I would just chuck the ac and pipes on and see what happens if I was you. There is no scientific reason why the bike will run any hotter, after all the computer will use the oxygen sensors to maintain the same Air/Fuel ratio as stock.

How does anyone conclusively know the bike is "running hot?" I dont get this running hot thing. Has anyone done any actual tests under controlled conditions to show that the bike runs hotter at stage 1 without a tuner? One of the tuner sellers must have I suppose.

At one stage the 96 was running with no mufflers, it was mid summer and the engine ran fine. I couldnt say I noticed it was any hotter than before. Of course this proves nothing, just as everyone else saying they run cooler with a tuner proves nothing.

I am a huge skeptic as you may have figured out, people who say they have a bike that "runs cooler" are prone to thinking that because they want to. They just spent a few hundred bucks after all.

 

What is the point of changing anything if you don't get the tuner and get your AFR's lower? You might as well really save your money and leave it stock.

 

Because changing the AFRs probably isnt going to make a tangible difference??

 

Im gonna tell you my experience, but youre gonna have to do what you feel is right for you.

I have an 09 SG and I was pretty satisfied with it at the beginning. I bought it Dec 30th and threw some Rinehart slip ons on it after about 750 miles. I rode the bike all winter so I wasnt feeling any adverse affects from the heat. I took a 1300 mile round trip to New Orleans in February where the temps didnt bust 70 degrees.

Fast forward to 3 weeks ago;

I threw an oil cooler on the bike cause I knew how much I rode in the heat, and knew how hot these 96's were known to get.

I got on the bike with my wife and rode from West Tn to Charlston SC, then straight down to West Palm Beach. By the time I got to Atlanta 6 hours after I started the trip I SWORE when I got home I was gonna get a fuel management system. The damn bike was pingin in certain points in the powerband when she got warm (and it wasnt from the gas). I could make the bike ping at will by twisting the throttle......think the SG was running lean? lol

Look, Im not shilling for anyone or any brand. I picked up a PCV and an AC from Fuel Moto 2 days after I got back home. The map was pre loaded (timing was a liitle 2 advanced but that was literally a 5 minute fix) and all I can say is that MY BIKE RUNS LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE FROM THE DAMN FACTORY........Not only does she feel and sound like she should, the most unexpected thing happened. I GAINED 2 MPG. Can you tell Im exited?

Do yourself a favor.

Ride the bike for a while untill you KNOW something needs to be done. Give FM a call, get their advice and opinions on a set-up then dont look back. Theyre reasonable, knowledgable, and wont try to sell you some chit just to sell it.

I have the confidence in knowing that no matter what I do to the bike Ill have the fuel management support Ill need to run right.

 

I went with a Stage 1 from the Harley Dealer - SE Air, download, and SE slipons. It cost me about $900 installed. I thought about a Powercommander and getting it from Fuelmoto, but for me, keeping my warranty intact is important. I didn't want to have to rip out everything if I had problems with the bike before bringing it in for the warranty service. With all Harley parts and the dealers install, everything is covered. Plus, I don't plan on making any additional engine modifications.

I do notice that the bike runs little cooler but don't really notice any performance gains. I did my stage one at the 1k breakin service so I put 965 miles on the bike first, so I could get use to it and feel any difference. The slips are not loud at all, they sound a little better than stock, but nothing like a loud pipe.

I agree with the other suggestion of riding your bike for a while so you can get use to it and see if there's anything you want to change. For me, I noticed that my stock bike ran hot in traffic and with the stage 1, it doesn't run quite as hot. That was noticeable to me.

Was it worth the money, maybe, but in the end, it's just something I wanted to do.

 

For the money the dealer is going to charge you, call Jamie at Fuelmoto and talk to him about what you want. You will be happy. I did the same as a few others on here have stated. I had the SE A/C and stage one download done before I took delivery. It ran well, but Hot (cooked me in Daytona). Got back from Biketoberfest called fuelmoto and put on the PCIII (got it before the V came out) and the Jackpot's. Best thing I ever did. Woke the Bike right up...Had it Dyno'd for fun and was a little on the rich side, dealer was running a special, so I had the tuner tweak the map (Jamie will also help you tweak your map if you call with any issues) End results 77HP 92TQ and Finally tried to see what mileage I would get if I tried. 2 up on mixed roads including mountain roads was getting 39.5 mpg

They are by far the best bang for the buck and wish I had known about them before I sepnt the $150 on the dealer download.

 

Actually, even for cars, it is recommended that you upgrade your ECU, or get a piggy-back air/fuel controller, once you have installed a high flow intake and exhaust system. Modern cars run in a perpetual lean state thanks to the EPA. That's why modern cars have a knock sensor, which our motorcycles do not have. When that knock sensor detects a knock it alters the timing and air/fuel mixture of the car, but even then, it can only go within certain parameters.

With that being said, as I stated above, our bikes do not have knock sensors to tell the ECU to alter the timing and/or air/fuel mixture when a knock condition has been detected. Just like modern cars, thanks to the EPA, they are running on the ragged edge of a lean air/fuel mixture. This is why super unleaded is recommended for the bikes. Without that knock sensor, if you're not paying attention, you're risking damaging the pistons of the bikes due to knock. I've seen it happen in cars ALOT. Especially the little import "sport cars".

I don't know about you, but $300 for an air/fuel controller is ALOT cheaper than a tear down and rebuild on the bike when you've blown holes in the tops of your pistons. That's cheap insurance in my book.

You're right to a certain extent. You may never have a problem. But for $300 do you really want to risk it, versus the alternative?

 

So if changing the AFR's don't make a difference, Why change the intake? Leaving it stock or changing the muffs for the sound seems to make more sense if what you say is true.

 

I work with a PHD that's a combustion expert. He couldn't understand that either, but I have always heard a lean engine runs hotter. One reason could be that when a liquid changes to gas, it absorbes heat. So it follows that more gas getting vaporized will absorb more heat.

 

Adding the PCV and setting AFRs of 13.8 instead of the factory 14.7 made a big difference in the running temp of my bike. I had planned to leave my 08 stock but the heat was so much higher than the 96 RK I had before that my new bike was uncomfortable to ride in the SC heat. Making the mixture richer has made that much more tolerable.

I recommend the PCV as well. Even if I was going to leave my stock AC and mufflers I would add it just to be able to richen the mix.