Sportster Models 883, 883 Custom, 1200 Custom, 883L, 1200L, 1200S, 1200 Roadster, XR1200, and the Nightster.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Is my Dealer screwing me?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #41  
Old 07-22-2014, 01:19 PM
Krieg's Avatar
Krieg
Krieg is offline
Cruiser
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: NC, USA
Posts: 237
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by subguy
First off, the V&H Short Shots look good, but they rob your low end...as you are finding out pretty big time. That is normal with that exhaust. People buy them for looks and loud, not performance. IOT obtain the low end back you are going to have to get a tuner and play around with it to get the settings right. Do not buy the V&H fuel pak. Go with a good tuner and if you can afford it, go with a Power Vision that is not piggy-backed to the ECM.

One thing I always tell new to Harley riders is ride the bike stock at least a 1000 miles. Then determine what you need. The bike runs really nice and strong in stock form. Once you start modifying it, you have to them make sure you compliment each upgrade to each other as to obtain the performance gains you want. If you listen to a lot of people they will tell you you have to do a stage 1 to get the Sportster to run right. No, you do a stage 1 to gain more power/torque. The power/torque on a stock Sportster is not bad at all. How fast do you want to get to 70 mph? That's about all you gain with a stage 1. Right now you have no idea how great the 48 runs right out of the dealership. Sportsters don't have the heat problems the EFI Twin Cams have (I know). They run lean, but don't burn your legs, etc like a Twin Cam. So upgrading for a heat issue is moot.

IF you want to run the exhaust, be ready to fork out the dollars you will need to get it to run a little better than if it was stock.

EFI Sportsters surge at low RPM (nature of the ECM programing). With the Short Shots you are now compounding that.

My stock (well have Khrome Werks 3" HP Plus with Sound reduction kit slip ons) runs smooth, more than fast enough, and can go all day 80-85 mph.
^^^^ He gets it. Anyone who says it's "normal" for EFI Sportys to run like $hit at low throttle and RPM's has never ridden one with a good tune. Period.
 
  #42  
Old 07-22-2014, 08:21 PM
Farmer1023's Avatar
Farmer1023
Farmer1023 is offline
6th Gear
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Mount Ephraim
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

So yes new sportsters have tach. Clock speedo and trips in one unit. My dealer had also in stalled the cvo breakout gauge on mine with a fuel level sender prior to selling it. (Which has had some issues too) anyway they tuned my bike with the screaming eagle super pro tuner which isn't a piggy back tuner, and from my readings has a ton of capabilities so this is why I think my bike could be running better if it was tuned properly
 

Last edited by Farmer1023; 07-22-2014 at 08:24 PM.
  #43  
Old 07-23-2014, 12:05 AM
170-3tree's Avatar
170-3tree
170-3tree is offline
Advanced
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Louisburg, KS
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

They used the pro tuner?! And left you with 15.1 afr?! Go buy the cables, download the software, read the thread on this forum and watch the videos and fix it yourself! After reading that thread I'm more than confident with that machine as long as I don't get ahead of myself and skip a stupid step.

Guys in that thread will help you every bit possible.

I know the principals of buying a "crap" bike suck, but for less than fiftydollars and learning more about your sweet new ride right off the bat, this will be your easiest end game that leaves you smiling all the way to the gas station every seventy miles.

Sorry your dealership experience was less than stellar, I think every one has a little issue. But now you have a sweet tool to make your Harley ownership experience the best it can be!
 
  #44  
Old 07-23-2014, 12:10 AM
Farmer1023's Avatar
Farmer1023
Farmer1023 is offline
6th Gear
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Mount Ephraim
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by 170-3tree
They used the pro tuner?! And left you with 15.1 afr?! Go buy the cables, download the software, read the thread on this forum and watch the videos and fix it yourself! After reading that thread I'm more than confident with that machine as long as I don't get ahead of myself and skip a stupid step.

Guys in that thread will help you every bit possible.

I know the principals of buying a "crap" bike suck, but for less than fiftydollars and learning more about your sweet new ride right off the bat, this will be your easiest end game that leaves you smiling all the way to the gas station every seventy miles.

Sorry your dealership experience was less than stellar, I think every one has a little issue. But now you have a sweet tool to make your Harley ownership experience the best it can be!
I can do all that and thought about it. But I thought a dyno would be required
 
  #45  
Old 07-23-2014, 12:31 AM
170-3tree's Avatar
170-3tree
170-3tree is offline
Advanced
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Louisburg, KS
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

To get the absolute last bit of juice out of the bike, a dyno would help, butyou'll be a thousand times happier just flashing a stage one supplied tune on her. Enjoy that for a week until you get a couple days to use the smart tune feature. This will bring it in even closer for your bike. The sticky in the efi tech section is a good read once you scrub through some of the bs supplied.

I'm getting my bike ran next Tuesday, ordering the intake and going to start tuning mine. Then after I move past stage one, I will go it again and then have it finished professionally on a dyno.
 
  #46  
Old 07-23-2014, 01:44 AM
DK Custom's Avatar
DK Custom
DK Custom is online now
Platinum Sponsor
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Red Banks, Mississippi
Posts: 17,456
Received 3,930 Likes on 2,288 Posts
Default

Wow, lots of info.

Newer bikes are running around 15.0:1, or leaner, from the factory. They may have done a little dyno work, but they did not do it right. You can see in the chart, at the bottom, the AFR on a stock 2012 bike.

Or possibly they did not have the sniffer placed correctly in the exhaust.

Either way, you have a few choices-
  • Take it back and tell them you want to be running closer to 13.9 in closed loop and even richer in open loop (like 12.5 at WOT).
  • Tune it yourself
  • Or spend some more green for an easier way to richen up your AFR, like a Power Vision with auto-tune or go with the budget way with the XL-ViED-14's. Since you have already spent the $ on a tuner and a dyno tune, I would try and get it right via them or yourself using what you have before spending more.

As far as falling on it's face in low RPM's that is partly because of the pipes (regardless of the tune), but there is an easy fix for that...some Thunder Torque Inserts will reduce the reversion and help get rid of the drop in power at low-mid RPM. They work really well with the V&H pipes.

Check out the following chart...you want to be up close to 2700 or higher, even when cruising.




 
__________________
Kevin

DKCustomProducts.com
Call/Text: 662-252-8828
Email: Support@DKCustomProducts.com







  #47  
Old 07-23-2014, 06:54 AM
JerseyDoug's Avatar
JerseyDoug
JerseyDoug is offline
Tourer
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 340
Received 26 Likes on 24 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by subguy
First off, the V&H Short Shots look good, but they rob your low end...as you are finding out pretty big time. That is normal with that exhaust. People buy them for looks and loud, not performance. IOT obtain the low end back you are going to have to get a tuner and play around with it to get the settings right. Do not buy the V&H fuel pak. Go with a good tuner and if you can afford it, go with a Power Vision that is not piggy-backed to the ECM.

One thing I always tell new to Harley riders is ride the bike stock at least a 1000 miles. Then determine what you need. The bike runs really nice and strong in stock form. Once you start modifying it, you have to them make sure you compliment each upgrade to each other as to obtain the performance gains you want. If you listen to a lot of people they will tell you you have to do a stage 1 to get the Sportster to run right. No, you do a stage 1 to gain more power/torque. The power/torque on a stock Sportster is not bad at all. How fast do you want to get to 70 mph? That's about all you gain with a stage 1. Right now you have no idea how great the 48 runs right out of the dealership. Sportsters don't have the heat problems the EFI Twin Cams have (I know). They run lean, but don't burn your legs, etc like a Twin Cam. So upgrading for a heat issue is moot.

IF you want to run the exhaust, be ready to fork out the dollars you will need to get it to run a little better than if it was stock.

EFI Sportsters surge at low RPM (nature of the ECM programing). With the Short Shots you are now compounding that.

My stock (well have Khrome Werks 3" HP Plus with Sound reduction kit slip ons) runs smooth, more than fast enough, and can go all day 80-85 mph.
thank you very much for the above info. I think you just helped alleviate any concerns about my new to me 2011 1200C. Mine behaves as you describe, so its normal. I like normal! Well, at least for now.
 
  #48  
Old 07-23-2014, 09:42 AM
Redlegvzv's Avatar
Redlegvzv
Redlegvzv is offline
Stellar HDF Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Posts: 2,478
Received 672 Likes on 372 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Imold
Parking lot speed...

....

This can be a new experience for someone used to metrics; they just about all have more evenly balanced powerstrokes than a Harley engine, and even though their high rpm engines may be on the gutless side at 1500 rpm, most of them will happily creep through parking lots and slow traffic at that rpm.
Yes. This is why I took the California M/C driving test on a rented Honda 250. It seemed easier to ride at parking lot speed than my 1200 Sportster, which is what the entire California test is about. I could pass it on my Sportster nowadays, but you definitely have to develop the skill of "feathering" the clutch to maneuver around at 1000 RPM/7 MPH or whatnot.
 
  #49  
Old 07-23-2014, 02:38 PM
DK Custom's Avatar
DK Custom
DK Custom is online now
Platinum Sponsor
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Red Banks, Mississippi
Posts: 17,456
Received 3,930 Likes on 2,288 Posts
Default

"EFI Sportsters surge at low RPM (nature of the ECM programing). "

Originally Posted by JerseyDoug
thank you very much for the above info. I think you just helped alleviate any concerns about my new to me 2011 1200C. Mine behaves as you describe, so its normal. I like normal! Well, at least for now.
While the surging or stutter is "normal", it is not right. It is a result of too lean a tune in closed loop. It is very easy to get rid of, resulting in increased power, smoother acceleration, and a cooler running engine.

Here is a thread that lists the popular ways to get a Sporty running smoothly-

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/ignit...uning-etc.html

For budget conscious you can't beat the XiED products

For the best possible tune, I don't think you can do better than the Power Vision Package with Auto-Tune
 
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
FunnelCake Combo
Milwaukee Eight (M8)
10
06-10-2017 07:49 AM
missedem
Tri Glide, RG3 & Freewheeler Models
8
05-30-2017 06:22 PM
jumpinjoe313
General Harley Davidson Chat
26
05-23-2016 07:56 AM
Chrisfarms715
General Harley Davidson Chat
42
05-15-2015 11:51 AM
pscorpio
Touring Models
4
01-30-2011 10:14 PM



Quick Reply: Is my Dealer screwing me?



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:23 PM.