I just bougth an 05 Midnite Silverado. Bought the new Vance and Hines Longshots HS and what a sound. To me these are the pipes to buy for this bike unless you want it to be quiet. You can take the baffles out and drown out the harleys or leave them in to sound just like a harley. It sounds awesome either way. The bike was running a little rich so i didnt jet it yet. It has ran perfect so far. Even that flat spot when it warms up is gone and the pipes say its still a little rich. Has anyone else not jetted that has put new pipes on ?


Sixpak

Glad you like your new pipes.

That's probably the single item replaced by most people. I guess we all just 'wanna be heard'.

Normally you don't need to re-jet when you add new pipes. You may want to adjust the PMS a bit. If that doesn't do the trick then going down one size on the main jet should do the trick.

Either way it's best not to run too rich as the valves tend to carbon up and cause problems.

Doc

Thanks for the response Doc. I tried to get the plug out for the PMS but no luck with the carb on. Ill pull it off this weekend and adjust it some.

Sixpak

I think it's best to pull the carb. It's almost impossible to pull it out with the carb on, plus it would be easy to make a mistake and ruin something.

The carb's easy to take off. DO NOT remove the TPS, just disconnet the wire on the left side of the bike. You can follow the wire back from the carb to find the connection.

Doc

OK, now I'm corn-fused.

My dealer put on Cobra staggered Loboys at my request when I bought my '05, and he jetted UP a size or two to #175, I assume on Cobra's recommendation.

The pipes are black and fluffy, but I was told on this forum that air-cooled engines will run rich pretty often due to temperature variations, and black and fluffy is normal.

I'm getting high 40's mpg on trips if I stay below 70 mph, and low 40's around town.

I love my sound, but those V&H Longshots ARE deep and cool.

But explain please, Doc, jet UP or jet DOWN?

Moderator, is Doc Shadow running too lean in the head?

Thanks,
Shep

Shep,

Life is confusing

When the dealer put the Cobra pipes, what jet kit did he use? If he used the Cobra jet kit then your main is a DynoJet not a Mikuni. The equilvalent jets for these two different jet kits are actually different size numbers. Check out http://roadstarclinic.com/content/view/61/96/ to see what I mean.

The stock '05 comes with a 182.5 Mikuni; the pre '04 came with a 165. So if he put in a 175 Mikuni, he acutally jetted DOWN not UP. If he put in a DJ 175, then you should be even leaner as this is equivalent to a about a 165 Mikuni.

If you stick your finger in the tailpipe and pull it out coated with carbon then you're too rich. I have no idea why you are running so rich. From your gas mileage you seem to be dead on. It's possible that you are rich on the idle circuit.

Are you running a DJ needle and what clip is it on?

Do you still have the stock airbox?

Doc

Doc, When I ordered the Longshots from the dealer he told me I should rejet it. He had ordered the kit for me and it came in. He looked at the pipes and agrees with you that it may only need a tweak on the PMS. He told me he would take the jet kit back if I didnt need it. Its a cobra jet kit and it contains a 165 a 170 a 175 a 180 and a 185 jet. All are marked DJ. Im guessing that if I do rejet it I would use the 185 Jet which would be eqivalent to about a 175 Mikuni is this correct ?

Sixpak,

To adjust the PMS, first take the bike out for a ride to warm it up. Find the PMS screw and turn it in slowly until the bike stumbles. Then turn it out, counting the number of turns, until the bike begins to stumble again. Now set the PMS midway between the two settings. You could also set the PMS using a tac; the PMS should be set to where the revs are the highest between the in and out settings.

As for the jets .....

The stock '04 is a Mikuni 182.5 = DJ 195. When one changes the pipes and airbox, the most common starting setup (using a DJ) seems to be the 185, needle on 3 and PMS around 3. As you have the stock airbox, a 190 may be more appropriate.

If you're going to change the main, as you have the jet kit, I'd also change out the needle while you have it all apart.

Whatever you do (change mains, move clip on needle), do one think at a time, write down what you changed and then you can slowly refine from that point.

I don't have much experience with the newer motors so I would suggest that you post your setup on the R* Forum and solict advice from other 04 owners. I'm sure someone will have a similar setup.

Doc

G'day, Doc,

When I started riding my new bike last November, it was VERY rich and getting about 32 mpg. I told the dealer's mechanic, and he looked into it and said the "one of the young guys" had mistakenly installed a #195 jet instead of the #175. He changed it, and "leaned out the needle a little" but did not mess with the PMS screw. The literature they gave me was for a Cobra jet kit using DJ jets.

This is the same shop that out 10-30 oil in the new bike, although the manual recommends 20-40. But it WAS winter, so I let that slide.

Since then I have been getting the 40-50 mpg range that I noted in my last post. It's running beautifully so I have been reluctant to mess with it. The pipes are still black on the inside. I have not looked at the plugs as yet.

Still have the stock airbox.

I've been renovating houses the last few months, so NO tinkering time. When I get some, I'll pull the plugs and carb and take a look.

Meanwhile, as I say, I'm loving every stroke of the RS. Thanks for the informative link to jet sizes.

If your getting 40-50 mpg then you doing well.

The black inside your pipes may not be an indication that overall you're running rich. If you use the enricher (choke) upon startup, this is enough to darken the pipes over time.

If your are still concerned re running rich then the PMS may do the trick or try lowering the needle 1/2 step at a time but staying above the 3rd clip.

It sounds like your are close.

Better yet, wait till next year, pick up a high-flow airbox and start the process all over again.

Doc