Well, one month from delivery. I was at my friends shop today. We talked (for hours, of course) about his experiences with the '07's, both 96" and 110". He is an engine builder (he built my Pro Street engine) and has his own Dyno. I'll share his thoughts, which are consistant with most everything you'll read here in this site.
In and Out: In no uncertain terms, the '07's must have TD's or 2>1 pipes. This is true for 96"&110", FL's and FX's. There is no way you will get these engines to breathe properly or stay cool without it. Get rid of the crossover and use a performance muffler. It doesn't have to be loud, but it needs to flow. For now, I'm going with the S&S SPO's with the V&H TD's. Same with intake. And of course he recommended a real A/C assembly of any kind. We all know what they are.
My Nemesis, the ECM: Here's where he got me to change my mind. He does not care for HD's Big Brother approach to Engine Management. He felt that I would be jeopardizing
my 2 Year Warranty with any dealer besides my own by using the SERT. He explained that every engine is different even though they're built to the same specs. Only a Dyno will allow you to properly tune each individual engine. Even with the same mods done, no two engines respond exactly the same. So SERT map 84 will work well with some bikes and not with others. Same for any ECM mod. Even the AutoTune should get Dyno tuned for proper set-up across the RPM range. He suggested that for my purposes (Warranty Anality), that on the SERK, I should use the PCIII. He installs them behind the side cover and it can be removed in minutes and stuck in your pocket. It will not alter any settings in the stock ECM. With only pipes added on, you can ride this way. He said, but of course couldn't guarantee it, that no dealer can refuse to warranty your bike with only a pipe change. They can only refuse to warranty the pipes. The A/F ratio difference is not such that it will do any more damage than the stock exhaust, per HD, who claim's that a pipe change only will not require remapping. He physically showed me where and what's required and anyone can do this (easily remove it). So, I am now choosing to use the PCIII.
Cams: This will definitely void the warranty. However, he showed me numerous tensioners and chains from original cams that he changed to gear drive. He doesn't understand how HD uses anything but gears. I was amazed at how worn and ugly these things were with anywhere between 4500 and 10,000 mi. I could not believe how loose the chains were and how worn the tensioners were for such little mileage. This sloppiness actually changes your timing as well as being a weak link. Scary as this is, I will not change them until after the first 2 years and take my chances to maintain my warranty.
There is actually nothing here that we basically didn't already know. Seeing these things on a bike and on his bench, and speaking with him one on one for some time, really gives you a much better understanding and perception of what's best for each individual. Reviewing some of his Dyno runs, before and after, and with various components gives you a much better perspective on what each of us wants to accomplish. I am suggesting to all of you that have been asking the same things as me, to go talk to someone you trust and let him show you and walk you thru the various options.This will allow you to make the best decision for yourself. I'm also not allowing my dealer to do this work as they don't use the PCIII and I can do my own exhaust much cheaper than they'll charge me. I'll do the exhaust and A/C myself and let my buddy set-up the PCIII to run it's best until I have it Dyno Tuned at 1K and still maintain
my 2 Year Warranty!
I hope this helps anyone who needs it, to better understand the Big Picture and allow you to move forward, confident that you've made the right choices for yourself.
Author
Topic: '07 110in Upgrade Debate (Read 18979 times)