Here's a preliminary update on the Andrews 54.
Some very good news is that the decel pop at 1800 is practically gone. Most times it doesn't pop at all. Other times I can detect a slight muffled rumble that seems to be a pitiful attempt at a pop but never really happens. I have no doubt that Doc will easily eliminate an residual issue of that troubled spot.
Another noticeable benefit was the "passing lane power". I was on a country road and had 3 cars and an 18 wheel rig all in front of me and all driving like hourly employees. Passing zones were few and far between. My chance finally came and off I went. The power ceiling has definitely risen. The 110 kept delivering as the engine wound tighter and tighter. I felt more confidence as I blew away the traffic in front of me. In fact, by the time I got along side the big rig, I had to throttle back just a bit. Speeds were just rising to fast. I didn't have to wait on the bike to catch up with me if you know what I mean.
The torque on the lowest end however has seemed to have suffered. However, I am willing to admit that there could be some mind conditioning at play here. I was informed that some loss may result on the lowest end so I was expecting it. I feel some go juice kicking in around the 3k mark and from there it seems rather endless as compared to the 255. Whether or not I can truly feel a low end loss, I am not sure of quite yet. Most of my trip was rained out so I had limited opportunity repeated the testing.
As regards my "perceived" torque loss, my dealer who installed the cams told me it felt better to him than the 255's in every way. He also noted his opinion of the difference between the 54 and the HD251. He said the power surge at 3k in the 251 is significant. He felt it in the 54 but not as much as the 251. However, he also said that it is possible that the 54 offers similar power but at a better curve thus a smoother delivery across the whole rpm range. That is the way I felt about it. It seems like there is plenty of power but there isn't any defining point that over emphasizes where the power comes on like flipping on a light switch.
If my and my dealer's observation is true, this would fit my riding style as a tourer for good clean wide band power for long haul highway use.
The power curve itself seems smooth throughout but something tells me the engine could run a bit smoother. I also suspect that the temps have indeed lowered. I experienced less heat on my right leg but more miles are in order for further testing on that point.
If Doc can tune in a touch of low torque, add a touch of smoothness and completely eliminate the miniscule trace of that decel pop, this will be one very nice running 110.
As a side note, I've purchased the quiet baffles for the Jack Pot mufflers. This may offer a difference in performance (i.e.) a touch more low end torque.
I'll see you next week Doc.
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Topic: It's all about Doc's Performance Tuning (Read 41241 times)