Are there any draw backs to eliminating the O2 sensors when adding a set of pipes? I understand the function the O2s provide just not 100% sure if there would be any down side. Looking at putting on a set of Vance & Hines Big Radius 2 into 2 and the FuelMoto EFI tuner on my '10 Street Bob.

Thanks

 

If you're putting on a fuel moto tuner then no, no draw back at all, get some plugs to clean it up some and stow your sensors in the garage somewhere. If you go an autotuner with the pcIII or V then you use sensors to coordinate with the autotuner and power commander, so youre plugs would come back out.
Now on the other hand, if you go with a TTS system, you need your o2 sensors, and it's epa bs, it's so you can give a closed loop feedback for tuning purposes.

 

The only other thing I plan on doing to the bike performance wise is adding a K&N drop in filter. So with that in mind will the Fuel Moto tuner suit my needs? I just don't want it running lean...not trying to be Andrew Hines or anything. With the pipes I'm more concerned about looks and sound.

 

the drawback is every time the climate changes. Weather temperature and altitude change and the O2 sensors compensate for the air change while in closed loop riding. Take them out and your tune can change like a carb while the O2 sensors would normally compensate for the changes. So heat and altitude cam make your idle and cruising rich, while cold weather and sea level can lean it out. If you tune a carb in 95 deg weather, the AFR will be different in 40 deg weather and so forth. Not much of a change, yet the bike will not run at it's optimum tune all the time the way a fuel injected bike with an EFI system using closed loop sensors will. If your going to just run a replacement K&N and some pipes, the Harley download would be better than a cheap tuner that disables the O2 sensors function.

 

My understanding is that you won't get the full benefit of a tuner without changing out the Air Cleaner Assembly. It's not so much the 'filter' that's restrictive, it's the back plate.

Others might want to chime in on this, that's just my understanding.

I'm running slip-ons only and am having no problems -- So far. Just not sure what you expect to gain with only pipes and a tuner.

 

If you're going with Fuel Moto go ahead and buy their SE stage 1 kit. If you're looking to save money by the silver backing plate and rattle can paint it black. The silver plate has a nice rough finish to it and when painted flat black it looks really nice.

 

That's what I was thincking. With the limited amount of mods I plan on doing to the bike I'm kinda in a toss up with a PC type tuner of just using a Fulpack.
Your right. More air in + more air out = more power. But I'm not really worried about squeezing out every pony I can. The bike is plenty fast for me as it is and I just want it to look and sound good without worring about it blowing up cause it's running to lean.

 

I just put a fuelmoto efi tuner,stage 1 air cleaner,and rush full exhaust on my '10 wide glide.The performance is awesome with these up grades.I asked about a download at my dealer and was told it would not help much at all.I was concerned about eliminating the o2 sensors,my dealer told me they were narrow band sensors and pretty much useless.This upgrade was awesome I did it myself in about 4 hours.

 

Not so. The MAP, IAT, ET sensors all control climate and altitude changes.

 

Are you looking for cheap or simple?

The air filter only helps when you run 4500 plus rpm, where a tuner will provide much more power, more bang across all driving conditions. Many here put on an AF and tuner and mistakenly credit all the wow factor to the filter.

If it were me and I didn't like the look of the O2 sensors on the bike, I'd buy a SERT or TTS and load in one of their canned maps close to the bike's equipment, set it to run open loop and be done, ride off into the sunset with smiles. That is simple no hardware to install, no tuning to fiddle with, unless you want to. It may cost you $100 or so more than a good module, however.

The O2 sensors are there so the engine can be tuned closer to the edge and the ECU then adapts to fuel changes from tank to tank (like the % ethanol) as well as how the temp/humidity environment may be effecting your VEs, to keep you close to the edge. Otherwise you need to add AFR safety margin that can accommodate any expected riding condition, which takes you away from optimum tune. I would rather run with O2 sensors helping me than not, but some here are old school and would rather not. There are quite a few riders that have added O2 sensors to pre 2006/7 bikes so they can take advantage of the ECU adaption feature and more modern back yard tuning tools. This is to get a smoother, more responsive, and satisfying riding experience... not for raw power... although you can do that to (raw WOT power is the easy part)

Now there are many many here satisfied with the PCV, if you think that is simpler for you. The PCs don't use O2 sensors. Many here have a well set up fuel pack plus XiEDs, which retain the sensors.