Is adding the ecm and hi flo air filter to an 07 wide glide when changing the pipes ABSOLUTELY necessary? I only ask because a close acquaintance had an '03 softail that was also fuel injected and all he did was swap the pipes. no hd download. no hi flow air filter. no ecm. bike ran wonderful. no sputters or anything.

Just curious.

Vic
Ridin free in South Carolina
2007 FXDWG

 

I added Big Radius pipes and nothing else, runs like a champ.

 

Things that make ya go Hmmmm

 

Understand with just pipes the factory electronic thingamajiggy works fine. You only need to use Fuelpak, PC III, sert, or whatever if you change pipes and ac.

Ride Safe.

 

07's come set up much leaner than previous models because of increasingly stringent EPA requirements. It will run okay if you only change the pipes but engine temperatures in traffic will be very high if the fuel injection is not adjusted. Changing the pipes without installing a high flow air filter will minimize any performance gains you might have hoped for. It's all about volumetric efficiency. More air in (high flow air filter) + more air out (performance pipes) = better volumetric efficiency, but more air flow require more fuel to maintain the right air/fuel ratio. 13:1 is ideal for most 07's, but they come from the factory at about 16:1. If you change pipes and filters you will push that beyond 17:1 and that can be a bad thing.

 

@intempestivus: Ok, that makes a lot of sense. Appreciate the breakdown. Now based on your explanation, I could theoretically do that "upgrade" one piece at a time sort of. I could put a throatier exhaust on without too many worries then down the road when more pennies become available do the ecm and a/c. I'm not necessarily looking for any performance gains. I just can't stand how darn quiet my ride is. Harleys should be heard.

 

I bet a stock HD filter and a K&N are the same freakin thing. I put a roundSE onmine just because it looks cool. The dealer said the STAGE 1 download was for pipes and / oran air cleaner. I think the computer can tell the difference to a point. Now, if you changed the camshaft, that would be different. I pulled my baffles and couldn't tell a difference so I put em back in. Got the download, couldn't tell a difference. I think all those sensors have something to do with it.
---06 superglide

 

Ok, so not sure if there was a thread on this but is there any difference between the power commander / fuelpak / SERT? Will v&h fuelpak only work with v&h pipes? Same question for SERT, which if my googling has taught me correctly, is Screamin Eagle Race Turner...which is the tuner from HD? Power commander is more aftermarket so I'd imagine it would have the broadest support range as far as pipe mfgs go, right? Does either brand/model offer any limitations to be aware of? If they were $50 bucks it'd be one thing, but $300 is a nice chunk and don't want to get screwed.

I hate sounding like such a newb...when it comes to EFI, I am. rode carb'd bikes for close to 20 yrs before buying an EFI-equipped bike.

 

There are some great threads on products out there for your EFI bike. The SERT is a downloaded program that allows for extreme fine tuniong of your bike, but it does require dyno testing that can be expensive and a wast of money if the technician doesn't know hwat he is doing. It is only a program that allow the tuner to access the full ability of the computer. Newer versions have bells and whistles, but that is basically it. The Power Commander in a piggy back system that adds hardware to your bike. There are alot of maps available, but I hear alot of bad feedback from PC's. The Thundermax is another piggy back system but has a component that autotunes the bike. You start with a basic map. Minor changes are compensated for.

Check out the threads, they have great info.

 

No. Ran differant pipes on my2006 fuel injected Dynafor along time didnt hurt a thing. I didnt need to change the ecm until I added a highflow a/c Three differant dealers an two independent shop said the same thing.