Just wanted to share my first road trip...sorry if this sounds childish...but it's my first bike and first trip on it...so here goes.

I'm in Miami...so a buddy and I rode to Naples. It's about 100 miles each way. When we got to Naples we rode around for a bit...had some coffee...and later in the afternoon rode back home.

The bike rode well and I was comfortable on it...until about the last half hour...the stock seat might have to go eventually.

On the way there...we stopped at a gas station and there were a few guys riding back from the keys. They gathered around my bike and started admiring it. My buddy was jealous that they didn't take a second look at his.

I do have one questions...I have ordered an air cleaner and will wait on the right exhaust. My question is...How difficult would it be to remap the ECM myself? I've searched through the boards and haven't found any info on the process...although there is plenty of info comparing different tuners.

I suppose the goal is to try and save a few bucks where I can...as the only shop I trust (due to lack of experience on my part) is the dealership...and that is only because I haven't dealt with them yet

as always...thanks for the all the info you guys share. You make me sound a little less "dumb" when talking bikes.

 

congrats on the bike and trip. i think everyone remembers their first time pretty fondly.

 

congrats! i just took my first road trip on my breakout last weekend also! found one of the greatest roads in texas too. it was like a roller coaster for motorcycles. soooooo much fun. and i strongly suggest the danny grey buttcrack solo seat. it was perfect for my long ride. kept me comfortable and planted the entire trip. as for the ECM, i couldn't tell you. I had the dealer do it so that everything would still be under warranty.

 

Nice ride, nice bike!
Stock seat will have to go, if you want to take 200+ mile rides often. Many aftermarket choices are available. Mustang, Corbin, LePera. Do your research here on the Forum, you can't go wrong.

Mapping your ECM can be easy as pie, IF you purchase something like a Power Commander Vision that is pre-programmed by Fuel Moto. Check out Jamie and his crew at www.fuelmotousa.com you can't go wrong on exhaust/aircleaner/muffler/tuner choices. He sponsors this Forum and is great to work with. No hard sale, I'm just a highly satisfied customer.

If you are adventurous and mechanically inclined, you can get the SEPRT and map it yourself without a dyno tune using the Smart Tune functions to get it where you want it. Just remember, you can burn holes in your pistons if you get it too lean.

I the meantime, a gel pad or AirHawk pad on your seat can greatly extend your riding comfort without buying a new seat.

Have fun, ride, repeat!

Scoop

 

Long rides are like escaping gravity, the longer you go, the more enjoyable it gets,
A comfortable seat will go a long way, but also remember, your discomfort level will come down as your butt and seat gel along. it happens .
Then the 300 mile day long ride would be a fun week end day .
Enjoy and your post was nice to read, not childish at all, it was honest and sincere.

 

Thats great, good way to break it in. I'd ride it a few more times before I changed seats. It takes a little while to get your butt used to sitting in a saddle that long. Being this is your first bike. Just saying as a lot of people say the badlander is a bad seat but I can ride in one for a long day. Same goes for a Barebones, it's a hard seat when you first sit on it but you get used to it and now I ride in it all the time, best seat I have. I have done 450 over 2 days in this seat

 

Congrats on the ride! Won't be long before the 100 miler's are just great zen time. Warning, highly addictive!

Ah such a tease! Inquiring minds want to know the road! Best I've found are the three sisters (RR335, 336, 337).

 

Glad to hear you had a good day on your Breakout!

There are so many options when it comes to seats and tuners. I've been very happy with the LePera Bare Bones seat and the Power Vision tuner for my 2013 Slim.

 

Ah such a tease! Inquiring minds want to know the road! Best I've found are the three sisters (RR335, 336, 337).[/QUOTE]

 

Welcome to the Harley community. My first advise is Buy A Harley Service Manual! It will be the most important tool in your box and the best money you can spend on your bike.

Exhaust:
Many choices on the market. When purchasing, you want to consider Performance, Style, and Fitment. Vance and Hines pipes usually meet all three of these requirements. They always bolt directly on without modifications or tweaking. Choosing the right baffle makes a difference not only in sound but performance also. Consider "Big City Thunder" monster baffles. Notes: After installing a new set of pipes, wipe off all dirt, grease, and finger prints prior to starting the bike. Fingerprints can actually Burn In to the finish during the initial start-up. Do not use the existing exhaust gaskets. Install a new set.

Tuning:
I have a small shop and work on many bikes from around my area and have experience with most of the tuners on the market. I truly dislike the Harley Scream'in Eagle tuners. Very complicated devices. The pre-programed (Canned) maps that come with the unit run lean. Additionally, once you flash the ECM, the stock map is forever gone. It is a useful device when Dyno tuned by a skilled technician

The Dynojet Power Vision is my current favorite. Simple to use with a function to save the stock map. +1, Purchase it from Fuel Moto who provides great customer service. They can pre-load the device with a custom map to meet your needs.

Vance and Hines has a new Fuel Pak on the market which interest me. It's a WiFi dongle allowing mapping of the ECM with your cel phone. It can also transmit data back to your phone for analysis. New on the market so there is very little feedback pertaining to performance and reliability.

Yes, you can tune your bike yourself. Do your homework. There are a lot of videos on YouTube covering the various tuning devices.

Good Luck