Exhaust sound from maps PClll

[Kaiser81]

Does anyone know if changing the maps on your PClll changes the sound of your exhaust? Is so, can it be a drastic change?

[andyvh1959]

Nope, not if you're expecting something of a better exhaust note. Now, if you adjust it too lean the exhaust will pop a lot more on decel. Adjust it too rich and it may gurgle/sputter a bit on light to medium throttle. If your bike is popping a lot on decel then adjust the PCII to be a bit more rich on the idle or closed throttle setting. That's about all.

[Kaiser81]

Thanks. I'll give it a shot. My 1500 sands like a higher popopopopop than a normal lope. Kinda lost.

[DragonLady58]

What Andy1959 said! I just took out my fire breathing big bore 1500, rebuilt a fairly stock 1600 threw her in....running a tuner, coasters installed, cams, all excess vacuum lines removed, V&H true dual head pipes (flat black) with long fishtail extensions....nice, deep exhaust tone, can pick my bike outta a group of H-D's idling....
Yea, I know guys, she's loud....but with folks never learning to NOT texting while driving....I call it a safety feature.
Well, besides having pulsing lights and air horn....

[andyvh1959]

Also, if you are asking because you want a bit more Harley like sound from your 1500/1600, you can only get so close. Comes down to engine architecture. Harley engines are 45 degree V-twins and the Kawwy 1500/1600 are 50 degree V-twins, the 1700 is a 52 degree V-twin. Sure only five to seven degree further spread between the cylinders, but enough to change when the offbeat power pulses occur, and for that the 45 degree cylinder spread and shared crankpin design creates the unique Harley cadence. That's why DL can pick out her Vulcan idling in a pack of Harleys.

https://www.cyclefish.com/blogs/72/1311

https://adventurebiketroop.com/harleys-sound/

In the realm of V-twin engines that share one journal on the crankshaft, the cylinder spread affects the firing order, the pulses we love, hear and feel. Harley V-twins have the cylinder's closest together at 45 degrees which produce the firing pulses at 405 degrees and 315 degrees for every two full rotations of the crankshaft. But that tight 45 degree cylinder spread makes it tough to package the carb/fuel injection/air intake. So typically Harleys have used one carb or intake for both cylinders. Kawasaki went with a 50 degree spread to create a bit more room for two carbs, or two throttle bodies, and more room for the intake to produce better power. That 50 degree V-twin spread has firing pulses at 410 degrees and 310 degrees. Not much different than a Harley, but different enough that our ears can discern it, and different enough that no Vulcan will sound exactly like a Harley no matter the exhaust setup or intake setup. The Harley has that "potato potato potato" cadence we all love. The Vulcans sound is more like "poTAHto poTAHto poTAHto" cadence. Close, but not the same, never will be.

I bet if Kawwy made a 1600 with offset crank journals to alter the power pulses close to a Harley, even the 50 degree V-twin would sound very much like a Harley. But that's a lot of design work and $$$$ just to alter the engine sound. I've heard people say the beat of the Vulcan V-twins is closer to that of a small block Chevy. Harley HAS done that with the new Revolution V-twin in the Pan American and other models:

https://www.cycleworld.com/story/bik...50-first-look/

The cylinders are spread like a typical Harley, but the journals at the crankshaft are offset 30 degrees. This produces a firing balance much more "metric" sounding than any traditional Harley. Funny too, much more like the Japanese Harley copycats from the past 30+ years.