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[Cowboy2]

For those of you that do not know, I also own another 110 in a 2011 O/B CVO Street Glide....  So this is not an inexperienced analysis OK?  I am a fair Engineer, and what I have to say is accurate OK?  I am not pi$$ing on your boots telling you the drought is over, this is a real report:

BIG BLUE, just went 1600 kms, and I AM STUNNED....  This engine is the smoothest twin cam I have EVER ridden.   It acts like it came accidentally balanced from the Factory.  I don't get it.  It runs like it was not only balanced, but also Factory run in...  The same power as my CVO FLHX, but far smoother..  I have never even seen anything like this.  To make matters even more of a marvel, my fuel economy is about the best I have ever gotten out of any Twin Cam, and I am getting about 19 kms per litre, even almost 20 kms per litre on the highway, at about 100 average at 2500 RPM.  Doing some rough figures, about 430 to even 440kms per tank, and at rough guesstimate that figures out to be 44.8 miles per gallon U.S.   Smooth, smooth, smooth.  It is going in for the first Service on Thursday...

The only thing I have done different, is run the rain sock under the chrome cover, and if anything that should have made it run a tad rich with worse fuel economy.. Not happening.  My last Ultra, a 103 broke in, only got this fuel economy and this is a 110 not even broke in !!

Have I gotten a FREAK lucky engine???  Or are any of you experiencing this with BIG BLUE?  I would really like to hear some reports...

LOVE THIS BIKE....!!  Best I have ever ridden! Well worth the wait..   Blessings from Oz... Cowboy out on the "Last Frontier"...

[Cowboy2]

Freak performance, smooth running, with this Cat Gut stock Header design and V&H Monster Ovals, it is either a FREAK engine or this is a Magic exhaust trick.  I put pictures of the Cat Gutted on the exhaust section.  I really cannot account for it any other way but this exhaust trick as the fuel economy is the best I have seen:

All that is different is this exhaust so I either have a freak engine, or this exhaust system is a nice combo.  Being a fair engineer, I am guessing the later.  The mix is right, not running lean... This exhaust combo suits the engine, and I like the look filling in under the bags with the Monster Ovals.  It is a bit loud around town, but a great low tone with everyone liking the sound of it.  Magic fuel economy.... I hope this helps some of you...  There is a Thread on this in the Exhaust section about some surprising Dyno results of 10 HP with the Cat Gut mod...  I am guessing this is it, and the added horsepower is the reason for the fuel economy and smooth engine is just a good match with this Cat Gut stock header and the Monster Ovals:

[CVOThunder]

Glad you're enjoying your new blue. The smoothness is something that blew me away as well. Not sure if it's because they spent more time on the engine or if the additional 4th engine mount took care of some of the vibrations. The whole package is what took me over the top. Handling, roll on power (much better after letting it breathe), awesome engine sound and just enough engine vibration to let you know there is something powerful rumbling between your legs was enough to push me off the Gold Wing. Maybe I mention that too much but considering how much I've enjoyed Wings over the years, I am very impressed with these CVO EG's and RG's. 

[BubbaBlue]

Cowboy you're lucky. I just completed a 1800 mile run at 37.5 mpg. Now this was about 50% mountain riding at nominal 3000 rpm. With this kind of milage and a gas gauge that reads "E" at 4.5 gallons I seem to pass everything but a gas station. This is my first Batwing and found it to be a little unstable on mountain curves in big rig turbulence at highway speed. Guess that will just take some getting use to. Glad to hear that you got yours and all is going well for you.  Oh, I'm completely stock.

[Cowboy2]

BubbaBlue,

Look, I have a couple of things that might help you to get my "Luck"....  First of all, I learned about the beauty of the curvy windscreen reducing wind buffet by my estimated 50%...  The curve and recurve of a Klock Werks style 7.5" high windscreen looks good and is helpful with the side curve in and curve out at the top making it so you do not miss the taller screen..  HD now have their own version of it.  Worth looking into..

Secondly, my exhaust is clean, I mean super clean with the Cat Gut out of the stock header, then non-restrictive headers in the Monster Ovals by V&H, and our testing has shown about a 10 HP gain.  More than just the gain, it means the engine runs cooler and can breathe...  I think THIS is my luck...

Now what we have done is cut out the Cat with a panel cut, leaving the venturi effect of the one side exhaust helping the cleaning out of the non firing cylinder in the 4 stroke process...  Gut the Cat, with a panel cut on the collector.  Here is a picture below, and the only Mod on my own Big Blue is to make the panel cut out on the outside so the reweld TIG is ground and painted on the outside under the heat shield and invisible...  10 HP gain on the dyno, better yet it breathes free not choked up, and THAT is my "Luck" and I am thinking THAT is why the calculated 44 mpg...  Also, my calculated mileage is on the flat, running at 2400-2500 RPM.  The cut out collector looks like this picture, only on this it is done on the back sidE where mine was done on the front.   Hope this is a help to you, better sound, cooler running, better mpg... I have a post on it in the exhaust section somewhere.

[Cowboy2]

BubbaBlue, Ziploc, CVOThunder,

This is just a followup, out from my first service, with the fuel air mix tested with exhaust analysis, and all is well.  My freaky fuel economy and smooth running 110, has to be accounted for by a freaky good exhaust.  With the Cat Gut, the stock header has a bit of Venturi effect, where the exhaust from the firing cylinder helps to drag out the exhaust from the cleaning cylinder in the 4 stroke process.  The collector cleaned out seems to be ideal with the Monster Ovals.  I am getting over 44 mpg on calcs, conversion from kms of 430 kms per tank, as high as possibly 450 kms per tank.   

The Cat Gut has been refined, like the picture below, only my CVO does not have that flapper so ignore that, my CVO is stock American without the flapper.  This picture shows the panel out Cat Gut, where mine was cut on the OUTSIDE so the heat shield covers the panel welded back on...  All I can figure is the smoothness, the freaky good fuel economy, is because of a lucky exhaust combo Venturi effect combined with the Monster Ovals Guys..  You could say I got a freak engine that came accidentally factory balanced perfect, but that would not account for the extreme fuel economy.  The fuel economy is the best I have had out of any twin cam and on an engine not even broke in. I hope this is a help to you Guys..... In this picture, forget the flapper, and this panel cut is on the inside, not actually my exhaust,  but here is a picture of how the panel cut looks, except mine was outside and covered by the heat shield:

[BubbaBlue]

This sounds great. Do you know what, if any, effect the Cat Gut has on the engine warranty? With all the 110 problems discussed on this site, I sure would not want to void my warranty in the first six months to save 7 mpg.

[miker]

Tampering with emission controls are a no-no stateside...doubt it affect W, how could they see it? ....smoothness could be the -08A comp sprocket....when I changed mine on my 09 it made a new bike out of it...now the brakes....

[9 1/2 Beers]

Tampering with emission controls are a no-no stateside...doubt it affect W, how could they see it? ....smoothness could be the -08A comp sprocket....when I changed mine on my 09 it made a new bike out of it...now the brakes....

 Just changed my Com. can't wait to test it out tomorrow, it's at Jim's 

[Keats]

When you come across an engine like this, you just do anything you can from ever cracking it open

[Cowboy2]

Tampering with emission controls are a no-no stateside...doubt it affect W, how could they see it?

Cat Gut, just that, under the heat sheild, how can they see it....  Nil affect on Warranty, all good things for the engine...

And Keats, my answer is this is such a sweetie, I am going to keep it no matter what.  I just took out a 5 year unlimited mileage HD Warranty on it for about $1400 U.S.   No more long waits for me.... If HD comes out with a 2 litre diesel Dresser, I will still keep BIG BLUE...

If my Missus tells me She is going to leave me if I don't get rid of BIG BLUE........  Gosh I am going to miss Her...   

[CVOThunder]

If HD comes out with a 2 litre diesel Dresser, I will still keep BIG BLUE...

Intercooled and turbocharged, now that would be fun. Fuel mileage would probably be in the 60's.

So what's the flapper valve thingy? Is it computer controlled to maximize low to mid range power while still meeting emiisions? Or does it just open up with more air flow...kinda like the old butterfly valves on V-8's?

[miker]

Just changed my Com. can't wait to test it out tomorrow, it's at Jim's 

Awesome!...just a little run home test.

[Cowboy2]

Hi ya CVOThunder,

In answer, that flapper is in the right hand part of the dual exhaust on the International Tourers, and what it does is close off the right hand exhaust until it warms up...  Some stupid European idea to reduce emissions or something.  No wonder they are such a mess all the time...

I used one of the stock Tourer Headers for the experiment and pictures.  My CVO BIG BLUE did not have the flapper, so cool...  What we do with the stupid flappers is block them open and program the ECM not to care...  Anyway, mine did not have one, and the other alternate is my cut out on the collector was done on the outside, so the heat sheild hides it.... 

Still dead in love, ride it everyday, to work, to play..... Missus is getting jealous... heh he...  She better not tell me to chose... Gosh I would miss Her..   

[Harley Guy 5]

Hi ya CVOThunder,

In answer, that flapper is in the right hand part of the dual exhaust on the International Tourers, and what it does is close off the right hand exhaust until it warms up...  Some stupid European idea to reduce emissions or something.  No wonder they are such a mess all the time...

I used one of the stock Tourer Headers for the experiment and pictures.  My CVO BIG BLUE did not have the flapper, so cool...  What we do with the stupid flappers is block them open and program the ECM not to care...  Anyway, mine did not have one, and the other alternate is my cut out on the collector was done on the outside, so the heat sheild hides it.... 

Still dead in love, ride it everyday, to work, to play..... Missus is getting jealous... heh he...  She better not tell me to chose... Gosh I would miss Her..   

You should beable to set that flapper up so you could turn it on manual so you would have a exhaust brake