I just purchased the RB Racing LSR 2-1 exhaust and the SE Heavy Breather. I was considering purchasing the Power Commander for a few hundred dollars or having the dealer do a one time flash for $200. I decided to call a friend of a friend who is a former Harley Tech and he told me that it wasn't necessary to make any adjustments that the factory system would recognize the changes and make corrections own its own. He explained to me that if you live at sea level and take your bike to the mountains for a week at a much higher altitude with thinner and cooler air then the factory system would make the adjustments to compensate for the changes. He used this example to explain thet the factory system would recognize the additional air coming in from the new breather and the air and back pressure changes going out from the new exhaust. I told him that on the box that the breather came in said to have the facatory system changes to accommidate the new breather, he said they do that to so you would have to take your bike in to the dealer. What do you think, is this BS or what?

Thanks, Jack.

 

While the system on the bike will compensate for small changes like going up into the mountains for a week, one has to realize that air pressure at sea level is 14 psi. Now that is called 1 atmosphere, hence the air pressure at sea level and it reduces as you increase altitude, but can only reduce by a total of 14 PSI if you travel all the way to space.

Changing the pipes and filter do not change air pressure in your bike, but rather air volume. You can increase air volume by 300-500% with changes like these and the bike computer cannot compensate. Add a Power Commander, or other similar modifier to correct for the new air volume. You will never regret it and your bike will last much longer and run cooler since it won't be so lean anymore.

 

djbiker I couldn't have said it better.

 

I would still add a tuner to my bike. It will run far better. The mixture will be leaner without the tuner even if the system compensates. For my money on my ride it was a tuner for sure. I bought my bike sued with the stage 1 download and it ran like crap. My bike is a bit older (2002) but I would get a tuner on a newer bike as well. It is well worth the money spent. Treat your engine right and it will treat you right.

Drew

 

Thanks guys. I am definetly going to treat my bike right and that's the kind of advice I was looking for. So now on to researching tuners. Any opinions on which one is better or ones that are user friendly enough that you can do it youself?

Thanks.

 

Look at "Thundermax".

 

Also Check out TTS Mastertune.. A VERY good product.

 

Power commander,that $200 flash is a rip off it only sets it back to factory setting,with the PC it will not run lean you will notice a big difference

 

One of the bike mags I think it was American Iron did a test on adding an aircleaner and pipes on a stock bike without a tuner and the ecm adjusted the mixture for the mods. So it is not needed and will adjust to the stock AFR. But if you want to get the best performance out of the mods get a tuner, and everyone is correct it will run cooler richer and you will be happier

 

Haven't tried the others, But i run a PC easy install easy to use and no problems.