Gents, I spend the last couple of days reading some very extensive threads about engine work in this forum. They made me realize that I have absolutely no clue on these subjects. The common factor on all these threads appear to be the possibility of engine damage. Damage that not only comes from bad upgrade component choices but also from stock component that cant sustain the power added to the engine. My force question, mainly to those with true knowledge about this is, Is engine work worth it?

The obvious answers would be, it depends on what you want or what kind of riding are you going to do. This I know. However, my answer to these would be, that I want to keep these bike running as long as I can without having to replace the engine but, like any other member here, I want more power!

Please provide you inputs and experience on what exactly is a happy medium on a 96. And please don't hold back, like I said I am looking to pop my cherry on engine work. Thanks for your inputs ahead of time.

 

dude it's a harley you can drop 5k into your motor and it still won't be fast. It will be "Harley fast" but not fast.

save your dough for a nice vacation or some new ***** for your lady

 

As posted above, it will be harley fast but not fast. that being said, I put the big bore pistons in my 02 and made it a 95" with 9.5:1 compression(saves starter problems) with 211 cams and 2into1 exhaust and carb rejet. I now have 104k miles on the bike and it runs much stronger than when stock. I used all harley parts and the reliability is just fine, no mechanical problems at all. a twist of the throttle lets me know the extra hp and torque is there for me and I love it. dont get radical and your reliability will be just fine.

 

AND it's way faster than when stock!!!!!!

 

I think the cheapest route now, might be to buy the 120R from HARLEY & do some minor upgrades to the crank,heads, & cam.You still would come out pretty reasonable with a good runner!!

 

I think it's worth it but I like wrenching on my bikes. Mild cams, street port, corrected compression about 9.3:1 and most important a Good tune. If you get too wild the crank should be welded and Timkin bearings installed. I also think the 30T pulley is a must do mod for the ones with a 32/66 combo.

 

I think you want to be very clear of the aims of expensive engine work on a Harley.

If its for the fun of the work itself then I'd thoroughly recommend it. Its a great feeling when you turn the engine over for the first time after major work and it actually fires up. If it improved the performance too then that's a bonus.

If you do it because you are disapointed in the bike's current performance then personally I wouldn't do it. The difference just isn't great enough. I think a better bet is to buy a faster model.

Having said that, you should never underestimate the "I have spent $3000. It is therefore MUCH faster" self-delusion factor. No matter that its only got 10% more power and that's only in a sweet-spot and that it runs like a lame dog around town; as long as you think it now runs like a Bonneville Flats racer then thats all that matters.

The worst reason to do it is for resale value. Big bore kits generally add little or nothing to the resale value because people are wary of engines that have been rebuilt - especially if done by an non-professional.

As for engine life...Generally I'd say that nearly every time something has let me down on a bike its because it was something that I fiddled with. Which makes me sound like a crap engineer - and maybe so. However, once a bike has been through a shake-down period there is nothing like leaving it well alone apart from scheduled servicing to make it last a long time. Start pissing about with a bike and it is more likely to go wrong.

 

Good deal Gents. First of all, I want to thank everyone for their Honest inputs. I must admit that I was expecting some "macho, I'm the baddest in the street" answers to my legit concerns, and so far that has not been the case. So thanks to all. What I have taken from all this has sustained my initial gut feeling about engine work. There is a lot of info out there, and all this can get confusing and lure one in to spend 5k with unrealistic expectations. I will focus on the common upgrades for now and take the ***** route.

 

So you want more out of your bike than your looking in the right direction. If you keep it mild and don't ride it like you stole you shouldn't have breakage problems. But also if your always pushing the envelope even a stock bike will break something.

I've been away a little while courtesy of Uncle Sam and when I return in the up coming summer I plan on having a few little goodies waiting for me to spruce up the 96.

Here is what I plan on doing to my bike 2-1 exhaust, TTS master tune, heavy breather, woods 255. Now this should keep it mild but also add some more spunk with out being over the top.

Also remember if you are planning on doing the work yourself get a manual, quality tools and good torque wrench. With these you will do fine. Good luck hope you find what your looking for.

 

For about $1000 bucks, you can add a good, reliable 30 horses/30-35 lbs of torque and sure...going over stock numbers will add more stress to things, name of the game. Then again, there are guys out there that have great luck and get 100k+ out of their build hot rods....and some that have crank failure after 500 miles.



But...throw in some mild cams, some decent slip on's or full exhaust, a tuner/good tune and make your bike run the way it should have from the factory (IMHO). Paul S has a great combo for sure, a little more cash due to the head work/30t pulley.

I don't expect a fast bike when I'm done (came from sportbikes, and left for a reason) but some extra power adds to what I consider my favorite bike ever.