Now that I've got all the comfort/newbie gear and mods taken care of (helmet, seat, mirrors, etc.), I'm getting ready to start buying the fun stuff. Looking for somewhere to start, I found and just finished reading this Harley Tax article on sportster.org:A couple of questions...

I've got the Screaming Eagle II mufflers on my ride. I like the sound of them, I have no complaints. Also owned a Harley for just 3 months so maybe I don't know any better. But is it worth a few hundred bucks performance/sound wise to put on some Rush, V&H, cycleshacks, or whatever? Or are the SE II's enough of an upgrade?

My other question is that if I were to do the three basic steps homeboy mentions in the tax article (SE breather, carb rejet, slip ons), is there a certain order I should do them in? I'm a grad student, so money is tight and it'll be a slow and steady process for me. I assume I don't need to rejet the carb before I upgrade the breather, for example. Basically, I'm just looking for general guidance in getting the most out of my ride and learning as much as I can. There seems to be a knowledge gap between my limits and a lot of the stuff I'm able to find online.

Thanks, as always.

 

That is apparently about the so-called Harley Tax, that is, bringing the bike up to the performance it should have coming out of the showroom but doesn't according to EPA smog restrictions. Yes it is very worth while and I recommend all three be done simultaneously.

You didn't mention what year your bike was so if it really has a carburetor it would be rejetted to work with the pipes otherwise the electronic fuel injection needs to be recalibrated. The electronic ignition module also needs to be reprogrammed and both those takes an interface from Harley or one of the aftermarket companies. I have the Harley SEST on my Big Twin. I don't know what they make for the Sportster. HTH

 

Yes, I have a carb, I ride a 2003 XLH883...as seen in my sig.

 

I see. You still need all three to make it work.

 

So, what about the SE II slip-ons I have? Do those need to be upgraded or am I getting about as much performance out of slip-ons as I'm going to get with the SE II's?

 

No, the slip ons are probably fine. You need to change the air cleaner to a free flowing model; the fuel air ratio and the spark timing to make it pull the correct torque at the various rpm ranges used in your driving. You will feel a seat of the pants acceleration increase when you get the thing set right. Take it to a licensed tech with the right electronic equipment. Probably the H-D dealer is best.

 

It's an 03 with SE 2s on it... probably already had the taxes paid...

 

 

Did I miss something? What's the first thing anyone does to their bike? Probably has been jetted with free flowing filter already... all I was sayin'...

 

Apologies ... I thought I was just agreeing with you. With the SeII's I would think it was done already also.