I thinking about a 95” ST 2 up grade with the SERT on my 05 Road King Classic, the bike runs great now, doesn’t burn a drop of oil. I was just wondering how reliable the bike is going to be after installing the kit. I am thinging of getting it because of the great deal the HD dealer is offering for winter specials. 1353.00 installed includes sales tax. But I do not want to create problems down the road. Is this a reliable kit when installed by the dealer?
Depends on how careful the tech at the dealership is when he installs it. I have run into a number of poor factory 95" big bore upgrades where rings were not gapped properly,piston to cylinder wall clearance was never checked, and cylinder bore roundness was never checked. Many times your getting a basic grunt who installs these. So make sure you have good faith in the mechanic doing your conversion.
Little tip for you, buy the pistons and rings and gaskets(Cometic mls gaskets are much better than SE gaskets), then have your stock jugs bored out to 95" and matched to your new piston set. Its much better than buying a new set of stock jugs for many important reasons, and its alot cheaper too. Then do some research and buy a cam that matches your riding style. Most popular one without headwork is the 204 if your going to do SE. The 203 alot of those kits package up is just for midrange and top end, and they lack low end torque which is where the 204 has its strengths for larger bikes running on a mild compression such as your own.
Before I went with the dealer 95" special I looked at message threads for over a year on the same question you posed. Overwhelmingly the new owners were very pleased... a nice bump in power and no reliability woes.
I have a factory installed 95 ci Roadglide (2000). Not one problem since I've had it. One of my best friends has a 2000 Roadking with a dealer installed 95 ci kit and he has not had any problems either. Big boost in poer and performance. I would never go back to a stock bike.
I know everybody is raving about the Revolution 98 upgrade, but there's a part of me that likes sticking with steel bores in my cylinders. I have to have RELIABILITY.[&:]
The 95 kit with the flattops is a reliable way to go. I just might throw those on mine, along with a nallin racing Stage I C-N-C port job on my heads. Already got the S&S510G gear driven cams, and the HB125 auto. primary chain tensioner, so I have the reliability, and she already really moves, but a little extra torque is always a good thing, I guess.....
I have a dealer installed full StageII 95" kit w/203 cams in my RKC. Love it! 14,500 miles with no problems. I did have a cam bearing failure but that was part of a recall issue. Sounds like a great price! Go for it you wont regret it!
TRAVELER Are you saying the "98" kit is not as reliable as the "95".Can you explain why because I was considering the "98" maybe you know something I don't.Thx
I just did the 98" build (actually HDWRENCH did the build) and I love it. I only have just over 1000 miles on it so I cannot speak to long term reliability, but for two-up riding on a bagger, I'm constantly amazed at the acceleration and climbing performance over stock. Seems to run cooler and get 5 more miles per gallon than the stock motor. It has not been dyno tuned yet so its full potential has not been realized,...yet. I'd say go for it unless you get some reliable data that says otherwise.
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'06 Road Glide - 114 cui, stage IV heads, 615/585, K&N, PC III, D&D Fat Cat
'07 Nightster stage I with PC III and D&D Fat Cat
Compare the iron bore to a nikasil . Ok we have a liner that expands at a vastly differnet rate than the out cylinder, we have a liner made of steel that will wear out, we have aliner that is a poor conductor of heat. All of these are in comparsion to Nikasil. Which will not wear out, will run cooler, has a lifetime warrant if by some chance you over heat the engine and are able to damage the coating, the cylinders themselves are made of a far better product than stock cylinders, and there is less drag on cylinder, better ring seal, tighter piston to wall, which leads to less leak down I could go on and on.
The 98 is a far going to outlast a steel lined cylinder. Nikasil is being used in dozen of other applications other than HD. The steel liner is done to save money,... not to offer a part that will last longer or offer better performance.
95" ST 2 BIG BORE RELIABLE?
