Screaming Eagle Heavy Breather...mostly looks or performance?
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Tourer
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
From: Texas
Screaming Eagle Heavy Breather...mostly looks or performance?
For those of you that have this mod, could you tell much diff in performance? Is it mainly a diff look? Also, do you have to tune your bike after this mod?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 5,173
Likes: 177
From: East Coast
If you do a search for this subject, you will come up with 100 opinions.
1. Rain sock, no rain sock
2. annoying leg obstruction, perfectly comfortable
3. flows fine, replace with K & N air filter
4. install 56 different type tuners, don't need any
5. go with round open type, leave stock football
6. voids warranty, does not void warranty
There really are MANY threads on this subject.
Me? Arlen Ness Billet Big Sucker. Nice!
1. Rain sock, no rain sock
2. annoying leg obstruction, perfectly comfortable
3. flows fine, replace with K & N air filter
4. install 56 different type tuners, don't need any
5. go with round open type, leave stock football
6. voids warranty, does not void warranty
There really are MANY threads on this subject.
Me? Arlen Ness Billet Big Sucker. Nice!
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,960
Likes: 26
From: Sonoma County, CA
If you're upgrading from stock, it's a definate improvement. I suppose it's really a
matter of the looks your going after. I personally don't have any issues with my leg hitting it and I installed it at the same time as I did my exhaust. It was a noticeable improvement in performance. I also had mine re-mapped and it runs good. No decel popping. JMO
matter of the looks your going after. I personally don't have any issues with my leg hitting it and I installed it at the same time as I did my exhaust. It was a noticeable improvement in performance. I also had mine re-mapped and it runs good. No decel popping. JMO
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,739
Likes: 10
From: Suffolk, England
We really need a sticky on this but...
The general wisdom is that if you swap out one of either the A/C or mufflers then you are doing it for cosmetic reasons. Swap out both and you have done the main hardware for a stage-1 and you should match it with a retune.
If you are comparing this to another aftermarket A/C for a stage-1 bike then you are unlikely to notice any performance difference whatsoever. Most such A/Cs flow enough for stage-1 engines and putting a fatter A/C on makes no difference. Not so for the exhaust, this is a tuneable component that makes a big difference between brands.
The general wisdom is that if you swap out one of either the A/C or mufflers then you are doing it for cosmetic reasons. Swap out both and you have done the main hardware for a stage-1 and you should match it with a retune.
If you are comparing this to another aftermarket A/C for a stage-1 bike then you are unlikely to notice any performance difference whatsoever. Most such A/Cs flow enough for stage-1 engines and putting a fatter A/C on makes no difference. Not so for the exhaust, this is a tuneable component that makes a big difference between brands.
Last edited by Foxster; Nov 6, 2010 at 04:25 AM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,635
Likes: 594
From: Alabama
We really need a sticky on this but...
The general wisdom is that if you swap out one of either the A/C or mufflers then you are doing it for cosmetic reasons. Swap out both and you have done the main hardware for a stage-1 and you should match it with a retune.
If you are comparing this to another aftermarket A/C for a stage-1 bike then you are unlikely to notice any performance difference whatsoever. Most such A/Cs flow enough for stage-1 engines and putting a fatter A/C on makes no difference. Not so for the exhaust, this is a tuneable component that makes a big difference between brands.
The general wisdom is that if you swap out one of either the A/C or mufflers then you are doing it for cosmetic reasons. Swap out both and you have done the main hardware for a stage-1 and you should match it with a retune.
If you are comparing this to another aftermarket A/C for a stage-1 bike then you are unlikely to notice any performance difference whatsoever. Most such A/Cs flow enough for stage-1 engines and putting a fatter A/C on makes no difference. Not so for the exhaust, this is a tuneable component that makes a big difference between brands.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 5,173
Likes: 177
From: East Coast
Don't ask me why (since I have heard 1,000 arguments to the contrary) but the Arlen Ness Big Sucker made a huge difference in the pulling power of my completely stock 96" Twin Cam, and no, it's not psychological.
The bike pulls cleaner at lower RPM without a doubt, pulling out of the occasional "wrong gear curve" when it never would have been able to. Most of the midrange is about the same. The biggest difference is from the upper midrange on up. The engine used to hit a wall at around 4,000 rpm or so and put out no more power at all. Now, I generally ride at lower RPMs and at a low rate of speed, but what a difference! I'm sure this set up flows more air than is necessary for this engine (moderate sized air pump). Nevertheless, it's like I removed a sock from the intake!
No additional mods and not even a download was done, and no, the bike runs cooler, not hotter. Yes, I know what has been said, and I'll bet it is generally true. For this bike though, very significant differences in ways that were not expected and in fact contrary to what I understand from the little bit that I know about bikes.
The bike pulls cleaner at lower RPM without a doubt, pulling out of the occasional "wrong gear curve" when it never would have been able to. Most of the midrange is about the same. The biggest difference is from the upper midrange on up. The engine used to hit a wall at around 4,000 rpm or so and put out no more power at all. Now, I generally ride at lower RPMs and at a low rate of speed, but what a difference! I'm sure this set up flows more air than is necessary for this engine (moderate sized air pump). Nevertheless, it's like I removed a sock from the intake!
No additional mods and not even a download was done, and no, the bike runs cooler, not hotter. Yes, I know what has been said, and I'll bet it is generally true. For this bike though, very significant differences in ways that were not expected and in fact contrary to what I understand from the little bit that I know about bikes.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,360
Likes: 4
This just goes to show you perhaps that there are wide variations in production bikes, with exceptions to every general rule of thumb. Many of these exceptions, perhaps, were a factory defect that was corrected by the mod.
Doing a air filter or exhaust mod without a tune is a cosmetic/style feel good modification. Lots of individuals make their living selling them. Nothing wrong with that. It shouldn't hurt anything but you may or may not be satisfied with how the bike runs and it is certainly not the most bang for your dollar for performance improvement. You may perhaps notice some improvement 4500 rpm plus and the bike should sound better, lots of riding satisfaction in that.
Large performance improvements can be had with a tune or tuner either with or without the intake or exhaust mod, however. A tuned completely stock bike (even using the least expensive tuners) will out perform one with only exhaust and air filter additions by a wide margin... but then where is the fun in that?
.
For most riders, nothing like pipes and style provide immediate gratification... and there is nothing wrong with that. Just saying that going for better performance is a different path. Pipes for sound/style + air filter for style + a tune for performance gets most riders the most riding satisfaction. Adding suspension and more stye just makes it better I think. There are exceptions, a wide variety of bikes are out there.
Doing a air filter or exhaust mod without a tune is a cosmetic/style feel good modification. Lots of individuals make their living selling them. Nothing wrong with that. It shouldn't hurt anything but you may or may not be satisfied with how the bike runs and it is certainly not the most bang for your dollar for performance improvement. You may perhaps notice some improvement 4500 rpm plus and the bike should sound better, lots of riding satisfaction in that.
Large performance improvements can be had with a tune or tuner either with or without the intake or exhaust mod, however. A tuned completely stock bike (even using the least expensive tuners) will out perform one with only exhaust and air filter additions by a wide margin... but then where is the fun in that?
. For most riders, nothing like pipes and style provide immediate gratification... and there is nothing wrong with that. Just saying that going for better performance is a different path. Pipes for sound/style + air filter for style + a tune for performance gets most riders the most riding satisfaction. Adding suspension and more stye just makes it better I think. There are exceptions, a wide variety of bikes are out there.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 795
Likes: 1
Simply put, the Heavy Breather performs better. It is made by K&N filters for Harley-Davidson. www.kandnfilters.com has dynos of both the regular stage 1 with open back and their K&N filter and of the Heavy Breather. The Heavy Breather flows better. It can be caused by the design creating a velocity stack. I have found the regular Stage 1 stick outward too much while the HB gives more room for both mid controls as well as forward. Very happy with the HB with built in breathers and get many compliments on it. BTW, HD rates the SE bikes 5 ft lbs more with the Heavy Breather.