Much of what you say is correct Glider. That is why I went with the Vance & Hines standard oval slip-on. The sound is much deeper than stock and obviously less restrictive. Yet not so free flowing as straight pipes where there is little to no back pressure. So yes these slip-ons worked well for my application with the HD Screaming Eagle air filter.
Since I had no issues with the way the engine ran in stock form, returning the ECM AFR back to the range of the factory settings was exactly what I was hoping for.
As is true with many EFI motorcycles today, many have issues with abrupt throttle response, engine speed searching, throttle lag etc.. My 2006 MV Agusta had an annoying problem being to abrupt rolling on the throttle after backing off entering a turn. It was very difficult to operate at parking lot speed, absolutely afflicted with a lean condition at various throttle positions. My Harley on the other hand has absolutely no annoying symptoms. I thought long and hard after changing my exhaust about what to do when I changed the air cleaner. The Dealership suggested the Race Tuner. A privately owned Harley shop was pushing the Power Commander V, but what really got my attention was advice from a friend I work with who use to work for one of the competing Dealerships in this area. His advice was simple, if you’re just adding slip-ons and freeing up the air cleaner just get the flash download. Still feeling a little apprehensive, I called the Dealership he had worked for. I told them I was Don’s friend and let them know what he had told me. To my surprise they said the exact same thing. Here was a Dealership finally giving me the straight scoop rather than trying to sell me a sophisticated expensive tuning device plus dyno time. We have become technically obsessed with the smallest number variances. Trade in last years model sport bike because this year rear wheel hp is up 10 or weight is down 15 lbs. My Harley dyno numbers are bla-bla-bla. Prior to EFI my 66 Triumph TR-6 was tuned by feel. You turned in than out the idle air screw until the engine ran the smoothest and fastest. You adjusted the c-clip on the needle pin until you could rap the throttle open with the least amount of stumble and the main jet by looking at the spark plugs after a full throttle run and shutting of the engine. If it passed criteria you were done, no worries, runs good! Today we fret over AFR between 14:6.1 and 13:5.1 which both fall between optimal fuel efficiency or optimal power. While the fuel mileage is likely more noticeable, the power gain is less likely to be noticed in the seat of the pants. Point being, stoichiometric air/fuel ratios have no supporting data, nor track record to date of destroying your Harley engine. Further more, while 14:6.1 is leaner, not until you approach 15 to 16:0.1 is the lean condition considered damaging. It’s my understanding that even the stock AFR vary from bike to bike. So unless you have your exhaust analyzed you don’t really know exactly what it is other than how it is behaving.
More extreme engine modifications require more extreme tuning.
Since I had no issues with the way the engine ran in stock form, returning the ECM AFR back to the range of the factory settings was exactly what I was hoping for.
As is true with many EFI motorcycles today, many have issues with abrupt throttle response, engine speed searching, throttle lag etc.. My 2006 MV Agusta had an annoying problem being to abrupt rolling on the throttle after backing off entering a turn. It was very difficult to operate at parking lot speed, absolutely afflicted with a lean condition at various throttle positions. My Harley on the other hand has absolutely no annoying symptoms. I thought long and hard after changing my exhaust about what to do when I changed the air cleaner. The Dealership suggested the Race Tuner. A privately owned Harley shop was pushing the Power Commander V, but what really got my attention was advice from a friend I work with who use to work for one of the competing Dealerships in this area. His advice was simple, if you’re just adding slip-ons and freeing up the air cleaner just get the flash download. Still feeling a little apprehensive, I called the Dealership he had worked for. I told them I was Don’s friend and let them know what he had told me. To my surprise they said the exact same thing. Here was a Dealership finally giving me the straight scoop rather than trying to sell me a sophisticated expensive tuning device plus dyno time. We have become technically obsessed with the smallest number variances. Trade in last years model sport bike because this year rear wheel hp is up 10 or weight is down 15 lbs. My Harley dyno numbers are bla-bla-bla. Prior to EFI my 66 Triumph TR-6 was tuned by feel. You turned in than out the idle air screw until the engine ran the smoothest and fastest. You adjusted the c-clip on the needle pin until you could rap the throttle open with the least amount of stumble and the main jet by looking at the spark plugs after a full throttle run and shutting of the engine. If it passed criteria you were done, no worries, runs good! Today we fret over AFR between 14:6.1 and 13:5.1 which both fall between optimal fuel efficiency or optimal power. While the fuel mileage is likely more noticeable, the power gain is less likely to be noticed in the seat of the pants. Point being, stoichiometric air/fuel ratios have no supporting data, nor track record to date of destroying your Harley engine. Further more, while 14:6.1 is leaner, not until you approach 15 to 16:0.1 is the lean condition considered damaging. It’s my understanding that even the stock AFR vary from bike to bike. So unless you have your exhaust analyzed you don’t really know exactly what it is other than how it is behaving.
More extreme engine modifications require more extreme tuning.
