A Reader Rides ProgramWe wanted to do something different; something that you can participate in for FREE and get something for it. It’s our new reader rides program, Points Across Texas™, co-sponsored by D’Rose Inn & Cabins in Leakey.

All you have to do is ride the roads of Texas, visiting places on our Destination List. As you do, send us pictures with you and/or your bike and an identifiable background to show you were there. Once you send in five pictures, we’ll send you a Thunder Roads Texas Points Across Texas™ patch! In this inaugural year, we offer the easiest list ever! It includes major Texas events (motorcycle and non-motorcycle), popular Texas destinations, and a couple categories to make it even easier, such as any county courthouse, any Ghost Town (as listed online, see details below).

Here is a partial list. A full list is available online. Periodically, we’ll publish a special themed list – so keep picking up Thunder Roads Texas motorcycle magazine for these updates and check online.

Starting in February, we’ll have a booklet available – FREE. Just call or email us (281.3866.8149; Shelly@ThunderRoadsTexas.com) and give us your mailing address. We’ll send you a Destination List in a handy, spiral bound, tear-proof, 4”x6” booklet to keep on your bike. Your address goes nowhere; we do not sell or share our readers’ personal information.

The program is FREE! All you have to do is keep the list handy when you get on your bike and send us proof you’ve been there. Remember – just five locations and we’ll send you the patch.

SPONSORD’Rose Inn & Cabins

POPULAR TEXAS TOURISM“Little Green Man” Burial Site; AuroraAlamo, San AntonioAllen Station Park; AllenApache Trading Post; AlpineAquarena Center; San MarcosBeer Can House; HoustonBird & Butterfly Farm; BrownsvilleBlarney Stone; Shamrock TexasBlue Bell Creamery; BrenhamBuddy Holly Statue; LubbockCadillac Ranch; AmarilloCascade Caverns; BoerneCathedral of Junk; AustinConfederate War Memorial; DallasDan Block (“Hoss”) Memorial; O’DonnellEiffel tower w/ Big Cowboy Hat; ParisFire Station No 1; Fort WorthForbidden Gardens; KatyFred Hartman Bridge; BaytownFreedman’s Cemetery Memorial; DallasFrontier Texas!; AbileneBush Presidential Library, College StationGiant Sam Houston Statue; HuntsvilleGolf Ball Water Tower; BridgeportGolf Ball Water Tower; LakewayGrapevine Vintage Railroad, GrapevineGruene Dance Hall, GrueneHistoric Ice House; Glen RoseInner Space Cavern; GeorgetownIwo Jim Memorial; HarlingenLittle Chapel in the Woods; DentonLittle Graceland; Los FresnosJohnson Presidential Library, AustinMary of Puddin Hill Bakery & Store; GreenvilleMonolithic Dome Caterpillar; ItalyMoody Gardens, GalvestonNational Mule Memorial; MuleshoeNatural Bridge Caverns, San AntonioOld Red Courthouse; DallasOldest Dr Pepper Bottling Plant in the World; DublinPalo Alto and Palmito Ranch Battlefield; Brownsville

Port Isabel Lighthouse; Port IsabelReunion Tower, DallasRiver Walk, San AntonioSan Jacinto Monument; Deer ParkSeawall, GalvestonSixth Street; AustinSnake Farm; New BraunfelsSouthfork Ranch; PlanoSpace Center Houston, HoustonStevie Ray Vaughn MemorialStonehenge II; HuntStrawberry Water Tower; PoteetStuermer Store; GiddingsTee Pee Motel; WhartonTexas Korean War Veterans Memorial; AustinTexas State Aquarium; Corpus ChristiTexas State Cemetery; AustinTexas State Railroad, Palestine or RuskThe Capitol Building, AustinThe Cross; BallingerThe Stockyards, Fort WorthThe Strand, GalvestonToilet Seat Museum; San AntonioTower of the Americas; San AntonioVeteran’s War Memorial of Texas; McAllenVietnam Veteran’s Memorial; MidlandVW Slug Bug Ranch; ConwayWashington on the Brazos, WashingtonWater Gardens; Fort WorthWatermelon Water Tower; LulingWhite Buffalo Statue; SnyderWorld’s Smallest Catholic Church; Warrenton

“CAPITALS” OF TEXASAlligator Capital of Texas; AnahuacAntique Capital of Texas; BairdBalloon Capital of Texas; AlpineBarbeque Capital of Texas; LockhartBass Capital of Texas; Mount PleasantBed & Breakfast Capital; JeffersonBig Bass Capital of Texas; QuitmanBirding Capital of East Texas; MineolaBlackeyed Pea Capital; AthensBlueberry Capital of Texas; NacogdochesBluebird Capital; Wills PointBluebonnet City; Ennis

Bluebonnet Co-Capital of Texas; BurnetBluebonnet Co-Capital; Llano CountyBlues Capital; NavasotaBoot Capital of America; JustinCactus Capital; SandersonCement and Steel Capital; MidlothianCheeseburger Capital; FrionaChess Capital; BrownsvilleChili Capital of the World; TerlinguaChristmas Capital of Texas; GrapevineCitrus Capital; WeslacoColonial Capital of Texas; San FelipeCowboy Capital of the World; BanderaCrape Myrtle Capital; WaxahachieCrape Myrtle City; MauricevilleCrape Myrtle Capital; Lamar CountyCrawfish Capital of Texas; MauricevilleCzech Heritage Capital; WestDaffodil Capital; Round RockDanis Capital; DanevangDeer Capital of Texas; LlanoDinosaur Capital; Glen RoseDove Capital of Texas; HamiltonEagle Capital; Rains CountyFruit Cake Capital of the World; CorsicanaGoose Hunting Capital; Eagle LakeHippo Capital; HuttoHorned Lizard Capital; KenedyHot Air Balloon Capital; PlanoIrish Capital; DublinJackrabbgit-Roping Capital; OdessaLeap Year Capital of the World; AnthonyMural Capital; BreckenridgeMushroom Capital; MadisonvilleNorwegian Capital; CliftonOstrich Capital; MidlandOutdoor Capital; BudaPancake Capital; HawkinsPeach Capital; Parker CountyPolka Capital of Texas; FredericksburgPottery Capital of the World; MarshallPump Jack Capital; ElectraPumpkin Capital; FloydadaPurple Martin Capital; LongviewRed Poppy Capital; GeorgetownRed Tail Hawk Capital; KaufmanRedbud Capital; DentonRice Capital of the World; Katy

Rodeo Capital; MequiteRose Capital of the World; TylerSasauge Capital; ElginSeedless Watermelon Capital; Knox CitySpinach Capital of the World; Crystal CitySports Capital of Texas; Round RockSpur Capital; GatesvilleSquare Dance Capital; McAllenStagecoach Capital; BridgeportStoryfest Capital; George WestStorytelling Capital of Texas; George WestStrawberry Capital of Texas; PoteetSunflower Capital; HearneThe Birthplace of Texas; Deer ParkTomato Capital of the World; JacksonvilleTurkey Capital of the World; CueroVaquero Capital of Texas; Jim Hogg County/HebbronvilleVolunteer Capital; Comal CountyWatermelon Capital of Texas; LulingWestern Swing Capital; TurkeyWild Boar Capital; DickensWildflower Capital of Texas; TempleWind Energy Capital; McCameyWine Root Stock Capital; DenisonWool and Mohair Capital; San Angelo

NON-MOTORCYCLE EVENTSList here are only those through March. We’ll update these quarterly.

Mardi Gras! GalvestonFebruary 5-16; Galveston

Houston Livestock Show & RodeoMarch 2-21; Houston

Chocolate FestivalMarch 12-13; Grapevine

St. Patrick’s Day CelebrationMarch 19-21; Shamrock

St Patrick’s FestivalMarch 20; Dublin

Azelea Trail FestivalMarch 20; Jasper

Texas Onion FestivalMarch 26-27; Weslaco

Continued on page 29...

January 2010 H Page 27Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

robably the best aftermarket part you can install on your bike (if your bike is fuel injected) is an Electronic Fuel

Injection Controller. Significant horsepower and torque can be gained on the bike; up to 10-20% increase have been reported and Dyno tested.

About Techlusion Corporation

Techlusion who? Dobeck what? Just about everyone knows the Power Commander and the Cobra FI brands, but very few know the Techlusion/Dobeck brand. The Techlusion Corporation and Dobeck is actually the same company. I recently had the pleasure to speak with the Techlusion/Dobeck CIO, Dallas Fischer, who shared with me a wealth of knowledge about their company and products. Mark Dobeck, founder of Dynojet, the same person who introduced the jet kit and the inertia dynamometer, formed a new company called Techlusion in 1997. The focus of the company was to develop a controller as a fuel solution for EFI vehicles which was believed to be the future of all powersport vehicles. The company started in Las Vegas, Nevada, but was moved to Bozeman, Montana in 2003. What is not commonly known is that the roots of their competitors, Power Commander and Cobra FI, can both be traced back to the Dobeck Company and technology. So in essence Techlusion/Dobeck was the original motorcycle EFI unit producer. The original unit was branded as the Techlusion Fuel Injection (TFI) processor. These are sold directly though Techlusion, but the bulk of their s a l e s are through third party distribution. Distributors such as Arlen Ness and Two Brothers Racing, rebrand them more commonly known as the Big Shot and the Juice Box.

The TFI and GEN3

The need for more power is inevitable for a motorcycle and simply trading up bikes is both costly and impractical. I installed the Techlusion Fuel Injection (TFI) system on my bike, which is the older Gen2 type, and was pleasantly surprised how much additional power band my bike attained. But how does this all work? An electronic fuel injection system is a computer controlled fuel delivery system. This electronic control unit (ECU) reads various sensors located on the vehicle and makes the determination of how much fuel to allow the engine to have

based on this information. The computer will open and close the injectors allowing gasoline into the engine based on the sensor inputs and the fuel map programmed into the computer. The Techlusion TFI GEN2 uses throttle position and RPM’s to determine the amount of fuel to be added. In contrast, their GEN3 units, senses engine load as well, resulting in a better calculation for the amount of fuel added, and ultimately better power band response.

The TFI GEN2 is available directly from Techlusion and their GEN3s are sold through the re-branded units such as Big Shots and Juice Box. The amount of additional

horsepower (HP) gains will vary, depending on bike manufacturer, model, air intake and exhaust system. For maximum HP gains, an aftermarket air and exhaust system is recommended, but not necessary. It can be installed as a stand alone unit, as I did with my motorcycle. An EFI unit is necessary though if you decide to change out your air intake system with an aftermarket one since it will change the air to fuel ratio.

Installing one may sound like a gruesome task, but overall it’s fairly easy, and takes about 30 minutes; 10 minutes for someone who knows their motorcycle. There are plug and play models where the unit just plugs in between the current ECU and injector connections. There are also step by step instructions with photos available on the web. Lastly, Techlusion has outstanding customer support and service. They actually built me the first 2009 TFI model for my Suzuki

M50 Boulevard within two weeks. Right after I installed the TFI unit, I immediately took my bike out for a test ride. The difference was noticeable and the power bands between the gears were much greater. This was probably the best aftermarket addition I had put to my bike to date. I really cannot say enough good things about Techlusion/Dobeck.EFI units and their customer service. Since third party distributors handle the bulk of their business, they can still operate on a small family business mentality, putting customer needs first. Though, the Power Commander and Cobra FI are widely marketed units, they really get their roots from Techlusion/Dobeck. And

as of now, the GEN3 units are on the cutting edge and

the only ones that use load b e a r i n g technology at this time. I firmly

believe that r e g a r d l e s s what brand

you choose, that an EFI unit, should be your

first aftermarket add-on to your bike.

Conclusion

In my opinion, the Techlusion Fuel Injection system by Dobeck and their GEN3

systems are essential aftermarket additions to any motorcycle. It adds noticeable power

and throttle response. And the price is just right, being sold between $250 and 300 a unit.

For more information about the TFI and GEN3 go to www.techlusion.com or www.arlenness.com.

So as always, ride safely and “See you on the high ground!”

GENERAL CATEGORIESAny County Courthouse: There are 254 counties in Texas, this • leaves quite a bit of room for an easy visit!Ghost Towns: As listed in GhostTowns.com/states/tx/tx.html • or TexasEscapes.com. Both of these sites offer a pretty large listing, but be sure that there’s something there to get a picture of before you set out on the trip! Some of these towns are simply memories.Texas Motorcycle Events: Any event listed in our Event Listing • qualifies.Any brewery or winery in Texas.• Popular Motorcycle Roads: Any road provided at • MotorcycleRoads.us/states/tx.html. Simply make sure a road sign is in the background.Anything on Route 66: As listed in TexasEscapes.com•

GENERAL RULESPictures must include something that identifies the destination, • such as street signs, city/town signs, event banners, location signs, and historical markers.The pictures should include some form of date stamp or, better • yet, a current Thunder Roads Texas issue in the picture!Pictures must identify the name of the person for which the • picture will count. If there’s a group shot, a single picture may be submitted with a list of names.Don’t wait until you have five photos! Send them as you travel. • We’ll publish along the way! And we’ll keep track for you!If you find a location on our list that is not suitable (an event that • will not be held in 2010, for example), please let us know!We’ll provide updates to the list throughout the year, including • themed lists based on the time of year, anything identifiable on our Monthly Ride Map, and sponsors as they come aboard. The best way to stay informed will be through our Web-zine emailing!The bike booklet will be available in February.• MOST OF ALL - Be safe & enjoy!•

Points Across TexasContinued from page 27...

future Events

January 2010 H Page 29Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

April 7-11Arizona Bike WeekAZBikeWeek.comScottsdale, AZ

April 9-11Carts, Bikers & Babes RallyCartsBikersAndBabesRally.comSomervilleRegion: Prairies & LakesMetro: Bryan/College Station

April 9-11TMRA State RallyTMRA.orgSnyderRegion: Panhandle

April 24-26Texas COC State RallyCOCTexas.orgManorRegion: Hill CountryMetro: Austin

March 19-217th Annual South Texas Motorcycle ShowTXBikeShow.comSan AntonioRegion: South TexasKick off the riding season in San Antonio. Live music, sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas Motorcycle Magazine; Texas Scooter Times hosted Swap Meet; stunt show and competition; Tattoo Expo, featuring Johnny Jackson from Texas Body Art in Houston; and lots of vendors.

May 7-16Myrtle Beach Bike WeekMyrtleBeachBikeWeek.comMyrtle Beach, SC

May 19-30Run for the WallRFTW.orgWashington, DC

May 20-23Aspen Cash RallyMotorcycleRally.comRuidoso, NM

May 22-232nd Annual Women Riders ConferenceHarley-Davidson.com/WomenRidersMilwaukee, WI

June 10-13Republic of Texas (ROT) Biker RallyROTRally.comAustinRegion: Hill Country

June 12-20Laconia Motorcycle WeekLaconiaMCWeek.comLaconia, NH

June 21International Ride to Work DayRideToWork.org

August 9-1570th Annual Sturgis Bike WeekSturgis.comSturgis, SD

September 9-12The Texas RallyTheTexasRally.comSomervilleRegion: Prairies & LakesMetro: Bryan/College Station

September 15-19The Golden Aspen RallyMotorcycleRally.comRuidoso, NM

September 17-19The Oldest Town in Texas (OTT) RallyOTTRally.comNacogdochesRegion: Piney WoodsThunder Roads Texas Motorcycle Magazine will, once again, be a sponsor. With the blow out turn out in 2009, we expect big things from this rally this year! Watch for upcoming news as the organizers get ready to make this a rally to remember!

September 29-October 2Bikes, Blues & BBQBikesBluesandBBQ.orgFayetteville, AR

September 29-October 3Myrtle Beach Fall RallyMyrtleBeachBikeWeek.comMyrtle Beach, SC

October 14-17BiketoberfestBiketoberfest.comDaytona, FL

October 23-25California Bike WeekCaliforniaBikeWeek.comPamona, CA

October 28-31Lone Star Motorcycle RallyLoneStarRally.comGalvestonRegion: Gulf CoastMetro: Houston/Sugar Land/Baytown

Basic Listings are FREE! Send information to Events@

ThunderRoadsTexas.com. Upgrade listing for ONLY $45/Event.