Dyno's

[380EXCman]

Im curious who makes the better dyno machine? Theres the Superflow Cycledyne, Dynojet, Land & Sea, Mustang and the less expensive Dayton dyno. Im sure there are others. I have been told that the biggest difference between the most expensive and less expensive ones is the software. I was wondering what some of you guys that have had experience with some of these dynos think?

 

[marcusgunby]

wish i knew-i like the dynojet as its a common one and so a bit more comparable.Its all about consistancy really-you need to find one and try to keep using the same one,so over time your results are comparable.They do vary alot, our std bikes make about 31-32hp on the dynojet150 but the fmf one a std bike makes nearly 35.

 

[smarttoys]

I have a Superflow dyno. It works well but the formula that Superflow uses to calculates HP is a little different that Dynojet. Superflow readings are usually 15% lower. I have only a small amount of experience with Dynojets but I prefer the features of the Superflow software, probably because I'm used to it.

It's very important to stick with the same dyno facility for comparisons. Some dyno operators like to fudge the specification numbers a bit. :|

 

[380EXCman]

Actually Im looking at buying one. I have spent some time on a couple Dynojets but thats about it. I have read all their literature and now Im just trying to decide which one to get. I really cant get a straight answer from the sales reps regarding what seperates the expensive ones from the less expensive ones other than price.

 

[Rich Rohrich]

380 - What is it you ultimately want to accomplish with the dyno? Clearly defining that should go a long way towards helping you decide.

Cost differences usually have more to do with the data gathering capabilities of the systems than the "dyno" portion itself.

 

[380EXCman]

Were in the process of opening a shop that will be geared more towards performance & tuning than other dealerships and accessory stores around here. We will be one of the only shops with a bike dyno in the area and feel it will be a good promotional tool. I think most guys that would use it will just want to see how much hp their bike "doesnt" make. But I also think it would be a good tool for us to use in our own testing (before modifications and after type scenerios).

However we are a start-up and have a limited budget. The Land & Sea and the Dynojet are my first choices at this point, but the Dayton Dyno is close to half the price. Of course Dayton says theirs is a solid accurate unit but does not have the same depth in the software dept. as the others. Its tempting but I dont want to drop the coin on a tool that just wont cut it. Of course the flip side is we dont need a tool that is overkill for what we will use it for.

 

[Rich Rohrich]

Here in Chicago a lot of folks have DynoJets and use them to cater to the customers who want to know "what'll she do" . They are usually set up in the back corner of a shop or small garage with poor air handling and unpredictable test conditions. In spite of all that DynoJet is the system that these customers know and seem to want. Dead on accuracy and run to run repeatability doesn't seem to really matter to them, they pay their money and walk out with a printout and a disk, and seem happy. The shop owners for the most part seem to be able to get enough of these folks to easily pay the loan on the dyno each month, so it tends to be self-supporting in the right hands.
As a business tool it's hard to beat, but in my opinion it probably isn't the best tool for serious engine development without investing a lot of money air handling and proper data gathering equipment. Even then I think there are better ways to do development. Dyno discussions are a lot like oil discussions, usually a lot more opinion than hard facts. :)

The SAE has an excellent book on engine testing that goes into real detail on testing to do development work. If you are interested I'll post the info.

Keep us up to date on what you end up doing. I'd love to know how it works out for you. :thumb:

 

[380EXCman]

The SAE has an excellent book on engine testing that goes into real detail on testing to do development work. If you are interested I'll post the info

It would be greatly apreciated....

 

[Rich Rohrich]

Here you go. Engine Testing

 

[Studboy]

What is the approximate price range for a dyno? I would be interested to know.

 

[380EXCman]

$7,000.00 - $50,000.00

 

[Studboy]

WOW! That is a lot!

 

[MONKEYMOUSE]

My Dads friend John Brinkworth bought a dynojet when he built his new dealer ship (Buffalo Harley, about 2 years ago). As far as I know he loves every thing about it. Pulls very constant runs as well.

 

[SFO]

There have been a few dynos on ebay lately.

A friend just got a dynojet250 in nice condition for under 20k.

A dyno is a tool.

 Many shops in California have dynos but it all boils down to the operator.

Who is tuning the bike?

There are many ways to cheat a dynojet if you just want to give a customer a sweet before and after run.

Dynojet is still the baseline for most of the internet bragging rights, whatever that means :yeehaw:

Team Yamaha has a dynojet, along with a higher tech MTS dyno.

Try calling my good friend Dale Lineaweaver, he would be happy to fill your ear on this subject.

1-510-223-9052

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[Pete Payne]

Originally posted by smarttoys
I have a Superflow dyno. It works well but the formula that Superflow uses to calculates HP is a little different that Dynojet. Superflow readings are usually 15% lower. I have only a small amount of experience with Dynojets but I prefer the features of the Superflow software, probably because I'm used to it.

It's very important to stick with the same dyno facility for comparisons. Some dyno operators like to fudge the specification numbers a bit. :|

Thats strange, I have a Dynojet 200 and a friend of mine has a superflow cycledyn. He is only about 15 miles down the road from me. We have tried back to back runs from one dyno to the other within about 30 mins and with the same bike. Thes 2 dynos are normaly within 1-2% of eachother and sometimes the superflow reads higher and sometimes the Dynojet reads higher. Both are realy good dyno's. And once you get used to running them setup is fast and easy to make runs.

 

[smarttoys]

Thats strange, I have a Dynojet 200 and a friend of mine has a superflow cycledyn. He is only about 15 miles down the road from me. We have tried back to back runs from one dyno to the other within about 30 mins and with the same bike. Thes 2 dynos are normaly within 1-2% of eachother and sometimes the superflow reads higher and sometimes the Dynojet reads higher. Both are realy good dyno's. And once you get used to running them setup is fast and easy to make runs.

I base the 15% comparisons on my own experience, info from operators of the S&S R&D department, Harley Davidson R&D department, and Superflow themselves. S&S and Harley use Superflow and Dynojet dynos. If I use the recommended specification numbers on my Superflow the readings are typically around 15% lower than a similarly setup Dynojet. Superflow's latest software even has a separate Dynojet conversion collumn. It boils down to the operator and the spec numbers being used.;) I agree, either one will give you ease of operation and repeatability. It's a very useful tool and not just to measure torque and horsepower.

 

[Faded]

380EXCMan,

Let me know when you get one, I'd like to come over and give her a spin. :)

 

[dave186]

I still like that Land and Sea dyno cause its not just an inertial dyno ;)

Faded, where in ID are you?

 

[Faded]

Originally posted by dave186
Faded, where in ID are you?

Idaho Falls. I have parents in Boise so I'm up that way a few times a year.

 

[380EXCman]

Well I went with the Dayton dyno. It was the less expensive model. $8200.00 delivered with Air/Fuel unit. It on its way now and I should have it up and running by the first part of next week. I will post back later with more info and impressions.

 

[sigar]

380,

What other than price led you to the Dayton? I'm looking into buying a Dyno too, I have a very similar shop idea I'm developing in my area. I'm concerned that I may have trouble selling the services if all my customers feel they need a Dynojet reading. Maybe there isn't much difference between the two and maybe most customers won't know the difference. I don't know. Either way I would like a good dyno for my own testing purposes. Did you find anywhere on the net or elsewhere that had a good (layman) description of the differences between the main dynos? Thanks.

 

[380EXCman]

Well we got it up and running. It seems to be very consistent. Daves poor Berg has been getting a workout in helping us figure the Dyno out. (not to mention were all walking around with headaches and dizzeness.... :eek: ) Knobbies dont work at all! Right Dave... :moon: Best he could pull with a knobby was 39 hp. Put the street tire on and ran a 47.3 hp right off the bat... Which is pretty much ball park for the bike. The bike is a torque monster though. It starts to make 30 hp at 4500 rpm and peaks at 6549 rpm at 37.7 then stays above 30 hp to 8750 rpm. The software has a correction factor for engine displacement that takes into account what I would guess is parrasetic loss because of, well its engine size and the size of the engine componets? With that correction it bumps it up to 51.1. Then there is also a correction factor to correct the numbers to HP at the crank. And that put it close to 60hp. I had allready spent enough time on a Dyno to know that numbers can be bolstered and to take them with a grain of salt. But this does seem to be pretty consistent. I think he pulled a 47.3 - 47.7 - 47.6 and a 47.8 all uncorrected.

The software that comes with the dyno is cleary not as flexible or as complex as the more expensive ones. But for us I think it will work fine. As we will be using to help local racers to test mods. As well as for ourselves to do before and after testing to see what kind of mods work on what bikes. More or less so we can recommend and sell performances packages.

The Fuel/Air unit that came with it is a stand alone unit and does not integrate with the software. Rich you wouldnt happen to be familar with Innovate Motorsports products would you? If so Dave could use your expertise...

All in all its pretty cool. We will have to get some pics of the shop up next week. We open monday. Still alot to do... But Im having a ball!

 

[MrLuckey]

Sounds very cool Veron. Best of luck to you guys :thumb:

 

[dave186]

that LM1 wideband kit is a pile. if it could integrate with the dyno software, it could be useful, but even then i dont think its readings are correct. I think it has to do with that little contraption they use to stick the 02 sensor in the tailpipe. http://www.innovatemotorsports.com/

 

[dave186]

Sigar, the differences between the dynos are mainly the software packages. an inertial dyno is just a heavy steel drum with a a speed sensor on it. the software does all the work.