Settle down boys. The moderators got the rules memorized, they might not like where this is going. Lets keep it about motorcycles.

 

Im sure they can handle themselves. Don't be a sissy.

 

yes, let them c**k measure. now enjoy this while the thread corrects itself

 

Thin skin has nothing to do with it.. Im just tired of hearing your co(k holster run on and on for no other end than self-aggrandizement.. so like I said ... BUGGER OFF ..

 

Now..

back to the HD 117 bolt on.. From what I can tell the kit comes with a 58mm TB, 4.125 jugs, with machined steel liners and spigots. (Reminds me a lot of the OEM 110 kit obviously) with machined steel being 2 to 3 times harder than any cast iron unit.

Looks like base numbers will be 114hp and 120-ish tq.. for the 117 with a good tune.. didn't know the new Low rider S was intended to be a 110 either.. figured a 103 maybe for it but a 110 base seems pretty serious.. (bet all of the 'bring back the FXDX crowd') will FINALLY be happy about getting a 'sort of updated' version of that model.. I also wonder what the base price point for the LR S will be.. bet its probably gonna be North of 16 or 17 K at least if not higher.. like the color of the rims too.. bet they'll 'just match' a new set of ohlins replacement forks.. heh.. (but that's another thread I suppose)

Still, those numbers are not too shabby for a bolt on kit with 9:9:1 comp... kit costs is around 2K+ or so for everything.. there was a dude on here who had the 110 bolt on installed on his scoot recently and he got it all done for around 1800 or so.. (think his dealership was running a special) that's pretty decent considering the usual costs associated with this sort of upgrade..

The whole 'will the lower end take it' thing still bothers me.. the comp ratio is probably the ONLY thing that keeps it all from shelling.. time will tell I guess..

 

i think it's all down low though. hp and tq experience an almost inverse parabolic drop as rpms rise. no bueno. really only good for showboating and numbers bragging. the bike would be worthless on the highway. i may be mixing up kits in my head though.

yes, i'm wrong: http://www.harley-davidson.com/store...erformance-kit

this is what i was thinking of: http://www.harley-davidson.com/store...ck-highlighted

 

Can you guys go through this and give me a synopsis of what you think? Ties into your thread I think. Reason being I too have been looking for my next upgrade. Bottom line, looking at an S&S 124 and being done with it.
http://www.jamesrussellpublishing.bi...buyharley.html

 

I just wonder if it would be worth it to split the cases.. upgrade the bearings and the crank assy. Have the requisite boring completed.. to then turn around and install this kit..

It'd be my guess though that at that point... price wise at least.. that one would just be better off by simply doing the S&S or a similar type 117 or 124 upgrade and skipping this 'kit' altogether..

Reminds me of the 120R.. in some ways. The number sounds cool.. and can give bragging rights in certain circles I suppose.. it looks good.. but unless a few fundamental flaws are corrected with it.. it subsequently boils down to issues regarding reliability and the build as it is.. not matching expectations or the hype..

I also didn't see anywhere in anything that I've watched or read about HD recommending any type of oil cooler system to be paired with the 110/117 bolt ons either..

 

I have read this web page on several occasions.. looks like hes added a few new 'Twin cams suck and this is why' remarks to his page.. from when I was there last.

While there is some merit to some of the points he makes.. A lot of what he goes on about IMO is 'worst case scenarios' situations.. bad this, poor that, improperly engineered this, this is gonna break, you'll have a blowout using those.. and on and on and on.. he loves Sporties though of that there is no question.. but his 'the sky is falling' list of HD TC engines blow, is from what I have seen and experienced just a load of B.S.

By the time you get through the list... you feel like a schmoe and that you've been 'taken or jipped' for having purchased the bike you now own. Do problems happen with our bikes? yeah sure they do.. ALL mechanical things have or will have issues.. its only a matter of time and how they are used, maintained etc.. is there some places where HD cuts corners to move units and where poor (and cheaper) engineering/ parts/tolerances/practices got the nod vs. say doing it the way it actually should be done.. yep to that too..

But you've been riding your scoot now for awhile Hrd.. you know what you like about it and what you don't.. you know where you'd like to see an improvement(s) and where none are needed.. Your bike wouldn't be the customized beast that it is if you didn't enjoy riding and wrenching it yourself..

Flopping to a 124 for the sake of 'fixing' this dudes 'list of problems' is akin to throwing the baby out with the bath water IMO.. sanity kicks in after sitting back and noticing.. well I've never had any problems with enter area here ----> ... ... on my HD as this guy describes in his diatribe..

Only you can decide if you want (or need) a 124.. gonna go racing? Wanna whup your friends in the stop light to stop light challenge? Do you haul enough gear and or ol' lady on a regular enough basis, that would require this big of a jump? What is the streetability gonna be like with this monster once its on? Is it gonna cook my bag when I sit in traffic waiting for ANY wind or the chance to move to cool it off?.. more C.I.s' = more heat (bigger stove) Do you ride in a cooler climate or a hotter one normally? What else will I need to do (based on the numbers it WILL generate) need to do xmsn. wise and primary wise to accommodate this thing?

Was or is.. all of Russells hype on Twin cams and modern Harleys 'just suck' and I have now 'addressed' all of HIS concerns with my new build.. so I can rest easier at night knowing that his litany of 'identified issues' has all finally been finally corrected' worth it? Bah..

In the end .. I think our bikes are engineered with 'basic get it out the door' and mandated safety basics in place.. HD now offers a better warranty and coverage for their bikes than they did before.. competition from other manufacturers as well as data collected on reliability issues (don't think they don't check it every second) has pushed them towards that mark recently IMO. With that said.. what a new owner does with it after he/she rolls it out the door on the road home all falls back to the area I mentioned regarding upkeep, maintenance, use etc.. nothing .. especially something as complicated as a modern motorcycle is idiot proof.. I have always been an adherent to the 'man up' principle.. of.. well.. I fu(ked it up by either= repairing it wrong or riding/using it wrong.. and its up to me to correct it.. as I don't allow others to work on my bike .. but that's me..

If I run into some sort of inherent engineering flaw (for me most recently.. I hated the front OEM motor mount) I then came here.. read up on a really well engineered piece that I liked.. and replaced it..

 

The guy blows ALOT smoke and loves his sporties for sure. A sporty has it's place its just not in my garage...I was just sifting through some of the inherent mechanical issues (weak links) and the problems that could incur after building on top of a not so stout bottom end.I just would hate to spend the money and effort doing things twice more than anything. And riding on something that i didn't put my best foot forward on building / putting together wouldn't sit right with me.Just trying to gather all the input I can before I make a move. I do have other things in the works for it in the meantime.Thanks.