Stage 4
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Stage I
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Canada
Stage 4
Hey folks, happy new year.
Any input from past experiences would be great.. I just purchased a 2013 roadglide custom, 103 ci, and looking at having dealer install a stage 4 kit ( cams, heads, pistons, throttle body etc..) There are a considerable advertised performance gains from what i can see ( advertised by harley no less).
For about $2000 plus labour, and required exhaust and air filter it seems reasonable, and will maintain factory warranty ( the reason for new bike)
Should i expect the increase that they state, and how will it affect drivability, overheating in traffic etc. ? possible reason for using forged pistons, better heat transfer?
I suspect that the 'CNC ported' heads are basically stock ones that are cleaned up, no major cutting, that said, would the 259e cams that come with the kit be an acceptable install without purchasing the whole kit?
Touring, recreational street riding, boulevard bashing and general use, not interested in being the fastest cat on the block, just improving things here.
Thanks!
Any input from past experiences would be great.. I just purchased a 2013 roadglide custom, 103 ci, and looking at having dealer install a stage 4 kit ( cams, heads, pistons, throttle body etc..) There are a considerable advertised performance gains from what i can see ( advertised by harley no less).
For about $2000 plus labour, and required exhaust and air filter it seems reasonable, and will maintain factory warranty ( the reason for new bike)
Should i expect the increase that they state, and how will it affect drivability, overheating in traffic etc. ? possible reason for using forged pistons, better heat transfer?
I suspect that the 'CNC ported' heads are basically stock ones that are cleaned up, no major cutting, that said, would the 259e cams that come with the kit be an acceptable install without purchasing the whole kit?
Touring, recreational street riding, boulevard bashing and general use, not interested in being the fastest cat on the block, just improving things here.
Thanks!
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Welcome to HDF from the UK. Season's greetings!
How long is your warranty? I ask because here in the engine forum we have HDF sponsors who modify and tune engines. I suspect they can work wonders on a 103, porting your heads, raising compression, swapping cams, etc and matching everything just so. That sort of work may harm your warranty, but is also likely to give even better performance gains.
If you can hold out until your warranty is done......
Any such work, either that stage 4 or an indy, should cure the heat problem, by optimising fuelling, so that will become a thing of the past. Some larger tuning houses use CNC porting, simply to faithfully reproduce port shapes, nothing to be suspicious of there!
Take a read through recent threads in here, to get a measure of what goes on. It is worth contacting alternative tuners to your dealer, to see what other options are available.
How long is your warranty? I ask because here in the engine forum we have HDF sponsors who modify and tune engines. I suspect they can work wonders on a 103, porting your heads, raising compression, swapping cams, etc and matching everything just so. That sort of work may harm your warranty, but is also likely to give even better performance gains.
If you can hold out until your warranty is done......
Any such work, either that stage 4 or an indy, should cure the heat problem, by optimising fuelling, so that will become a thing of the past. Some larger tuning houses use CNC porting, simply to faithfully reproduce port shapes, nothing to be suspicious of there!
Take a read through recent threads in here, to get a measure of what goes on. It is worth contacting alternative tuners to your dealer, to see what other options are available.
HDF Community Team
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,776
Likes: 2,607
From: san antonio
That sounds like the kit shown below. If so, your factory warranty will remain intact.
The only suggestion I would make is that you substitute the SE Tapered adjustable pushrods for the prefect fits if the dealer will allow with no impact on the warranty provision of the kit.
The only suggestion I would make is that you substitute the SE Tapered adjustable pushrods for the prefect fits if the dealer will allow with no impact on the warranty provision of the kit.
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 741
Likes: 11
From: West Central WI
Hey folks, happy new year.
Any input from past experiences would be great.. I just purchased a 2013 roadglide custom, 103 ci, and looking at having dealer install a stage 4 kit ( cams, heads, pistons, throttle body etc..) There are a considerable advertised performance gains from what i can see ( advertised by harley no less).
For about $2000 plus labour, and required exhaust and air filter it seems reasonable, and will maintain factory warranty ( the reason for new bike)
Should i expect the increase that they state, and how will it affect drivability, overheating in traffic etc. ? possible reason for using forged pistons, better heat transfer?
I suspect that the 'CNC ported' heads are basically stock ones that are cleaned up, no major cutting, that said, would the 259e cams that come with the kit be an acceptable install without purchasing the whole kit?
Touring, recreational street riding, boulevard bashing and general use, not interested in being the fastest cat on the block, just improving things here.
Thanks!
Any input from past experiences would be great.. I just purchased a 2013 roadglide custom, 103 ci, and looking at having dealer install a stage 4 kit ( cams, heads, pistons, throttle body etc..) There are a considerable advertised performance gains from what i can see ( advertised by harley no less).
For about $2000 plus labour, and required exhaust and air filter it seems reasonable, and will maintain factory warranty ( the reason for new bike)
Should i expect the increase that they state, and how will it affect drivability, overheating in traffic etc. ? possible reason for using forged pistons, better heat transfer?
I suspect that the 'CNC ported' heads are basically stock ones that are cleaned up, no major cutting, that said, would the 259e cams that come with the kit be an acceptable install without purchasing the whole kit?
Touring, recreational street riding, boulevard bashing and general use, not interested in being the fastest cat on the block, just improving things here.
Thanks!
Tourer
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 432
Likes: 2
From: SW of Fort Worth
Your choice of exhaust will either make this build a great performer or an OK performer.
I did the Stage IV upgrade to my '09 Streetglide with about 5000 miles on the 96 motor. At that time they were including the SE260 cam instead of the 259E.
The SE260 was a great HP cam with a lot of grunt all the way up to 6k rpm. But it lacked low end torque. Not good especially for 2-up riding.
But the exhaust is the key like I said. I chose the D&D Boss 2 into 1. Later, I decide to change cams and after a few, I ended up with the TR-625. All I can say is, the Stage IV with the TR625 is a killer combo....along with the D&D. I dyno'd 114hp/112 Torque with a nice torque curve. Engine pulls strong all the way down to 2000 rpm and kicks butt up to 6000.
Good luck with your build.
Jim
I did the Stage IV upgrade to my '09 Streetglide with about 5000 miles on the 96 motor. At that time they were including the SE260 cam instead of the 259E.
The SE260 was a great HP cam with a lot of grunt all the way up to 6k rpm. But it lacked low end torque. Not good especially for 2-up riding.
But the exhaust is the key like I said. I chose the D&D Boss 2 into 1. Later, I decide to change cams and after a few, I ended up with the TR-625. All I can say is, the Stage IV with the TR625 is a killer combo....along with the D&D. I dyno'd 114hp/112 Torque with a nice torque curve. Engine pulls strong all the way down to 2000 rpm and kicks butt up to 6000.
Good luck with your build.
Jim
HDF Community Team
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,776
Likes: 2,607
From: san antonio
Your choice of exhaust will either make this build a great performer or an OK performer.
I did the Stage IV upgrade to my '09 Streetglide with about 5000 miles on the 96 motor. At that time they were including the SE260 cam instead of the 259E.
The SE260 was a great HP cam with a lot of grunt all the way up to 6k rpm. But it lacked low end torque. Not good especially for 2-up riding.
But the exhaust is the key like I said. I chose the D&D Boss 2 into 1. Later, I decide to change cams and after a few, I ended up with the TR-625. All I can say is, the Stage IV with the TR625 is a killer combo....along with the D&D. I dyno'd 114hp/112 Torque with a nice torque curve. Engine pulls strong all the way down to 2000 rpm and kicks butt up to 6000.
Good luck with your build.
Jim
I did the Stage IV upgrade to my '09 Streetglide with about 5000 miles on the 96 motor. At that time they were including the SE260 cam instead of the 259E.
The SE260 was a great HP cam with a lot of grunt all the way up to 6k rpm. But it lacked low end torque. Not good especially for 2-up riding.
But the exhaust is the key like I said. I chose the D&D Boss 2 into 1. Later, I decide to change cams and after a few, I ended up with the TR-625. All I can say is, the Stage IV with the TR625 is a killer combo....along with the D&D. I dyno'd 114hp/112 Torque with a nice torque curve. Engine pulls strong all the way down to 2000 rpm and kicks butt up to 6000.
Good luck with your build.
Jim
Good to know about the 625 matchup with the MoCo 103" kit.
Same experience here as BVBOB. Bike dynoed out ok but nothing phenomenal. It also had the SE CNC heads. Customer ended up being the bike back later and I changed the cams out for a set of TMan's to bring in the torque earlier which made it easier to ride but there was only so much I could do since he didn't want to pull the heads again.
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Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 502
Likes: 0
From: Roads of Idaho
Here is my sheet from my Stage IV Race Kit, High Desert HD put it together for me. Mine had forged pistons, 10.62-1 comp, Aim clutch, and alot of other stuff. The parts list is much longer and cost $3200 for the kit plus the install, tune etc. It is fast, and horse power is climbing when the redline (6250) shuts it down.
HDHD has since put together an all HD kit except for the clutch and have installed 2 besides mine with nearly identical numbers.
OP: U will need a tuner, the kit of which U speak doesn't come with one does it?
HDHD has since put together an all HD kit except for the clutch and have installed 2 besides mine with nearly identical numbers.
OP: U will need a tuner, the kit of which U speak doesn't come with one does it?
Last edited by petewerner; Jan 9, 2013 at 07:19 AM.