Don't mean to bring up a burnt out subject. I'm in the process of getting a new bike with a fairing (radio, cruise etc). my bikes have always been carbed and from day one they never set foot in the dealership as I do my own service and am pretty good with carbs, Mikuni in particular. gas mileage has never been better than 38 or 39 mpg even running the leanest combos. wondering if the efi bikes get better fuel mileage without giving up power? whatever I choose will go 95 in. before to long. easy to tune with carb but not sure about efi. If you stuck a laptop and a disk and an assortment of maps in front of me I would be lost in space. efi is supposed to be better with elevation changes. not to many fairing baggers with carb option this year. I don't want to get efi and be totally confused for the next year trying to figure it out unless efi is something fairly simple that I am making a big deal of. any input would be appreciated.
Carb vs EFI fairing bikes
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I had similar question before I got a 02' FLHTCI. You can't fiddle with as cheaply as you can a carb, but it sure is smooth, gets a little better mileage, and a few trips through the mountains (elevation) will tip the scales. You can adjust the fuel mixture, but you'll have to learn some new skills and purchase little black boxes instead of jets and float bowl gaskets.
EFI is the going to be the only fuel system on most bikes in a few years, thanks to the EPA. Im sure the long awaited EFI's for Dyna's will be out soon if not next model year. I hpoe the bug with the small screws comming lose has been worked out. Nothing like your engine eating a screw, even if it is a small one.
I like carbs. less to go wrong -n- all but the Harley EFI's on baggers has been out since what 1996? Even as they inproved the systems in genaral I think they have past the test for reliabilty.
I like carbs. less to go wrong -n- all but the Harley EFI's on baggers has been out since what 1996? Even as they inproved the systems in genaral I think they have past the test for reliabilty.
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your gonna love having a real cruise control and there are many products out there to help you tune efi for whatever mods you do, I've been happy with my power commander.
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Injection is the way to go, like Kags said. Alot of customers want to do mods themselves and steer away just because of injection, which alot of people dont have a clear understanding of. There are inexpensive mods for injection such as the DFO. The Power Commander is cool, however, the ecm will already do a great job with ignition timing under most situations, except for very radical mods. The Temp sensor, Throttle position sensor and Map sensor feed variables to the ecm. The BIGGEST issue is fuel. Harley sells these bikes just rich enough to keep from burning exaust valves and pistons. (Thanks EPA ) A simple fuel mod on even a bone stock TC88 will improve performance in all ranges. The power Commander is expensive and not very user friendly without a laptop, Dyno, peripherals, DL'd maps and a lot of patience. The DFO is a anytime tuneable injection control that will allow you to continue to modify in stages without the hassel of re-mapping everytime you install another performance item on your motor by simply adjusting pulse width and dwell. Personally, I've installed DFO's and am very pleased with the results and a customer can modify the bike at anytime and can even re-adjust this module for best performance themselves
Good Luck!
Good Luck!
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16 Posts
Thats just my opinion....
I could be wrong
I could be wrong
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331 Posts
EFI all the way
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Yeah, the dude who asked that question NINE YEARS AGO really appreciates your input. #[email protected]
Not to mention that Harley hasn't made a carbed touring bike for like 4 years?
U da man.
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235 Posts
Wow this is an old thread. Oh well, that's cool, gives me something to read. EFI all the way for me. I do appreciate and have fun fiddling with carburetors. They're fun to me however the thing I like the most about EFI is the fact that you DON'T have to fiddle with it. It just works. Hot weather, cold weather, doesn't matter. It just works. Costs more to tune after mods but not much.
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well, yeppppppp, its an old up from the dead thread. I like carbs cause you don't have to buy Power Commander this or SERT that, then pay to dyno it everytime you make changes. No downloading a myriad of fuel maps, just change a jet here and there. But then again, i'm cheap sometimes. Not to mention my MM EFI sucked.
Tim
Tim
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