20,000 mile Service part 1 (click to play episode)

This week on Tech Talk, Dave Mathis services a 2003 Fat Boy after it's been on the road for 20,000 miles. Dave starts by draining the fluid from the bike and while the fluids drip, Dave Mathis works around the bike on all parts included in this service.

That wraps it up!

Feel free to drop us a comment in the Tech Talk Forums if you have any questions on this episode!

-Dave Mathis

Head Tech - Hardcore Choppers

Fork Fluid Upgrade (click to play episode)

This week on Tech Talk, Dave Mathis shows you how to ugrade this Harley Davidson's fork fluid from a 10wt oil to a 20wt oil. Make sure you have an oil pan handy or this week's episode may get messy.

That wraps it up!

Feel free to drop us a comment in the Tech Talk Forums if you have any questions on this episode!

-Dave Mathis

Head Tech - Hardcore Choppers

Stage 1 Performance Upgrade on Fuel Injection - Part 2 (click to play episode)

To finish up on the performance upgrade of the Harley Davidson Road King, head tech Dave Mathis is going to take the bike outside and let it warm up in order to accurately tune the RevTech DFO (Digital Fuel Optimizer). After the Harley is ready Dave brings it back into the shop and gets the engine running at a steady pace of 2,000 rpm. Watch Dave tune the DFO and then take this Road King out on a test ride to see if everything went smoothly on this concluding episode of Tech Talk.

That wraps it up!

Feel free to drop us a comment in the Tech Talk Forums if you have any questions on this episode!

-Dave Mathis

Head Tech - Hardcore Choppers

Stage 1 Performance Upgrade on Fuel Injection - Part 1 (click to play episode)

In this video head tech Dave Mathis is going to perform a stage 1 performance upgrade on a fuel injected Harley Davidson Road King. A Stage 1 consists of an aftermarket performance exhaust system, a tuning system to remap the fuel system, and a high flow air cleaner. On this specific application we are going to be using the Rhinehart true duals exhaust system, a DFO (Digital Fuel Optimizer) from RevTech, and the bike was already fitted with a K&N air filter. Take a peek and see what a breeze the DFO is to install and tune, and also hear the rumble from Rhinehart true duals!

That wraps it up!

Feel free to drop us a comment in the Tech Talk Forums if you have any questions on this episode!

-Dave Mathis

Head Tech - Hardcore Choppers

Harley Davidson Handlebar Retrofit - Part 3 (click to play episode)

In this section we'll discuss how to finish up out bar retrofit job. To start off, it's usually easiest if you can lay out all your parts to keep things organized (which also helps you figure out if you've got all the required items prior to starting this part of the project).

We begin running the wires by taping up areas of the handlebard where air could escape - by leaving only two holes exposed (the entry point for the air, plus the exit point for our wire) we will be able to thread string through our bars and eventually pull wires through one at a time. Repeat this process for all the required wires.

After installing the adapter plate, we're all set to put the bars back onto the bike. They'll fit over the existing bushings and should thread on easily - do NOT cross thread these bolts, as getting them off again can prove to be difficult and you'll risk damaging the bars and front end trying to cut the bolt out if this happens.

Install the brake master cylinder and various brake/throttle lines as shown, and reinstall the gas tank reverse of our previous episode where we had taken it off.

That wraps it up!

Feel free to drop us a comment in the Tech Talk Forums if you have any questions on this episode!

-Dave Mathis

Head Tech - Hardcore Choppers

Harley Davidson Handlebar Retrofit - Part 2 (click to play episode)

In this part, we will cover the various steps required to remove and reinstall the plugs which are attached to the handlebars. Obviously the plugs won't fit through the bars themselves, so we will need to cut the connectors off and install them again once we've run the wires through the new set of bars.

It's important to document all of the cuts that you make (on BOTH sides) so that everything will go back together smoothly when we're done. Be sure to use a permenant marker or pen, and don't smear the notes (or you'll really regret it when trying to figure out a certain wire among the pile of handlebar connections).

After removing or loosening all of the components attached to the various cables running to the handlebars, we'll be able to take them off and start measuring for new brake lines, throttle cables, and a clutch cable.

Feel free to drop us a comment in the Tech Talk Forums if you have any questions on this episode!

-Dave Mathis

Head Tech - Hardcore Choppers

Harley Davidson Handlebar Retrofit - Part 1 (click to play episode)

In this video, we will go over the basics of removing the gas tank from our Harley in preparation for pulling the wires and eventually the handlebars from the motorcycle. Access to the control wires for the handlebar switches is hidden from plain view and thus requires the removal of at least one side of the gas tank - usually both for the easiest access (and since they're split, you'd have to drain the gas from both anyways).

If you follow the correct procedures in the right order, draining the tanks isn't as messy as you'd think. The majority of fuel can be drained directly through the petcock, however a small amount of fuel will drain out of the feed line when you disconnect it - the remainder of fuel will be drained through the crossover lines on the tank, which allow the fuel to fill and drain evenly between the split tanks.

With the tanks off, we have now gained access to most of the electrical system on the bike - and more importantly, all of the connection points for the switches and buttons feeding from the handlebar controls. Check back often for more updates, including the remaining parts of this episode as well as other exciting projects in the future.

Feel free to drop us a comment in the Tech Talk Forums if you have any questions on this episode!

-Dave Mathis

Head Tech - Hardcore Choppers

Custom Electrical System Upgrade / Overhaul (click to play episode)

Head tech Dave Mathis shows us how we perform most of our retrofit electrical system installs on customer bikes that are in need of electrical system overhauls.

Most custom motorcycles out there today put the majority of their focus into the shape, design, and paintwork of the bike. The functionality of the electrical system and the importance of its overall reliability is usually an afterthought - a design philosophy flaw that leaves a number of riders stranded on the side of the road.

An advantage of being a custom motorcycle manufacturer is that we have the ability of putting years of experience into constant revisions of our electrical system, which is now one of the most reliable in the industry.

All of the wires on the motorcycle are covered in self-extinguishing aircraft-grade conduit which protects wires from the many sharp edges in and around the frame and components of the motorcycle (and handlebars) which prevents a huge number of issues with shorts and ground problems. All of our components have been upgraded continuously to the point where we use exclusively race-automotive and marine application waterproof fuse blocks and relay systems, switches, contacts, and housings.

In this episode we'll outline how a basic version of the system goes together.

Feel free to drop us a comment in the Tech Talk Forums if you have any questions on this episode!

-Dave Mathis

Head Tech - Hardcore Choppers

V-Rod Performance Upgrades (click to play episode)

Head tech Dave Mathis shows us how to install some basic bolt-on performance modifications on this customer's Harley Davidson V-Rod.

Once the bike is prepped and on the lift, with the old pipes and brackets removed - Dave will show us how to install the slip-on exhaust and check for correct fitment. Once the correct fitment has been established, tighten the clamp while making sure to avoid striping the threads. Power tools are optional, but will certainly speed up the process and make things easier for you!

After the clamp has been tightened, we move to the mounting bracket which uses OEM location - tightening these bolts to the included specs, make sure that everything lines up correctly and finish torquing the bolts.

With the exhaust installation completed, we can move our focus to correctly tuning the motorcycle's fuel map to reflect the increased air flow allowed by the new exhaust system. We can do this by connecting a power commander tuning system to the bike's power commander ECU and picking the closest map, or editing existing maps for further fine-tuning depending on how the bike ends up running out on the road.

After the tune has been uploaded and the "sent successfully" prompt appears, we can put everything back together and take it for a spin to see how everything works. 99% of the initial tunes work very well, but bikes with more extensive modifications can take more time to fine-tune for optimal performance.

Feel free to drop us a comment in the Tech Talk Forums if you have any questions on this episode!

-Dave Mathis

Head Tech - Hardcore Choppers