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Just bought a 2007 Heritage with 10,000 miles, runs like a top and I love it. Had a guy at the local HD dealership tell me I need to put a Stage 1 air breather kit on as soon as possible because with the stock breather it's not getting enough air and could be hard on the motor. Is this true guys or am I alright until I can afford to put the upgrade onto the bike. Funds are a little tight at the moment.
If your happy with the way it runs now leave it alone. There will be no damage to the bike if left stock. yes they do run hotter now because of the EPA requirements but they are designed to run that way. Will it run possibly smoother, cooler and with more power if you pay the "harley tax" and do a stage 1 or more to it, yes it probably will.
If you decide to do the Stage 1 or more, do the A/C, Pipes and a tuner of some sort, Id stay away from the HD Download to remap the ECM (which is what most dealers try to push), for close to the same $ you can get a lot more performance and flexability with a PC , SERT or something along these lines.
So the answer IMO is do what you want and can afford, if left box stock and you just keep up with the maintainance youll probably get more miles out of the bike than you will ever ride.
thankx alot guys. XARAN, I'm a little out of touch and thank you very much for the advise, but trying not to sound totally ignorant, what do you mean by a PC or Sert, I do want to do what the right thing is, so for now I'll just ride, and if I can get more for the buck without the dealership from help from you guys, that's what I'll do for sure
PC = Power Commander III or V (will need a dyno tune also)
SERT = Screamin' Eagle Race Tuner (will need a dyno tune also)
You also have the TTS Mastertune (which allows you to tune the bike yourself), or the Thundermax (which autotunes your bike) and lots of other choices like the V&H fuelpack etc...
The different opinions on which one to choose are as numerous as there are systems available. So do your research and make up your own mind what would suit you best.
Pipes that were on the bike when i bought it are Lu Hao Silencers slip-ons, some blueing but over all they sound pretty bad, and loud as hell, not exacly silencers. Did a little research and looks like they are made in asia, no idea where the guy picked these pipes up at.
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