Topic: 1st Trip With the CVO (Read 3026 times)

Z10 · « **on:** May 11, 2011, 10:05:52 PM »

Got the bike last Monday and did 1200 miles this past weekend. After about 300 miles I decided the short windshield was not cutting it. Saturday morning I was at SE HD in Bedford OH installing a smoke 10" windscreen. Kept the short one and will use it when running around town. Ride was so much more comfortable coming back, radio was easier to hear too.

Question regarding 103" MPG numbers. Best I got was 37 and that was running the 65 MPH speed limit for one tank. Most of the time I was getting 32-35. The bike has a Power Commander, stage one aircleaner and Python slip ons. Not sure what MAPs installed. Hope to have a download cable in a couple days. One individual told me that some 103 owners sacrafice MPG by running a richer MAP to minimize the risk of pinging. If that's true then I'll leave it alone. I'm interested to hear what other 103" owners are getting MPG wise. When I'm on the road I like doing at least 170 miles between stops. On this past trip I had to look for gas at 130 to 140. Once that gas needle hits 1/2 mark, the last half goes quick.

The other thing I noticed is the ride on this bike seems to be firmer than my previous bagger. I'm sure the saddle accounts for some of this. I had a Saddleman Road Sofa on the FLHT. The CVO leather saddle has less padding. I was running Progessive rear shocks on the FLHT and had 10 PSI in the CVO shocks. It just seemed like I was "feeling" the road more on the CVO. The brakes on this bike are great. I've ridden other TC baggers and I don't recall their brakes being that good. Find it hard t believe SS hoses in itself accounts for this. Do the CVO's have other brake enhancements?

I give up...what's the trick to getting the tour pack LED to come on.

I'm very happy with this ride and looking forward this riding season!

GtreetSlide · « **Reply #1 on:** May 11, 2011, 10:28:58 PM »

My 2009 SG has the stage II 103. I added the air cleaner and fulsac cores to mufflers... After lots of experimentation with the TTS tuner, I get 47 around the Hills riding two=up. It gets 52 running 60-65 mph in 6 gear. Once I get up in the 70's mph range, the mileage drops down into mid 40's.. I think the higher compression and cams help mine.

jimbob

VaEagle · « **Reply #2 on:** May 12, 2011, 12:50:19 AM »

Hi Z10,
I have the same 2006 CUSE as you and the gas mileage is about the same with mine. I have Arlen Ness Big Sucker intake & filter combined with the S&S SPO oval mufflers and stock header (Cat was in mufflers in 2006) I also had Southside HD install the factory SE tuner download.(2006 I think was last year the download could be done without buying separate tuner on mild mods.)
As far as the ride, I think 10 PSI is a low figure unless you and your load are light. You should check your owner's manual and set the PSI based on your load.
On the Tour Pak light you just need to press on the light itself,it clicks on and off when the accessories or ignition are on.
Ride safe!

Cvostu · « **Reply #3 on:** May 12, 2011, 04:14:38 AM »

Also the 06 didn't have a 6 speed yet... That may hurt the milage some too. I have a Baker DD6 on my 04 amd it does make a difference.. That will cost ya tho.. Maybe you just have to suffer with a little less mpg in the meantime,, That gear set is something like 2 grand and about 8 hrs worth of work.

funseeker57 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 13, 2011, 09:14:50 AM »

I have the same Bike as you do. I get just under 40 mpg. I don't calculate it out to the exact number but when I have 160 miles on a tank I put in about 4.2 gallons. Concerning the light in the tour pak. Just push in on the light in the middle of it. This will turn it on and push it again to turn it off. don't worry about the key position. You are also correct about the lack of padding in the seat. I assume you have the one with the genuine faux austrich hide in the middle. I had my seat customized by a local shop. Much better now.

Midnight Rider · « **Reply #5 on:** May 13, 2011, 02:53:00 PM »

You're probably running the air pressure in the shocks a bit low and the shocks are bottoming out. For just you on the bike with no load, I'd try 20 psi...with a passenger and loaded, you'll probably need to go up to 40 psi or a bit more. I had an '06 SEUC, just a different color, that I put 25K on in two years. For me, the stock seat sucked, so I changed it to a Corbin Dual Tour (heated). The foam collapses on the stock seat, IMO, and you're sitting on the pan (driver)...the passenger portion is OK. Others never had a problem with the stock seat, but it would KILL my tailbone after about 100 miles or less. There is nothing special about the '06 brakes, other than the stainless lines...they do make a difference. You've also got "floating" rotors in the front, so that makes some difference as well. The newer model bikes have ABS and Brembo calipers...they are 100% better than what was on the '06. It all depends on what you have to compare to. I ended up with Rinehart True Duals, Doherty PP air cleaner, and a Powercommander, with a GOOD tune. If I was cruising on the back roads, two up and loaded, at about 60-65mph, I could get as much as 44 mpg. By myself, taking it easy, I got as much as 48-50 mpg. If I was riding hard, it would drop to 35 or less. Mileage suffered at anything over 3K RPM when cruising, which if memory serves me, was about 75mph. My bike never pinged, and I live in Alabama, where summer temps get above 95 degrees regularly.

The '06 103 is a different motor than the '07-'11 96" motor with the 103 "kit"...two different animals entirely. The old 103 was a rock solid engine with the exception of the Cam Chain Tensioner shoes, which need to be checked at about 25K for excessive wear...if they go out, the whole motor can be taken out. You can either replace with new shoes, or replace with the newer style chain tensioners (better alternative). Here's the short list of things I changed on mine: Seat, handlebars, brake calipers (PM calipers), Legend Air rear shocks, Traxxion Dynamics front fork cartridges/springs, windshield (Clearview with recurve), heated grips (Heat Demons), wheels (PM wheels...for looks...18" front/16" rear), exhaust, air cleaner, Custom Dynamics LED strip on the back of the leather Tour Pak (run and stop), CD LED tailight, added Garmin GPS with Techmount handlebar mount, modified radio to have another AUX port in the rear of radio so GPS could "talk" through the stereo/headsets, J&M shorty antennae. LOVED the bike, but financial issues forced me to sell, and I took a beating. I'd still have it otherwise. You've got a great bike...enjoy it and make changes you feel are needed to make it fit you, if any. The stock heated grips are a crap shoot...some last, some don't. If they go out, just put Heat Demons in and be done with it. There are a lot of threads on here about the '06 SEUC...it's a great bike that you can go as far as you want with modifications. Enjoy!

Cvostu · « **Reply #6 on:** May 13, 2011, 10:32:24 PM »

TC.. Great job in explaining all this... i learned as well

Z10 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 29, 2011, 12:03:40 PM »

Great info TC...thanks for taking the time to share it. Just cut-n-pasted your post into a word doc and now have a list of future mods. I just turned 20k this past weekend. Looks like updating the cam chain tensioner will be at the top of this winters things to do list. Going to have to take another look at the owners manual regarding rear shock air pressure. For some reason I thought 20 was the max pressure called out. This bike has been lowered in the back. So I don't believe it has the stock airshocks (don't see lowering blocks that was used on my 95 FLHT.) Going to have to do something to the seat. Looks cool but it's not as comfortable as the Saddleman Road Sofa I had on my old one. Defintley have to keep the heated function though (big selling point with the wife.) Taking it on the road again in August to Ohio. Been talking to the folks at Fullsac this week. Planning on removing the Python slip ons and install the factory slip ons with the 2" Fullsac cores. Also leaning towards using turning into a true dual system with Fullsac pipes. Going to the visit the exhaust section of the forum for a little more research. Need to see if there is a power commander tune out there for that configuration.

Thanks again....

Jim

JCZ · « **Reply #8 on:** June 29, 2011, 12:08:16 PM »

Z10 what year and what model of CVO?

That will tell a lot, also. The SEEG doesn't way near as much as the SEUC, etc.

Z10 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 29, 2011, 01:01:43 PM »

Sorry....thought I had this in my profile and it appeared on the LH side of the page. It's a 2006 FLHTCUSE

JCZ · « **Reply #10 on:** June 29, 2011, 03:11:58 PM »

Generally speaking, you have a very nice bike and that 103" is a proven workhorse.

They run very lean (and very hot) from the factory, but once they're tuned, they'll run much better and cooler however, you will give up a couple miles to the gallon to get that better, cooler running performance.

Midnight Rider · « **Reply #11 on:** June 29, 2011, 04:25:22 PM »

Z10...If the bike is lowered, the previous owner might have put the 12" HD air shocks on the rear...he might have even changed out the front to be 1" lower as well. IMO, a bad idea, but to each his own. Regarding the seat...Corbin Dual Tour is a great seat (heated), but they ain't cheap. However, they can match the pattern on the stock seat very well (Ostrich insert) so it matches the TP backrest. You'll have to get the driver's backrest as well though. Another alternative is send the seat to http://www.meancitycycles.com/ I have not used them personally, but hear good things. They have a lot of different options to make the seat better at a reasonable price. The Corbin looks better on the bike though, again, IMO. The Fullsac system is a great exhaust...can't go wrong there. The Power Comander on the bike will work well if it's tuned properly. The only downside to it is that it's a "piggyback" module that fools the ECM rather than reprogramming it. Steve also offers the TTS Mastertune, and probably has a canned map for your bike that would work just fine with his exhaust system. There are a lot of tuners who use the PC though...just find a good one.

If you decide to put 13" HD air shocks on the bike, you can probably find a bunch of them for sale, as many take them off and replace with something better. I would not waste my money on a new set...there are better alternatives. There are a lot of nice things about the '06 SEUC....with a few tweaks here and there, it can be a great bike. It was the last year they made that engine, and it's a good one. If you dig back through some of my posts from '06/'07 you'll see some of the things I did, plus some pictures of seats, handlebars, LED lighting, etc.

Midnight Rider · « **Reply #12 on:** June 29, 2011, 04:27:42 PM »

Oh yea...since you live in SE Virginia, you might want to consider attending our CVO GTG in Maggie Valley this September. Here's the link to the thread: http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=57858.0

It is great fun and great riding.

Z10 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 29, 2011, 09:25:22 PM »

Been to MV numerous times. Love western NC/eastern TN! I'll have to look at my Sept work schedule.

Need to get smarter on this tuning stuff. Didn't realize the PC system fools the factory ECM. I guess I thought they all worked the same way. Like I said...I need to get smarter. This is my first FI bike.

I don' think the front of the bike has been lowered...just the rear. Going to ask the previous owner tomorrow. He did change the handlebars to ones that seem a little wider and definitley come back closer to the rider. At first I wasn't sure I'd like it (he gave me the stock bars and the stock lines and cables) but I've gotten used to it and like it.

SteveO · « **Reply #14 on:** June 29, 2011, 10:30:58 PM »

You may want to look into the Mastertune TTS. It allows you to reprogram the ECM directly, no "piggy back". What a difference the TTS was over the Power Commander PCV. The TTS along with the Supertrapp FatShotz slip on mufflers produce unbelievable power and low end torque and mileage is around 40 MPG on my 08 Ultra SE3.

Z10 · « **Reply #15 on:** June 30, 2011, 09:04:05 AM »

Was on Mastertune's website last night. Now I know the difference between it and PC. I'm familiar with HP Tuner and how it works (I have a custom tune in my 2006 SSR that was done with HP SW.) Looks like Mastertune operates the same way with bikes...edits fuel tables in the factory ECM. Looks like I can also use the software to view fault codes. I assume PC cannot query the ECM for fault codes? You've just about convinced me to go the Mastertune route.

Midnight Rider · « **Reply #16 on:** June 30, 2011, 11:59:49 AM »

Quote from: Z10 on June 30, 2011, 09:04:05 AM

Was on Mastertune's website last night. Now I know the difference between it and PC. I'm familiar with HP Tuner and how it works (I have a custom tune in my 2006 SSR that was done with HP SW.) Looks like Mastertune operates the same way with bikes...edits fuel tables in the factory ECM. Looks like I can also use the software to view fault codes. I assume PC cannot query the ECM for fault codes? You've just about convinced me to go the Mastertune route.

No, the PC cannot "talk" to the ECM as do the TTS, SERT software. The TTS works like a SERT. In the long run, you'd be better served with a product like the TTS, though the PC does just fine. The only downside to the PC is that if it ever takes a crap on you, you must remove it and then you're back with whatever is actually in the ECM with regards to programming. Not many PC's take a crap, but it has happened. Anything can fail.

Yet another option would be the Rev Performance http://www.revperf.com/Precision/index.html I am not personally experienced with it, but others here are using it with success, so it is a viable alternative.

Rooster · « **Reply #17 on:** June 30, 2011, 01:21:02 PM »

I would not recommend matching the seat from Corbin to be like the stock seat, 06-07. Mine has worn through the black in quite a few places where the small braiding areas are. I will be getting mine recovered eventually with a better material. I have had several Corbin seats over the years on different bikes and have been very happy but this one looks much older than the one on my 96 WG that has been on since new. JMO.

Z10 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 01, 2011, 12:27:55 PM »

Quote from: TCnBham on June 29, 2011, 04:25:22 PM

Another alternative is send the seat to http://www.meancitycycles.com/ I have not used them personally, but hear good things.

Contacted Meancity Cycles. They can't do their magic to the Ultra CVO seats for my year.

Their reply: "The way the Screaming Eagle seats are made we cannot change much on them. The leather covers have been shaped to fit the seat shape and the seat heaters cannot be removed off the seats because they are made into the seats."

JCZ · « **Reply #19 on:** July 01, 2011, 12:45:22 PM »

Quote from: Rooster on June 30, 2011, 01:21:02 PM

I would not recommend matching the seat from Corbin to be like the stock seat, 06-07. Mine has worn through the black in quite a few places where the small braiding areas are. I will be getting mine recovered eventually with a better material. I have had several Corbin seats over the years on different bikes and have been very happy but this one looks much older than the one on my 96 WG that has been on since new. JMO.

Did you have them use the Mercedes leather or one of the exotic leathers?? I've considered the exotics but stuck with the Mercedes due to suspecion of how long the exotics would hold up.

Author Topic: 1st Trip With the CVO (Read 3026 times)