Harley Davidson Sportster: 1200cc Conversion Kit Reviews

This article applies to the Harley Davidson Sportster (1994-2016).

Maybe you bought your 883 Sportster for the initial lower cost compared to the XL1200. Maybe you knew you were going to modify everything anyway and knew you could build one better than anything the factory had ever offered. Thanks to the available conversion kits, it's easy to upgrade to the full 1200cc by changing just the cylinders and pistons. You can gain plenty of power to the rear wheel, while still maintaining reliability. Pairing the conversion kit with port/polished heads and a performance camshaft will elevate your Sportster's performance to face grinning levels every time you squeeze the throttle. Conversion kits, when added with other enhancements, are only as good as the engine tuning that makes them run optimally. Read Tuner Reviews and How to Install a Tuner to find your EFI tuner for bikes built after 2007 with fuel injection.

883cc to 1200cc Conversion Kits

Screamin' Eagle Stage 1-4 Kits

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Price – $1,200-2,200

Quoted HP/TQ Gains –30 HP/25 TQ

Warranty – Factory Warranty

Displacement Size – 1200cc

Tuning Solution Included – Yes, on Stage IV kit

The Screamin' Eagle 883cc to 1200cc conversion kit is backed and sold by Harley Davidson attesting to the completeness and quality of this kit. Over the years, Harley has offered various "stage" kits, though currently it seems just the Stage 1 and Stage 4 are available. Stage 1 makes your bike a factory 1200cc Sportster, with new heads, cylinders and pistons, plus a few other parts, and delivers a solid 20 more hp and torque, or more with a performance exhaust and tune. The Stage 4 kits adds to that cams, higher compression, and better breathing intake and throttle body for another 10 hp and lb/ft of torque. With factory warranty, and all that power, why buy anything else?

NRHS Performance 1250cc Kit

Price – $700

Quoted HP/TQ Gains – 35 HP

Warranty – 3 days

Displacement Size – 1250cc

Tuning Solution Included – No

NRHS offers great value for their kit, which includes pistons, cylinders, rings, and a gasket kit. Their kits utilize special pistons to provide 10:1 compression without having to change the 883 heads to the 1200 version. For added performance though, they also offer special Thunderstorm or XB heads with special porting. Sportster owners have reported dyno results over 100 rear wheel horsepower with these modifications. You will have to purchase an engine tuner to get your EFI to work properly with the new compression and displacement.

S&S Cycle

Price – $950

Quoted HP/TQ Gains – 22 HP/25 TQ

Warranty – 1 Year

Conversion Size – 1200cc

Tuning Solution Included – No

S&S Cycle has done all there homework before bringing their kit to market. No machining, re-balancing, or modification is required while installing their kit. Your $950 buys you 1200cc conversion pistons, 3 1/2" bore cylinders, rings and gaskets. Much like the NRHS kit, this kit uses special pistons to keep compression down at a friendly 9.4:1 for better compatibility with pump gas. As long as you're the original purchaser of the kit, your engine is backed by a 1 year limited warranty.

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