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Cruiser
Posts: 117
Spring Hill, Tennessee | My question is this:
"has anyone else changed out the air filters on there bikes and left the stock exhaust in place"?
The dealer where I bought my bike told me that it is common for then Visions to run rich straight out of the box. They said within the first 2 break-in services, it is common to require a plug change because of the richness of the engine.
Anyone else experience this? Can anyone tell me if this is true?
I was considering installing the higher flow air filters while leaving the stock exhaust in place. This might tend to "lean" out the engine, but if they are "rich" to begin with, this might be helpful?
I am looking for input here?
Thanks |
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Tourer
Posts: 354
20 miles west of Chicago. | I think most of that rich mixture is during the first few minutes after startup, when the brainbox automatically richens the mixture until the engine warms up. If the engine is started and run for only a few minutes then shut off, the plugs will be coated with black soot that will burn off the electrodes after running a while, but seems to leave soot on the bottom area of the plug around the electrode. The soot is really pronounced if the motor isn't run long enough to warm up completely. I think this happens a lot at dealerships where bikes are started up to demo the sound for shoppers, then shut down a minute or two later, repeatedly. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| You could change the filter out without changing the exhaust but I don't know why you'd want to. Remember you'll only take more in if you have a place/way to get rid of it. Same is true for exhaust. You can open it up but if you don't increase airflow all you are doing is reducing scavange.
I have over 22k on the odo and I'm still running stock plugs, never been pulled or changed. So here are my thoughts; There can't be too much difference between bikes stock, so if the bike itself isn't causing the fouled plugs it must be something the rider is doing. Couple things come to mind.
1. Throttle blipping on a fuel injected bike is bad. I see folks doing this all the time and it is a silly habit. The premis behind the practice stems from the old carb bikes that would load up when at idle. Thats not an issue for FI bikes. So all you do is load of the system and waste fuel.
2. Prolonged idle. I let mike bike warm until the juggs are warm to the touch and I don't horse/load up throttle on it until it has a good 10 minutes of riding behind it.
I'm not the foremost expert on bikes, far from it, BUT I have been riding and working on them for gone 40 years. Each is unique as to what it will allow or not. So 10 people might blip the throttle and be fine, another will foul in a second. Some bikes like a particular brand of plug and will foul everything else. So I guess what I'm saying is do with your bike as you will BUT you might consider your habits before changing what is perceived as a bike issue. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 619
Southeast Iowa | I've never heard of the newer Vic's running rich out of the box. I agree with Mudge and have experienced this myself. Vic's do not like being started and shut off without being warmed up. Once the motor is warmed up it becomes a non issue.
I also agree with Teach. More air with no place to go will likely result in nothing. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| Big Vic, my Vision actually runs a tad rich. It isn't flood you out rich but enough that my exhaust tips are black and sooty shortly after being cleaned. I had the dealer richen it a tad after I first picked it up as it was running way lean on start up. They can richen it up using the Victory programs with a work authorization code. I actually had to give my bike throttle to get it to start when it was new. Runs great now, but still a little hard to start (long crank) without a wee bit of throttle. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 117
Spring Hill, Tennessee | Thanks for the input. Thank you to everyone!
Having been upgrading Harley's for years now, it was a promise to myself I made to leave my new Victory as stock as possible. I bought the Vision to ride, not to spend money on.
After reading these forum post, learning about the work done at Loydz's, finding out about the fast knowledge of KevinX (just got my first Victory magazine and saw his picture), and seeing all the really great ideas you riders have come up with, it makes it really hard to keep my hands of the bike! I am going to stay true to my promise though..........at least for a little while! 
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Cruiser
Posts: 125
Kerrville Texas ( now a homeowner on six acres) | teach,and or anyone with experience,
when you mention "blip" the throtle do mean as in downshifting coming up to stop signs and such??? is down shifting as you approch stop lights not a good idea??
Smadge |
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New user
Posts: 3
| I think he is talking about "blips" while idling at a stop or during warm up (or sometimes just to hear the pipes bark.)
Downshifting is still a good idea and throttle management to match engine speed with the chosen gear is also.
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| Blipping the throttle is when you are (usually) stopped and you give it a quick rev of the throttle a couple times. Think vroom vroom while stopped, lol.....
I think I know what you are talking about when downshifting? You are talking about when you pull in the clutch to down shift giving the throttle a quick twist? You should downshift as approaching a stop light and throttle match, but there is no need to blip the throttle. The idea is to match revs with speed for the lower gear. Again the blip with the clutch in is an old carb bike leftover. It kept the motor from stalling with no load applied. This isn't necessary on a FI bike. Think of FI as a squirt gun. When you give the bike throttle the injectors "squirt" fuel in, where as a carb allowed gravity to feed it. The FI is far more efficient and as a result of blipping the throttle you shoot in a bunch of fuel not required. Sounds cool to some but isn't very efficient. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 619
Southeast Iowa | Teach
If I understand your post correctly you actually are agreeing with me by saying your bike was lean out of the box until you had your dealer adjust it. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| Big Vic, sorry I didn't explain myself very well. My start settings were running lean, still are, hence the need for throttle on start. They fattened up the start curcuit but it really didn't do much. I don't know why, but it doesn't cause any real issues so I have not pressing it further. Normal running the motor has always run a little rich and soots up the end caps quickly.
So if you mean the start curcuit is a tad lean, yes we agree, but my motor could actually be leaned out a little if I wanted to screw with it. I figure a little rich is better than a little lean.
Again sorry for my confusing post. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 619
Southeast Iowa | No problem Teach! Leave it rich and give it more air. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 23
Fort Worth | My '08 Vision with stage 1, level 2 pipes, air cleaner and factory re-map runs a little bit rich, which I don't really like, but I'm resisting the temptation to lean it out because "rich" runs cooler than "lean". The last thing I need is more engine heat to deal with! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 244
| TXVision - 2009-10-03 9:49 AM
My '08 Vision with stage 1, level 2 pipes, air cleaner and factory re-map runs a little bit rich, which I don't really like, but I'm resisting the temptation to lean it out because "rich" runs cooler than "lean". The last thing I need is more engine heat to deal with!
Mine is running lean on the hwy. How do you get a factory re-map done? My rear jug really runs hot & lean! |
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Running "rich" out of the box?
