I bought a '19 Heritage with the 107 a couple months ago. Living in the central valley of California where it gets pretty darn hot. I'm a daily rider, commuting 60+ miles a day. My question is about doing the stage one with the intake and tuner to have the engine run cooler on the hot days for engine longevity, but keep the stock pipes on so I don't bother my neighbors with my crazy work schedule. Is it necessary to add slip ons, is the mapping with the tuner done differently, or will the cooler running engine really be beneficial in the long run and just use the money for handlebars?!

 

Just use your money for handlebars. You have to make a bike run quite rich and defeat the narrow band closed loop system to get any significant amount cooler. People imagine they are running cooler but the bikes closed loop system keeps the fuel mixture close to stock settings. A Thundermax uses wideband O2 sensors with a new ECM and will get you a rich mixture.

 

I live in Las Vegas. Our summer weather is regularly over 115 degrees; so, I did the Stage 1 Upgrade primarily to give a better air flow to the engine. Almost impossible to verify whether or not it helps with engine temperature since HD still hasn't come out with an oil temp gauge integrated into the dip stick. FYI: I went with the S&S Grand National slip-on mufflers, HD Stage 1 air filter, and used the HD Street Tuner when I had the dealer do a DynoTune after the Stage 1 upgrade. This combination is CA compliant and keeps the warranty in force. Was it worth the money? I don't know. I do know that the throttle response is smoother and better airflow can't hurt--as long as a quality retune is part of the Stage 1 upgrade.

If the OE handlebars don't fit you and money is an issue, I would definitely start with replacing the handlebars. Comfort and control of the bike are far more important than the marginal benefit from a Stage 1.