So I bought a new '09 Cross Bones 3 weeks ago and man have I had a good time putting those break in miles on the bike!

I am starting to look into pipes, air cleaners, SERT, etc. and wanted to get some feedback. I know that there are at least 100 threads with at least 25 pages of posts that all have questions about this very topic but I wanted to post something here to see what I could find specifically from the other Cross Bones owners out there.

For pipes, I have narrowed it down to V&H's staggered shortshots or from Samson the Hellraisers or Shorties. I have also found myself staring at the Extreme Boneshakers but wonder if they would look right on the bike. I have seen quite a few rides set up with the V&H pipes but did not know if anyone could give me some feed back on the Samson pipes.

I also want to do a Stage 1 air cleaner too when I do the pipes...but here is where I start to confuse myself. If I change out to either the SE Air Cleaner or the Arlen Ness Big Sucker, do I still get to keep the stock cover that is currently on the bike or do I have to replace that or leave the air cleaner exposed?

And I will be looking to add either the fuelpak, PC or SERT to remap the EFI but I think there are so many options I get a little indecisive. I have read so many things about how each of the different brands are the best and I am just standing around second guessing myself. Talking to the Part Dept. at my local dealer they of course promoted the SERT but I wanted to know from a warranty stand point, does it matter? I have read enough to not let them push the HD stage 1 download on me. I have also seen a few of the different models with auto tune, is that an upgrade that is worth the effort and money, especially for someone who doesn't plan do to any engine changes.

Thanks for the time,

Dan

 

If you get the Harley Stage 1 air cleaner you can keep your stock air cleaner cover. What gets replaced is the air cleaner element and the back plate and of course the bolts that hold the cleaner in place.

Don't know about the other one that you mentioned. I have seen some of the air cleaners from that manufacturer and for the most part, they are meant to completely replace your current air cleaner, cover and all. I honestly don't like the way most of those others look but that's just my opinion.

I like the Vance and Hines not just for looks and quality, but they seem to go hand in hand with H-D and you are more likely to get support from your dealer on them even though it is not a product that H-D manufactures.

That's about as far as I can go with my advice. Good luck and welcome to the club!

 

Your stock cover will fit over the stage I big sucker or the s/e air cleaner. d I prefer the big sucker as it comes with a K&N filter as opposed to the crappy non cleanable Harley filter. As far as pipes it is a personal choice. V&H and Samson both have great products. Tuners are also a personal choice. I run a power commander on my ride and it works great. It's been on the bike for 5 years. If you want discounted pricing on any of this stuff post your email or wend me a PM and I can hook you up. Drew

 

Thanks again for both of your responses. You guys are all over the forum today!

Drew, I am going through and getting some parts numbers together for some of these items. Thanks for the offer to help me out and I hope to send you something by the first of next week.

Does your Power Commander have the autotune feature?

Skeez, did you do the exhaust and air cleaner on your bike or take that to the shop? I know that you have done a ton of bolt-ons but did not know if you did that stuff yourself.

Thanks,

Dan

 

Auto tune is an option for Powercommander V checkout Jamie at fuelmotousa.com great service.

 

I can vouch for the Samson Shorties...they are great. I have the Stage 1 HD A/C and a Stage 1 flash. I'm looking to upgrade to the PC5 soon, as a buddy of mine has one & has had success with it. If you are going to ride somewhere with a lot of elevation changes or modifying your motor much, you might want the Auto-tune module also.

 

Skeez, did you do the exhaust and air cleaner on your bike or take that to the shop? I know that you have done a ton of bolt-ons but did not know if you did that stuff yourself.

Thanks,

Dan[/quote]



I have had to remove and replace both my air cleaner and exhaust numerous times both for cleaning and maintenance. Removing the entire cleaner assembly is pretty straight forward. The exhaust is a bit more involved mostly because of the size and the number of bolts you have to get to but it is still something that even an average wrencher can do in my opinion.

I have been teaching myself how to do as much with my Harley as possible in order to make owning it seem more reasonable. I think the most important first step that I took was to shell out the funds for a service manual followed by a set of Fix My HOG dvd's for softails. I studied the service manual every chance that I got, even if I was not actually working on my Bones. It is a thorough guide, and although it certainly will not answer every question you have, it will still get you going in the right direction and it provides all the technical specs that you need to observe. Also, many of the instructions that you get with your parts will reference the service manual. For example if you are installing something and you have to remove a certain part from your bike, it may not tell you HOW to remove that item and instead instruct you to see your manual for how to remove and replace said item.

The dvd's are limited by how many procedures they show you how to do but for me it was enough to get me comfortable taking a wrench to my Harley and then applying that experience to other areas of the bike. To date, every single alteration and add on that is on my Bones was done by me and almost all the service from day one.

Still, I don't do anything to my bike unless I am pretty confident that it will either come out right, or that it will not leave me stranded if I screw up so that I can at least get it down to the dealership for a bailout! So far, everything I have attempted has worked out.

If you are looking to do AC and exhaust, I would at least try my hand at the AC. Probably one of the simpler upgrades out there.

And don't skimp when you are doing a project! If the instructions say to replace things such as gaskets, clamps, etc. or if it tells you to apply loctite, antisieze or whatever else, DO SO! Do put yourself through the trouble of having to redo something because you tried saving a bit too much money!

Anyhow! Don't know if any of this info is of any use to you. Just thought I'd share some of my experience in case you are interested in going in the do-it-yourself direction.

Good luck with everything. PM me anytime you like if you ever want the perspective of a newbie who happens to have the same bike you do.

 

Well i have the V&H shortshots. They sound great, but they do leave a little to be desired in the power department. I'm thinking of changing them up in the next couple of weeks.!

 

Thanks again! I will keep the recommendations in mind and don't plan on trying to save $5 bucks when it might ruin a $3000 engine.

The info you have given me on this and the saddlebags has been great and knowing that another new wrencher can do it has been a relief to me.

What did you do about a remap of the EFI?

Dan