do I need a tuner
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Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,487
Likes: 156
From: boston
do I need a tuner
I am currently riding a 2012 street glide. I just purchased a head pipe from someone on this forum from a 2010 Road King for the purpose of decatting. I want to keep my head pipe as is so I have options down the road. So I will have a gutted head pipe and want to install v/h monster ovals. Do you think I need a tuner? I will purchase the tuner and ac in the spring to complete the stage 1.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 10,216
Likes: 224
From: Glendale AZ
It can keep till the spring, it's not going to get real lean until the air breather is opened up. The tuner is going to be needed IF carbon starts building up and the dreaded pinging starts. If it's going to, it will start developing at 5-6 thousand miles. If your one of the lucky ones, it wont happen. The tuner will allow you to access the timing tables which is crucial to stopping the pinging.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,943
Likes: 3
From: NYC
I bought my bike with 7K miles on it. change the AC and pipes. rode it for 4K. never had any apparent side effects from not doing the associated downloads and "tuning". But, when I pulled the heads as part of a 103 upgrade....there was big time carbon build up. Never had any pinging. But did have the infamous start crank bang when hot.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,487
Likes: 156
From: boston
Is there a huge difference in the sounds comparing pinging and valve train? I can hear something in the engine, but I think it was always there. It does sound like lifters. Is the pinging a higher pitch?
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
From: Western NY
The short answer is you can de-cat the head pipe and add some slip-ons without a tuner. You may have some decel popping and it will still be running as lean as it does now but it won't damage your bike. I'm doing much the same thing with my 12 RK and will likely add some FL-VIED's just to richen it a little above stock anyway. Your gonna love how much cooler your right leg is with the de-catted headpipe.As far as pinging vs valvetrain noise the two are quite different sounding. You'll know pinging when you hear it.... most likely when your under heavy load and accelerating.
JG
JG
Last edited by jg4660; Jul 10, 2012 at 07:40 PM.
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
From: Western NY
Check out nightrider.com. Its a simple little device that sits in line with your O2 sensors to fake the ECM into running a little richer air/fuel ratio. Simple but effective.
JG
JG
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Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,487
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From: boston
From what I read, if I remove the cat I should use the vied. IF the cat stays in Ican use the xied. I need to change the mixture on thevied manually with a screw driver, but if I leave the cat in and use the xied, the unit does it automatically. Does this sound right?
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Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2012
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From: Western NY
JG
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