Performance for Coast to Coast Riding
Stage 1, The First Step
Picture this, you are out on your Harley-Davidson® enjoying the day chasing the sunshine. Under the sun you have your paint and chrome shining in the sunlight, maybe even watching the clouds go by in the chrome of your headlight, yes, it's a good day. A good friend riding along with you on his, or her Harley. You pull out to pass that long tractor trailer, and it just seems natural to roll on the throttle to get you by the slower moving vehicle. That good friend seems to have some power you don't seem to have. That bike just seemed to move along quicker than yours does. What gives? There is a good chance that good friend of yours has been to our CHD Service Department to have his factory issue bike intake and exhaust systems upgraded. Stage 1. The first step in opening up the power potential of your Harley-Davidson® .
Stage 1, involves no internal component changes. All the modifications, three of them, two of which are bolt on changes, and the third is the re – mapping your bike's ECM ( Engine Control Module, the brain of your fuel injection system ) ( On carbureted bikes, no ECM re-flash, but would require the carburetor to have larger jets installed, and of course manually adjusting the carb to work with your new additions ). The components needed in a Stage 1 EFI ( Electronic Fuel Injection ) package, the Screamin' Eagle high flow air cleaner assembly, a free flowing exhaust system or slip on type mufflers and the re-configuration of your ECM operating parameters for this increase of air flow in and out of your v-twin.
The first step, is increasing your air intake volume. The Screamin' Eagle high flow air cleaner assembly is a large improvement over the stock assembly, allowing better than 20 % more air volume into your motor. The stock paper type air filter and black backing plate for your air filter cover will be gone. In place you will have a synthetic media filter ( washable and reusable, most likely the last air filter you should have to buy for your bike, and it has a better filtering ability, while allowing more air into your motor ), and a new less restrictive backing plate. You will still have your original chrome air filter cover in place. There are other high flow air cleaner assemblies available that maybe have a more appealing profile to you. After all, your Harley – Davidson has been known to be a reflection of you.
The second step, is increasing the ability to vent the spent gasses. The free flowing exhaust system. This free flowing exhaust system will increase the sound of your bike ( here comes the rumble ), increase your power, and could change the overall appearance of your bike. There are the Screamin' Eagle slip – on mufflers where only the stock mufflers are replaced, you always have the option to change the entire exhaust system, depending on your tastes and budget.
The third step in this Stage 1 upgrade is the re-flash of your EFI bike's ECM. After increasing the intake and exhaust air volumes, it stands to reason, the stock air to fuel ratio for your fuel supply, will more than likely be too lean. Lean running, gas starved motors are not a good thing. You will not be getting the potential power you are after and the possibility increases for an overheating concern, not good at all.
The ECM re-flash is done using the Harley-Davidson® Digital Technician. The HD Digital Technician, is a laptop PC that utilizes a USB connection to your bike's ECM and is directly connected to the internet, to the HD Super Tuner on-line library. The Digital Technician is used to make electrical diagnosis of your electrical system, view the operating parameters of the sensors on your bike, and make the changes for your Stage 1 upgrade. In this case we can match up the Screamin' Eagle components you have chosen to go with, wipe out your original ECM configuration, and download the new operating parameters.
If you choose to go with a complete change of your stock exhaust system, something from the aftermarket manufacturers, we will still be using the HD Digital Technician to re-configure your ECM. We will be downloading a CHD Service Dept team developed, and Dyno tested configuration for your 88'', 96'', or 103'' Twin Cam motor. With a complete change of your exhaust system, the HD Super Tuner package is a must. If we are doing this complete change of exhaust when you are picking up your bike, we will download a break-in map. This will take about .5 an hour. When you come back in for your first service at 1600 kames, we would be doing the final tune on the Dyno, which takes 2.5 to 4 hours. Please let our Service Advisors know where you want your power in the RPM range to be, what your riding style is. We want to tune your bike to your riding style. There are some of you folks who cruise at 2700 – 2900 RPM in sixth gear and want to be able to roll it on, and then there are those cruising at 3300 – 3500 RM in fifth that are more aggressive with the right wrist. If you would, help our Service Advisors in translating where you fit in as for your riding style.
We are building a library of downloads, noting motor configurations and changes, to help lessen the time required to make your bike all it should be. With more internal modifications, such as cams, cylinder head changes, the tuning process can take a little longer, just like cooking a good meal, the more on the menu, the longer the preparation time can be. Stage 1 can be the full meal deal for some folks, but then, there are those of us that just want it all. Bigger cams, cylinder head modifications, bigger fuel intake systems, the list can go on, until the next thing you know, you're just about ready to leave that good friend who pulled away from you so easily, you can now leave him so far behind, he is going to need e-mail to talk to you!
We encourage you to drop in to spend some time with our CHD Service and Parts Department teams, to help you coordinate your move up the torque / horsepower ladder. If you can't make it in, please give our Service Dept team a call, and we can start from there. We are here to help you, inform you of the possibilities, the parts choices that are available, keep you on the road, and making your Harley-Davidson® , truly yours.
