TFI and Stage 1
Did my stage 1 last Friday. I already had Rush pipes with 2" baffles on the bike. I had bought a TFI and had it sitting on the shelf until I got my Screaming Eagle AC. Finally got the AC last Friday and got everything installed Friday afternoon.
Installing the TFI is easy. Just follow the instructions. I used the settings in the instruction sheet. Set the Green pot to 2:30, the Yellow to 3:25, the Red to 3:15 and the RPM pot to 4:00. You have to look at the total width of the arrow on the pot and figure out the position you want. You'll get it after a couple minutes.
The instructions don't tell you how to route the wiring from the TFI to the fuel injectors. (I had a professor who would say "that exercise is left for the student") I put my TFI in the empty spot behind the right side cover. I routed the wiring up along the frame member next to the tank. So far it looks to be staying there just fine.
The AC is actually harder to install than the TFI, although anyone who can follow instructions can get it done. Put just a bit of grease on the O rings so they stay in the shoulder of the bolt. If you don't the O ring can move and it will get pinched in the wrong position. You can probably guess how I learned that.
What a difference. The exhaust popping on deceleration is gone. As is the occasional loud backfire on startup when the engine was hot and had only been shut off for a few minutes. Just a nice loud burble when I back off the throttle. Acceleration is also much better. The RK wasn't bad to begin with but now it's in another class. It accelerates better and pulls longer in each gear. Two up the Road King can now, suprisingly, pull away from my son's '08 Super Glide Custom pretty smartly. That's when he is One up. Used to be I had to work to stay with him.
I filled up my tank just before installing the stage 1 parts. I calculated that tank at 39.7 MPG. That was a mix of riding two up and by myself, mostly around town. After installing the stage 1 I rode Sunday and Monday. Pretty much the same kind of riding except I have to admit I got on it a bit. When I refilled I got 37.8 MPG. Not too shabby. If I can leave the throttle alone I might do better. But, where's the fun in that?
The engine is running cooler too. The semi-scientific measurement I'm using is the heat on the back of my right leg and the fact that the rear cylinder didn't have to shut off when I was caught in traffic yesterday. I'll be changing to synthetic oil (Red Line) this weekend. It should be even better when that's done. I'm going to need every bit of cooling I can get when the temperature really starts to climb around here.
The bike even sounds better now.
Heritage Bars
Today I installed the new Heritage bars made for the FLHR. The dealer quoted me $800 to install them. The bars were $79.95. (I could have saved 20% by ordering them but I'm sometimes a spur of the moment person for stuff like that.) I installed the bars myself in about 3 hours. That's with quite a few smoke and coffee breaks while I re-read the manual. I used a replacement factory left grip from the dealer for $6.95.
Here's something to remember. I didn't see it in the manual. Remove the plastic cable ties that hold the wiring from the controls tight to the handlebars. If you don't, the wiring that runs through the bars will get hung up on them as they stick inside the handlebar. (three guesses how I learned that one.) I popped them out and the wiring slide through nice as can be. Buy 4 of them when you get the bars. They don't go back in as nicely after you pull them out.
You can install the part of the harness that runs from the throttle control to the nacelle before you put the new bars on. I did that and didn't need any sort of wire to snake the harness through the handle bars. Gravity and the stiffness of the harness did the trick.
Do be careful when disconnecting the wiring on the throttle control from the harness. If you break the little green locking tab there is no fix to it. At least that's what the manual says. I figure you could wrap the connector with electrical tape and it would hold together pretty well. I didn't make that mistake since I'm used to dealing with connectors like that.
After a 20 mile ride I like the new bars but they do make the bike handle a bit differently. It leans into corners much faster now (I think because I'm sitting more upright) and is more sensitive on the nasty gravel road I have to drive on. I'll get used to that.
Sorry for the long winded post. I figured some of you might want to hear about it.
Did my stage 1 last Friday. I already had Rush pipes with 2" baffles on the bike. I had bought a TFI and had it sitting on the shelf until I got my Screaming Eagle AC. Finally got the AC last Friday and got everything installed Friday afternoon.
Installing the TFI is easy. Just follow the instructions. I used the settings in the instruction sheet. Set the Green pot to 2:30, the Yellow to 3:25, the Red to 3:15 and the RPM pot to 4:00. You have to look at the total width of the arrow on the pot and figure out the position you want. You'll get it after a couple minutes.
The instructions don't tell you how to route the wiring from the TFI to the fuel injectors. (I had a professor who would say "that exercise is left for the student") I put my TFI in the empty spot behind the right side cover. I routed the wiring up along the frame member next to the tank. So far it looks to be staying there just fine.
The AC is actually harder to install than the TFI, although anyone who can follow instructions can get it done. Put just a bit of grease on the O rings so they stay in the shoulder of the bolt. If you don't the O ring can move and it will get pinched in the wrong position. You can probably guess how I learned that.
What a difference. The exhaust popping on deceleration is gone. As is the occasional loud backfire on startup when the engine was hot and had only been shut off for a few minutes. Just a nice loud burble when I back off the throttle. Acceleration is also much better. The RK wasn't bad to begin with but now it's in another class. It accelerates better and pulls longer in each gear. Two up the Road King can now, suprisingly, pull away from my son's '08 Super Glide Custom pretty smartly. That's when he is One up. Used to be I had to work to stay with him.
I filled up my tank just before installing the stage 1 parts. I calculated that tank at 39.7 MPG. That was a mix of riding two up and by myself, mostly around town. After installing the stage 1 I rode Sunday and Monday. Pretty much the same kind of riding except I have to admit I got on it a bit. When I refilled I got 37.8 MPG. Not too shabby. If I can leave the throttle alone I might do better. But, where's the fun in that?
The engine is running cooler too. The semi-scientific measurement I'm using is the heat on the back of my right leg and the fact that the rear cylinder didn't have to shut off when I was caught in traffic yesterday. I'll be changing to synthetic oil (Red Line) this weekend. It should be even better when that's done. I'm going to need every bit of cooling I can get when the temperature really starts to climb around here.
The bike even sounds better now.
Heritage Bars
Today I installed the new Heritage bars made for the FLHR. The dealer quoted me $800 to install them. The bars were $79.95. (I could have saved 20% by ordering them but I'm sometimes a spur of the moment person for stuff like that.) I installed the bars myself in about 3 hours. That's with quite a few smoke and coffee breaks while I re-read the manual. I used a replacement factory left grip from the dealer for $6.95.
Here's something to remember. I didn't see it in the manual. Remove the plastic cable ties that hold the wiring from the controls tight to the handlebars. If you don't, the wiring that runs through the bars will get hung up on them as they stick inside the handlebar. (three guesses how I learned that one.) I popped them out and the wiring slide through nice as can be. Buy 4 of them when you get the bars. They don't go back in as nicely after you pull them out.
You can install the part of the harness that runs from the throttle control to the nacelle before you put the new bars on. I did that and didn't need any sort of wire to snake the harness through the handle bars. Gravity and the stiffness of the harness did the trick.
Do be careful when disconnecting the wiring on the throttle control from the harness. If you break the little green locking tab there is no fix to it. At least that's what the manual says. I figure you could wrap the connector with electrical tape and it would hold together pretty well. I didn't make that mistake since I'm used to dealing with connectors like that.
After a 20 mile ride I like the new bars but they do make the bike handle a bit differently. It leans into corners much faster now (I think because I'm sitting more upright) and is more sensitive on the nasty gravel road I have to drive on. I'll get used to that.
Sorry for the long winded post. I figured some of you might want to hear about it.
