V&H baggers conversion

[nomadwest]

Want to install the Vance & Hines Bagger exhaust. Also with a power commander lll and K & N filter. Is this a good combination? What is the best combo with your experience? Also do you leave the right side air injector solinoids intact or disable them? Dave

I gotta ask first, since "what is better" is what is better for you, what are you wanting to achieve?
If you want more power, above all else, and don't mind more noise, do the Baggers, PC-III, and the Big Air Kit, Thunder kit, or similar. You can get nearly the same power by substituting the Caddmann kit or Coyote kit, or even the "half Caddmann" for the expensive air kit, and save a couple hundred $$$ without sacrificing more than about one HP. Doing the Caddmann allows you to put the bike back stock quiclky if you need warranty repairs or a "fixit" ticket requires you to restore the stock stuff. The Big Air Kit and similar don't allow that.

Just doing the left side K&N won't net you much increase at all, even with the Baggers and PC-III: for power you need an air kit. If you just want more sound, don't want to spend a lot, and don't care much about the power, just do the Baggers and the TPS mod.

[Scoot]

My parts guy at the Kaw shop told me if your just changing pipes you don't need PCIII or a TCI, He said only if you change the air intake to a thunder kit or BAK and changed pipes then you need one of them. I ran mine that way for a few months until I had saved up to get my thunder kit, I bought a TCI with the Odyssey Thunder kit

Remember that "need" is a relative term. What you need from the bike determines what you need to do to it.

Lots of folks just change pipes and nothing else. The engines typically don't burn up, but in general the bikes run a little worse than stock. They just sound better.

[ringadingh]

Originally Posted by nomadwest (Dave)

Want to install the Vance & Hines Bagger exhaust. Also with a power commander lll and K & N filter. Is this a good combination? What is the best combo with your experience? Also do you leave the right side air injector solinoids intact or disable them? Dave
http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/up...west_RJRKQ.jpg[/img]

That is the exact setup that I have on my bike, with the solenoids removed. Its run quite well since Ive had the bike.

[nomadwest]

Thanks for the input but I am unaware of what the difference is between a K & N filter and an air kit. Obviously the air kit is more than just a high flow filter. And what is a caddman kit? And also you make it sound like an air kit will make the pipes louder than just a filter. I just assumed I would get better perfomance with the K&N filter. I am new to the FI system after having a carbed bike for many years.

[bobzinger]

Sounds like a good combo to me. I love the sound of the VB&H Baggers. I'd go with the Power Commander (PC III)over a TFI. The PC III has 100+ points of fuel adjustment over the 4 on the TFI.
As to needing a PC III or TFI...without one my bike would really ping bad.

My 2 cents.

OK, there's a K&N filter you can just drop in the stock bike, but it won't do much if anything for performance. To get any more real power you need to modify the intake system somehow. You can spend $200~$400 for an aftermarket intake/filter setup or you can do a much cheaper conversion by making a backing plate yourself,

Woody Mod

or you can do a really simple & cheap conversion that you can return to stock in a few minutes if necessary.

Caddmann Kit

You can buy a TFI or PC-III, or you can try a simple and cheap alternative that works OK for many folks:

Ping Fix

You might also want to do this:

Coasters

And this:

TPS fix

[nomadwest]

Thanks Caddman for all the links and info. I feel a little more intelligent about all the different mods to the EFI. By the way, what exhaust system and mods do you have on your Nad? Dave

Caddmann Kit (of course) w/ oiled cloth elements
V&H Baggers (re-packed w/ fiberglass tape)
Techlusion TFI
Sherm's Coasters
ICS removed & plugged
Cold idle spacer mod.
Chrome front brake covers
Chrome steel side covers
Chrome rear floorboard mounts
Chrome F&S luggage rack & backrest
Chrome rear grab rails
Vibracushion highway pegs with Biker's Choice Chromed billet peg mounts
A few other chrome doo-dads & bolts & acorn nuts.
Custom swingarm spacers

Gee, I don't think I ever tried to list all this stuff before.