2018 Tri Glide needs performance help
 

Ok, here's the deal.......Last week traded in the 17 SGS for a 18 Tri Glide to allow the wife with arthritis in her hips to ride with me more than once a year.......

She loves the ride, and I will adjust to three wheels once I get comfortable with turning it......problem is, it is a gutless wonder.....We have a pretty steep hill coming out of Phoenix to get home and it will go 75 up that hill, but NOT ONE SINGLE SOLITARY MPH MORE........It is totally tapped out keeping up with traffic.......

When I look at the Harley website, I see that they don't list a stage II or III kit for the trikes, even though it is the same motor as the Ultra Limited's that they do list those kits for.

I plan on going to the dealer tomorrow to ask if they can install a stage II or III on a trike, and if Harley will warranty it if installed in the first 60 days, but thought I should ask the community as well. Opinions? Verified experience?


TIA for the replies

Lon

I have the 114 big bore kit in my 2017 triglide and it should do everything your looking for. And it is under warranty by Harley for 24000 miles if you have it installed by Harley in the first 60 days. On the dyno I get 107 Hp and 112 ft. pounds of torque. I did the stage 3 but you can up it to the stage 4 with the head work. I would talk to your service department and see what they have to say.

I am surprised to hear this report. My riding buddy has a 17 Triglide and I bet he and his wife top 600 pounds when on theirs (they are pretty large). He routinely leaves all of us doing well over 80+.
I am not doubting you at all, I just wonder what could make one so gutless and another the opposite. My friend has only done a stage I, no other engine upgrades.

I have stage one scheduled with the 1000 mile service. That may make enough difference. I think my perception of gutless wonder is having just come from my Street Glide, and there is a big difference.

Lon

Thanks. Does it seem to run any hotter than at 107? They run pretty hot stock.....

Lon

Sounds like something is wrong with it...I would get it checked out at the Dealership.

Once you do get it running like it should, if you do decide to do a Stage I...

Most Stage I's do not give you anywhere near the bump in power that the could. This is because Not All Stage I's are the same.

Here is a LINK to an overview of the differences between a typical Stage I and a Good Stage I.

Almost every bike/trike that runs one of our Stage I kits will out-perform a typical Stage II, most Stage III's and come very close to most Stage IV's. Plus you will have spent less $, have a more reliable engine, and less likely to have warranty issues.

Besides a Stage I, there are also other things you can do to increase your Power, things that will also make the Trike last longer, and be more comfortable to ride.

Check out the "Little Known" Performance Mods at this LINK.

There’s one more thing to add to the power you are missing the trike weighs quite more check the specs that takes power away a stage 1 will help , it did our 2017 tri Glide and I compare it to my 2016 SGS with a stage 1 and a performance header

Went out and took that hill again today. Riding solo this time and not fighting a wind like the other day. It felt much better. I'm thinking I was still adjusting to the difference between the trike and my Street Glide. I have a stage one scheduled at 1000 service. Hopefully that will put enough oompf into it...... :)

Lon

Nasty old head winds!
 

No doubt about it! A head wind on a 1200LB Trike, especially with 2 up, on a hill and trying to hang in 6th gear is extremely hard to do, if not impossible, in stock trim. I never ride 2 up and my 2016 stage 1 and many other bikes, will run a higher top end in 5th if fighting a strong head wind. The trike has lot bigger surface area for wind resistance. Luckily I hardly ever run over 65-75 unless passing a truck etc.

Ok...I’ll bring up a sensitive topic. Are you running at least 91 Octane Top Tier Gas? If you run a lower octane, under load it may want to predetonate. When the bike detects this, it will retard spark to reduce predetonation. When it retards spark, power goes in the crspper.

I had this exact issue on a recent trip where the only gas available was off brand 87 octane.