American V-Twin Motorcycles

Stage 1 Fat Boy

2011-10-01T18:06:00.003-04:00

This bike I bought used from a dealer, but still didn't know what the previous owner did to it. From what I can see it already had a Screaming Eagle air cleaner on it and a pair of slash out mufflers. The top muffler had a burn mark from a passenger putting their foot on it. So temporarily I put on a set of Screaming Eagle mufflers on because eventually I was going to change the complete exhaust system. Next I pulled off the carburetor to check the jets, then decided to replace it with a rebuilt performance carb. I also installed an oil cooler, it was much easier than the Low Rider. Then I found an exhaust system I liked, they are 2 into 2 staggered with turn outs, look real sharp and sound good, real loud. I never had it Dyno tuned but I can tell the difference, it runs real strong.

Low Rider Performance upgrade #2

2011-10-01T13:26:00.002-04:00

The next performance upgrade I had the dealer do because I wanted it dyno tuned, I couldn't do that in my garage.They had a special during the off season which was a good deal. The upgrade consisted of a Power Commander for the fuel management, a Screaming Eagle air cleaner, and a pair a Vance and Hines straight shot slip on mufflers.They usually call this a Stage 1 upgrade, there are more advanced stages after this depending on what your looking for, but this is a good place to start. I asked the dealer to dyno the bike before the mods but they didn't. My best guess was an eight to ten horsepower gain from stock and the same for the torque. I ended up with 76HP and 90 ft lbs of torque, I am satisfied with the performance and it sounds great.

Low Rider Performance upgrade #1

2011-10-01T12:55:00.003-04:00

In this post I will explain how I made a few performance modifications to my Low Rider. I like to do things myself, because even if it takes me longer than the pros it will come out the way I want it to, plus you to get to save on labor which isn't cheap nowadays. First I installed an oil cooler, this was a project because the mounting bracket from the oil cooler kit used the motor mount bracket bolts.I had to jack up the engine about an inch or so to install the cooler bracket.Then I reinstalled the bolts and torqued them down.The next thing was to install the oil filter adapter, then the oil cooler, and the oil lines with the hose clamps.The job is a little tedious but if you take your time, it's well worth it knowing you will be extending the life of your engine.

Harley's vs Japanese bikes

2011-09-30T00:26:00.008-04:00

It seems like this comparison would go on forever depending on your point of view. First of all, they are two different machines designed for different purposes, it wouldn't be fair to put them in the same class. Harley's are cruising bikes,they will do 120 MPH but not in four seconds. And of course there's the unmistakable rumble from their exhaust pipes.They have the low and mid-range torque that make them fun to drive, you get that instant feeling of power right off the line.That's why with the big v twins horsepower is not as important as torque is, because they make their power at the lower rpm range. Metric bikes make their power at the higher rpm range.There engines are just the opposite as v twins, lower torque and higher horsepower numbers to get that top end performance.So your basically comparing apples and oranges when you really think about it. So when I see a U Tube video of a Harley drag racing a Hyabusa,I have to say, what are they thinking about? Don't get me wrong Harley's can be made to go fast, and maybe even beat the metric bikes,but that's not what there all about.