So you want to get a little more power from your Harley-Davidson Sportster, but you’re not sure where to start. You’ve come to the right place. Here’s some basic info on Stage 1 tuning your Harley-Davidson Sportster, the pros and cons, and the costs. We’ll look at what it means to Stage 1 kit a motorcycle, what the required components are, how to do it, and what benefits you can expect. What is the Stage 1 Kit and where can I find / buy it? Stage 1 upgrades aren’t a “kit” per say, they’re a combination of enhancements or add-ons to your motorcycle to designed to improve performance. You can buy parts individually and adopt different strategies based on your preferences or budget. The key components of a Stage 1 kit are: What does free breathing mean and what is the Harley Tax? Free breathing is a state of being nonrestricted. In North America and Europe, the automotive industries face heavy regulation for environmental concerns. Motorcycles often come restricted so as to meet emission tests and other standards of compliance.

Restrictions can be found in motorcycle air intakes, throttles, variators, exhausts, carburetor jetting, fuel-injection mapping, and more. The “Harley Tax” is the cost that many choose to pay to get their Sportsters or other Harleys running as they should’ve come from the factory, were it not from the government trying to save us from ourselves.wall socket air purifier Depending on your local laws, Stage 1 upgrades may or may not be legal. dvd lens cleaner on blu-rayThey may leave your bike no longer meeting emission, noise, or other standards. dryer vent cleaning air toolsThey may also increase your fuel consumption and if done wrong could harm your engine. If you understand the risks and want to find out more about Stage 1, the best and easiest bang-for-your-buck way of improving your Harley-Davidson Sportster or any other motorcycle’s performance.

Here’s a quick look at some of the things you’ll need for a Stage 1 upgrade and why you’ll need them. We recommend you do the upgrades in this order and preferably all at once for the best interests of your engine and your wallet. This is Page 2 of our Stage 1 Kit guide, if you’ve missed Page 1 we recommend you check it out. There are a variety of hyperchargers and air cleaners available for the Sportster and for other motorcycles. My 2007 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL-883 has a Screamin’ Eagle Air Cleaner on it. This cleaner has a surface area of roughly double the stock cleaner from the factory. Imagine you had double the lung capacity next time you had to run around the block. Expect to pay around $60 and up depending on features and design. For bang-for-buck-air-suck we recommend the Screamin’ Eagle filter. Opening up the exhaust can range from slip-on mufflers to full exhaust systems. The costs range from a couple hundred to near thousands. Slip-ons are easy to install, resemble stock, and help with performance.

Full exhaust systems may increase performance further or look much more appealing, but come at a much higher price range. We use the Screamin’ Eagle II exhaust slip-on. Harley-Davidson instructions clearly state: changes to both air cleaners and exhaust systems will require ECM recalibration. We recommend swapping air cleaners and exhausts at the same time, so as to avoid paying for recalibration twice. Rejetted Carburetor / Remapped EFI When you start touching your motorcycle’s air intake and exhaust you need to make sure that you’ve adjusted your bike to run a proper fuel mixture to compensate. If you have a carburetted Sportster (1957 – 2006 models) you’ll need to look at changing your carburettor jetting. For 2007 and newer Sportster models you’ll need to re-map the EFI. This can be achieved with use of tools such as a Power Commander. Expect to gain about a 10% increase in power by paying “The Harley Tax” or Stage 1 kitting your motorcycle. After a successful Stage 1, 883cc Sportsters should begin seeing horsepower in the low to mid 50s, and torque numbers at about the 50 ft-lbs mark.

Soon we’ll have a step by step instruction on how to use a Power Commander 3 USB on a Harley-Davidson Sportster. You may also be interested in learning how to identify what type of Sportster you have based on its VIN #. For now please leave a comment letting us know what tunning you’ve done and please ask some questions. Achieve Your Performance Goals One Step at a TimeYou don't have to settle for stock. Owners of Harley-Davidson® motorcycles are hardly ever satisfied with the performance of their bikes as they roll off the showroom floor. There is always that restlessness for something more. It's true that nothin's for nothin', but you can avoid performance sticker shock by making upgrades in a series of affordable steps — The S&S 4-Step Performance Program. Each step is precision engineered to be easily installed without special machining or even removing the engine from the bike.If you have a new bike and are considering high performance modifications, the expense can seem pretty daunting.

However, if done one step at a time, these modifications can be pretty affordable. Here is a series of performance upgrades that can help you go fast and will fit any budget. The idea is to install some key components that will give you more power right now. Later, installing additional parts to what you already have will produce even more power. That way, you can build up to a respectable level of performance without having to make a large investment all at once. Of course, you can start at any step you want to. If you want the big numbers right away, just go for it and get everything at once. STEP 1: INTAKE AND EXHAUSTOne of the most cost effective ways to improve motorcycle performance is a high flowing air cleaner kit and a set of high performance slip-on mufflers from S&S®. These parts are also required components of any more serious performance package. A combination of an S&S performance intake and exhaust is the easiest way to get some instant gratification. They provide the best horsepower per dollar you can get, and lay the groundwork for further upgrades.

Step 1: Explore Your Options STEP 2: CAMS AND PUSHRODSThe addition of cams is the next step toward higher motorcycle performance. Several types of cams are available, and it is important to decide what cams are best suited to your immediate needs and what cams will be needed to achieve your long-term goals. If you can choose cams that will work for both, you will save money. For more torque we recommend the S&S® 551 cams for dressers, and the S&S 583 cam for Dyna® and Softail® models. For more top end horsepower, we suggest the S&S 585 cams. Dealer installation of cams is recommended, and EFI tuning is generally required. We recommend the Harley-Davidson® Race Tuner or Dynojet® Power Commander® for EFI tuning.You don't have  to pull the heads to change pushrods. We came up with a design that allowsinstallation and removal by just opening the pushrod covers. S&S has Quickee pushrods available for Harley-Davidson® Evolution® big twin and Twin Cam 88® engines as well as 1986-’03 Sportster® models.

There is no need to remove the gas tank or the rocker covers anymore.Step 2: Explore Your Options STEP 3: 97'' & 106" BIG BORE KITThe next step is to increase the displacement of your engine. The S&S® 97" Big Bore Top End Kit for 1999-’06 88" engines or the 106" Top End Big Bore Kit for 2007-up 96" engines are an easy and cost effective way to do it. Simply replace the stock pistons and cylinders with the S&S 106" Top End Big Bore Kit. No machining or flywheel rebalancing required. Cams, exhaust, and intake components from steps 1 and 2 will work great with the 106" Big Bore Top End Kit. Step 3: Explore Your Options STEP 4: CNC PORTED HEADS & FUEL SYSTEM UPGRADESAfter the displacement of an engine has been increased, and high performance intake, exhaust and cams have been installed, the next step is to make the heads flow better. Feed that engine some more air!Take full advantage of the increased displacement of Step 3 with high flowing CNC ported stock heads. Complete thetransformation with an S&S performance carburetor or big bore EFI throttle body.