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[Swinger]

Hi Guys,

Has anyopne out there played around with a barb set-up on 2011 CVO 110" in place of the OE EFI? I know that we can tune as much as we like the mapping, but in a lot of cases similar bikes with carbs always run nicer, have more torq etc than with EFI, which face it was implemented for costs, and emissions.

What would a std set-up be?

If a similar thread has been started, then sorry and re-direct me.

All the best,

Stu

[Twolanerider]

Don't know of a single bike that new that has had a carb conversion done.  Also would reject the premise that a carb'd bike will perform better.  It may run ok with more simple controls and effort.  But a modern EFI system is so much more precise it can do things a carburetor will never do.

[Talon]

Yea, bring a carb bike up here ride between 4500' to 11000'. My old carb bike felt like in only had 2/3 the power at the higher elevations, plus cool weather, waiting for carb bikes to warm up.

[willyB]

I don't know? There's something pretty cool about a carb'd bike.

Keep us in the loop if you do the conversion. Sounds pretty interesting.

[Twolanerider]

Yea, bring a carb bike up here ride between 4500' to 11000'. My old carb bike felt like in only had 2/3 the power at the higher elevations, plus cool weather, waiting for carb bikes to warm up.

I always carried two carbs on long road trips west that would take me over the mountains.  One set up for altitude and one for less majestic motoring.  Did a bit of quick roadside R&R to swap.

[wideglidejoe]

Swinger,

I've had several carbed bikes, and three Harley's; '03 carbed Wideglide (now totalled out), and currently a injected '05 Wideglide, and the '11 CVO.  On the '05 Wideglide, you had a choice that year of carbed or EFI.  I chose EFI, and glad I did.  I'll never go back to carb if I have a choice.  In my opinion, you might get a couple of more hp with a carb at peak hp, but on the overall hp & tq range, the EFI will beat the carb.  Not to mention overall driveability, changing elevations, etc.

Several car mags have done dyno tests on V8's with similar EFI & carb applications.  On a 400-500 hp V8, a carb might make 5 more hp at peak, but the hp & tq is more & flatter at all RPM's.

After doing an engine upgrade on the '05 Wideglide (88>95 ci), I had a Power Commander for a while.  Dyno was 102hp & 103 tq.  Eventually changed to SE Race Tuner, same dyno; now 107hp & 107tq.  But, there is significantly more torque much lower in the RPM band.  Pretty much the same on carb vs. EFI, in my opinion.

On the '03 Wideglide (carb), I rode from home (670ft elevation) to CO (10,000+ elev), on two different years/trips.  It was tough at the higher altitudes.  Same trip on the '05 WG w/EFI; it ran the same in OK as it did in CO.

Hope I didn't hijack the thread, just sharing my opinion.  And, I didn't answer your question on where to start with what carb setup.


take care,
Ride Safe

[Twolanerider]

 didn't answer your question on where to start with what carb setup.

That used to be a relatively staightforward retrofit if one wanted to.  When bikes had both carb and EFI options stock the main harness was the same.  In to that main harness plugged the engine overlay harness.  On most you could just swap to the engine overlay harness you needed then exchange the induction module for a carb and intake.  Remove the other unused bits, set up the new ignition, change a fitting in the tank to add a petcock and ride on.

On newer bikes that never had a carb option it's not that simple though.  There is no ignition option to retrofit.  There are no swappable electronics.  And even if there were the current ECM manages cruise control, ACRs, whatever ABS reporting passes through it it, throttle by wire and no doubt other things I'm not thinking of.  All that ties together in the same module that does engine management.  So the notion of just swapping to a carb is now behind us.  I wouldn't even attempt it.