Head Work Questions
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
I am not a fan of big inch motors, pain in the butt if you ask me.....best Harley motor I know of for rideability is a 1996 1340 with an S&S carby and a rumblesticks sidecar cam.....would pull a house down with the right rear tyre. It gives the impression of being a much larger motor due to the massive torque....and remember boys and girls, unless you are Valentino Rossi or Burt Munroe, most of those horsepower you are paying for will never get used..... its like paying for Kobe beef and only eating the vegetables...I'm just saying....
The usable stuff is torque, not power. To be serious for a moment, I had a TC88, stage 1 with a 21T compensator. Riding that bike solo was a hoot, because of the high torque the gearing gave it in top gear. Now to get the same torque-to weight-ratio for my Glide, when riding 2-up, would justify that 131" I mentioned, just to match that darned twinkie in a top-gear roll-on.
To beat it away would require the 140" or more. Given the money I could justify that....
Stage II
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Dublin, Ireland
[quote=chopperNeil;8188692]Thanks for the input Guys, have spoken to a head specialist here in the UK and a bit of basic work on my existing heads seems to be the way to go.
Neil,
I too am in your neck of the woods and looking to get a head job. Who is the specialists in this area with a good reputation in UK. I have just put a SE big bore into my 2003 ultra but reckon it also needs the heads done.
Question for all here: I have heard that the 03 heads need a lot of work to port correctly but HD improved the TC heads in 06 so need a lot less work to get good flow. Is this true and if so is it worth buying a set of used 06 heads to port instead of the originals? Is there an alternative "off the shelf" set of ported heads available?
Appreciate any help and apologies to Neil for hijacking the thread.LOL
Neil,
I too am in your neck of the woods and looking to get a head job. Who is the specialists in this area with a good reputation in UK. I have just put a SE big bore into my 2003 ultra but reckon it also needs the heads done.
Question for all here: I have heard that the 03 heads need a lot of work to port correctly but HD improved the TC heads in 06 so need a lot less work to get good flow. Is this true and if so is it worth buying a set of used 06 heads to port instead of the originals? Is there an alternative "off the shelf" set of ported heads available?
Appreciate any help and apologies to Neil for hijacking the thread.LOL
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 187
Likes: 5
From: SE London/Kent Borders UK
Neil,
I too am in your neck of the woods and looking to get a head job. Who is the specialists in this area with a good reputation in UK. I have just put a SE big bore into my 2003 ultra but reckon it also needs the heads done.
Question for all here: I have heard that the 03 heads need a lot of work to port correctly but HD improved the TC heads in 06 so need a lot less work to get good flow. Is this true and if so is it worth buying a set of used 06 heads to port instead of the originals? Is there an alternative "off the shelf" set of ported heads available?
Appreciate any help and apologies to Neil for hijacking the thread.LOL
I too am in your neck of the woods and looking to get a head job. Who is the specialists in this area with a good reputation in UK. I have just put a SE big bore into my 2003 ultra but reckon it also needs the heads done.
Question for all here: I have heard that the 03 heads need a lot of work to port correctly but HD improved the TC heads in 06 so need a lot less work to get good flow. Is this true and if so is it worth buying a set of used 06 heads to port instead of the originals? Is there an alternative "off the shelf" set of ported heads available?
Appreciate any help and apologies to Neil for hijacking the thread.LOL
Mine wont have any work done now until the end of the October at least, and if i have the money i may still go for the screamin eagle heads but we will wait and see!
Have a look on ebay SHAWS HD had a set of Screamin Eagle Heads for a twin cam tourer on there the other week for very good money.
At the moment the only advantage i see to getting the SE heads over getting my heads done is the fact that its a viewable bolt on, as in if you go to sell the bike at some point its obvious you have new heads, which may give you some of the money back you have spent.
Stage II
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Dublin, Ireland
Neil,
Thanks for quick response. Yes, I have had contact with Alex in FastLane and had him in mind to do my work if I decided to go that route. I see a new set of 06 heads on ebay for Ł399 which would reduce the cost of porting by Ł100.
I also looked at the option of the screamin eagle performance heads and although they do work out cheaper, I haven't heard enough to convince me that they are the best option.
That said, I won't be selling my bike soon. Too much invested in it at this stage and just want a bit more grunt so willing to spend a little more to get some improvements which don't affect reliability.
Had a bad experience in Redwood, CA, in 2009 when the cam chain tensioners disintegrated at 31,000 miles, hence the S&S gear drive.
I'm starting to plan what I will do next winter, Heads, new cam etc, maybe a bit of paint lol.
Anyone got any feedback on the S&S easy start 551GE cams yet? Look good except for that dip in the middle of the charts.
Thanks for quick response. Yes, I have had contact with Alex in FastLane and had him in mind to do my work if I decided to go that route. I see a new set of 06 heads on ebay for Ł399 which would reduce the cost of porting by Ł100.
I also looked at the option of the screamin eagle performance heads and although they do work out cheaper, I haven't heard enough to convince me that they are the best option.
That said, I won't be selling my bike soon. Too much invested in it at this stage and just want a bit more grunt so willing to spend a little more to get some improvements which don't affect reliability.
Had a bad experience in Redwood, CA, in 2009 when the cam chain tensioners disintegrated at 31,000 miles, hence the S&S gear drive.
I'm starting to plan what I will do next winter, Heads, new cam etc, maybe a bit of paint lol.
Anyone got any feedback on the S&S easy start 551GE cams yet? Look good except for that dip in the middle of the charts.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 187
Likes: 5
From: SE London/Kent Borders UK
For me the screamin eagles are almost twice as much as getting my heads done, but then i could sell my heads to offset some of that as they have done very few miles.
I already have a few things on the list of wanted work over the coming colder months including a full teardown and rebuild of the bike as i want to get the frame and swingarm blasted and re-powdercoated so its not like i need to give myself anymore work!
And your asking in the wrong place for Twin cam details here mate, get over there with those modern machines in the twinkie section
cheers
Neil
I already have a few things on the list of wanted work over the coming colder months including a full teardown and rebuild of the bike as i want to get the frame and swingarm blasted and re-powdercoated so its not like i need to give myself anymore work!
And your asking in the wrong place for Twin cam details here mate, get over there with those modern machines in the twinkie section
cheers
Neil
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