Printable View
I’d be interested in thoughts on the topic. I picked up my first Harley and it is a Freewheeler 2017. I’ve heard a lot of talk about the stages and just learning about them. I did exhaust, air cleaner and jetting in my last ride which was a 1999 Kawasaki Vulcan Classic. It did run a lot better and stronger, but the 107 on thisbtrike seems like a pretty good puller as is.
Looking for advice please.
The M8 motor reacts very well to HD's stage upgrades and its not that expensive to wake up the motor like it was on the twin cam
[QUOTE=ZooMan55;709085]I’d be interested in thoughts on the topic. I picked up my first Harley and it is a Freewheeler 2017. I’ve heard a lot of talk about the stages and just learning about them. I did exhaust, air cleaner and jetting in my last ride which was a 1999 Kawasaki Vulcan Classic. It did run a lot better and stronger, but the 107 on thisbtrike seems like a pretty good puller as is.
Looking for advice please.[/QUOTE]
I have a 2017 FW also & I can tell you what I did in regards to the motor & performance.
The 1st. thing I did was install an external breather system & installed a K&N air filter element in the stock box. The performance boost was noticable. If I had it to do over, I would have gotten an air cleaner from DK Custom Products. I like the stock exhaust, so I left it alone. The other performance upgrade I did was replacing the stock plug wires with Thundervolt 50 wires from DK Customs. They are amazing & really wake up the M8. For heat management, I installed a 1.5" deluxe tank lift & air wing deflectors, both from DK Customs. They together helped cool the M8 & helped with wind buffeting on my FW with a 20" HD windshield. While my tank was off for the plug wire install, I replaced the OEM plugs, but they looked good (2 years use).
The beauty of these upgrades is that they can all be had for well under $500.
Good luck with your ride. I love mine & it's fun to make it your own
Michael already stated, Get a breather set up to keep the oily oxygen depleted air out of your throttle
See this thread and links from D K Customs
[URL="https://www.triketalk.com/forum/threads/47844-***DK-Custom-DIY-Head-Breather-System-Touring-Softail-Dyna-Sportster***"]https://www.triketalk.com/forum/threads/47844-***DK-Custom-DIY-Head-Breather-System-Touring-Softail-Dyna-Sportster***
Not to worry as your M8 engine does NOT run lean from the factory
You can easily get away with a complete air cleaner with EBS system with out risk of damage to your engine
I would suggest giving D K a call and discuss the options with them
They are GREAT folks to deal with (662) 252-8828
[/URL]
Stage 1 ( which I did) will get you maybe 5hp more. Better sound with street canons and more intake air flow( I guess) nothing dramatic. Added the retarded Screaming chicken street tuner for warranty
purposes. Like has been said the best thing for the money is a breather modification. To really see a performance difference you'll need a cam - Stage 2. But to what end? What's the posted speed limit out there, not fast enough to die?
I guess that’s why I am hesitating. I don’t need the speed, as I just putt around anyway. I do like the exhaust note of the V&H Straightshots I put on my Vulcan and the Kuryakyn ram air helped throttle response. But on that carbureted beast I just changed some jets and was all set. With this new one and all the computer stuff, kind of hesitant to do anything to mess up a smooth ride.
Thanks
[QUOTE=Old Road Dog;709186]Stage 1 ( which I did) will get you maybe 5hp more. Better sound with street canons and more intake air flow( I guess) nothing dramatic. Added the retarded Screaming chicken street tuner for warranty
purposes. Like has been said the best thing for the money is a breather modification. To really see a performance difference you'll need a cam - Stage 2. But to what end? What's the posted speed limit out there, not fast enough to die?[/QUOTE]
I did stage 1 to my 2016 FW
Runs cooler, smoother and more power
I’d do it again over and over
Did you have to have it returned after these mods?
[QUOTE=MDO;709143]I have a 2017 FW also & I can tell you what I did in regards to the motor & performance.
The 1st. thing I did was install an external breather system & installed a K&N air filter element in the stock box. The performance boost was noticable. If I had it to do over, I would have gotten an air cleaner from DK Custom Products. I like the stock exhaust, so I left it alone. The other performance upgrade I did was replacing the stock plug wires with Thundervolt 50 wires from DK Customs. They are amazing & really wake up the M8. For heat management, I installed a 1.5" deluxe tank lift & air wing deflectors, both from DK Customs. They together helped cool the M8 & helped with wind buffeting on my FW with a 20" HD windshield. While my tank was off for the plug wire install, I replaced the OEM plugs, but they looked good (2 years use).
The beauty of these upgrades is that they can all be had for well under $500.
Good luck with your ride. I love mine & it's fun to make it your own[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=ZooMan55;709379]Did you have to have it returned after these mods?[/QUOTE]
No re-tuning in my case.. The new M8 motor does not run lean from the factory & all the mods I listed gave the motor an immediate and noticeable performance boost with improved cooling.:cool: