| Author | Message | ||
     Mountainstorm |
Hey guys I've seen some threads asking about the HMF Slip On and the Jardine Pro-TuneIII (hell I started some of them) so I thought I would give my appraisal of them and why I decided to go back to stock. First off I am 48 and have been riding since 1983. I've had my share of loud crappy sounding exhausts and open pipes and I'd like to think that with age comes wisdom  A properly designed exhaust will sound good and add power...anything else is just (IMO) foolish. I listened to many soundclips and asked a lot of questions but I still needed to hear the thing myself so I bought one off eBay and waited nearly a month for it to arrive and when it finally did I was happy with the build quality, fit and finish. What I didn't like was the sound. It just isn't a sound I associate with a Buell. I realize the Helicon is not your old school lump but even at idle it just sounded a little harsh. The first pop when it starts up is like a .40 pistol round going off. The following exhaust notes are harsh and loud and lack that mellow nasty sound I love. Maybe my X-1 has got my ears all spoiled but the X-1 with the Pro Buell Race Header and Can is the sound I want. The HMF just doesn't come close. SOTP Dyno told me that the bike had lost some low end grunt. I popped in the Pro-Tune III and the exhaust note got a lot more mellow...which from my experience means it's rich. Sure enough the adaptive fuel values indicate that the rear cylinder was reading rich to the ECM and the ECM was leaning it out (85) and front cylinder was reading lean and the ECM was throwing it some more fuel (105). I am not a tuner...but I have wrenched on all my vehicles for about 30 years and all I can really say is that the bike was not making the same power or at least not in the RPM range I need it to make power. I tried leaning out the Pro-Tune III and sure enough the AFV showed the rear cylinder at 95 on the next ride and the exhaust sounded crisper but still not feeling an improvement in usable power. From Idle to about 4K the HMF is loud and you can hear the indivdual charges, but after that it just sort of blends together and I no longer hear that V-twin sound. That is probably the main reason I decided to go back to stock. The way I look at it noise without power is for fags...I mean HD riders...  SO until I can get my hands on a set up that makes some useful improvements according to the SOTP I'll just go with the stock set up. About the Jardine Pro-Tune III...yes it does add some fuel, but not precisely and not in a way that I feel the Buell ECM can digest. The ECM is fighting the Pro-Tune. I add fuel, the ECM takes it away...I add less fuell the ECM still tries to take some of it away...so clearly it's not going to be an ideal tuner for the machine. On top of that I have a gut feeling that the Buell ECM will make any adjustments required without help...up to a point. And if I pass that point then I need to get the Race ECU or a map. I hope that might help anyone that is considering going this route. If you like a loud lightweight exhaust go for it...if you are concerned about leaning out the fuel more than the ECM can adapt to then try out the Pro-Tune III. For me stock seems to be a better set up...at least until I can get a race header and can and ECU from EBR  BTW I listed my HMF and Pro-Tune III on eBay, but if anyone here really wants it PM and maybe I'll end the auction early and sell it direct. ebay: richardwarren2005 with 187 100% positive feedback just so you know you can trust me. (Message edited by mountainstorm on January 22, 2010) | ||
| Captain_america |
"The way I look at it noise without power is for fags..." I agree Mountainstorm, its like a ricer Honda civic with the Folgers can on the back... they are loud as hell (not to mention annoying) but they're not going anywhere fast. | ||
| Mountainstorm |
I had to try it for myself to find out though... Back in the 80's I ran a 13" stinger on my built up VW Beetle...nothing will ever compare to that sound Like a Cessna taking off. I'm pretty much over pissing everyone off just to have a good time...pretty much  | ||
| Redbuell1203 |
Have you had the chance to hear a D&D exhaust yet Mountainstorm? Why the right tune I have heard power gains in the mid range of 15 and 6 everywhere else. I do run this exhaust and really like the sound. Just waiting for the right fuel map. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I'm just waiting for the EBR stuff to hit the streets. I too love my tubers with the Buell race exhaust systems...but I'm getting to the point where my Uly with the Drummer is a bit drone-y for my tastes...and my CR makes stupid power all over the RPM range and it's nice and *peaceful* to ride. Hell, I may just leave it be. Already got more power than I can use. lol | ||
| Mountainstorm |
Hey Red. I've only heard YT vids of the DnD. I had a change of heart. I ordered the Race ECM so I ended the auction on my HMF. Going to give it one last chance. Took a ride today without the Pro-Tune III just the HMF exhaust and K&N and it's definitely got all the SOTP symptoms of being too lean. So I should be able to tell if the Race ECM is making the corrections required. Although the HMF is not exactly what I want I might just hang onto it until I can get the race exhaust from Buell | ||
| Macchiato |
I like my HMF, no protune though and stock air filter. No unrealistic expectations either. Like most all after market exhaust it simply allows a higher flow of gas. So yes low range endures a slight deficient. No surprise there, more importantly it’s negligible. The mid range feels better than stock maybe in numbers maybe in response. I rarely ride wide open but the top in is greatly improved. Also consider the stock exhaust is not only ugly, but its also very heavy. These are the same results I've had on my SM610 using Leo Vince, RC51 with Harris and Akro's cept the Akropovics full system softened the low end more than the slipons, but it was a trade off. I could go on citing my previous bikes, but hopefully my opinion is well received in the manner I intended. For as long as I own a bike I often try different products I find interesting. For now the HMF is a great improvement to stock. Yes it is louder than stock, but not as loud as some of my other bikes. (Message edited by macchiato on January 23, 2010) (Message edited by macchiato on January 23, 2010) | ||
| Macchiato |
http://hmfracing.com/atv Have you been to the site? I wonder if there's a core insert?  (Message edited by macchiato on January 23, 2010) | ||
| Mountainstorm |
Apparently not because I ordered the core insert and found out that the reason my order was delayed was (now this makes a lot of sense) because the core insert doesn't fit the ellipitcal can. Why they didn't just ship it without the core insert I don't know. But after about 6 emails and as many phone calls I did finally get my HMF slip on. I don't believe my expectations are unrealistic. It's simply impossible to know what an exhaust will sound like until you install it and ride. I went through three different exhausts on the X-1 before I found what I wanted. Thanks for the input. | ||
| Macchiato |
One thing for sure is an unrestricted intake will have an increase in db output. (Message edited by macchiato on January 23, 2010) | ||
| Mountainstorm |
I agree. I ran the bike for a little bit with the inner airbox cover off and it started to get on my nerves. |
