PowerComander IIIrUSB vs ??

[k7fle]

Hi Mike,

I am new to the world of HD, and I'm trying to learn as much as possible. I've not purchased a bike yet, but it will be a touring model; FHLTI, FHLTCI or FLTRI most likely. I've test ridden a carbed '04 FHLTC with an air kit, true duals and rejetted and a totally stock '06 FLTRI. The FLHTC had good acceleration but too darn loud pipes. I'm mid 40's and have ridden many 1K + mile days, and loud pipes are not my bag baby. :) The '06 FLTRI seemed lackluster in comparison, and I think was running very lean, as it popped a couple times as I rolled on the throttle.

I'm looking for more torque mostly so I can accelerate quicker. I'll be doing mostly solo touring, but occasionally will have my spousal unit along. I weigh around 188 and she is less than me. My 'goal' would be 90 ftlbs from 2K to 4K RPM; I don't know if that is realistic though.

So far my plans are two-fold. One is to lighten the bike (and/or not add unneccesary weight). I will remove the passing lights/bar/turn signals and add FLHX style turn signals, etc. I'd like to run a 2-into-one pipe, removing the left-side pipe. Second would be to increase the power output of the TC88 motor. I'll probably take that in steps, starting with the SE Stage 1 air kit. Eventually, I'd like to get to 95" stage 2 equivilent (not neccesarily SE though). My question is: when installing the SE Stage 1 air kit, should I pay for a re-map or will a PCIII do the same thing? I know the PCIII is more expensive, but if it's going to work better in the long run, I'd rather just do it up front. I understand that with the new PCIII the remap is not required, and you can even get the incresed rev-limiter.

Question #2 is the exhaust. How restrictive is the stock headpipe? Could I weld up the 'crossover' and use the stock headpipe with one muffler (stock, SE or aftermarket - I'm looking at the S&S slip on's). Alternatly, could you recomend a 2:1 pipe that will not wake the neighbors when I pull in at 3AM from a long road trip?

Thanks in advance, Ken

[Mike]

Lets tackle the PCIIIR first. Yes, it does not require a recal of the main ECU though we recommend doing so just in case we have an issue with the PC. Your are the perfect example of when we would NOT recommend a recal because you have future plans. As the bike progress's toward your goal, you would be faced with buying a new cal with each change. Not very reasonable! I would recommend doing so once you've reached the final goal, for the above reason but then you'll only have to do it once. Let's let the PC do the work until then. Of course Race tuner is also an option with more features than the PC but like the PC you'll have to use "canned" maps until you've reached the final configuration and you'll have less of them to choose from vs. the PC. The PC now has front and rear cylinder map tables making it much more capable than past versions.
The good news with quit pipes is that they actually enhance the 2-4K torque (but with a lower overall peak number), especially with stock or very narrow cams (which also enhance torque in the same area). So you're in a win-win situation, for your goal!!! The stock head pipe is somewhat restrictive but may not be a real issue with your goal. The S&S slip-ons work OK on stock cammed motors but developes a mid range torque dip as cam timing goes up. The best we've tested so far have been the Vance and Hines Round slip-ons, but these may still be a bit loud for your neighbors. I would not consider blocking off the left side on stock pipes due to heat buildup but it can boost low-mid range torque, again (we have done this on occasion to reduce decel pop). If done with a modifcation to the "Y" pipe (easy) it can work very well and heat build up will be less. The SE pipes suffer from a torque dip right where you do not want it. I'll have to do some homework on which 2-1 to recommend but I'm a big fan of these and I'll have to get back to you on this.
In summary, I think your goal of 90 is achievable with a 95 inch motor. Review our dyno library of "95 ci other combo's" , "211" and "251" folders and you may see some that accomplish these numbers.
Welcome to our site and thank you for using it, Mike