I've only had my hd since November and love it. It is my first Harley and first bagger. It's a 2010 Ultra. I should have got one ten years ago. The previous owner added a ton of chrome and cosmetic items, but the drive train was bone stock. My first modification was to cut the cat from the header and installed a FuelPak. I rode the bike this way for a few weeks and didn't notice any performance improvement. Then I installed the high flow air cleaner from fuel moto. All I can say is wow! It feels and sounds like a different machine. I bought the fuel pak on eBay for $100 and the AC was $145. The cat was only $7 for new gaskets and I did the work myself. Is there another performance upgrade that might provide the same return on investment in the areas of improved power, handling, safety, or reliability? Right now I'm thinking this might be the best $257 I will ever spend on this thing.

 

sprocket change is a low cost character change if you do a lot of metro driving. 30T in the front and 68T in the rear.

 

Cams!

 

Bars..... May not be a "performance" upgrade but different bars that fit you will make the bike perform much better..... But only if the stock bars don't fit quite right.

 

Pipes, cams, SEST, and a dyno run.

 

+1 on cams. Not the cheapest mod but absolutley worth the money! Night and day difference in performance. It no longer feels like a bagger when I nail the throttle.

 

you've already got the best "bang for buck".

next would be cams...

but they may require a more complex tuner

then heads, displacement etc.

oh, clutch upgrade... then chassis stiffening, bearing, bushings and etc.

gearing changes ( but then you trade highway for light to light bar hopping)

However cost goes up, and reliability, streetability and MPG go down.

I've seen a lot of guys turn the bike into an unrideable money pit.

so go in with your eyes open.


I suggest that the cost of making a Harley really fast is equivalent to 2 X sportbikes, + the cost of the Harley to start with.

2¢ Mike

 

......I got a 31t to go with my 68t. Haven't put it on yet.......think I'll be disappointed for not using the 30?

 

Looks like cams are the most popular. I suspected it might be. Thanks for everyone's input. I was also thinking about a jagg 10 row oil cooler as it gets mighty hot here in SC and also some new rear air shocks. I'm going to have plenty time to think about it as funds have tightened up lately. I was just so impressed with how much the simple upgrades woke it up, I was hoping for another cheap mod to fuel my new addiction.

 

Cheapest and most effective performance upgrade......downshift. Lol