I've hit most of the bling items on my to-do list and the next logical step is to get into the engine.
Patient is a 2006 FXSTSI Springer with Forcewinder AC, Cycle Shack slip-on mufflers, and SERT with canned Stage I map. The bike generally runs ok but lacks the power I'd like it to have. I'd say I ride 50/50 between highway and city riding. I'm 2-up maybe 25% of the time. On the highway I'm running 65-85 with those once-in-a-while spurts above 85.
At this point I'm not sure what direction to go. I have aspiriations of putting a full exhaust on (RB Racing 2-1) and then doing a full Dyno tune. But I'm worried that won't be enough of a jump in power.
Where I live I am looking at $400 to get a good Dyno tune to dial my bike in 100% with the SERT. I don't want to spend that on dialing in the current Stage I setup only to find out that isn't enough juice for me. If that happens the Dyno bucks are wasted - I could have spent that on a better setup or on a Dyno later on with more mods in place.
So then I think maybe adding cams would be the better answer. Based on my riding style I'm guessing SE-203's would be the right choice. But then I worry about losing high end power. If a cam says it provides good low and mid-range power, does that mean it is at the sacrifice of a lot of high end power? Will my bike climb like a goat up to 80-85 and then turn into a slug or max out at 90mph?
So then I think maybe I just need to look at a 103" kit. They exist for TC88B FX Softails, right? Else a 95" kit? That way I don't have to worry about buying 203 cams only to decide they are not what I wanted and they turn into a waste of money I could have spent on the engine kit a few months earlier.
I'm reading through the engine sections for some inspiration and direction but to date it's all been somewhat overwhelming. Bottom line is I am on a budget and have to make sure that my engine investments are made is the most informed and efficient manner possible. Thanks for your help.
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If only there was an organization sworn to defend your free speech criticizing the military.
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Welcome to the wonderful world of preformance. You are looking at old post. Good. I do not know you from Adam as the saying goes but by reading your post you will never be happy with just "a cam job". Your bike and ridding style is a lot like mine. I suggest you look at a package that includes a cam change, 95 inch big bore and some form of head work at around 10:1 compression or less. Nothing wrong with more just harder to tune and the parts need to be closer matched. The 103 stroker crank is nice and I will work on that and reworking my heads next winter but when you get into all that you have to be serious into HP and spare change.lol For most people cam/heads/BB will get them close to if not double 100's and thats fun in any ones book. What you chose is up to you. A lot of people on this forum now seem to be big on Headquarter's. I hear alot of good things from them but keep an open mind. There are a lot of good products out there now and any proven build should give the results you seek. I would not experment on a first build. The build I have listed has been done many times with simular results is why I chose it. Stick with a tested combo of parts. Let me know if I can help on more exact questions.
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04 FXST: SE Peformance heads,1550 big bore w/ SE flat tops cut by Mike Stegman Latus Racing, S&S .570 gear cam, V&H big shot staggered, SE air intake, Latus oil spring, Cometic .030 head gasket, SE clutch spring with reduce pull ramps.
If you have just enough money to do one thing, remember, horsepower is made in the heads. That said there are all kinds of ways to go with this. Stock, aftermarket. Check around, and this site is a good place.
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08 FLSTF
NRHS Axtell 107
Woods 7H
Woods springs & valves for 400 Cam
V&H Big Radius 2-1
AN BS
Very sweet job on stock heads
Marin injectors
SE Clutch Pack
Amsoil
SERT
You might want to look into an auto tuner like the one Head-Quarters sells to make going to the dyno tuner obsolite.
I have HQ stuff and it works great. But I think R&R and Zippers are worth a look too.
I would not do SE cams, the aftermarket has some better choices.
You will have to split the cases on an 88 to make it a 103 in.
but a 10 to 10.5 to 1 95in will run great with the right pipes and tuning.
If you want to split the cases, id to a 113 to 120 in.
Just have your OE heads or some Ebay heads ported and blueprinted and bore some OE barrels.
If I had seen R&Rs sight before HQs, I proablay would have tried there CNC ported heads, they are the close to the same price as the HQ HVP head job.
The real trick here is to buy a kit that has the compression corrected and cams that match the compresion and the head work. It realy will pay off!
I'm still reading and collecting information, looking at how others scratched this itch, but I'm leaning toward a 95 kit. Now I just need to start weeding through all the flavors and combinations to narrow on one that will get me where I want to be.
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If only there was an organization sworn to defend your free speech criticizing the military.
I too like the R&R stuff, the 95" pistons and cams will boot you up to 90/90 the stage 2 head work with the cams 100/100, the stage 2-1/2 108/108, the stage 4 110/110 but rev 3 seconds quicker, and the stage 5 (R&R cast heads 120/120 conservitively. The stage 2 will pull 20 degrees temp. out of the engine the stage 4 and 5 30-50 degrees.
I'm not sure I had a specific number goal but I guess I'll say I'm going to strive for 100/100 or fairly close to it. I want to make it happen with 95", heads, and cams.
Is getting a setup figured out harder if I go with R&R, HQ, etc versus just going with the HD kit? With HD it seems like its an easy, happy meal kind of process. The idea of having too many choices with heads, cam choices, etc is somewhat daunting.
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If only there was an organization sworn to defend your free speech criticizing the military.
I'm not sure I had a specific number goal but I guess I'll say I'm going to strive for 100/100 or fairly close to it. I want to make it happen with 95", heads, and cams.
Is getting a setup figured out harder if I go with R&R, HQ, etc versus just going with the HD kit? With HD it seems like its an easy, happy meal kind of process. The idea of having too many choices with heads, cam choices, etc is somewhat daunting.
I have my jugs out to HQ right now getting the punch out to 95" with pistons to go with the head work and HQ-0039G cams/HQ-6104 ingition I had done last year. The compression ratio will be 10:1 and I expect to be in the 100/100 ballpark.
Humor the stupid guy here for a sec. I'm looking at the HQ setup and I must be missing something. They are charging $1500+ before adding cams. The HD 95" kit with cams is only $800. Granted I'll have to add labor expense in there but still, the HD kit comes with cams. What else am I getting from HQ for the extra $700?
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If only there was an organization sworn to defend your free speech criticizing the military.
Humor the stupid guy here for a sec. I'm looking at the HQ setup and I must be missing something. They are charging $1500+ before adding cams. The HD 95" kit with cams is only $800. Granted I'll have to add labor expense in there but still, the HD kit comes with cams. What else am I getting from HQ for the extra $700?
The head work. That alone is worth the cost, IMHO.
And it's not stupid to wonder where the price difference comes from, hehehe...
What's my next engine mod?
