Today I spoke with the service dept. manager about what happened with my trip home after getting the 1000 mile service. He seemed sincerely interested in the facts which is the story I posted above. He said with the water cooled 2016 model he was surprised that I had that happen.

He called HD in Wisconsin. They told him they have not been receiving heat complaints on the 2016 Tri-Glides. They told him to have me bring the trike back so they can try to recreate the heat/power loss event with a test ride.

If they see the temps go out of their range they will try to find a fix on warranty.

If the temps stay in their range then I can buy a new exhaust system from them. If I go "aftermarket" my warranty will be voided.

My dealer said he can sell me a "catless" exhaust but isn't able to tune it with a dyno because they don't have one. He said they can/will use a smart tuner that gets me in the ball park but won't tune the "fuel".

I don't understand why this all started immediately after my 1000 mile check up.

 

I've read and re-read your advice hoping my situation isn't as bad as I fear. If my wife can find a position that gets the ride back to the way it was I'd be relieved.

When that heat hit us at it's worst there was no escape, it ran up my right hip and my passengers leg up into her chest. My engine could not hold 75 mph in 6th gear. I had to downshift to 5th.

Our experience since then is mixed. We've taken rides where the temps are ok on us but other rides when it's no fun due to the heat.

I don't know if it's a matter of "suck it up buttercup" or "fix this dang thing HD!"

 

Something seems odd, something is causing it to run warmer than it should. There is a timing table which pulls timing based on temperature, this is what caused the power loss. It got hot enough to get into the areas where timing is pulled, this accounted for the power loss. You're caught between a rock and a hard place, I hope the dealer can trouble shoot the problem.

You're dealer is trying to walk on both sides of the fence. They will flag your warranty for an aftermarket exhaust, but will sell you a catless head pipe which is more or less the same thing. They want to use a smart tuner, if it's anything other than the Screamin Eagle Street performance tuner, it'll void the warranty. The street tuner is a POS, it won't accomplish dick.

 

My dealer said he can sell me a "catless" exhaust but isn't able to tune it with a dyno because they don't have one. He said they can/will use a smart tuner that gets me in the ball park but won't tune the "fuel".

What??? time to be looking for a new dealer

 

I can say a DynoJet Power Vision will get you a better tune than Dyno in almost every case. Dyno's are great, but not real life (your style) riding. You can get a Power vision through the DK customs sight and save, and get mounting, and longer tech support.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with your statement of the Power Vision getting you a better tune than a dyno in almost every case. Even the vp of Dynojet agrees a tune on a dyno is the best way to tune a vehicle. When tuning on the street you have no way of measuring how changes in timing impact the torque or hp of the trike being tuned. On the street you can't hold a targeted cell long enough to get accurate sampling, sometimes you have to come back to that cell multiple times before enough data is collected. A dyno has a brake which will allow the operator to place a load on the trike engine to hold an area for correct sampling, plus allow the operator to watch for any spark knock activity which may need correcting.

I've tuned on the street many times, and I've had the privilege of helping tune on a dyno. A night and day difference between the 2 worlds. A tuner who is good at his craft will give you a much more powerful and smother running engine in a fraction of the time. I've seen guys who decide to tune their own, spend hour after hour fiddling and farting to get things right, even then they still don't have perfection. I've also seen guys damage their engines thinking they're a tuner, only to find out they knew a whole lot less than they thought they did.

I've seen dyno charts from bikes who have been tuned on the street, more often than not there is more power and torque still left on the table. Not to mention areas where the timing needs attention to smooth the engine out. Those who have done a pretty good job at tuning on the street, normally spend many of hours developing that tune. They also know a good deal about tuning, it's more than just throwing something on and setting it to auto tune.

On a dyno I can simulate anything you can see on the street and I can do it in a controlled environment. When it came time to tune the 120 I built for my 06 Ultra, I could have tuned it on the street. I elected to trailer it 450 miles one way to a guy who specialized at tuning big engines. He nailed that tune, it has perfect street manners, not to mention it runs smooth and make nice torque.

 

I agree, I'd be looking for a new dealer. Those guys sound like clowns who don't think things through very well.

 

You will be hard pressed to find a dealer 'Who has a dyno that can fit Trikes...
There are some but far in between....

 

I guess I can respect that. I am no expert in tuning. I know enough that I am satisfied with the performance improvements, and heat reduction the power vision has provided me. When I need expertise in understanding my tune or advise, Jamie (Fuel Moto) has always provided me with excellent technical help. So I withdraw my comment of better than Dyno, lets say when Dyno is not available for your Tri Glide in reasonable distance, Power Vision is going to get you better than just in the ball park? I say this with all due respect, I trust you are a good tuner, and admit not all are. I have seen over the years HD dealers tinker around with a Dyno charging big $$ and the bikes sounded and perform worse than many with Street tunes. The key is getting someone who knows there stuff. A friend has a 2006 Heritage that was Dyno tuned. I was asked to ride it afterward and see what I thought. I told him to take it back and get his original tune loaded and get refund. After two more trips to the same dealer and no significant improvement, he did get a refund. Purchased a power vision with wide band bungs, and has been happier than all get out. I have seen too many dealers getting the Dyno equipment and thinking their techs can learn on the fly. Thank you for setting me straight though I should not have compared bad tech Dyno's to experienced Dyno tuners.

 

You're correct not all folks have access to a dyno or are unwilling to travel, to have their trike tuned. You also are correct, a good many dealers have a dyno with nobody competent to use it. Sure they may have been to some half assed school, unfortunately there is a lot of time and study to become truly good at one's craft. Some of the top tuners live and breath this stuff, they're always expanding their knowledge.

I can do a pretty good job tuning on the road, but if I had my druthers I would be using a dyno, it's just so much easier. When a person doesn't have access to a dyno or possess limited knowledge. It is to their advantage to choose a tuning device they can handle, fortunately there are several out there to choose from.