain a few HP and at least keep up with him. BTW - I would not trade for the TT, it is heavy, not quite the same quality of parts, the foot pegs are in a funny place (34" inseam), love the volume control on the RT compared to the TT & he is having all the usual 1st year recall problems that one would expect.

Anyway, if anyone knows about the O2 sensor question a reply would be appreciated and in addition, if anyone else is thinking about buying a PC-V for their 2009 to 2012 RT, I would be happy to give a report on the results once I get it installed and ride down my favorite & familiar roads.

I know there has been much debate on this subject & I have taken in account all the great advice offered on this site & others into consideration and decided the only way to really find out is to try it out.

I am not concerned if I have to disconnect it and sell it on eBay at a loss or about warrantee issues.

Thank you in advance!

 

[ka5ysy]

Welcome to the group. FWIW, I would look at the cost/benefit of of a PC setup on the BMW. The RT is a very well dialed-in bike without need of doing the Harley thing like Stage 1, Stage 2 and remapping the computer. If your buddy is walking away from you on roll-on, go down 1 gear and see what happens. I have no problem chasing a lot of friends on sport bikes even with full luggage onboard. The RT-P police version is probably the most popular police motorcycle on the planet for a reason, so performance is not an issue at all for them with the stock setup.

You might also ask your dealer to check the bike and see if something is out of whack on the bike. Proper throttle body sync will solve a lot of problems on the boxer engines. Since you are apparently new to the BMW, one other thing to be aware of is that the boxer engine will smooth out nicely after 6-12000 miles as it runs in, so I would not suggest tinkering with it until after 12000 miles or so. My 2011 runs very smooth and kind of purrs along doing 80 mph quite happily, all while getting around 50mpg.

 

[franz]

It's good to now there's someone else out there who's not satisfied with the status QUO. I too am looking into a re-mapping device for the ECU on my '12 RT. I have already changed the muffler. I would have done the head pipe at the same time but Remus was out of stock. I will change it this winter when I return to the states. When I do that, I know it's going to pop on deceleration because the map is lean from the factory due to emissions requirements. I've learned that a lean running engine runs hotter than an enriched one and that it causes the popping on decel.

there is another device out there that I have been curious about. Wunderlich sells a controller (their brand) for $299.00. P/N 8530122. It promises a 10% power increase and retains O2 sensor capability.

The tuner who tweaked my Harley's was never enthusiastic about the PC V setup and they ALL tell you to unplug the O2 sensors. He always had me run TTS Mastertune because it uses the O2 sensors, which provide great indication to the tuner regarding what the engine is doing. That is one of the reasons I don't think I'll go with any device that directs me to spoof the O2 sensors. As far as how your bike will behave w/o the O2's hooked up, I have no idea. Please keep us posted on the results. I'm curious if the ECU is going to flag error codes and cause the idiot light to remain illuminated (if the RT even has one).

Good luck in your quest for more power!!!

 

[snooser]

Just Tuned at 7000 miles, running great.

Thanks for the note.

The bike was just tuned up last week at the dealership and I put in new plugs for the heck of it. So the bike is running great and smoothing out nicely. Very little oil usage either.

I just like to work on my bikes and want to see if the PC-V makes a difference. If it does not, I'll toss it. The cost is not a concern, as this is my way of having fun when not actually riding the bike. So I guess you could say it is a $300.00 experiment and I wanted to let everyone else know. I did hear from another owner that disconnecting the O2 sensors will not hurt anything, but the onboard computer may not calculate mileage and fuel left in tank, and I do like that feature.

As far as my buddy on the Triumph Trophy goes, it is just a friendly rivalry, but the bike really does take off nicely. At very high speeds we are more even, but we like to stick somewhere close to the speed limits.

If I shift down so does he and that's when he pulls away. Still I like the RT a lot more as it handles better, especially at parking lot/garage speeds, where most drop a bike.

And the RT is very easy to work on, most work can be done without taking off the gas tank off and that is a huge time saver.

Ride Safe

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Welcome to the group. FWIW, I would look at the cost/benefit of of a PC setup on the BMW. The RT is a very well dialed-in bike without need of doing the Harley thing like Stage 1, Stage 2 and remapping the computer. If your buddy is walking away from you on roll-on, go down 1 gear and see what happens. I have no problem chasing a lot of friends on sport bikes even with full luggage onboard. The RT-P police version is probably the most popular police motorcycle on the planet for a reason, so performance is not an issue at all for them with the stock setup.

You might also ask your dealer to check the bike and see if something is out of whack on the bike. Proper throttle body sync will solve a lot of problems on the boxer engines. Since you are apparently new to the BMW, one other thing to be aware of is that the boxer engine will smooth out nicely after 6-12000 miles as it runs in, so I would not suggest tinkering with it until after 12000 miles or so. My 2011 runs very smooth and kind of purrs along doing 80 mph quite happily, all while getting around 50mpg.

 

[snooser]

PC-V on a just tuned up 2012 RT, 7200 miles.

Thanks for the note:

The Wunderlich device will do the job too. It is a Dobeck product with Wunderlich's logo on top and they only add fuel, where as the PC-V can add and subtract. That is no big deal as they are all so lean, you need to add fuel. I have a Dobeck tuner device on a cruiser and it works great (1500cc). I have a PC-V on a dual-sport (1000cc) and it really made a difference, so I am trying it on the RT. I missed the O2 part on the Wunderlich product and would have ordered that, if I had of done my homework. I would suggest that over the PC-V for that reason.

I will have the PC-V installed in the next few weeks and will send back a report. I am leaving the bike stock otherwise.

Ride Safe.

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It's good to now there's someone else out there who's not satisfied with the status QUO. I too am looking into a re-mapping device for the ECU on my '12 RT. I have already changed the muffler. I would have done the head pipe at the same time but Remus was out of stock. I will change it this winter when I return to the states. When I do that, I know it's going to pop on deceleration because the map is lean from the factory due to emissions requirements. I've learned that a lean running engine runs hotter than an enriched one and that it causes the popping on decel.

there is another device out there that I have been curious about. Wunderlich sells a controller (their brand) for $299.00. P/N 8530122. It promises a 10% power increase and retains O2 sensor capability.

The tuner who tweaked my Harley's was never enthusiastic about the PC V setup and they ALL tell you to unplug the O2 sensors. He always had me run TTS Mastertune because it uses the O2 sensors, which provide great indication to the tuner regarding what the engine is doing. That is one of the reasons I don't think I'll go with any device that directs me to spoof the O2 sensors. As far as how your bike will behave w/o the O2's hooked up, I have no idea. Please keep us posted on the results. I'm curious if the ECU is going to flag error codes and cause the idiot light to remain illuminated (if the RT even has one).

Good luck in your quest for more power!!!

 

[Ponch1]

This past spring I rode past a 10+ mile rally of HDs on 101 and I and I am sure many had Stage X "upgrades. I thought I was going to be asphyxiated by the excess hydrocarbons. Happiness often is a stock bike and often it is more trouble free.

 

[snooser]

HD Rally

Not to mention the noise.

I am keeping the stock cat etc. and DynoJet is pretty modest with their addition of gas, so I am hoping to have the same great gas mileage a tad more smoothness or power. If not - off it comes.

This past spring I rode past a 10+ mile rally of HDs on 101 and I and I am sure many had Stage X "upgrades. I thought I was going to be asphyxiated by the excess hydrocarbons. Happiness often is a stock bike and often it is more trouble free.

 

[Paladinwest]

Another reason I ordered it is that my riding buddy's new 2013 Triumph Trophy walks away from me on high-way roll-ons or just taking off from a dead stop and I just can't have that. Hoping I may gain a few HP and at least keep up with him. BTW - I would not trade for the TT, it is heavy, not quite the same quality of parts, the foot pegs are in a funny place (34" inseam), love the volume control on the RT compared to the TT & he is having all the usual 1st year recall problems that one would expect.

Try this or this (or both) and show your buddy that you mean business. Relief is just a bank loan away.

 

[snooser]

Max BMW

Wow! Great link, I want those both.

That would be a great excuse for a destination ride & to get Max BMW to install it while there.

Now all I have to do is win the lottery or somehow cancel the Cruise my non-riding wife booked for this winter.

Thanks for the great idea!

I installed a PC-V and a higher ratio sprocket on my 2010 DL1000 V-Strom and now the thing takes off like a rocket. If I had the riding skills it would keep up with the sport bikes and out run my RT too. But the sprocket was only a $45 mod and a few hours of skinned knuckles.

I wonder if Max BMW's final drive would outlast the OEM one?

Try this or this (or both) and show your buddy that you mean business. Relief is just a bank loan away.

 

[roger 04 rt]

Recently I helped Terryofperry bmwsporttouring) interface an LC-1 to his 2010 R1200GSA. He was kind enough in turn to take a lot of data regarding what the BMSK does when its O2 sensor is disconnected.

Here is the first of four posts on the topic: R1200 BMSK O2 Sensors.

Regarding the Autotue Option, you still end up with BMSK getting no O2 signal. The biggest challenge of Autotune is that you have to give it target AFRs for a couple hundred fuel table points. Then you need to manually review and edit the data "Autotune" produces.

As DR said, any fuel you add won't be accounted for by the BMSK trip computer.

You might want to check around and consider dual LC-1s or dual BMW-AF-XIEDs.

RB

 

[roger 04 rt]

The BMW-AF-XIED that Beemerboneyard will soon be selling for R1200.

The BMSK is a powerful ECU that can be told how to add fuel. It will do the whole job of adding fuel is you install a "richer" O2 sensor. So the LC-1s or BMW-AF-XIEDs provide that richer O2 signal. A stock O2 tells the ECU to fuel to the lean EPA standard of 14.7:1. When you add one of the devices I mentioned, it tells the BMSK to fuel to a standard you can program in: e.g. 13.5:1 or 13.8:1 etc. Once it has the richer sensor the BMSK does all the work of figuring out how to add fuel and you lose none of the BMSKs capability.

When you install a PC V, you lose two of the BMSKs most important abilities. The first is you wipe out the BMSKs dual O2 sensor ability to adjust each cylinder individually. This is part of what keeps the R1200 from surging and makes it smoother than an R1100 or R1150. The second thing you lose is its ability to "Adapt" to different fuel or many times of engine or fuel system wear. In addition with no O2s installed the BMSK produces a widely varying Limp Home fueling pattern.

Because of the above and to facilitate tuning, Dynojet offers a product called Dynotune, single or dual channel. You input a table like this:

and after a period of driving it produces factors in a table like this:

So first you have to figure out the target AFRs (the above table has no enrichments for for wide throttle angles like it should), then you have to decide whether it has calculated a good fuel addition. Where you see the number 10 in the table, the user put that number there and it hasn't changed because the rider never hit those TPS/RPM combinations with their riding. Where you see the number 25, the Autotune is recommending a 25% addition to fueling which was the maximum allowed by this rider. Do we really think that these bikes are underfueled by 25%? I don't, I think it was an error.

Bottom line:
If you just want more fuel you can get it without having the complexity of a PC V and without losing the capabilities of your great BMSK.

 

[franz]

I visited their site. Disappointing. There are no 1270 big bore kits for the R1200RT. Only GS models apply. Bummed out. Wonder what he difference is?

Wow! Great link, I want those both.

That would be a great excuse for a destination ride & to get Max BMW to install it while there.

Now all I have to do is win the lottery or somehow cancel the Cruise my non-riding wife booked for this winter.

Thanks for the great idea!

I installed a PC-V and a higher ratio sprocket on my 2010 DL1000 V-Strom and now the thing takes off like a rocket. If I had the riding skills it would keep up with the sport bikes and out run my RT too. But the sprocket was only a $45 mod and a few hours of skinned knuckles.

I wonder if Max BMW's final drive would outlast the OEM one?