First let me say how much I enjoy this forum. Thanks to all who offer good advice. I've been riding for 26plus years and have some limited experience wrenching. Through a series of unique circumstances I won't bore you with, I am the new owner of an '06 FLHTCUSE, which was given to me as a gift (see pic in avatar). I'm hoping to do the maintenance on my new bike, but am kind of afraid to even tackle that, because it's worth over 10 times more than any motorcycle I've ever owned or worked on. It's one thing to take apart and redo the tranny on a $900 rice burner (which I've done) but a far different thing to work on a bike I could never afford to buy, so I don't want to screw it up. This screamin' eagle has the 103 ci engine, and the previous owner did the following mods to it (all by by the dealer's shop, which I have good confidence in):
SE A/C KIT, CARB TC8, EFI PRO race fueler, and SE pipes. The dyno numbers after the fueler was installed are 88HP and 94 torque.

This winter I will be trailering it down to the dealer to replace the heated hand grips under warranty. While it's there, I am interested in possibly increasing the performance, but I'm not very wealthy.

What can I do to increase the dyno numbers perhaps into the magical 100/100 range for the least amount of coin? For a point of reference, I can't really spend more than a $1000 ballpark figure. Is there any realistic thing I can do for that price range? I put 1000 miles on this bike this fall before the winter set in, it's got 7000 on it now. It rides fine, but I feel it could use a bit more snot, if you know what I mean.

Thanks for any suggestions you can give me--

 

How about upgrading the air cleaner element and ditching the SE filter, a good set of 2-1 pipes and a good cam?

 

Good suggestions but that's going to run him a little above his $1000 price range. 2-1 pipes alone would eat up over half that.

And from other topics on this forum and others, might as well ditch the heated grips as they seem prone to failure quite often.Be a pain in the behind to have to replace them every year.I'd look at some heated gloves instead.

Okay, I curious about the story behind you getting this bike as a gift? You must tell that in detail.

 

Just as soon not get into 2 into 1 if it can be helped, but if in the price range, would consider it.

 

Betcha a good set of gear drive cams wood getcha close and on budget or not far off.

 

G'day from Australia,
There is not a lot you can do to the bike without big bucks being spent. I have installed a Thundermax ignition module, KN filter and had the OE pipe baffles drilled out but left the convertors in place. The system on yours will have a variant on this done as standard. The aftermarket ignition module will be a bit better than the stock and it can be reprogrammed with a laptop, but if you want a faster bike, dump it and buy something Italian.
Good luck with your project.

 

LOTTERY=GIFT????????

 

I'm trying to figure out 2 things. #1 how do I get a gift like that! #2 why are the numbers on the SE so pathetic? I'm getting 99.4 torque and 96 HP out of a 95".

Save your money, and do a good upgrade later. Take it up to a 110" or 113", new cams. Without the major mods, cams and pipes will get you there quickest.

 

Do as much as you can this year,like something that you might be able tosee,exhaust? air cleaner,etc.Next year, do a little more.Too many bros,go nuts spending money and stiil wonder why they are not happy.The only way I found my happiness was riding something with enough torque and horsepower to scare the live beejesus out me.

 

Okay, I'll tell the story, anyone uninterested can just blow by it.
I'm a pastor who loves riding motorcycles and most all the people in my Church know it. I've always had a bike since I left home and got away from my mother who wouldn't let me have one, but never a brand new one and always a rice burner, due to budget constraints. Many of my members are bikers, and we take rides as a Church which draw upwards of 20 riders. One of my members was a long time friend and fellow rider who was pretty well off. He bought two Harleys in 5 years time, first a Heritage Softail, and then two years ago, the '06 Screamin' Eagle Ultra. Whenever he bought a new bike, he'd drive right over to the Church and send me off on it for a spin. He loved to see the smile on my face as I roared off. He wanted me to go with him to Sturgis on two different years, but I always said no, because as I told him, "you can't go to Sturgis on a rice burner." Now I know that some do go to Sturgis on a jap bike, but I just wasn't about to. He tried to cajole me, saying he'd ride with me but I wouldn't go. We did lots of riding around here together. Last fall, at the young age of 54 years old, he had a massive heart attack and died. His bike was cleaned up and on display in the funeral home as he loved it so much. I did his funeral, and then about a week later his wife, also a good friend and sister in Christ, called me to come over to their house. Frankly, the way she sounded on the phone I thought I'd said something wrong at the funeral and was getting a tongue-lashing (I've got to get something off my chest before winter, she said...).

When I got there, she had me sit down (good idea in retrospect) and got me a cup 'o joe, and then she smacked down a picture that looked just like my avatar on the table in front of me and said, "this is your new bike." She went on to tell me not to say one word until she finished. She told me that she couldn't possibly sell it, as it was her husband's. She couldn't ride it, as her place was on the back and it was too big and had too many memories of him. She couldn't give it to her son, he didn't ride. She didn't want it rotting in her garage. And what is more, her husband said to her before he died (remember, he was NOT expected to die), "if anything ever happens to me, give my bike to Mike March" (me). "So," she said, "you absolutely have to take it, if for nothing else, for my sake."

Well let me tell you, that was one bittersweet moment, and a major shocker. I did take it, then gave my yamaha xs1100 to a friend who was about as thrilled to get it as I was my hog, and rode it through November and December, which is very rare where I live. It is now parked in the garage up on a jack with clean oil in the primary, stabil in the tank, and a battery tender on it, while I rage at the cold and snow. Among the papers she gave me were the dealer invoices for the work I posted at the front of this thread. That's where I saw the dyno numbers, which seemed a bit disappointing. I didn't expect it to be as quick as my yamaha (no flames please) but I also thought as a 103 it would be a little quicker than it is. I have to bring it to the dealer to replace the heated grips, which will cost me nothing, as they are under warrenty, and since it's going there anyway, I thought it might be nice to find a relatively inexpensive way to get the bike performing a little better than it is.

There you have it, the rest of the story. Sorry it was so long, but it was truly a unique one. I never have ridden it yet without thinking of George, and hope to keep it nice and drive it for decades, if God is willing.