Tech Tip - EFI

The mighty Harley is slowly losing its carburetor. For those of you who haven't noticed or are stuck back in the 80's, all the current bikes coming out of Milwaukee have fuel injection installed. International environmental concerns have slowly forced the change from carburetor to electronic fuel injection. Harley purists are mourning the loss of the venerable carburetor. The purist's are crying foul and talking about the "good old days" when they would repair their bike on the side of the road.

Let's take a retrospective view of the introduction of new technology to Harley-Davidson motorcycles and what current technology is available and what the future may bring. For the last 20 years, almost every change in technology to Harleys has been met with skepticism. What were some of the improvements and changes? Here are a few items of note.

• The change from Shovelhead to EVO engines.     
• The change from points and condenser to electronic ignition.     
• The change of chain to belt drive.     
• The change from butterfly to CV (constant velocity) carburetor.          
• The change from EVO to Twin Cam engines.     
• The introduction of the V-Rod.        

All of these improvements and changes had the H-D purists of the period complaining about the changes and how the motor company had forgotten its roots and their long time customers. Much of the criticism was harsh and unfounded. No company can remain static and stay in business, so Harley has been forced to move with the times. Government regulation and increased competition from the metric manufacturers forced Harley-Davidson to update their product line. Yet Harley riders thrive on nostalgia. Eventually, the new technology takes hold and becomes the new standard. We have all heard the stories from the Old Rider reminiscing about how many times he fixed his bike on the side the road with his pocketknife and a matchbook. Yes, older Harley's were more prone to breaking than the later generations of bikes. Do we really want to go back to the days when H-D could have easily meant "hardly driveable"? The change in technology introduced by H-D over the years has continually improved the breed. Maybe the "good old days" were not as good as we remember.

There is no reason not to expect EFI improving the reliability and performance of the venerable V-Twin engine. Harley-Davidson has proven their EFI efforts by having motorcycle that is smooth running, reliable and runs the just the same if your riding in Florida or in the mountains of Colorado.    

Tony D. & The Wild Fire Service Team

Tech Tip - Exhaust

No exhaust system is the perfect match for every bike. In fact every exhaust is specifically designed to perform a certain task.  Before performing exhaust changes or modifications to increase performance, it is critical to determine what kind of performance you want.

• Are you looking to gain low-end and mid-range or maximum top-end power?
• Do you have additional engine modifications?
• Do you want aesthetics or performance? 

A poorly chosen exhaust system can yield very disappointing results. However, one that is well-matched to the engine can provide outstanding power gains. An exhaust system will not produce more power on its own. The power of an engine is determined by the fuel and air mixture. However, the combustion is heavily influenced by the exhaust system.

Pipe Design:
A mistake often made is the selection of an exhaust system with pipes that are too large in diameter for their engine's output. Bigger is not necessarily better and is often worse. In addition equal length pipes offer some benefits that are not present with unequal length pipes. longer pipes typically produce more low-to-mid range torque than shorter pipes.

• Longer pipes will increase power below the engine’s torque peak and shorter pipes tend to increase power above the torque peak.
• Large diameter pipes tend to limit low-range power and increase high range power.
• Small diameter pipes tend to increase low-range power and to some degree limit high-range power.
• "Balance" or "equalizer" chambers between the exhaust pipes tend to flatten the torque peak(s) and widen the powerband. 

There are many other contributing factors to choosing the proper exhaust for your motorcycle.  We encourage you to join our next Service Seminar on Wednesday, January 26th at 6pm where we will discuss the differences in exhaust systems and further explain how to choose one that is right for you.

Tony D. & The Wild Fire Service Team

Tech Tip - Air Flow

Do you want more power from your Harley-Davidson engine?

Increased air velocity is one of the primary keys to excellent street performance. The difference between a set of heads with over-sized ports and in-take valves versus raised port heads with stock valves may not always show up as a difference in maximum horsepower (all other components being the same).

Both engines may produce the same maximum HP, but the raised, D-shaped port heads will produce much more torque resulting in the maximum horsepower output to occur at a lower RPM. The lower RPM range of the engine makes it more potent on the street - grab a handful of throttle and the bike will pull like a freight train, no more waiting for the engine to "come on the cam"... You’ll be guaranteed to beat your friends on the stop light Grand Prix circuit.

The key to a cylinder head design producing high horsepower is in creating high velocity air flow through the ports. This is easier to do with smaller ports rather than large ones. High velocity does a couple of things that are very positive to making power.

    1.The higher the air flow speed, the better the air/fuel mixture is atomized as it passes through the carburetor/induction module. This improves the combustion process.
    2.The higher velocity improves the combustion chamber 'swirl'. The 'swirl' distributes the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, improving the combustion process.
    3.The higher the velocity, the greater the inertia of the air flow. This helps fill the cylinder to its maximum, improving the 'volumetric efficiency'. High velocity engine port designs can achieve volumetric efficiencies of almost 100% in certain RPM ranges, meaning you just put 5 1/4 pounds in a 5 pound sack. This is very good for producing high horsepower.
    4.Smaller ports work better at low RPMs. If you are riding a street bike, most of you time is spent below 3000 RPM. Why have a port designed for 6500 RPMs?

Harley-Davidson has designed and produced many different styles of heads for all of your racing, playing or touring needs. So when building an engine talk to one of our experts to pick the right combination for you.

Tony D. & the Service team at Wild Fire H-D

Tech Tip - Choosing a Cam

Upgrading your Harley with a new cam is often referred to as a Stage 2 upgrade and is a step in the right direction to achieving greater performance.

There are a few basic questions you should ask yourself when selecting a camshaft for your Twin Cam engine.

1, What's the primary use of the motorcycle? Touring, Racing, etc...

2, What type of rider are you & what type of riding do you do? Relaxed,Agressive, Urban or Back Roads...

3, Have you made any other engine modifications?

When building your engine it is important to understand that Camshafts, Cylinder Heads, & Stroke Length all determine where your maximum torque horsepower peaks will occur.

While hot cams and an open exhaust will move your peaks higher up in the RPM band, more conservative cams will produce more torque at a lower RPM.

Selecting a Camshaft by the numbers (intake closing degrees):

• < 30% = a low range torque cam (this cam will generate more pull off the line)
• 30% - 50% = A mid range torque cam (this cam will deliver a constant pull in regular riding conditions)
• > 50% = a high-speed power cam (this cam will pull hard when approaching maximum speeds)

Choosing the right cam for you bike isn't really as simple as analyzing the numbers. The Chrome Consultants here at Wild Fire are experts at building an engine to exceed your expectations and offer the ultimate riding experience.

Tony D. & the Service Department at Wild Fire H-D

Tech Tip - Torque or Horsepower?

The bigger the cubic inches the more power your engine is going to have. For example a 103 cubic inch engine will create more power than a 96 cubic inch motor. Thus giving you more throttle to accelerate from the stop light or pass that annoying car on the highway. An engine is just like an air pump, the bigger the displacement the more pumping power. A V-Twin will also run smoother and experience better fuel economy once the airflow is opened up from a basic stage-1 kit (Exhaust, Air-Cleaner and Race-Tuner).

Frequently we’ll hear riders talk about how much horsepower their motorcycle makes. These claims are sometimes unbelievable. We’ll also hear some riders state that they prefer more torque over horsepower.  Harley-Davidson performance means different things to different riders. To some, it's just about getting a little extra power and better sound from their Harley. Others want to produce 100hp or more.

Most Harley riders will feel the greatest benefits with torque gains in the low to mid rpm range. There are many ways to achieve this from Stage-1 Kits to Minor Engine Upgrades. When you talk about Harley-Davidson performance, do you mean torque, horsepower or both?
•    Torque is pulling power. It's this power that gets you moving and pushes you back in the saddle.
•    Horsepower is the higher-end spinning power that keeps you moving and generates top-end speed.

If you look at the difference between a Harley-Davidson V-Rod and a regular Harley Twin Cam 96, you'll see that the V-Rod engine puts out a considerably more horsepower than the Twin Cam, but less low end torque. For most Harley-Davidson riders, it makes little sense to try to increase engine performance in the 4,000 to 6,000 rpm range, when most of your riding occurs between 2,000 to 4,000 rpms, especially when doing may negatively affect your torque output.

You can get good low to mid-range performance out of your Harley-Davidson engine without a ton of modifications. If you're looking for better performance, the first question you need to ask is; “Torque or Horsepower?”



Give us a call at 630.834.6571 we know how to build an engine & can ensure that you get the most out of your Harley!

Tony D. & the Wild Fire Service Team

Tech Tip - Stereo Updates

Harman Kardon radios (the units that come stock with select Harley-Davidson Touring models) have the capability to be updated which can cure minor problems like skipping, display issues, etc.

Installing these updates is quick and easy; Simply visit Harley-Davidson.com
1, Go to the Parts section of the website
2, run a search for “Advanced Audio AM/FM/CD Radio Kit by Harman/Kardon®”
Click on the link to download updates. Once you download and burn the update to a disk you can download it to the radio.

To install the update on motorcycle:
1, Make sure there is no CD in player.
2, Make sure run/stop button is in run position.
3, Hold any 2 soft keys on the stereo at the same time while turning on the ignition making sure not to release the soft keys until you see a diagnostic screen appear. You will see 1 of the options will say update. Push that button and it will prompt you to install the disk.
4, Once you install the disk it will take over and run through the process on its own.  Once the process is complete it will return to a regular display and you are all done.
5, Just eject disk and shut off ignition. This works on all Harman Kardon stereos from 2006 to present.

Of course, you can always stop in and we will gladly install the update for you.

Enjoy the tunes and love the ride…

Tony D. & the Service Team at Wild Fire H-D

Tech Tip - Winter Condensation

As riders we understand the agony of not being able to ride your bike during the long winter we have to endure here in Chicago. Sometimes simply starting your bike is enough to keep the cravings for a ride at bay. But, Over the winter months it is very important not to Start and shut your bike off without allowing it to get to full operating temperature.

With an air cooled engine the only way to properly get your bike to operating temperature is to ride it. By riding the bike it allows all parts of the engine and Transmission to warm up evenly. Starting and shutting the bike off with out getting to full operating temperature will create moisture in the oil and could potentially cause permanent engine damage. The buildup of condensation is much more common than you might think.

Every time your engine is started moisture is created, even weather changes from warm moist weather to cold weather and frequent high dew points can create moisture to form in you engine. By riding the bike long enough that moisture is burned off thanks to the heat of the engine. However, if a bike is started and not ridden far enough to reach operating temperature that condensation will remain in the engine.

So be smart this winter and let your baby sleep. Well maybe if there is a beautiful day and you just have to ride then ride it. But, be sure to ride long enough to bring your bike to full operating temperature.

I got to go now. I have a lot of winter storage bikes to take care of.
One of them could be yours!

Tony D.& the Wild Fire Service Team