I've been looking around in here about two weeks now. I would like to get some opinions on proposed changes to my currently stock 2004 Ultra. I have read some relevant posts with respect to exhausts, intakes, PCIII, SERT, and questions about MAP downloads etc.. I have the following modifications in mind and as I have read previously in your discussions in this forum, alot of the possible choices come down to personal preferences. So basically, I am Looking for opinions, and would like to test my understanding of what I am getting into before I start spending bucks. So here goes.. Current bike is stock 2004 Ultra fuel injected. Current plan..install K&N Air Intake, slip on Vance & Hines Oval's, and install SERT (local shop more famaliar with SERT than PCIII, and has ability to dyno). I have in mind possible future true duals (also Vance & Hines the size that fits slip on's), and cam modifications. I intend on having bike dyno tuned following install. This is the way I intend on running until I NEED to rebuild. Since I only have 10,350 miles on bike, any rebuild is likely to be quite some time yet. Please feel free to comment on anything. One question I would like to have discussed is value of and benifit of the a cam installation. Look forward to your thoughts

 

Sensible plan![sm=happybounce.gif]

 

Cams will give you more grunt if you ride with luggage or two up. I'm doing the 26g's in mine. Also if you go gear drive it does away with the worries of the shoes failing.

 

If you're going to make exhaust, intake modifications.. it only makes sense to change to a better cam. You see, they all work together. If you allow for the engine to "intake" more air.. you want the exhaust to allow that added air to escape, right? Ok.. The cam controls the duration and particular time of the valve opening/closing. Since you've increased breathing in both directions, you want to take advantage of that added volume. Opening or closing the valves for a longer duration and also at the right times with more air volume is the way it all works together. Now you add a SERT to fine tune the ignition timing, fuel/air ratio and other aspects of the formula and wallah... MORE PONIES!

Hope that helped some.

 

What he said, and, I'd paint it green.

 

If you notice a difference by just doing cams that would be amazing. I did cams,95 inch kit, pistons,pushrods,etc... Nothing but disappointed until I did the heads. Then you couldnt wipe that stupid looking grin of my mug!

 

I don't know anything about cams, but your ideas about exhaust and intake sound good. The brands that you mentioned all have a good reputation around the forum.

 

I agree you should look @ a big bore kit that includes head work or performace heads matched to a cam that works well for your driving style if your willing to spend that much there is a lot of good kits out there ,wild things, hot set up kits , hemi designs , even independant shops close to you that my do some verry good builds. You can build a very reliable reasonably powerd motor if you know what you are after. If no big bore than cams, exhaust, intake, sert all make for good improvements and a good start.

 

Thanks SiLlY for explanation of cams and pulling the thought together. I guess I'm staying kind of conservative at this point both monitarily and on the engine breakdown front. So it seems that the cam should possibly wait until a rebuild time and then consider head work as well. OR is their merit in changing to true duals and cam addition. Another question would be if at a later time a bore kit was added due to necessity for engine rebuild, and new heads were added (or is it a necessity to change or re-size valves or install beefed up heads when installing big bore kit) would not the cam selection likely change too. Initial thought was to wait and install duals with cam to assist in breathing, as SiLlY notes. The only draw back I could think of by doing modifications in two stages, was the doubling of Dyno time. Once with intake, and slip ons and SERT, then again with dual headers and cam. Basically, its a pocketbook thing. But going another year with my bike sounding like an overstuffed Honda Rebel isn't a consideration. I have waited long enough to see what options developed, now it's time to pick a direction and head out.

 

If you pick a cam now that could work for you with a big bore than no problem cams and stage one will make a noticeable diffrence, if you use a cam that works well under 10:1 then use B.B. flat tops later then the cam will do well, if the possible B.B. will be higher compression than wait on the cam untill later if you decide you need more.