08 SB here, I installed the V&amp\\;H SSS (only) and its running hot. Called V&amp\\;H and they said it will run hot, advised me to install a fuel pack and it will cool down but I must add some kind of free flowing A/C or the bike will foul plugs according to them. Best advice, add fuel pack (for V&amp\\;H pipes) and free flow A/C. They have the program for this setup if you use their fuel pack. I have one on order and also the HD free flowing A/C now, hope to install soon but I am going on a road trip&nbsp\\;and will not have time to install the A/C kit so I am going to add the fuel pack first (to cool down the engine) and then drill holes in the stock plastic backing plate until I can get the A/C kit added.
&nbsp\\;

 

Another subject that has been beaten to death and there never will be any consensus on.&nbsp\\;\\\\\\; I think you'd have to get very lucky to change to high flowing components and not need some sort of fuel management.&nbsp\\;\\\\\\; And you cannot go by blanket statements such as "you are okay as long as you change the pipes and not the a/c".&nbsp\\;\\\\\\; For whatever the reasons, people get varied results from different options and solutions.&nbsp\\;\\\\\\; I think the bottom line is if you try to get away with something less or something radically different from the mainstream, at least dyno check your bike to make sure you aren't killing it over time.
&nbsp\\;
You see things here, already, that say "so-and-so" did this and has been fine for 35000 miles.&nbsp\\; Yet, I started having issues with the way my bike ran when I just changed to higher flowing slipon mufflers.&nbsp\\; Can someone explain that?&nbsp\\; So far,&nbsp\\;nobody has been able to.&nbsp\\; It just depends on the bike and, to some degree, how you ride it.&nbsp\\; The ECM will adjust but it can only adjust so far.&nbsp\\; Conventional wisdom is that EFI bikes need some form of fuel management to run properly with a stage 1 setup.&nbsp\\; Can you get away without it?&nbsp\\; The answer is a big fat "MAYBE".&nbsp\\; But my answer is NO.

 

Yep... I agree.. The bikes already come way lean from the factory due to EPA standards. Adding a free flowing exhaust will leam it out just a tad more but when they are already lean that just makes it worse. In some cases you can get buy without adding anything else. Then there are the others, like yourself, that cannot. Mine was fine with the BSS and stock A/C.&nbsp\\;But then again... most of that was on the cooler months and not summer months. I have since added the SERT and A/C.

 

i think i'll just put some cycle shacks on now and for get the air filter, that shouldn't cause to many problems hell its just a muffler

 

Bikes run as they are supposed to from the factory, they are&nbsp\\;not too lean. If they were too lean, all factory stock bikes would have problems.
I would talk to the reputable manufactures of the aftermarket parts you are installing as they have tested their components on these bikes, and ask them what you need to do.
Also, check your spark plugs to see how they are burning. If you are installing exhausts and air intakes, look at the plugs after. You will immediatley see if its running too hot. No Dyno, no test equipment needed.
&nbsp\\;

 

&nbsp\\;
You are correct.&nbsp\\; They are not TOO lean, but they are setup on the lean side of the spectrum.&nbsp\\; That means any modification to the intake and/or output may push them more lean if the ECU cannot compensate fully for the increased airflow.&nbsp\\; At best case, the ECU is only going to adjust back to the lean side it started at but, if you can get it to achieve that, you should be okay.&nbsp\\; In most cases, only adding slipons is not enough to prevent the ECU from compensating.&nbsp\\; Based on my experience and what I've read here and other sources, adding a higher flow air cleaner almost always IS enough to prevent the ECU from fully compensating.&nbsp\\; Pair that with a set of full pipes or very open slipons, and some sort of fuel management is usually going to be needed to help compensate.&nbsp\\; What kind of fuel management depends a lot on your setup and what you want now or in the future out of your bike.&nbsp\\; I'm convinced there is no one single right way to do it.&nbsp\\; If you choose to do nothing, you'd better be checking your plugs and/or putting the bike on a dyno to check that it is now not TOO LEAN.

 

One of the other items to consider is that your base map is setup to be a fuel efficient not performance oriented tune. As Joe said, just fattening up your a/f mixture really makes a difference in the seat of the pants plus you will have the benefit of cooling down combustion. Exhaust only you're not going to have many problems, exhaust and intake with no tune and you will be running lean and not realizing the power benefits stage I provides. If you plan on doing _any_ more engine mods\\; cams, stage II, etc. then get your fuel management system sooner than later as you will continue to use that with your bike through the various mods.

If you choose to go pipes only, keep an eye on them. They should be black and not white or grey, which is a sign of running too lean.

 

I agree with both of the last two posts. We just need to be careful about advise we give because people that are on this board may follow it. Adding an ECM map or an incorrect one when its not needed can cause a rich situation. Those that know about engines know it from many years of experience and its tough for someone that has a bike but limited knowledge of engine mechanics to understand all of the variables and not be confused.
This has been a great forum and I recently became a $contributor$ (I guess my check hasn't cleared yet) and I have done things based upon recomendations here (making my side mounted license plate) and have not done things (draining my front forks from the bolts in the bottom of the legs even though the dealer says this is the way to do it) that I was advised not to here.

 

&nbsp\\;
I assume this means the plugs.&nbsp\\; And they should not be black either.&nbsp\\; Black is a sign of being too rich and that's not good either.&nbsp\\; You want them a nice brownish tan color.

 

If you have a fuel injected model. I would recommend having a SERT installed for two reasons.
[IMG][/IMG]
1. If you don't have the dealer remap the bike then it will run even more lean than it already is coming from the factory. Your engine will run that much hotter.
2. Performance...I had my SB dyno'ed\\; the technicians got the numbers before they did the remap and after the remap. The difference was that the bike gained about 7 horsepower by remapping it. Definitely worth it!