Alright, buckle up, folks! Today I’m diving deep into a project I just wrapped up: trying to squeeze more juice out of a Harley Davidson V-Rod. Yeah, I know, some purists might cringe, but hey, I’m all about pushing the limits and seeing what these machines can really do.
It all started a few weeks back when I was just staring at my V-Rod, thinking about how I could give it a little more oomph. I mean, it’s already a beast, but you know how it is, you always want more, right? So, I started doing some research, watching videos, reading forums – basically, went down the rabbit hole.
First things first, I knew I had to get my hands dirty. I started with the basics: a high-flow air filter and a new exhaust system. I went with a K&N filter and a screaming eagle exhaust. Figured that would be a good starting point. The air filter swap was easy-peasy. Just popped off the old one and slapped the new one in. The exhaust, though… that was a bit of a pain in the butt. Took me a good couple of hours, lots of cursing, and a few scraped knuckles, but I eventually got it done.
Next up was the fuel management system. The V-Rod’s stock ECU is okay, but it’s not really designed for performance upgrades. So, I decided to go with a Dynojet Power Commander V. This thing basically lets you remap the fuel and ignition curves to optimize performance. I downloaded a few different maps from Dynojet’s website and started experimenting. It was all trial and error, seeing what worked best with my setup. I used the map switch feature and changed on the fly while riding.
Now, this is where things got interesting. I wasn’t seeing the kind of gains I was hoping for. The bike felt a little bit stronger, sure, but nothing earth-shattering. So, I decided to dig a little deeper. After even more research, I realized that the V-Rod’s throttle body was a bit of a bottleneck. So, I splurged on a bigger throttle body from a vendor online that specialized in V-Rod parts.
Swapping out the throttle body was another adventure. It involved removing the airbox, disconnecting all sorts of sensors, and generally fiddling around in tight spaces. But after a few hours of wrenching, I finally got it installed. Man, that new throttle body looked mean!
With the new throttle body in place, I went back to the Dynojet Power Commander V and started tweaking the fuel maps again. This time, I was able to dial things in a lot better. I spent a good few days riding around, making adjustments, and logging data. After a whole lotta work, I managed to get the bike running really, really well.
So, what were the results? Well, I didn’t put it on a dyno, but I can definitely feel a difference. The bike is way more responsive, especially in the mid-range. It pulls harder and faster than ever before. I reckon I probably picked up somewhere around 15-20 horsepower. Not bad for a few weeks of tinkering, eh?
Here’s a quick recap of what I did:
- Installed a high-flow air filter
- Installed a new exhaust system
- Installed a Dynojet Power Commander V
- Installed a larger throttle body
- Spent hours tuning the fuel maps
Was it worth it? Hell yeah! Not only did I get a performance boost, but I also learned a ton about my bike in the process. Plus, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of knowing you built something yourself.
Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! Now I’m already itching to start another project! Maybe cams? Maybe big bore kit? The possibilities are endless!
Anyway, that’s my V-Rod horsepower story. Hope you enjoyed it! Get out there and wrench on something! You might surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.
