Hi folks, newish member here. I think this is my 2nd post

I just picked up a single owner 2009 Ultra Classic (see pic) with a bone stock engine and exhaust. So naturally, my first requirements are for it to sound better, run cooler, and have generally better performance.

I picked up a pair of used V&H Twin Oval Slash slip-ons today and boy, those make the bike sound much, much better!

I also have these on order:
- V&H True Dual Headers
- Thundermax tuner
- SE air cleaner kit #29400238

My question is regarding the stock headers. I've read in various places that my stock headers don't have a CAT so they don't have to be replaced as part of the stage 1. Sending back the V&H would save me $300.

On my bike are the dual headers purely cosmetic or sound oriented or are they a big contributor to the bike running cooler?

I look forward to everyone's helpful comments. I'm not looking to boil the ocean here on the above pieces or parts, just clarify the inefficiency of the stock headers in my particular bike.

 

My 09 had the Cat in the muffler, not in the pipe.
I don't think you will see any performance change from the stock head pipe to the V&H if you are leaving it stock. As far as sound, that would be your call to make.

 

Beware off a possible loss of torque after you install the true duals...can be tuned back in, though

 

On 2009 touring Harley Davidson bikes if they were sold in California or outside of the USA they have a catalytic converter, if it was sold in America in any state other than California it shouldn't have a catalytic converter.

 

Correct, and I would go ahead and put the other parts on as well, complete the stage 1. Your HP and TQ numbers are crap stock anyway, putting these parts on will set you up for a future stage 2 or 3, where you can really feel a difference. I've never worked with the Thundermax, maybe others have input on that tuner.

Nice bike and welcome to the forum!!!

 

Thanks for the help folks!

I talked with roeders today and it's $500 for a tuner that locks me into them with a dyno. They said my stock headers are fine in 2009 and they don't recommend spending the money to replace them.

I looked at my bike today and I have 18mm o2 sensors in the stock exhaust. I think I'll send the VH pipes back and while the thundermax is a couple hundred more than roeders the TM will let me tune my bike in my garage and it can be adjusted for future mods easily. I also like the idea of wideband sensors which come with the TM as opposed to the stock narrowband.

Roeders is also two hours from me and they will require the bike for 4 days.

As soon as my air cleaner kit arrives I'll put it all together and update everyone.

Stay tuned!

 

Really nice color combo on that bike, always liked it.
Good luck with your endeavor.

However, I would hold on to that phone number for Roeders.

Do you know about tuning?
Have you ever tuned an EFI bike?

From what I saw looking at the Roeders’ web site they recommend the PV.
(They claim they can also tune with the TM)

The PV is an extremely capable unit which you can use to tune your bike yourself (well, almost, but those hidden tables are another topic.) And it could be fitted, if need be, with Target Tune or Autotune Pro for use with wide bands.

I am not knocking the TM at all. Just trying to make sure you have all the info before heading into this.

You should start aggressively reading the Ignition/Tuner/ECM/Fuel Injection ( https://www.hdforums.com/forum/ignit...-injection-55/ ) because tuning is a complicated undertaking, especially if you want it right. It takes a lot of time to learn.

Since you are basically starting with a stage one upgrade, just make sure what ever tuning device you choose has a starting map close to what you will have. For a stage 1 if it is close enough you should be able to have a reasonably good running bike. Then you can start learning for when you do other mods, or be able to make the decision to bring it to a good tuner (sometimes it is just easier to pay with money.)

Again, good luck, enjoy the ride!
.

 

You may want to consider Fox Cycle Works on the far west side of Sandusky. They have been my Indy for the last 5 years. They do the work right the first time at a reasonable price...

They are ThunderMax certified.

http://www.foxcycleworks.com/

 

Why are you talking about dyno time when you are buying a ThunderMax?

The whole beauty of the TM is that you never need to dyno the bike. It really does auto tune more or less as advertised. Yes, I know that if you want to wring every last hp / ft/lb out of the engine a good dyno tune is the only way to get there. That said my bike makes 95 hp and 106 torque and has only ever been on a dyno on one of those $10 dyno days to see what the numbers are.

My bike runs so good that I can't see spending $400 or $500 to pick up a that small an amount of power.

Pick the tune closest to your bikes / mods, ride a couple hundred miles and then check / learn the offsets. Put a new cam in? Same exact thing!

If you are comfortable around PCs then you can do it yourself. Lots of videos on You Tube.

 

So l installed the thundermax and SE air cleaner last weekend and I am impressed to say the least. It was a very easy install with quality documentation.

The preinstalled maps from cycle solutions are worked great as I found a notable improvement immediately after the install. I have since put on 400 miles.

Overall the bike runs cooler, idles lower, doesn't pop on deceleration and it really opens up above 2500 rpm and especially whenever I roll on the throttle

A could not be happier having done everything in my garage in a couple hours. No dyno or tuner pro's required. I'm sure I could squeek out a little more performance with dedicated tunes from a pro, but for me this is all I will ever need and much more convenient.

Thank you everyone for your input, I'm quite happy I choose this route over a dedicated tuning shop with overnight stays and software lock-in.

To me, this was well worth the extra $240 cost for the TM. Especially when you figure in that any future upgrades can be easily mapped on my own in the garage.

Time to go ride some more!

Jonathon