kiwidave
Registered User
NOTE: ONLY FOR BIKES FITTED WITH ABS BRAKING 2011-2020, and ALL TOURING MODELS 2020-2023
When you are out of warranty on your new-ish bike, you might be like me and want to do routine servicing yourself.
And contrary to reports, you can do just about everything in your own garage/shed.
Obviously tuning and fuel injection issues are, for the most part, excluded from that. But the H-D fuel injection system is just as good as what's on your car and reported issues are very rare. And if your bike is tuned correctly (rolling road), it should be set and forget - in my view.
Now, if you are one of those owners who changes cams and pipes and tuners every spring, this tool may not appeal.
But if you're like me (2019 Road Glide) and you've got your modern bike just how you want it and you're riding it rather than changing it, and you have no intention of doing much else, read on......
The ONE job most of us can't do during home servicing is flushing the ABS module when changing brake fluid/bleeding brakes. This is deemed a necessity by the factory, but to do it yourself has required a very expensive scanalyzer tool that mimics H-D's Digital Technician, which is what they used in dealership workshops.
Aftermarket versions are made by Snap-On, Centurion, and Daytona Twin Tech, among others, but they are as comprehensive as the H-D DT and very costly, and IMHO only make sense if you have a couple of modern bikes and do a lot of tuning and parts-changing as well.
If you change brake fluid without clearing the module, I am reliably informed the ABS warning light flashes and ABS is not functioning. Well I paid all this money so I will have everything working, thank you.
There are a few YouTube videos that claim you can ''clear the module'' by a session of extreme braking.... I'd prefer to trust the Nigerian bank-transfer email I just received.
However a Seattle tech geek who rides Harleys has come to the rescue.
About 5-6yrs ago he set up a business called InfoTech Mercenary as a sideline to his software career, and proceeded to offer a software solution on an Android tablet for just this job. His tool does nothing else, it ONLY flushes the H-D ABS module and sends a single to the ECM that the job has been done.
In 2019 he upgraded with a second version that worked on all early M8s with ABS.
In mid-2019 H-D started tinkering with the software on touring models in preparation for the introduction of the Reflex Defensive Rider System, the collection of highly advanced electrical chassis controls. Those changes blocked the second version of the ITM ABS flush tool from working on those bikes.
It's taken the guy over three years, but at the start of this year he finally updated his HD2 model to work on ALL M8s with ABS up to and including 2020 and without active RDRS, even if the software was factory-tickled in preparation for it.
And just a couple of weeks ago he unveiled HD3 which works on TOURING models only, 2020-up WITH active RDRS fitted. A 2020-up Softail version will be next.
The ITM ABS flush tool has great reviews on an American Road Glide forum I have been on for 10yrs, and now ALL Harleys with ABS from 2011-2020 are covered, including V-Rods, and all touring Harleys with ABS/RDRS from 2020-up ... with more newer model coverage to come.
They cost around 140 quid plus shipping.
I've finally just ordered mine. Will report back when I use it. No more, in my case, paying $200 to a dealer or custom shop for a 10min job every 18 months or so.
http://infotechmercenary.com/shop/
When you are out of warranty on your new-ish bike, you might be like me and want to do routine servicing yourself.
And contrary to reports, you can do just about everything in your own garage/shed.
Obviously tuning and fuel injection issues are, for the most part, excluded from that. But the H-D fuel injection system is just as good as what's on your car and reported issues are very rare. And if your bike is tuned correctly (rolling road), it should be set and forget - in my view.
Now, if you are one of those owners who changes cams and pipes and tuners every spring, this tool may not appeal.
But if you're like me (2019 Road Glide) and you've got your modern bike just how you want it and you're riding it rather than changing it, and you have no intention of doing much else, read on......
The ONE job most of us can't do during home servicing is flushing the ABS module when changing brake fluid/bleeding brakes. This is deemed a necessity by the factory, but to do it yourself has required a very expensive scanalyzer tool that mimics H-D's Digital Technician, which is what they used in dealership workshops.
Aftermarket versions are made by Snap-On, Centurion, and Daytona Twin Tech, among others, but they are as comprehensive as the H-D DT and very costly, and IMHO only make sense if you have a couple of modern bikes and do a lot of tuning and parts-changing as well.
If you change brake fluid without clearing the module, I am reliably informed the ABS warning light flashes and ABS is not functioning. Well I paid all this money so I will have everything working, thank you.
There are a few YouTube videos that claim you can ''clear the module'' by a session of extreme braking.... I'd prefer to trust the Nigerian bank-transfer email I just received.
However a Seattle tech geek who rides Harleys has come to the rescue.
About 5-6yrs ago he set up a business called InfoTech Mercenary as a sideline to his software career, and proceeded to offer a software solution on an Android tablet for just this job. His tool does nothing else, it ONLY flushes the H-D ABS module and sends a single to the ECM that the job has been done.
In 2019 he upgraded with a second version that worked on all early M8s with ABS.
In mid-2019 H-D started tinkering with the software on touring models in preparation for the introduction of the Reflex Defensive Rider System, the collection of highly advanced electrical chassis controls. Those changes blocked the second version of the ITM ABS flush tool from working on those bikes.
It's taken the guy over three years, but at the start of this year he finally updated his HD2 model to work on ALL M8s with ABS up to and including 2020 and without active RDRS, even if the software was factory-tickled in preparation for it.
And just a couple of weeks ago he unveiled HD3 which works on TOURING models only, 2020-up WITH active RDRS fitted. A 2020-up Softail version will be next.
The ITM ABS flush tool has great reviews on an American Road Glide forum I have been on for 10yrs, and now ALL Harleys with ABS from 2011-2020 are covered, including V-Rods, and all touring Harleys with ABS/RDRS from 2020-up ... with more newer model coverage to come.
They cost around 140 quid plus shipping.
I've finally just ordered mine. Will report back when I use it. No more, in my case, paying $200 to a dealer or custom shop for a 10min job every 18 months or so.
http://infotechmercenary.com/shop/
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