I'm sure there is a lot of information out here in these threads but I'm trying to find some hard core technical support and facts and not so much opinions. I recently bought a 2014 FLHX Street Glide and I'm shopping for an exhaust. I don't plan on doing any modifications other than stage I pipes and A/C. I'm going to go with the V&H Dresser Dual Header Pipes to get rid of my cat and go with the V&H slash oval mufflers and of course the Stage I air cleaner.

I never had my previous bike (03 Fatboy) Dyno'd and had a simple fuelpack and stage 1 and it ran great but I never had another frame of reference with buying an expensive race tuner and having a bike dyno'd. I don't really know if there would be a considerable difference in performance increase or gas milage.

My HD dealer is telling me with the SERT they can "adjust" more than adjust the fuel richness for my bike and do more with the race tuner like tune in the timing and because it's throttle by wire adjust the throttle response, etc. but then I'm looking at $800.00 to have that benefit.

I've heard from a lot of people that you don't even need a tuner. Some say go with a V&H fuelpac or power commander V that "piggybacks" your ECM. Some say the HD Screaming Eagle Race Tuner (SERT) and Dyno tune is the way to go. Some say you don't need the dyno...

So, Geez man... I'm confused...

My question is "would I notice the benefits" in sound and performance for what they are telling me and spending the extra $800.00 for the SERT and Dyno work or would spending that money on the Race tuner and Dyno tuning work be a waste in money or money well spent in other upgrades?

 

I went the purist route with my Softail and did the SE Pro Tuner with dyno for the setup you're pondering. One word: overkill. Fuel Moto can hook you up with canned maps on the PC and save you a bundle with similar results.

 

I only use a flash type tuner on my bikes, as I prefer to keep them in mostly closed loop. A piggyback tuner is just adding one more thing that can possibly fail. I would call Jamie at fuel moto and talk to him about it, I do my own tuning for the most part then put it on the dyno to finish it up when I make changes. I use power vision with the wide band auto tune. If you want to dyno your bike you should use whatever device your tuner is most comfortable with though. A flash tuner will allow you to retain all the features of the delphi fuel injection, and give you more power, a cooler running bike and better fuel mileage by reprogramming the ECM instead just fooling it with a piggyback. just my opinion

 

That is excellent advice! If you have your bike dynoed use the device the shop recommends - they don't work with every tuner available. Some tuners are intended for owner use, but you have to learn to use them. Not all of them will allow the ignition timing to be adjusted as well as fuelling. Not all tuners are equal!

Our modern bikes are all tuned as stock to meet EPA regulations, which changes much of them away from optimum, including the airbox (actually a silencer), exhausts, cams, ignition timing, gearing, etc. I suggest you include a change of cams along with your other items and get your bike competently tuned.

I have only recently been converted to the benefit of a dyno for setting and optimising an engine and my bike runs a great deal better and smoother for it.

 

The 2014 Rushmore SG's already come with upgraded cams in the 103s. I'm coming off an 88ci 03 Fatboy so I love the power I have and won't be doing much more than a Stage I (pipes).

 

Be very leery of any shop that will only work with a certain tuning device. A good shop will not only tune with many different devices they will also be very good at tuning with many different devices. A super rare exception is an HD dealer that will only tune with a SEPST and is actually competent in tuning with it not just downloading a map and calling it "tuned".

If you can get to the HD dealer in Las Vegas that Hiro Koiso tunes at you may never find a better tuner. He just set 2 land speed records at Bonnevile a week or so ago, 220+mph on a Harley. I think its Red Rock but i'm not sure.

 

Not. Save your money. Put on a set pipes and ride. You don't need any of this crap everyone is selling (advocating). Unless you ride with a group that races from stop to stop or bar to bar why the Hell spend all that money. These bike are awesome out of the crate. And, no matter how lean the purists say they are, they will run fine and last a long time.

 

Canned maps get you in the ballpark...dyno really dials it in. I debated the same thing with my TMax...finally psid for the dyno and was very satisfied with the improvement...

 

On my last bike -- an '08 Ultra, I installed a PCV. The unit came to me with map installed by fuel moto. It ran O.K., but nothing to write home about. I eventually ditched it and had an SERT Dyno tune done by Superstition H-D, which has an outstanding reputation for Dyno tuning. The bike was entirely different after SHD got done with it. Power, torque, throttle transitions, decel all excellent.

On my current bike, I started with an SERT and did the smart tuning myself with two road sessions. It is near perfect, but could benefit from a goo dyno tune -- which I'll eventually have done. But, it runs much better than stock and provides enough fuel for the flowed intake-exhaust.

Opening up the breathing end with an SE intake will require a tune of some sort.. The bike will run dangerously lean and hot without a tune.

The reason for a tune is to make the bike run with the correct amount of fuel at all throttle settings and speeds. It does not do this as it comes from the factory -- unless you're an agent of the EPA. It certainly won't do it with altered intake and exhaust systems.

Either keep it stock (and suffer), or get it tuned for the components you desire. There is no middle ground.

 

Yes and +1 ..I recently put a race tuner and dyno. 100 perfect better than stock. Fuel milage 35..ish.