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ok .. so im new to this .. just bought a 2011 Fatboy ... and am already upgrading crap ( it never ends) so my questions are
1) What are breathers and what do they do ?
2) looking at either a thundermax or power commander both with autotune ... ok so heres my thing ... I know nothing about tuning, nothing about what all those numbers mean etc... I basically want somthing i can plug in and it works out all the problems, dead spots, fuel/air, etc .... with out having to take it to a dyno every time i change somthing
Basically this is what i invision ... i get the power commander and auto thuner , hook them up , load the base map , and ride it and the thing takes care of everything ( needs nothing from me bec. im a idiot when it comes to these things)
No matter what you decide to go with, its still always recommended to get it dyno'ed for maximum performance. The maps may run the bike well, but the maps are never perfect....as they are all just pre-set and pre-loaded. Check around for a performance shop vs. the dealer. I have found a local shop near me that beats the HD dealer by almost $200 for the dyno tuning.
SE Super tuner, TTS, and Power Commander are all good choices. I have done a lot of searching on the subject as well. It just depends on your liking.
If you want something that's easy to understand and is pretty much plug & play, check out Dynojet's Power Vision. I suggest you talk to Jaime at Fuel Moto. Tell him about your bike, your concerns and your budget. He'll get you set up.
+1 on talking to Jamie at Fuelmoto. He can set you up and all you do is install in about 45 minutes and ride. If you don't have the exhaust you want yet I suggest looking at AmericanClassicMotors on fleabay. They sell cheaper than any I have seen for new in the box deals. Also a great idea to check out the sponsors of this forum, good deals to be had here if you poke around.
Considering your self-identifying idiot status, you should ask yourself why are all the mods necessary in the first place...because someone said you needed them?
Being new to Harleys, I would suggest you ride the damn thing for awhile and get familiar with it. Understand the different components to your bike and how they work. Harleys are designed to run and perform quite well for what they are intended right off the showroom floor.
Ride it through the warranty period, pay attention to how your bike performs and handles, listen and observe what more experienced riders are doing (or not); and then decide what mods you want based on your riding style and expectations.
The breather is the football on the side, it is the air intake. To highlight what hdgzr is saying, you don't really need anything right now but time in the seat. If you feel like you have to do something, just get go with the stage I breather kit, some pipes and a canned map. That will still cost north of $500 if done by the dealer. The only do over later would be the map if you went with a tuner. Indies can do the same thing. Don't just buy a set of loud pipes and bolt them on, that's no good. I can't emphasize just ride it enough. I entertain myself by going to my local dealer and looking at the used bikes with anywhere from 100 miles to 1000 miles on them and all tricked out. Then laugh at the folks who went all in at first and then found out they must have liked the thought of owning a Harley, but didn't really like riding. It is a fun sport, you have a great bike as is, enjoy it, get to know it and then do what you think you need to do.
ok .. so im new to this .. just bought a 2011 Fatboy ... and am already upgrading crap ( it never ends) so my questions are
1) What are breathers and what do they do ?
2) looking at either a thundermax or power commander both with autotune ... ok so heres my thing ... I know nothing about tuning, nothing about what all those numbers mean etc... I basically want somthing i can plug in and it works out all the problems, dead spots, fuel/air, etc .... with out having to take it to a dyno every time i change somthing
Basically this is what i invision ... i get the power commander and auto thuner , hook them up , load the base map , and ride it and the thing takes care of everything ( needs nothing from me bec. im a idiot when it comes to these things)
Please help
Not sure how to answer your questions, but want to welcome you to the forum and wish you good luck and safe travels on your new ride!!! Paul
ok i guess to clarify my questions
1) i understand the air cleaner ... but i see some bikes wit 2 small cylinders dangling on either side what are those
2) more just lookin for the part about if i plug it in will it take care of everything for me .....
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