15" Street Glide upgrades part 1

I’ll be covering my reviews and some installation notes for the following items recently installed on my 2015 Harley-Davidson Street Glide:

10” Paul Yaffe Monkey Bars (black)
Harley Airflow heated grips
Performance Machine Arrow XL mirrors
Mustang Low-down 2 up seat
Custom Dynamics LED Amber/White Dynamic Ringz, 1157 rear inserts and RSG Strobe module
Kuryakyn chrome billet lens cover (smoke)
Fuel Moto H9/H11 LED headlight replacement
Saddlebag mount upgrade
Autotune addition to the Power Commander V
Redline Synthetic Oil
TechGripper by TechMount

10” Paul Yaffe Monkey Bars (black)

I picked these based on reviews from many riders that stated apes or mini apes helped with their back and had better pullback.  I always felt hunched over and uncomfortable with my stock bars.  I really liked the Yaffe signature look with the ‘Z’ bend, and after reading up on the Yaffe Bagger Nation website, I went with them.  I decided to go with black to better match the fairing and keep the chrome attention on the engine; it worked as planned.


While installing the bars I also replaced the riser bushings with Arlen Ness polyurethane bushings.  It’s recommended to upgrade the riser bushings whenever going with taller bars as the stock bushings tend to give out.  After removing the stock bushings I can see why it’s good practice, there’s not much of a stock bushing at all.  The polyurethane bushings are rock solid compared to stock, some riders mention too much road vibration but I think they are perfect.  They add a real solid feel and improve the overall handling of the bike.

The installation was challenging.  Granted, I think it was more difficult since I internally ran the wiring for the controls and my heated grips; wow did it take some work. Getting through the ‘Z’ bend was the hardest part, but with some determination and baby powder I got everything pulled through.  In the end running all the wires internally was worth it, leaving a clean look of my controls floating and ready to ride.

As far as handling goes, I feel so much more in control of my bike now, even two up, but I didn’t gain as much pullback as I had hoped.  The Yaffe bars are wider and don’t roll into you like the stock bars do.  To have good access to the controls and be comfortable I had to really angle the bars back. With the initial bend of the bars on Street Glides, I ran into the issue of the bars turning into my tank dash when locked left or right.  I ended up using a piece of thick cardboard as a spacer to adjust the bars with as much pullback as possible while still clearing my tank.  In the end it all worked out and I like them far better than my stock bars.

In hindsight I may have wanted to go with 12” bars.  I know 14’s would be too high since I’ve ridden a bike with them and didn’t like them.  I think comfort wise 12” may be perfect, but I’d have to ride someone’s bike with them to be sure.  The issue with 12” bars is anything over 10”, you have had to extend the clutch and brake cables.  With that extra cost and 12” bars putting my hands above the fairing almost eliminating the point of having a fairing on those colder rides, I’m happy with what I have. Again with most of my bike, I like a good balance of looks, comfort and functionality.

All in all these bars are awesome.  They look mean as hell and give way to an increased control of my bike with an ultra-clean look. 

Harley Airflow Heated Grips

After riding with these I’m asking “why have I not had these in my life?”  I was told once you get heated grips you’ll never go back.  I can never see myself not having them now.  Even riding at 45° I felt just fine with a thin pair of Mechanix gloves.  On a cooler evening ride, just the lowest setting provided just the right level of heat.  

I went with the Airflow based on a recommendation from a service guy at Harley; imagine that.  There are a lot of heated grips out there but in this instance Harley has the best thing out there.  I was going to get some plain black grips to match the black bars but he pointed out “if you’re going to spend the money, why not get some nice grips?”  He was right, I went with the chrome Airflow which match the grips on the CVO’s.  They feel really good and look amazing.

Installation.  These are the most confusing instructions I’ve ever seen…. ever.  I think because they are universal and have so many different ways to install based on which bike you have.  The actual wiring was easy once I figured it out.  The grips went on really easy I just ran into issues with running the wiring internally in the bars which they are not meant to do.  I had to notch the left grip to allow the cable to route inside the switch housing and into the bar, not fun but it worked like I wanted.  The diagram showed the switched power only energizes a relay so I pulled it from my Deutsch connector.  Based on my current draw tests it only pulled 3mA.  I pulled constant power from a harness I installed for my switches.  Harley states a harness is needed for the install but you could easily just tap the battery, pull switched power and be done.  

Performance Machine Arrow XL mirrors

With raising my bars I would no longer be able to use my stock mirrors.  After many hours looking, I found the Performance Machine Arrow mirrors installed on a Street Glide giving way to a clean cool look.  I had read some riders mentioning these were not good functional mirrors, they were for more of a bar hopper bike.  Other riders stated they were fine if adjusted correctly to see behind and they just checked over their shoulder for lane changes.  Being that I already had a blind spot with my stock mirrors at about 45° behind me and already checked over my shoulder to take lanes, I pulled the trigger on them.

Installation.  Some had mentioned mounting issues and that a star washer was needed while installing.  I picked up two round reverse star washers to keep a clean look then painted the washers and the mirror mounting bolts black to match the controls and bars. With the star washer, thread lock and a good snug turn on the mounting bolt they went on with no problems.  With minor adjustment, I dialed in position while riding and I’m really happy with them.

Mustang Low-down 2 up seat

 I did a lot of back and forth on the decision with this.  I looked at Saddlemen and some other brands but ultimately went with a well-known name in seats and that’s Mustang.  I originally wanted to go with their Sport Touring seat which was a little narrower on the passenger seat to keep a slim look in the back. But after talking with Sally at Mustang she convinced me the “Lowdown” was the way to go since the sport seat would raise me slightly in the saddle.  Being short and just barely flat footing at stop lights I surely didn’t want to sit up any higher.

The two up seat is 14” wide in the back. I tried to look at pictures to see how this would look but couldn’t really find anything that I was needing to see.  I thought about doing a solo seat with a narrower passenger seat but if I wanted a driver’s backrest I’d have to decide during the purchase.   The solo seat has to come with the backrest initially and it's more expensive getting two separate seats.  That, with the fact that I could add a backrest down the road, I decided to get the one piece and be done with it.  

Installation was of course super easy.  I ran into the issue that my stock seat had left wear marks on my side cover and tank. With the lowdown being narrower in the front it exposed these areas.  After some forum discussion with some auto body / detailing riders, I ended up rubbing it out with a cloth and polishing compound.  With a Mothers Powerball and a drill I was able to get most of the marks cleaned up.  I did still have some deep cuts in the clear coat but I got out what I could without having to get into anything more serious.

In the end, the seat is bulkier in the back than I’d like but perfect for comfort.  I primarily ride two up and what makes Momma happy, makes Daddy happy.  I love the fit of the saddle and there is noticeably more support for my lower back.   Also, I haven’t almost slid off the back during hard acceleration which is a real plus with how I ride.

Custom Dynamics lighting

LED’s are the best thing since frozen pizza; less current draw and way brighter.  I spoke with Amanda at Custom Dynamics who gave me the part numbers for what I was wanting to do. I went with the Dynamic Ringz in the front which are a white outer ring of LED’s and an inside cluster of amber. I chose them because they provide white driving lights and then become turn signals if they’re activated. I was wanting more light up front without the big bulky look of auxiliary lights and these did the job.  I try to keep things clean but yet very functional. The Dynamic Ringz provide the additional light and visibility without taking away from the clean classic look of a Street Glide.

I had looked at the Custom Dynamics Chrome Ringz which are an entire housing that function the same as their Dynamic Ringz.  The Dynamic Ringz were only an insert but had 24 white LED’s vs only seven on the Chrome Ringz (whole housing).  I wanted the best of both.  I used my stock housing with the insert while replacing the amber lens cover with the Kuryakyn chrome billet covers with smoked lenses; worked out perfect.

Installation.  The instructions mention having to sometimes trim the black rubber gasket in the stock light housing.  I found my front inserts to be very tight but they fit.  The rear inserts, however, required me to pull the inner fixture to trim the gasket ever so slightly, probably only about 1/32”, which allowed them to fit snuggly in place.  The strobe module has seven different strobe settings with the option to strobe tail, fender or both.  To keep things accessible I mounted the strobe control box behind the side cover next to the fuse box allowing easy access should I want to change anything down the road.  

Strobe issues.  I ran into some problems with the RSG Strobe module after installation.  I was getting a rapid flash on the cluster for my turn signals which, in general, is an indication of a bad bulb.  This is sometimes an issue with the low resistance of LED’s, often the BCM thinks the bulb is out.  With a bad bulb the BCM just turns off that output, I ran into the issue of my right rear tail light turning off.  I tried doing the load balance BCM reset but the bike still just kept kicking that right rear tail light off.  After contacting Custom Dynamics tech support and pulling codes it was determined I needed a CANBUS adapter which is really just an inline resistor to increase the load for the BCM.  They sent me the CANBUS adapter at no charge.

I installed the CANBUS adapter but I still had the rapid flash and my tail light dropping out.  With another call to tech support I sent my Strobe module back to Custom Dynamics for a bench test.  They ending up sending me a replacement module which after installation worked perfectly.  The whole process was a bit frustrating but Custom Dynamics tech support and customer service made sure the problem was solved; excellent product support.  I’m pleased with the LED inserts and the strobe adds the attention to the bike I was wanting while stopping.  

Fuel Moto H9/H11 LED headlight replacement
I looked at many LED headlight options.  If you’ve ridden at night with the stock halogen you know it’s dangerous to ride on low beam because you just can’t see.  To compensate, many to include myself, end up running high beam all the time which in turn blinds oncoming drivers and is equally as dangerous.  I looked at the phase 7, truck lite, etc. reading and more reading.  With the price tag on them varying between $250 and $300, I was looking at other options.  Fuel Moto had there LED replacement bulbs for $129 which I picked up on sale for $99. These bulbs install into your stock housing with LED light at 6000K.  I had done LED bulbs on my car which worked great, this was a cost saving option achieving what I wanted to do.

The installation was very easy.  I pulled the stock bulbs out, followed the instructions on which is low beam and which is high.  I paid close attention to the polarity since the plug was not keyed and then marked each plug with a grey paint marker for future installation / reinstallation.   After talking with Fuel Moto I did have to do some minor adjustment of the light down and away.  It was explained that the light is extremely bright to oncoming traffic and many riders get flashed with high beams. From the Harley Service manual I measured out 25’ and slightly away.  With a measuring tape and a few turns, it was an easy adjustment.  

After further use, I adjusted the beam further out and made the adjustment closer to center.  I think with my previous adjustment I went a bit too far to the right.  I’m still very happy with the clean white light.

After my first night ride I noticed a huge improvement.  The LED’s are amazingly bright making every sign and road line pop into vision and now I can actually see on low beam.  High beam is like an intense laser beam capable of reaching the moon only out powered by the sun.  Taking a dark exit ramp turning blindly into darkness is no longer an issue; this light is incredible.  

Saddlebag fasteners upgrade

It was alarming to read many reports of saddlebags coming off at highway speeds.  Not long after, Harley issued a recall on saddlebag fasteners.  Many riders had stated the recall replacement parts didn’t change much.  For the $20 at Lowe’s you can get some rubber washers, ‘u’ nuts, and fluted knobs to implement a far better fix.  

The Lowe’s part numbers are as follows: 881249 for the (5/16 by 18) ‘u’ nut, 884516 for the (5/16 by 18) fluted knob. I also picked up some rubber body washers, many suggested a lock washer but the rubber washer in contact with the rubber mount holds tight.  

Installation.  I primed and painted the U-nuts to keep them from rusting.  I also found the fluted knobs to be a bit long so I cut 3/8” off from them; worked perfect. Amazing how much sturdier the bags are mounting on the bike.  The knobs don’t take up that much room in the bag and they are much more secure. I couldn’t go wrong with fixing this known issue.







Dynojet Autotune module

With my Power Commander V and fuel map from Fuel Moto I was still getting some uneven acceleration.  I also noticed I was running rich at idle even after warmup.  Ideally you should get a full tune at a shop to perfectly match everything on your bike, but with the changes I had already done on my bike and what I had planned, paying $300 for a tune each time just doesn’t make sense. With simply riding, the auto tune can calculate fuel adjustments to be made to a base map and applied with a laptop.

The base map is a ballpark fuel table based from a similar bike with similar modifications which should be close, and mine was.  I added the auto tune not only to fix rich idle mixture but to really optimize the fuel ratio to get the most power out of my bike.  

The installation was pretty straight forward.  I already had head pipes with the necessary 18mm bungs (S&S Power Tune Duals) knowing I might do this upgrade down the road.  Installing the O2 sensors was easy,  I actually spent most of the time routing the wires and mounting the Autotune and Power Commander.  I always take the time to do things right and to try and keep that clean look.  After getting the cables to where I wanted, I spent a large amount of time mounting it all.  I wanted to keep the PCV port accessible so I could access it without having to unmount or remove anything, I wanted to just pull the cover and plug in. The PCV needs to be accessible to accept trims and make any other fuel table modifications.

With my first live session linked to the PCV and Autotune, I could see my front cylinder was running very rich at 12 -12.5 AFR vs the desired 13.7 – 14.7.  Other than smelling raw fuel while idling I had no way to quantify where my AFR was at.  With some adjustment to my fuel map in the idle range I was able to get my AFR where it needed to be.  After my first hard ride I quickly populated some trims which I accepted.  The base map wasn’t way off but I definitely needed some adjustments and the bike had more power to give, it just needed more fuel.  

With the Autotune installed I have smooth constant acceleration, overall the bike feels like it is running the way it should.  I’ll continue to review my trims and dial in my fuel map as necessary.  Overall extremely happy with it.

Redline Synthetic

I have always known the benefits of running synthetic vs conventional oil.  With an air cooled engine in the hot temps of where I live, upgrading to full synthetic was inevitable.  I looked at all the major brands but ended up going with Redline for my primary case, transmission and engine.  The price is a bit deterring but it's peace of mind knowing I’m running a high quality synthetic to protect my ride.





TechGripper by TechMount

I looked at getting a Street Glide Special initially but with the higher price tag and the fact I couldn’t get the color I wanted I ended up with a Street Glide.  One option I really would have liked to have and honestly didn’t think to upgrade in addition to ABS and security was the Navigation head unit.  If you have Google maps you can do turn by turn with Bluetooth through the head unit which worked in general, but if you need to see a map or change your route you had to pull over.  

I found in many instances I need to quickly glance at a map at a stop light and I was able to see what I needed to see.  I started looking at mounts originally thinking of mounting something directly to the fairing that would hold my phone.  I still wouldn’t mind this option but I wasn’t overly thrilled about drilling permanent holes into my brand new bike so I looked at handlebar mounts.

There are a lot of good options out there, Kuryakyn makes a few mounts, there was RAM mounts, but many started to get pretty bulky.  With my newly installed Yaffe bars, I wanted to keep that nice flowing clean look and not detract from the appearance of the bike.  In researching I ran across a video for a Techmount.  An obvious concern with riding at highway speeds and in general with a Harley is your phone falling out.  The TechGripper jaws open wide enough to hold a variety of devices to include a Garmin with enough pressure that my phone won’t even move when locked in.  It mounts right to the clutch control bracket, or brake, which puts the phone easily within reach and quick viewing at a glance.  

As with many things, I did some minor modifications with the installation.  There is a round rubber anti-slip pad that was bright red with a huge white “T” on it.  For me this was a huge eye sore that pulled attention away from the bike and emphasized there was a mount on my handlebars.  I removed the slip pad and painted it with some rubber / plastic primer and then a semi textured black paint before siliconing it back in place.  I also changed out some of the bright stainless fasteners with black fasteners from Fastenal, this relieved some of the attention from the mount and kept a nice black clean look that I was wanting to keep.  The bolts replaced the handlebar clamp for the clutch so as with everything on a Harley I used Loctite and torqued them to spec.  The Techmount works as advertised and accomplishes exactly what I wanted.

It took months of reading and research on everything but prior preparation and planning prevents pain.  I did run into some issues of course, some expected, some not expected, but everything worked out.  I’m very satisfied with the installation and investment.

I would like to thank: Jake and Pat at Harley-Davidson Rochester MN, Fuel Moto, Sally at Mustang Seats, Amanda and Custom Dynamics tech support, but most importantly my wife Missy.  

15' Street Glide upgrades part 2

From my previously installed upgrades, I’ll be reviewing those recently installed on my 2015 Harley-Davidson Street Glide:

AIM / Fuel Moto Variable Pressure Clutch (FM-VP019)

T-Man Performance 555 Torqster (555T) camshaft

S&S Premium High Performance Tappet Set Without HL2T Kit 330-0175

Ohlins HD774 Rear Shocks

Cam Install Kit

In 2014 among many improvements Harley-Davidson introduced a larger more rigid front fork and a new camshaft designed for more torque on eight of their touring motorcycles.  There were many complaints of riders always having to downshift on hills and roll-ons. The larger forks among other things were supposed to help with the “death wobble” that many had experienced in the pre 14’ touring models.  I haven't rode a touring 103ci prior to 14’ but I still got the death wobble on more than one occasion with my 15’ riding two up. I wasn’t overly impressed with the cam, it did ok but in the end can't touch what an aftermarket cam can do.

I determined my death wobble issue to be the inadequate rear suspension. I could be wrong on this but haven’t gotten it since my upgrade to Ohlins shocks.  I had only felt it while riding two up, never solo.  That may not be an issue for some but I own a touring bike which built for many things is meant for a passenger also. I love my bike and I’m happy with buying a Harley-Davidson but you’d think Harley would be better with some things. Harley-Davidson does just enough to sell their motorcycles while still leaving room for upgrades; there is a large profit margin selling and installing their product.

T-Man Performance 555 Torqster (555T) Cam and Install kit:

A cam swap is one of the easiest and cheapest upgrades that will gain good to great results without getting too far into the engine.

I recently dyno'd my bike on a Superflow Winjet at the local dealer back home. So you know, the Winjet numbers SAE are closer to what you are actually getting simulating actual drag on the road unlike Dynojet numbers STD which are higher. I was able to get the SAE to STD conversion just for comparison when I was looking at cams and dyno numbers in general but the Winjet numbers are where it’s at. My 15’ Street Glide came in at 89 ft lbs of peak torque SAE and 98 ft lbs on the Dynojet conversion. That’s with open head pipes, an air cleaner and tuned with a Power Commander V. Not overly impressed. I really would have thought this big 103ci would put down a bit more. I looked at cam grinds and manufacturers for months. Ultimately I decided on the 555 Torqster from T-Man Performance. There’s not a lot of info out there on this cam; T-Man Performance seems to be a semi small shop but the numbers this cam throws down don’t lie. Looking at an actual dyno run on the Winjet from a similar bike this cam put down 109 ft lbs of peak torque and was pushing almost more torque out of the hole than peak torque with my stock cam. Reading up on this this cam along with some solid personal recommendations I couldn’t wait to get it installed and hear this thing idle and chop but mainly to feel how it pulled. I looked at several different manufacturers and grinds for what seemed like six months: Woods from Fuel Moto, of course S&S Cycle, Andrews, T-Man Performance and Fueling. I knew I wanted as much lift as possible without having to change valve springs to bring in as much air and fuel as possible. I was definitely looking for a torque cam and ideally wanted the torque to come on early and to hold on as long as possible in the RPM range. The 555T is referred to as the “holy grail” and does exactly that. Looking at the Woods 222 from Fuel Moto, in comparison, it’s real similar to the 555T, although the Woods 222 might come in just a bit earlier. It put up great numbers but the base circle on the Woods cam is smaller than stock which would require adjustable pushrods and quickie tubes. I planned on saving the $200 and use my stock pushrods since I’d be in the top end anyways. Andrews has their 57H grind. I was considering it since it was great for the price and had some good numbers with a nice broad power curve. The issue was it came in a little later than the Woods 222 and T-Man 555T. Primarily riding two up and was looking for torque and lots of it right off the line. S&S has a variety of grinds available, they have a great shop and product line. I like that there were plenty of “bolt in” cams available meaning they have the same base circle and could use the stock push rods. Their 551 grind offers good power from idle to 4000 rpm but without being able to find a dyno sheet on it and .550” lift vs the 555T at .555” it wasn’t what I was looking for. I found the stock cam adequate while riding solo. My issue became as soon as I was two up, which wasn’t a lot more weight, the bike just wasn’t responsive. It did pretty well while cruising and on a normal take off but I had issues while pulling out of a low speed turn or corner and when trying to pass (roll-on) or going up a grade. The bike just didn’t have it, there was just nothing there, I’d roll throttle and just lug and not really go. If anyone has tried flooring a Chevy metro or similar POS, similar response. This 103 cubic inch engine was surely capable of more. After installing my T-Man 555 Torqster cam, when I roll throttle no matter what the situation, the bike responds instantly. The engine immediately gains RPM’s and pulls. This cam seems to love throttle, it seems like no matter the situation it just wants more throttle and just pulls through. I could be the one wanting more throttle too. Reminds me of the old farm truck Dad had built with a torque / towing cam; this thing just runs. Now while coming out of a lower speed turn it pulls right back up to speed with ease even two up; lots of power, plenty. When passing, a roll of the wrist while two up, I can comfortably pass from cruising at ~2500 rpm. I passed a car the other night dropping a gear putting me at ~3000 rpm which is close to peak torque for this cam, the bike literally lunged when I cracked the throttle from a 35 mph roll-on while two up. With hard acceleration through second and third gear the tire gets loose, not spinning but not hooking up either. My bike straight hauls ass and sounds amazing. From the first start up the exhaust is notably louder; more fuel and air equals more combustion. If you know what you're hearing, you can hear the cam chopping at idle but nothing like a longer duration race cam, but it’s still music to my ears. There is a lot of noise out of the intake. I had read the high torque cams do this and I’m not worried about it, really it’s a minor inconvenience and I’ll gladly take the tradeoff of lots and lots of torque. I haven't dynoed it yet, I may do it but I'm not terribly worried about it. I’m still dialing in my tune and a twist of the throttle is telling me all that I need to know right now; this thing moves. Very happy with it and exactly what I was hoping to achieve with my cam upgrade. Fuel Moto; love this shop, their product and customer service. I looked here for my cam initially, it’s also nice that they sell S&S and Andrews in addition to their Woods cam line. They had some really nice deals on cams and packages but I ended up going another direction. I did however grab their Variable Pressure Clutch and cam install kit with bearings at a nice sale price. These guys are still my go to before I really start looking anywhere else.

S&S Premium High Performance Lifters and top end:

Usually when you change a cam you need to change out your tappets unless you’re running roller tappets. Harley does this. I guess if I were trying to save a buck with my bike with low miles I could have kept my stock roller tappets but this was the perfect opportunity to upgrade them. I went round and round on which lifters I was going to go with but I knew if I’m changing them there is no way I was using Harley. Of course I immediately looked at Woods lifters and also at Fueling. In the end I trusted a solid name brand in the industry and went with S&S. S&S offers their budget line at a pretty reasonable price. As with everything I like to read around and form my own opinions, between reading great things and T-Man Performance recommending the S&S Premium tappets, it was peace of mind getting their premium line "Made in the USA". Again, if I’m going to be into it, I might as well get the best; I surely didn’t want to tear this thing down again because I went with something cheap. It was also recommended to me to install rocker lockers hence my reason to pull the top end, this also allowed the use of my stock pushrods. It is a known issue with Harley’s that as you accumulate miles the rocker arm shaft rotates creating an annoying tick in the top end. I had thought about going with roller rockers but they’re expensive, they’re nice and have their place but I don't’ think it would really be the right call. If I were to start into high end things like that then why not head work, compression bumps etc. I might as well go all out but where do you stop? Well the easy answer is you never do, you’re just limited by your pocket book and time as with so many things. I could build a race engine but I’m not racing, I’m riding. With the top end off I installed the rocker lockers. Many riders and mechanics also suggest shimming the rocker arms decreasing the end play to further eliminate any ticking. Tolerance from rocker arm to the rocker arm support plate should be .003” to .013”. If that tolerance is opened up the rocker arm can move back and forth creating a tick which you would want to shim to get back into spec. If shimming, anything smaller than a .020” shim can easily be burned through with wear and pressure, so depending on what the measurement is you would more than likely need to machine the rocker arm support plate to accept the larger shim. Of all four of my rocker arm support plates my max measurement was .013”. I could have shimmed all of them down to .003” but I didn’t have the ability to machine them without farming it out. Being within spec and having negligible top end noise prior to the cam install I opted not to mess with it. I had thought of just carefully straight filing them down then sanding with 400 grit to smooth which may have worked but it wasn’t worth the risk. If it's not broke; don't fix it. It’s easier to get drastic if you don't have a choice but to fix an issue. After the initial startup and break in I had no noise from lifters or cam chest even with a stethoscope; smooth running. I did hear a very slight tick through the stethoscope from the front cylinder top end which I figure is probably rocker arm end play which I’m not worried about right now. I’m really happy with the S&S premium lifters and cam combination.

AIM / Fuel Moto Variable Pressure Clutch (VPC):

When you’re looking at adding more torque you have to think about your clutch. I was recommended a heavy duty clutch spring as a minimum and informed of a VPC. I had already looked into a variable pressure clutch since I was running stock and already slipping during a hotter take off solo and more while riding two up. A wet clutch is supposed to slip some which is normal, but mine seemed excessive to the point it was hindering my riding. While solo or two up it was grabbing fine while banging hard through gears but just not grabbing like I would have liked off the line. My biggest issue was clutch slippage while pulling a low speed turn two up. For example a 90 degree right turn from a stop. In a right turn you can’t quite get the clutch out before you need to lean, maybe other riders are better with this but I’m feathering the clutch to hold speed while trying to keep a consistent throttle to control my lean. This really wasn’t an issue while solo, but riding two up it’s challenging and my clutch slipped like crazy. Adding more torque would only make this problem worse. The VPC advertises easier clutch pull and more pressure as RPM’s increase to eliminate slippage. I talked to a few riders and they have never had issues with clutch slippage after installing their VPC. They are a bit expensive but with only a 10 minute install time it’s kind of a no brainer when upgrading to a high torque cam. To clarify, after figuring out how to install a VPC it is only a 10 minute install. The VPC solved my problems; I haven’t had my clutch slip yet. In a right turn two up the clutch grabs right away and lets me focus on throttle and leaning. I would not say that the clutch pull is easier, in fact, I would say it’s slightly different but definitely not harder and nothing I can’t adjust too. Between the new cam and the clutch not slipping I can comfortably handle low speed turns with ease. I did a hard take off from a light, two up, the tire broke loose before the clutch slipped; mission accomplished.

Ohlins HD774 Rear Shocks:

The stock Harley shocks on this bike are junk. I was never able to maintain air pressure, I had the seal blow out on one of them (under warranty), I was constantly bottoming out over small bumps two up (RIP my bottom S&S head pipe) not to mention the death wobble. Riding solo the thing was like a lumber wagon. I did an 1100 mile ride last summer, after riding through Chicago I could have pissed blood from the bridge overlaps. It was an expensive but easy decision to go with Ohlins shocks. I looked at many options before going with Ohlins. I looked at air setups with varying air shocks and even the Monroe Corvette shock adaptations. In the end I thought they are really just another air shock, what am I gaining? I looked at the Progressive shocks which would surely be an improvement but would they accomplish what I was looking to achieve? I read many riders that went with Progressive and ending up switching to Ohlins; Ohlins are really the Cadillac of shocks. When I looked at the price difference between the two, as with many things on my bike, I figured why not just get the best. So far I’ve rode solo and two up with dramatic improvement. Two up: I hit some hard bumps and instead of the previous sharp jar, you can feel the shock take it. I haven't had any issues bottoming out or gotten the death wobble. Solo: The bike rides a little stiffer since I have it set for two up riding but still feels great. I could adjust it each time but I mainly ride two up and it’s not that big of an inconvenience. I haven’t been through Chicago but I can’t even feel the bumps I have hit. I did pull a large sweeping turn at 70 mph the other day and the bike just stuck to the road; huge improvement over stock. Many riders have stated that once you upgrade the rear shocks you can really feel the inadequacies of the front suspension. I found this to be immediately accurate; upgrading my front suspension will be on my next list of things to upgrade. I can’t comment on Progressive shocks vs Ohlins, but I can say that I’ll never run stock Harley shocks again. I picked mine up from Cycle Solutions for a great price; very impressed with the entire experience. Throughout this whole process I would like to thank: Darryl Curry from the Facebook Harley-Davidson Touring group, Jake at Harley-Davidson Rochester MN, Bob and Fuel Moto, S&S Cycle tech support, TR and Kelly at T-Man Performance, Chris Waddell and Cycle Solutions, Brian Mueller, Ken Bourquin, and most importantly my wife Missy. With the wind in my face I am truly free. -Ben Stetson

Making a wort pre-chiller

Homebrewing is what it is to each person.  I do enjoy seeing the end result from an art and creativity perspective but to myself and possibly others the goal is to make beer, preferably great beer, for as cheap as possible.  I have been brewing on a semi regular basis since 2003 progressively improving in technique and equipment.

Once stepping up to a full volume boil six gallon BIAB, an immersion chiller was a must, an ice bath just wasn’t an option anymore.  Like many I found that even with an immersion chiller it was 30 - 45 minutes to get to the high end of pitching temps with ground water.  You always want to chill and get your yeast pitched as soon as possible not only from a beer quality and bacteria issue but really just to save your own time.  I didn’t want to spend the money on a counterflow chiller or a pump so I chose the next best thing as cheap as possible; I built a pre-chiller.

The benefits of this are: it’s cheap, easy to clean, you don’t have to worry about clogging if you brew a hop monster and you don’t have to worry about matching flow rate to hit a specific temp. I read many reviews with some mixed opinions on whether it even really worked.  Most reviews confirm that a pre-chiller works well namely to include Chris Graham from MoreBeer on a podcast with Brad Smith the author of Beersmith.  He goes on to recommend even chilling a few degrees below pitching temps which with room temp water would be impossible without further measures.  

I chose to do 50' full feet of copper at 3/8" OD along with a ball valve to easily control flow. I know I can fill a bucket with ice water to get right down to around 33 degrees and if you watched Mythbusters episode 29, you can add salt to allow it to drop to around 24 deg (confirmed). I thought about a cooler to accomplish this but hopefully I can reach my desired temp in about 20 mins or less.  I had a spare free bucket vs the price of even a cheap cooler.  Plus I have no issues drilling into a bucket even if this plan doesn't work. I’ve read reports of people getting an ice/salt ‘brine’ and achieving single digit temps. It's all about the differential of temperatures.  The goal obviously being to get to pitching temps as quickly as possible.

Parts Needed: (I went to Home Depot but any store should have)

1 - 50’ soft copper refrigeration coil ⅜” OD

1 - ½” Ball Valve

2 - ⅜” to ½” MIP compression fittings

1 - ½” to ⅜” Male hose barb

1 - ½” to ¾” Garden hose male adapter

1 - ½” female to ¾” Male garden hose female fitting

4 - ¾” flat washers

2 - Stainless steel hose clamps

2 - Rubber hose washers

1- Bucket or cooler

Teflon tape, Pipe cutter - (hopefully not)

I seen some tutorials on this with many extra fittings, yes it will work but I wanted to keep my cost down and connections to a minimum.  Originally I bought O rings for sealing but ended up losing them.  I used garden hose washers, turned out with the gap from the washer and curvature of the bucket, they worked perfectly with no leaks.

Tools:

Don’t need a step bit, they are kind of expensive.  A ¾” wood bit would work; I drilled a 13/16”

Don’t need a caliper; I used it to verify the size hole I needed and to verify the step bit

The bender is optional; turned out not working that well

corny keg 27 inches diameter

2 liter soda bottle, 13.5

party keg, just right at about 22"

50’ x 12 = 600 inches / 22” = about 27 wraps

Test the fit of the compression fitting, want it to be nice and snug with as little gap as possible to help with sealing.

On the bottom, I had to mount the barb 1.5" or so from the bottom not only to clear the washer on the inside but to easily allow hookup of my wort chiller without scraping my knuckles on the ground if my bucket was full.

I may use some type of epoxy, adhesive or Loctite on the male hose adapter if it starts to be an issue loosening over use of time.

I didn't really like the big washers but turned out to be perfect adding stability to the connections mainly the ball valve that will see wear and tear with use.

Brought the end of the copper up back through the 2nd coil from the bottom to allow the coil to still rest its weight on the bottom of the bucket and not on the fitting.

On my top bend I pushed my bend into the coil and came back up for my connection, worked well with way less stress on the coil.  

Lessons learned.  

My first connection on the bottom fitting was way too long, I wasn't paying attention and went to install it with not enough clearance to get the fitting pushed into place.  Had to remove and cut down the copper a few inches; RIP one compression fitting.  I tried to salvage it but it ended up coming apart after it was installed.  I was however able to just purchase a crush sleeve and another nut to place on the ½” male fitting for less than three bucks.

Using my bender didn't work well.  Almost ended up with a hard kink which if you look at my bottom connection it's pretty rough.  Ended up using different radiuses such as the 2 liter bottle and a 2.5" piece of exhaust tubing I had laying around.  You can do it by hand and don't need these but they certainly helped with preventing a kink.  You could easily find something around the house such as a can of food if necessary.

All done.  Tested for leaks; first time go.

Ultimately this thing came together just I had hoped with just a few hiccups.  I can't test at this time as it's already freezing outside negating the need at all; however I'm sure once summer months hit it will work as necessary with more info to follow.  I plan to do a few tests with temperature readings but I’m sure the time to crash my wort to pitching temps will satisfy all I need to know.  I figure if it doesn't work I can always reuse the copper for a jockey box or something.  

At some point I will probably invest in a pump and a counterflow chiller as my brewery continues to grow.  If I need further cooling without getting a counterflow chiller I can step up to making a 50’ immersion chiller; I’m at 25’ right now. I can also get just a pump which will create a whirlpool and provide good circulation.

Hope this helps people out, happy brewing!