Give me your opinions!!!

I got a XL 1200N and have been looking for upgrades for performance. So here are the dilemmas. I don’t want a drag bike, and my bike sure ain’t going to be a trailer queen, but I want to get the most out of it if you know what I mean. I’m not willing to throw reliability out the window for performance, as I still want to do road trips and so forth. So as you can see any help would be great.

This is what I have been looking at:

Exhaust- I have V&H Short Shot slip-ons, with the factory headers, but from what I have read the 2-1 systems are better, so this may get changed. In this area I want Loud, but I want the performance too (yes I want my cake and eat it too. Doesn’t everyone?)


EFI control- ThunderMax EFI w/ Auto Tune, This will be the next purchase (shortly) as my bike seems to me to need it although everyone I know says it seems fine. But why chance it?

A/C – I want something like the ForceWinder XR, but I don’t really know how they perform compared to say a Hypercharger, or the SE1 Kit.

Engine-
Zipper's Super-Hammer Kit for XL1200 '04-up # 517-236
This doesn’t look like it is for EFI, so there is one more thing I will have to call on in the morning. But if any one knows of any other kits, that would be great. I may just have to do a top end kit.

Then there is the trans. I know there are beefier clutches, and so forth, and I found out yesterday that they make a 6 speed kit.


And I’m sure there is other stuff out there that I’m missing. So let me hear it! If it were your bike what would you do to improve the performance?

Thanks,Robert

 

How much money are you looking to put into your bike? Without the trap door the 6 spd tranny will be expensive to install.

Really, the best thing to do is stage 1: exhaust, a/c, and remap. That will be reliable and give you a nice power increase.

Anything over that gets expensive and reliability varies.

 

Vance & Hines Sideshots (V&H says you get more power than out of short shots), Forcewinder/Screaming Eagle AC. Stage 1. With all that you're looking at about about 600-750. I wouldnt do the 6 speed to be honest but that's just my opinion.

 

I would tell you there's no need for the 6 speed once you have completed the stage 1. You will be suprised how much of a difference it makes.

I went with the thunder max EFI, and have never regreted it. No remaps, No dyno runs, no decel pops and totally tunable from my PC. it is truly amazing what you are able to do with the thunder max. it's alittle more upfront, but way cheaper in the long run!!!

Good luck!

 

How much do those go for? I've become interested in checking one out after having my hands shredded while trying to install a V&H FuelPak.[:@]

 

If you are going to run the stock cams, then a personal favorite of mine is cycle shack slip-ons. They have the sound, performance, and a great price.

If you like the look, then I would run the forcewinder.

 

list is 879.00 but if you shop around you should beable to get it for about 679.00.

I installed mine in about 20 min.

 

Thanks for all the replies,

First off thanks Mark g, for all the help you have given me so far.

Let me say that I love the sound and looks of the V&H pipes I got on my bike right now, but dam those side shots are plain and simply sweet!

I plan on getting the Thunder Max EFI with auto tune (I think she needs it!),

I plan on going with the ForceWinder, I threw the other out there for input to see what others thought of them.

I haven’t got any input regarding either a cam kit, top end kit, or a stroker kit (not that I have found one for an EFI EVO). Any one know of reliability issues with a stroker kit? I still want to be able to tour cross country and not worry if my scoot is going to die on me.

The whole 6 speed trans is getting a LOT of grief.
Let me just clarify, that I do not plan on doing this mod, I was just saying that I know they exist, and was not sure if there were any issues with the factory trans holding up, say if you stroked the motor, in which case I would probably need a better clutch, internals, etc.

Thanks again,Robert

 

Then stick with them. Buying another exhaust system would be expensive and for very little gain if any. Usually (exceptions apply), at stage 1 any decent exhaust system you use (usually meaning baffled and not drag pipes) will yield roughly the same power results give or take a few hp. Spending $400-600 on another exhaust for 2 hp is not worth it. Stick with what you have.

Tell me how much you are looking to spend, and then I'll give you input. Stroking the engine you're looking at over $5K.

The stock transmission is very solid. If you are looking to lower rev on the highway, then buy a 30 tooth sproket instead. At worst, you'll just need a clutch kit.

 

I haven’t got any input regarding either a cam kit, top end kit, or a stroker kit (not that I have found one for an EFI EVO). Any one know of reliability issues with a stroker kit? I still want to be able to tour cross country and not worry if my scoot is going to die on me.



I've talked with Zipper's extensivly about motor mods. They don't recommend anything more then the hammer 88 kit for daily drivers.
There quality and dependability of zippers products are second to none.

Keep in mind, that kind of quality doesn't come cheap.