Do you really need Tuner / Download?

[wrightj123]

Much but not all. Still runs lean.

I'm a little guy 5' 6" and I commute about 15 minutes to work each way; about 3 miles of it on the highway. On the weekends most likely i'll be riding around for a few hours or so each day crusing around in Wisconsin from say 50 to 70 mph. Every other weekend my wife would join me for a day trip, matbe 3 hours or so.

I'm not looking for optimum tuned race performance but I want the bike to break-in correctly and last a long time as I can see holding on to this bike for quite a while.

From what I read here, I imagine I should do something more than just bolting on parts. Is a download better than nothing?

 

[Bud White]

all the download will do is drop the full back to what it was still way to lean

 

[Harleyhistory]

If I put a stage one (1) air filter and "slip on mufflers" on a 2009 FLHR do I need to
get it remapped??? What is TFI??? DA...brain fart....

 

[Retrop]

oh boy another myth to kill :devili have a heavy breather on my 09 bob and i ride as many know on here in the rain and i mean good solid thunderstorms and the like were you can barely see to ride (yes im nuts) water in the engine is not an issue - the minute amounts that will get thru the filter and the rain sock is laughable and would vapourise in the inlet manifold before it even got to the motor.
I have been known to use water injection on high boost cars to keep the inlet charge cool, water is not bad for a motor the dirt it carries in is hence filters.

You mention water boost being used in cars. That brought back a very vivid memory of about 40 years ago. I came home from work at the end of the day and as I drove past my next door neighbor's house I couldn't help but notice that he was sitting under the hood of his Dodge pickup. At the same time I noticed this huge cloud of what looked like white smoke coming from the back of the vehicle. I parked and walked across the street to see what was going on. There he was sitting up under the hood with a quart jar of water and pouring it into the carb while he was reving it up to what sounded like red line rpms. I mean that old Dodge V-8 was humming. I asked him what he was doing and he said "Giving the old girl a tuneup". Did I mention that he was an old line mechanic at the Chrysler dealership. It was funny, to say the least but I am not recommending anyone do this to their V-Twin.

 

[glider]

You mention water boost being used in cars. That brought back a very vivid memory of about 40 years ago. I came home from work at the end of the day and as I drove past my next door neighbor's house I couldn't help but notice that he was sitting under the hood of his Dodge pickup. At the same time I noticed this huge cloud of what looked like white smoke coming from the back of the vehicle. I parked and walked across the street to see what was going on. There he was sitting up under the hood with a quart jar of water and pouring it into the carb while he was reving it up to what sounded like red line rpms. I mean that old Dodge V-8 was humming. I asked him what he was doing and he said "Giving the old girl a tuneup". Did I mention that he was an old line mechanic at the Chrysler dealership. It was funny, to say the least but I am not recommending anyone do this to their V-Twin.

Why not do it to the V Twin?

Removing Carbon - Harley Davidson Community

 

[Dr. Dolittle]

oh boy another myth to kill :devili have a heavy breather on my 09 bob and i ride as many know on here in the rain and i mean good solid thunderstorms and the like were you can barely see to ride (yes im nuts) water in the engine is not an issue - the minute amounts that will get thru the filter and the rain sock is laughable and would vapourise in the inlet manifold before it even got to the motor.
I have been known to use water injection on high boost cars to keep the inlet charge cool, water is not bad for a motor the dirt it carries in is hence filters.

Wow, did that bring back memories! I flew the Air Force KC-135A model which used water injection into the turbojet engines to increase thrust for 2 minutes during takeoff.

 

[glider]

We also had the water injection on the C119 and C124 engines I worked on too. Prevents detonation at high throttle/load settings.

 

[jimharvey1]

We also had the water injection on the C119 and C124 engines I worked on too. Prevents detonation at high throttle/load settings.

Yup...it works. Did it to a 68 Pontiac LeMans Convertible I used to have (many, many years ago) using a water hose trickling water down the carb. The key here is the word trickling. Too much and you hydraulic lock the cylinder and twist (or worse) a rod or break a piston. That old iron block 350 ran like a top afterwards. No more spark knock or run-on.

Hey Glider...we may have something in common here. I used to be an "ADR" (Aviation Machinist Mate - Reciprocating Engines) in the Navy. Cut my teeth as a young airman working on those old radials. Nothing like the sound of a Pratt & Whitney 9-cylinder radial. Starts with a big cloud of smoke, and sounds like a Harley on steroids at idle, with bright blue flame out the stacks when the motor is turning at full song. (insert best Tim Taylor impression here) Arghhh Arghh Arhghhhhh.

 

[glider]

I did the service on the P&W 3350 and 4360 engines. 28 cylinder monsters with 4 mags each engine.
We always caught the new guy and had him hold the hi tension lead while we bench checked the mags during PE. That was a trip to see them fly through the air with their hair standing straight. :bigsmiley12:

 

[STEVE07]

I did the service on the P&W 3350 and 4360 engines. 28 cylinder monsters with 4 mags each engine.
We always caught the new guy and had him hold the hi tension lead while we bench checked the mags during PE. That was a trip to see them fly through the air with their hair standing straight. :bigsmiley12:

That's just mean!