Harley Davidson Forums - My 13' Road King Mods

Hello Everyone,

I am new here, but wanted to share the mods I have performed on my 13' Road King Classic, in case anyone has questions about them, what I've noticed, etc. I checked out performance, ride feel and sound at each stage.

First, I should explain that I am not the huge fan of chrome that many riders are. That said, as I make mods, I like to go to black.

The first thing I did when I got my bike, was research exhaust flow and pipe position. While I don't ride with a passenger, I may at some time. There are pipes out there that route the left side pipe too close to the driver's seat which can get uncomfortable in the summer. But that pipe location also makes it real easy for a passenger to burn themselves.

Also, when choosing new headers, you want to make sure you are improving air flow, not keeping it the same as stock or restricting it further.

For these reasons, I chose Vance & Hines Power Duels. I liked the crossover design, consistent diameter throughout, and the low path the pipes take reducing heat to the seat and eliminating the previously mentioned passenger burn issue.

At the same time that I installed these headers, I used the Rinehart 4" slip-on mufflers in black.

With these mods complete, upon start up there was a noticeable difference in sound. No real noticeable difference in ride or performance.

Next, I researched the different air cleaner options. I wanted this option to allow the bike to remain stock in appearance. I found that FuelMoto had a very highly recommended air cleaner, which also had the ability to be used with the stock cover. It was very easy to install.

After this was installed, there was a slightly deeper sound to the engine. On riding there was a slightly noticeable difference in acceleration, but noticeable all the same. However, the engine was running rich, and there were occasional sputters and soft back fires.

The next mod installed was the DynoJet Power Commander V. I purchased this from FuelMoto, who provides complimentary mapping for the life of the product. You just tell them the year and model of your Harley, and what modifications have been made beyond stock, and the module comes pre-loaded with the appropriate map. Further, if you make additional mods after installing it, they will e-mail you new maps at no charge. This installation was truly plug and play. All it required was unplugging the CPU under the seat, and plugging in the Power Commander in between the CPU and the connection to the engine. Since the map is set, there is no need for the O2 sensors and they are cut, or replaced with bungs. I just cut mine.

Once this was completed, there was no noticeable change in sound, there was still the nice deep throaty sound, without being too loud, as before. On the ride, the sputtering and small backfires were severely reduced, but not entirely gone. I felt the mapping could have been a little better.

I had the bike Dyno'd at this stage, and will post that later. Unfortunately I did not take a dyno before any mods, which I will do on any future bikes. I will say that the tech commented that there was a definite improvement over stock.

I kept the bike this way for about six or eight months, but decided that the upper gears really lacked acceleration for quick acceleration to avoid danger on the highway (or just cause) without having to down shift.

I looked on here for a recommendation of a great Indy in the Houston area, because the mechanics at the dealership had already proven themselves stupid and useless on the installation of locks on my saddlebags.

Gotta give a plug here because these guys are really incredible. Nitro Cycles in Baytown, Texas (East side of Houston). Richard (Nitro) and his mechanics are insanely knowledgeable when it comes to mods beyond the capabilities of Joe Rider like myself. He took the time to talk to me and understand exactly what I was trying to achieve, did the research, and made his recommendation.

So what I went with was Feuling 543 Cams, Adjustable Push Rods, Porting and Polishing the Heads, and adding a DynoJet Auto Tuner for the Power Commander V. The auto tuner allows constant real time adjustments to the mapping of the CPU through the Power Commander V. When installing the Power Commander V, you disconnect your O2 sensors. For the Auto Tuner, O2 sensors are needed to be able to make the adjustments that are necessary. However, the stock holes where your O2 sensors were cut or replaced with bungs will not do. So new holes need to be placed in the headers as close to the manifold as possible.

When these mods were completed, there was a GIGANTIC change in sound. The increased back pressure increased the volume noticeably (coming close to being too loud but not really), and created an even deeper, throatier tone. This new sound receives comments constantly.

As far as ride and performance, a noticeable change does not do it justice. Low gear acceleration requires a tighter grip, because there is the feeling that the bike might just leave you behind if you're not careful. 5th and 6th gear received a huge improvement in torque and acceleration. Mission accomplished.

I have not yet Dyno'd the bike, but will soon and I will post those results as well.

Brian Danek