Installing HID Lights on a SE Road Glide

I love my CVO Road Glide, but wasn't happy with my headlights.  I was thinking that the two huge headlights on the bike would blast the light in front of me when riding; however, what I quickly found was my bike is faster than the range of the headlights.  It is dangerous to be riding at night and not being able to clearly see what is in front of me, so I installed HID lights on the bike.  

The first step is to find a HID kit that will fit the bike.  I've read many posts about XenonLink .  Most say they have good prices, fast shipping and excellent customer service.  They have been responsive to me and shipped the parts out quickly.  I'm satisfied with my purchase from them. 

The next step is to figure out what type of lights you need.  The Road Glides have a standard H4/9003 hi/low headlight mount. XenonLink sells two kits that will fit our bikes.  The 9003 Hi/Lo HID Kit and the H4 Bi-Xenon Kit.  The difference between the two is that the Hi/Lo kit uses a standard halogen bulb for hi-beam and HID for low.  The bi-xenon light moves a cover when going to hi-beam, which changes the focus point of the beam.  It isn't brighter, just a higher beam.  The downside of using the bi-xenon is that it requires tapping into 12vdc power on the bike and if the bulb is out you don't have hi or low beam.  I chose the 9003 Hi/Low HID kit.  In reality you never need the hi-beam when using xenon, but it's nice to have a backup bulb if the xenon lights fail. 

The final step in the selection process is to figure out what color temp light to buy.  The higher number does not mean brighter.  5000K is the brightest light.  Below that the light gets yellow.  Above that the light gets blue.  In my opinion, the best colors to use are 5000 or 6000K.  I picked 5K because it is the brightest pure white light.

Here's a pic of what you get in the kit.  The silver boxes are the power converters that take the 12vdc input and blast up the voltage to get the HID light to fire.  The nice thing about HID lights is that after they start burning they run cooler and take less power than standard halogen lights.

To install the lights you have to remove the front faring.  It is fairly easy to do, but you have to be careful not to scratch the paint.  The most important step is to cover the fender with a thick towel or fender cover.  It is very, very easy to scratch the paint.  Consider yourself warned.  Do not skip this step!

After the fender is covered, you need to remove the turn signals.  They have two acorn nuts and lock washers on the back.  Remove the nuts and pull them straight out.  They will hang on the power wire no problem.  I loop mine over the back of the engine guard to keep them out of the way.

The next steps is to remove the front faring.  This is easier than it looks, but you need to watch what you are doing.  First off, find the 6 screws that hold it on.  The screws look basically the same, but the two on the bottom are slightly larger than the 4 on top.  You need to keep track of what screw goes where.  The large screw can be forced into the top holes, but it will strip the threads.  The smaller screws will not work in the bottom and are hard to back out if you accidentally insert one into the hole. 

The trick here is to loosen the top screws.  Then remove the middle and bottom.  This will hold things together in case it tries to slip.  then go around front and remove the top screws while holding the faring.  To remove it push up and pull out.  It will slide right off.

NOTE: You can do this without removing the windshield.  You just need to be careful and not to scratch the paint along the top of the inner faring.  If you are concerned about this, the windshield comes off easily by removing 5 screws that are in front.

Here's a pic of what the bike looks like after the front faring is removed.  The black wire hanging down in the center is the headlight wire.  You can see in the center of this wire there are two wires tied back (one has a red cap).  This is for the European daytime running lights.  If you need power for the bi-xenon lights this is where you can get it.  The orange wire is 12vdc and the black is ground.  The 12vdc wire is powered when in the ignition position.

Here's a pic of what the bike looks like after the front faring is removed.  The black wire hanging down in the center is the headlight wire.  You can see in the center of this wire there are two wires tied back (one has a red cap).  This is for the European daytime running lights.  If you need power for the bi-xenon lights this is where you can get it.  The orange wire is 12vdc and the black is ground.  The 12vdc wire is powered when in the ignition position.

You mount the faring back on the bike in the reverse of how it was removed.  The trick here is to stand in front and push slightly up and back from the center.  You will feel it catch and hook in.  There are hooks just in front of the radio that connect to the headlight housing on the faring. 

There are also tabs on the left and right side of the faring that need to clip under the inner faring.  This is what holds the top edge of the outer faring to the inner so there isn't a gap.  Then screw things together with the turn signals going on last.

Here's a pic of my OEM headlights before making the change...

Here's what they look like after.  They put out so much more light my camera was able to make the instrument panel brighter.  These were taken in the exact same location.

Here's a pic of what the lights look like when I'm behind you ;)

Installing Fullsac Baffles on 09 CVO Road Glide

I finally got around to installing my Fullsac 3/4" baffles today.  The first step is to remove the exhaust from the bike.  First you loosen the main nut at the front of the muffler.

The next step is to remove the two screws at the back of the muffler under the saddlebags.  The left and right mufflers are exactly the same.

If you haven't already removed your catalytic converter you can see it by looking in the right pipe main header toward the engine.  If you want to remove yours you can get step by step directions via this link:

Removing a Catalytic Converter form 09 CVO Road Glide

After the muffler is off of the bike you need to remove the chrome heat shields.  These are held on by three large hose clamps.  The trick here is to slightly loosen the two forward clamps (ones close to the small inlet hole) and loosen to the point of almost removing the last clamp.  This will let the last clamp slip over the two rear mounting screw nuts and it will slide right off.

Here's a pic of the heat shield being slid off the muffler. 

Next you need to remove the muffler end cap.  This is held on with three screws.

After the screws are removed the cap slides off.  It can be a bit tight.  Be careful not to scratch anything when you pull it.  Do not use tools to pry it off.

After the end cap is removed you can see the two welds that need to be removed.  These two welds are all that holds the baffle in the exhaust pipe.

Next you use a die grinder or some sort-of rotary cutter to grind the welds.  You need a good bit that is designed to grind metal.  I used a Dremel with a carbide serrated bit.

Here's a pic of a weld nearly ground down.  You must be careful here.  It is very easy to damage the muffler. 

After grinding through the welds you need to punch the OEM baffle out.  I used a wooden dowel rod so I wouldn't damage the OEM baffle.  I may use it again some day. 

The center of the OEM baffle sticks out a bit, so you need a block of wood to get the muffler off of the ground and hit the dowel rod gently with a hammer.  It will pop right out if you have broken the welds.  It will not budge if you haven't. 

A trick I used for this step was I first hammered the OEM baffle back into the pipe a bit after I though I had the welds ground down.  This way I could break it free and grind anything I missed.

Here's a pic of the inside of the muffler after the OEM baffle was removed.  There's sound deadening insulation lining the length of the pipe.  I left mine in, but I have noticed that it does quiet the pipe quite a bit.  If you want a bit more noise you can probably remove it.  It is only tacked onto the pipe with glue. A long thin knife will cut it right out.

Now we need to drill the hole that will hold the Fullsac baffles in place.  This is easy, but you need to take your time.  The pipe is hard and round.  A drill bit will walk down the pipe and scratch the H#|| out of it if you are not careful. 

Step one here is to measure in from the bottom of the pipe 1 3/8" from the edge.  The bottom of the pipe is directly opposite of the nuts that hold it on the bike.  Don't drill on the wrong side!  Measure twice cut once as they say.

Step two is to use a center punch and punch the mark where you want to drill.  Do NOT skip this step.  A drill bit will not bite into the pipe if it isn't punched!  If you don't have a center punch use a metal screw with a hard point. 

Step three is to start with a small drill bit and then work your way up to a 1/4" drill bit.  Take it easy and do not jump sizes too quickly.  The more bits you use the easier the hole will be to drill.  If you have a drill press use it.  If not, just be careful.  I used a standard battery powered drill with no problem.

After you've drilled the pipe, the next step is to install the Fullsac baffle.  Just slide it into the muffler and line up the set screw holes.   You may need a block of wood and tap it with a hammer to get it in.  Do not hit it hard!  The metal will bend if hit directly with a hammer.

Then install the set screw with the nut and lock washer on the inside of the muffler.

Here's the best part. 

"This Harley-Davidson Exhaust 64768-09 system meets EPA noise emission requirements of 80 db (a) for the following motorcycles.  Installation of this exhaust system on motorcycle models-not specified may violate federal law.  HARFLT1800."

Go figure.  I so happen to have these installed on a HARFLT1800.  How cool is that ;)

Here's what they look like installed...

Here's a YouTube video that documents the sound before/after the baffle change:

Removing a Catalytic Converter form 09 CVO Road Glide

I just had the pleasure of removing the Catalytic Converter from my 2009 CVO SERG.  I thought some of you may find it useful to have the steps documented. 

The first step is to remove your Right muffler.  Start by removing the main nut in front of your Right muffler.  This is a clamp that seals the muffler to the main header.

The next step is to remove the two rear nuts that mount the back of the muffler.  This is all that is holding it on.  You then can twist and slide it off.  Be careful not to drop or scratch it.

After getting the pipe off you can look into the main header and see the Catalytic Converter.  The screen door looking thing inside of the exhaust.  Talk about restrictive!

The next step requires a 1.6" coring drill bit that is 14" long.  You can get one of these form McGillis Warehouse for $25 + shipping. 

http://mcgillswarehouse.com/ItemDetails.aspx?ItemID=154120006&IN=SILVERBRAZEDDRILLBIT,14

This bit is designed for drilling concrete and has a 5/8" UNC shaft for accepting a chuck.  This is a lot bigger than anything I own, so I purchased a 5/8" rod with UNC threads from Home Depot.  I cut it to a more reasonable length and mounted it to the bit with a nut and lock washer.  I ground down the end sticking out of the bit to get it to fit my 3/4" drill chuck.

The next step is to insert the bit into the end of the header.  It will probably feel a bit tight when you start.  This is because the pipe is a bit compressed from the muffler.  When you get the end of the bit into the opening it will easily slide into the pipe. 

This pic is the the starting point where the bit just touches the converter.

The converter is made of hard material and does not want to come out.  Take your time and drill with a constant pressure (not too much) on the drill.  I found that removing the bit form time to time and adding oil made the job easier.  You need a good drill for this step.  It needs to maintain torque as you apply pressure.  You do not need to drill fast.  Slow and easy...

This pic is the ending point when I just broke through the core.  The core is about 7" long.  When you get about to the end slow down and be careful.  When you go through you could damage the header.  It will break free quick.

After you get though stop the drill and then push forward slightly.  This will help push the core back into the bit.  Then slowly back the drill out of the pipe.  You don't want the core to drop into the header.  It would be hard to get out without removing the header from the bike.

Another pic of the core standing on its end...

Here's the final pic down the pipe after the converter has been removed.  Most, but not all of it is removed.  There is a small portion remaining; however, it significantly opens up pipe and allows the exhaust to exit unrestricted.  It's important to note here that the timing of the bike is set so the exhaust exits one cylinder and then the other.  They do not fire at the same time.  There's more than enough of an opening to let the exhaust flow out evenly.

Here's a video of the exhaust note difference from with the cat to without. I still have the stock muffler/pipes, so the sound difference isn't dramatic. However, it is improved.

I've also noticed that the bike is running cooler, that it is more responsive and the power curve is more linear.