Well... here's the news: good, bad, or, indifferent.

I spoke to DK on the phone this week and as was suspected my engine is running pretty darn hot (says captain obvious who has smoke coming from his engine). Apparently I'm the first one to report this issue while running slipons, the 587 AC and XIEDs. Go figure--always gotta buck the system.

Now, mind you, when I'm riding at 70mph on the highway for an hour and get off at an exit, my bike is warm, but not baking hot. However, sitting in traffic it looks like I am cooking the engine.

I know lots of people on this forum use a similar set up and have reported great results, but, the bottom line is that it just isn't working for me. I don't want to risk damaging the engine if I get caught in traffic again (an inevitable situation).

To DK's credit, they offered all kinds of advice and troubleshooting over the phone--even offered to get me in touch with someone who might be selling an oil cooler--and I commend their customer service. At the end of the day, there really isn't a great answer based on my current set up. So, it's time to adapt and overcome.

While I had hoped the XIEDs would provide enough additional fuel to keep my engine from turning into a rotisserie oven, it looks like they just aren't enough for my specific bike/location/riding conditions. I've decided that I like the pipes and AC enough that I'm not willing to go back to stock. This means that the only variable to be changed in this equation is the fuel management system.

I will be ordering a PCV in the next week or so to try and alleviate the heat issue, and, hopefully gain a little better performance that an actual tuner (vs enrichment device) can offer.

This is not a knock on any one manufacturer, product, or system, as ultimately I built this combination and it just isn't working for me. I would add that with the stock air box and the slip-ons that the bike ran great and did not overheat in traffic. So, for what it's worth, it looks like the XIEDs are a good stop gap if you're looking to add them with just some pipes. Again, I've spent a lot of time doing my research on this issue, and there are tons of people who run a identical / parallel systems to what I have on my bike and report great results--so hopefully if you're going this route you will have the same. But for my bike, and my riding, it just isn't working out.

Sorry, XIEDs, this time it really is you, not me. ;-)

-Wildcat

 

I'm very surprised to hear this.

Did you consider talking to Nightrider? He makes the XIEDS and he is very responsive to emails.

I almost wonder if both of your XIEDs are actually working properly.

I have dyno sheets from a post 07 883 that were taken with pipes and an AC, NO XIEDs and it was still not running dangerously lean.

This is confusing.

Are you CERTAIN you do not have an intake leak? That can cause lean conditions pretty fast.

 

Para,

Intake leak? I don't think so? I followed the install very closely, and took a lot of time lining up the gaskets and getting everything buttoned down exactly straight. I mean, anything is possible, so I'll check it out. Anything I should be looking for? Thanks for your help--originally your posts were one of the reasons I decided to give the XIEDs a go. Maybe it is something else that's causing the problem...

-Wildcat

 

Hi Wildcat,

It sounds like you got some good info when you talked to the shop, but probably not all the info that would be useful.

Intakes leaks can develop, there are 4 bolts holding the intake manifold to the cylinder heads..they have been known to come loose. I would check that first.

Exhaust leaks due to the nuts at the headpipe/cylinder heads coming loose are VERY common, and that can also cause a lean condition.

I did not see where you mentioned how long you were sitting in traffic, and what the temps were...but any HD, with any set up (except for maybe the new water-cooled models) will eventually overheat if they sit idling long enough in high ambient temps. What a lot of guys do is turn the engine off when sitting.

I just got back from a 750 mile ride thru 100+* ambient temps on my sporty. I got caught in traffic a few times. I also have a powervision tuner that allows you to do a "quick-tune". No matter how much fuel I dumped into it, it could not keep it cool in those temps when I was just sitting...or even in very slow stop-n-go. An oil cooler would delay the inevitable, but after a bit of sitting it is not going to help much either.

Since we have never had any experience with any visible vapor (smoke) coming out of the breather bolts, I know the first thing I would do is identify if it really was from being too hot, it seems like it was...but this is new territory and I would recommend getting a dip stick that has an oil temp gauge on it.

That way you will know if you truly have a heat problem, or if something else is causing the visible vapor.

I think the hottest I have ever seen oil on a sporty is around 260* with dino or synthetic oil, and it did not produce any visible vapor.

 

We always shut our bikes off when stuck in traffic,and i live in Canada no where near as hot.
If you start developing oil leaks you will know she was to hot.

 

Thanks, DK, I'll check out the fittings and make sure that they are tightened up.

The oil was definitely getting really hot as I've gone from a nice amber color on my dipstick to a dark chocolate brown in a matter of 2 weeks.

The temperatures were in the mid 70's to low 80's, and I was stuck in traffic for about 30-45 minutes. I'll take a look at getting a dipstick with a temperature gauge on it and keep track of my oil temperatures.

Thanks again for all the help, maybe my bike is just an odd duck--who knows.

-Wildcat