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Comparison · Motorcycles

MotoScan vs Biketune vs TuneECU: which app for your motorcycle

The three motorcycle diagnostic apps that work with an ELM327. The choice comes down to two things: your bike's make and whether your phone is Android or iPhone.

By Redacción de Satkit Updated 6 min read

Which one to choose for your case

If you have a BMW and an Android phone

ChooseELM327 Bluetooth OBD2 v1.5 €8.60

It is the adapter for MotoScan: classic Bluetooth, the type the app recommends.

If you have a BMW and an iPhone

ChooseELM327 Wi-Fi OBD2 €17.22

Biketune connects to it over Wi-Fi and reads fault codes and engine data. The Vgate iCar2 Wi-Fi and vLinker BM+ work too.

If your Ducati, KTM, Triumph, Aprilia, Benelli Tornado or Moto Guzzi is on the TuneECU list

ChooseELM327 Bluetooth OBD2 v1.5 €8.60

TuneECU does diagnostics, tests and adjustments with a Bluetooth ELM327, and Satkit's are compatible with TuneECU: full ELM327s with the PIC18F25K80 chip.

If your BMW is from before 2017

ChooseBMW bike 10-pin cable €13.53

It links the round 10-pin socket to the ELM327 to read and clear fault codes with MotoScan on Android.

Side by side

MotoScan vs Biketune vs TuneECU: which app for your motorcycle: ELM327 Bluetooth OBD2 v1.5 / ELM327 Wi-Fi OBD2 / BMW bike 10-pin cable
Feature ELM327 Bluetooth OBD2 v1.5ELM327 Wi-Fi OBD2BMW bike 10-pin cable
ConnectionClassic BluetoothWi-Fi—
Works with
  • iPhone (not compatible)
  • Android
  • Windows
  • iPhone
  • Android
  • Windows
—
ChipPIC18F25K80PIC18F25K80—
ProtocolsThe standard OBD2 ones: CAN, KWP2000, ISO 9141 and J1850The standard OBD2 ones: CAN, KWP2000, ISO 9141 and J1850 (PWM/VPW)—
CAN busHS-CAN onlyHS-CAN only—
Best forGetting started on an Android phone: fault codes and engine dataiPhone at the lowest price—
Price at Satkit€8.60€17.22€13.53

Pros and cons

ELM327 Bluetooth OBD2 v1.5

Pros

  • PIC18F25K80 chip
  • Simple: pairs like any Bluetooth device
  • Works with Torque, Car Scanner and MotoScan on Android
  • Compatible with TuneECU (full ELM327 with the 25K80 chip)

Cons

  • Does not work with iPhone or iPad
  • HS-CAN only: cannot see the MS-CAN on Ford and Mazda

ELM327 Wi-Fi OBD2

Pros

  • Works with iPhone, Android and Windows
  • PIC18F25K80 chip
  • Cheaper than the Vgate iCar2

Cons

  • While connected, the phone has no internet over Wi-Fi
  • Does not reach ABS or airbag

A car OBD2 app is not enough to read a motorcycle's fault codes with an ELM327: many makes use their own diagnostic "language". Three apps speak it and work with an ELM327: MotoScan and Biketune for BMW, and TuneECU for the Ducati, KTM, Triumph, Aprilia, Benelli and Moto Guzzi models on its list (Ducati up to the 1198, Aprilia up to 2020). The adapters are above; the apps are here.

The three apps head to head

MotoScan Biketune TuneECU
Phone Android iPhone, iPad and Apple-silicon Mac Android
Makes BMW (and BMW-era Husqvarna) BMW (and BMW-era Husqvarna); standard OBD2 on other CAN bikes Models on its list from Aprilia, Benelli, Ducati, KTM, Moto Guzzi and Triumph (mainly Ducati up to the 1198 and Aprilia up to 2020)
With an ELM327 Identify control units, read and clear fault codes, live data Fault codes and engine data Diagnostics and maintenance: fault codes, sensor data, tests and adjustments
Most advanced Service functions and coding (Ultimate version) Service reset, coding and tests (Pro) Reprogramming the ECU: loading maps, removing the speed limiter
Adapter Bluetooth ELM327 (or OBDLink, UniCarScan) Wi-Fi or Bluetooth LE: ELM327 Wi-Fi, Vgate iCar2 Wi-Fi, vLinker BM+ Bluetooth ELM327 or USB/OBD2 cable (the cable for reprogramming)
Adapter check Yes, in the Lite version Yes: adapter tier, per-function test and demo mode With ELM327 Identifier (Android)
Price Lite free; paid from €14.99 Free; Pro €17.99 (one-off) €25 licence per year (5 bikes); Pro €300 (3 years)
Where to get it Google Play App Store The developer's website

Prices from Google Play, the App Store and each app's website in October 2026.

MotoScan: BMW on Android

The reference app for BMW motorcycles: it covers every series (C, F, G, K, R and S) from the early 2000s, both K-Line and CAN bikes. With an ELM327 Bluetooth v1.5 it reads and clears fault codes and shows live data; the free Lite version tells you whether it recognises your bike and tests your adapter before you pay. Some service functions, such as resetting the service reminder, need specific adapters (OBDLink LX or MX+, UniCarScan). We cover it in detail in ELM327 for motorcycles.

Biketune: BMW on an iPhone

The iPhone counterpart of MotoScan: MotoScan only exists for Android, and Biketune only for iPhone, iPad and Mac. It covers everything from the classic boxers to the S 1000 RR, R 1300 GS, R 18 or K 1600, and reads the standard data on other bikes with OBD2 over CAN. The free version reads fault codes and live data and has a demo mode; Biketune Pro (€17.99, one-off) adds clearing codes, the service reset and coding. On an iPhone it connects over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth LE: at Satkit, the ELM327 Wi-Fi, the Vgate iCar2 Wi-Fi or the Vgate vLinker BM+ read fault codes and engine data. For the Pro write functions it recommends the UniCarScan UCSI-2100, OBDLink CX, SX or MX+, Veepeak OBDCheck BLE+ or vLinker MC+. When pairing it tells you your adapter's tier and lets you test each function on your bike before you pay.

TuneECU: Ducati, KTM, Triumph and other European makes

The app for the European makes that MotoScan and Biketune do not cover, though not for all their bikes: its website publishes the model list. For Ducati it goes up to the 749, 999, 848, 1098 and 1198, the Hypermotard 1100, the Monsters up to the S4R and the Multistrada 1100 (not the Panigale, the Multistrada V2 and V4, or the current Monster and Scrambler); for Aprilia, up to the 2020 RSV4 and Tuono V4, Shiver, Dorsoduro and Caponord; for Moto Guzzi, the 1200 Sport, Breva 1100 and Griso; and for KTM, up to the pre-Euro 5 1290s.

It runs on Android with a Bluetooth ELM327 or a USB/OBD2 cable (KKL with an FTDI chip). With the ELM327 it does diagnostics, tests and adjustments; Satkit's generic ELM327s are compatible with TuneECU (full ELM327s with the PIC18F25K80 chip). To reprogram the ECU you use the USB cable or, on Triumphs with a Bluetooth-only ECU, the Bluetooth adapters on its list (OBDLink LX, MX or MX+, UniCarScan, vLinker MC+).

Triumphs have the 16-pin OBD2 socket and the ELM327 plugs straight in; Ducati and Moto Guzzi need a 3-to-16-pin adapter, and KTM, Aprilia and the Benelli Tornado the one for their socket. The Benelli TNT and Trek do not use an ELM327: they need the special USB/RS232 cable TuneECU specifies. TuneECU is not on Google Play: you download it from its developer's website.

What if my bike is none of these makes?

On Euro 4 and Euro 5 bikes with standard OBD2 diagnostics a general app is enough, such as Car Scanner (Android and iPhone) or Torque (Android). Honda and Kawasaki bikes from before Euro 5 use their own protocols. The make-by-make table is in ELM327 for motorcycles.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for a BMW, MotoScan or Biketune?

It depends on your phone. MotoScan only runs on Android and Biketune only on iPhone and iPad. MotoScan reads and clears fault codes and shows live data with an ELM327; Biketune reads fault codes and engine data with a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth LE adapter, and for clearing codes, the service reset and coding it needs the Pro version and one of the adapters it recommends. Both have a free version to try on your bike before you pay.

Does TuneECU work with a Bluetooth ELM327?

Yes. TuneECU works with a Bluetooth ELM327 for diagnostics, tests and adjustments on the models on its list. Satkit's generic ELM327s are compatible with TuneECU: they are full ELM327s with the PIC18F25K80 chip. To reprogram the ECU you use the TuneECU USB/OBD2 cable or, on Triumphs with a Bluetooth-only ECU, one of the Bluetooth adapters on its list.

Is there a TuneECU for iPhone?

No. TuneECU is Android only; the Windows version is no longer available. You download it from its developer's website, not from Google Play.

Do I need a cable to connect the ELM327 to the bike?

It depends on the socket. BMWs from before 2017 need the 10-to-16-pin cable; from 2017 they have the 16-pin OBD2 socket. Triumphs also have the 16-pin one. Ducati, Moto Guzzi, KTM, Aprilia and the Benelli Tornado need the adapter for their socket; the Benelli TNT and Trek, TuneECU's special USB/RS232 cable.

Sources

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