HD generic stage one upgrade to Fatboy? Good idea?
#11
10-26-2015 | 02:05 PM
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,885
Likes: 500
From: Columbus, OH
If you're going the dealer route and staying all Harley then I would suggest the Screaming Eagle Pro Super Tuner SEPST as it's commonly referred to around here. Stay away from the dealer downloads and the Street tuner they sell. My question to the dealer would be, are they going to simply load the map and call it a day or are they going to do some Smart Tune runs after the install to dial the tune in. Most dealers are not in the tuning business and just load a map from the tuner software. The service manager at the dealer where I got mine done didn't even know about the Smart Tune option in the SE software.
If you're not stuck on staying with Harley then there a lot better options out there than the dealer.
If you are mechanically inclined at all slip-ons and an air cleaner install are fairly simple and straight forward installs. The Power Vision Tuner is much simpler to use than the SE software and another option is the VH Fuelpack Tuner that can be used with your smart phone, many members have reported good results with that tuner.
#12
10-26-2015 | 05:48 PM
Just my opinion, but I don't think there is ever enough of a power increase from a stage 1 to really notice much while riding a bike. That being said, I would do a stage 1 on any bike I owned for looks alone. I think the stock pipes and air cleaners on all Harley's are ugly. And stock pipes sound too wimpy for my taste as well.
Add me as a solid believer.
I had my 2014 FXDC smart tuned using a SEPST. Just for ***** & giggles, I actually had a before & after dyno pull done.
I got a solid 2-3 ft-lbs of torque between 2,000 and 3,500 rpm. The throttle response was noticeably snappier. I had a motor officer ride it, and even he noticed it. The sound got better, more rappier, rpm ramped up quicker when the throttle was twisted, and I routinely got 50-52 mpg on the road.
Best of all, the butt-dyno was better when pulling away from a stop.
Bottom line, it helped the stock bike run the best way it could, instead of the way the EPA demands it run. Two thumbs up from me.
Important note: If you put a freer flowing air cleaner and exhaust on your motor, the ECM and narrow-band O2 sensors can NOT fully accommodate the change. Period.
I had my 2014 FXDC smart tuned using a SEPST. Just for ***** & giggles, I actually had a before & after dyno pull done.
I got a solid 2-3 ft-lbs of torque between 2,000 and 3,500 rpm. The throttle response was noticeably snappier. I had a motor officer ride it, and even he noticed it. The sound got better, more rappier, rpm ramped up quicker when the throttle was twisted, and I routinely got 50-52 mpg on the road.
Best of all, the butt-dyno was better when pulling away from a stop.
Bottom line, it helped the stock bike run the best way it could, instead of the way the EPA demands it run. Two thumbs up from me.
Important note: If you put a freer flowing air cleaner and exhaust on your motor, the ECM and narrow-band O2 sensors can NOT fully accommodate the change. Period.
There are HUGE variations in Stage I upgrades. Most are mediocre, and like UT experienced, not enough performance gain to even be noticed. Others may produce more power, but still do not address the issues of engine longevity.
Even our basic Stage I upgrade produces significantly (definitely noticeable) more power AND extends engine longevity and an environment for a stable tune.
There are plenty of dealers that will install a good Stage I, (not HD parts, that are mediocre at best) and use a more friendly tuners like the Power Vision or FP3.
Once you have decided what you want, then if you don't want to install yourself (it is very easy) find a dealer that will install them, without talking you into their expensive, mediocre performing parts.
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