Question, I have a 06 Road king custom with EFI and I asked my local dealer about putting on new mufflers and a K&N and he stated they recommend installing the race tuner and mapping the bike. KEY WORD recommends. Now he also stated I mite be able to do a download update but if that fails to work properly they said I just wasted 150 buck. So my question is it needed. (Race tuner and mapping)?? THANKS

 

Most of the time, the Stage I downloadwill work fine with just an air cleaner and muffler change. It did on mine for the first 52k miles. I didn't add a DFO to do additional tuning until I added cams and True Duals.

Personally, I think a SERT is a waste of $$ and overkill for just pipe swap.

 

With the intake and muffler, you will probably be running quite a bit lean and will tend to overheat the engine. The Stage 1 download is designed to adjust the ECM to provide a richer mixture with this configuration, but doesn't fine tune the mixture for every combination of intake and exhaust. Most folks on the forum prefer to go with one of the aftermarket tuners such as the PCIII, SERT, FuelPak, etc. I have the V&H FuelPak and am very pleased with the way it balances my Stage 1 Intake and V&H Oval Slip-Ons. There is a lot of enthusiasm on the forum for the PCIII, so you might want to take a look at their website. I think the aftermarket tuners are a better value than the Stage 1 download.

 

Well the stage one download from what I have been able to determine here and from dealer
and reading as much as I can;
Is primarily designed for HD performance parts, but most of time works just great with most
after market slip-on mufflers too.
You would be smart to do the stage one download or go with one of the aftermarkt fuel/air/timing controllers. I went with HD's screaming Eagle race tuner (sert).
When you change out the stock a/c and mufflers you're changing the air/ fuel ratios (primarily) that the stock ECM was mapped for, thus normally causing a lean burn mixture.
The stage one download for the most part corrects this situation.
With the SERT or any other aftermarket controller (PCiii etc), you or a trained tuner has better
of control of tuning the motor for optimal running performance with whtever mods you do.

 

I also have an 06 RKC, when i brought it in for the 1000mi service i had the dealer install V/H slip on mufflers with astage one air filter and they suggested the race tuner..
it was $1300 with the 1000mi svc included...
with the exhaustrace tuner and air filter i gained about 14hp according them...
i did pick up allot more mid to toprange pwr...very happy with the results...make sure your tech knows what he's doing when he tunes your bike..
good luck...

 

TheSERT is an outstanding tuning tool in the hands of a capable tuner. It initially costs more than the DFO and other similar products, but it is far superior in what it can do for your bike's motor and your riding. And, if you spend some time familiarizing yourself on how it works (e.g. read the user's manual) you will discover that you don't need to take the bike to the dealer to be tuned if you program the ECM using fairly conservative values. Folks who dismiss the SERT probably have never read the user's manual or spoken with someone truly familiar with how it works. JMHO.

 

Ok, here is were you are at down load vs race tuner. 149.95 vs 399.95
I am firm believer of you get what pay for! Go with tuner, Donloads are not perfomance base anymore. HD fazed out the old SE downloads in 2006 , If you just want a bit of perfomance then the download was great, however if you know that you may want to go to a 1550 kit, heads, cams, and a stroker, then each time you move from 1450, to 1550 w/cams you would have to do a download, at 150.00 a flash, it makes sense to go with the race tuner.

If you just want sound, you can swap the pipes, the downloads were for air filter,
One other option is to find out what injectors are in your bike, 8 degree or 25 , this will indicate what donload or flash you will need. Stop by your dealer I am sure if he has it he will try yo help you. Also understand you can get poping thru the exhuast this is normal.

Some one droped a thread last year, saying that is was not normal.Would love know you made them the chief tech' For that matter the person should just stay with stock exhuast.
Bragging rights, at traffic light, a warm day, and you have to show every one that you bike is loud. This is usally were the pop happens { loading up the exhaust with gas, light go green and then you can get a pop/back fire in the exhuast.} enough said.

Most dealers will suggest the SE race tuner you can dial your bike more so then the download version.

Please inderstand we all do this to get rid of epa crap that is all over out bikes. and to go faster. it's human nature to be the best and the fastest.
Just be careful and enjoy you motorcycle.
ride safe.[8D]

 

Aa friend of mine has an '06 Road King Classic and had the Stage 1, SE mufflers, and the Download installed by dealer when he bought bike.

Had some popping when decelerting.

He's since changedexhaust again and got a Power Commander.

runs great and no popping.

Sammi.

 

If you are planning on more mods down the road....[which you will do owning a Harley ] buy the "Race Tuner", it is BEST way to get bike dialed in for most power.

 

I went with SE air filter, V&H pipes and a PCIII by Power Commander. They have standard maps for your specific mods, and if you have a laptop you can tweak the map to your liking.