Trying to plan what I want to do for my next bike, and right now I'm thinking about the engine.

I know I want more power than my old Dyna had, so I'm considering a few options such as the Tire Shredder upgrade. But I've also considered going off the reservation and doing something a bit more custom, such as putting in an aftermarket motor.

My question is -- and yes I realize this is hard to answer because it depends on the particulars -- how well do the engines from S&S or Ultima play with a Harley? I want something with power and attitude, but what I don't want is a twitchy, unmanageable monster that's more of a PITA to ride than it's worth.

I want to actually ride this bike, not have it sit in the garage so I can admire how awesome it is. It does seem like there are a lot of powerful, custom Harleys out there that never seem to actually end up being ridden much.

The Dynas and softails I've ridden in past had only stage 1 mods, so no significant engine work. At the moment, my other main bike is a Ducati XDiavel. Yes, it really makes 160 bhp and has an absolutely insane amount of torque if you want it. But for me, the operative point here is "if you want it." Meaning it has excellent power, but it also has extremely good manners and the power is only there when you want it to be. It's never twitchy and it never makes you feel overwhelmed or out of control. It simply does anything you ask it to.

A Harley isn't a Duc and I don't expect it to be. In fact, part of my motivation for doing another Harley project is so I can get something which is fundamentally different than my XDiavel. I gotten used to having that power available, however, I don't want to spend a boatload of cash and end up with a bike which feels unmanageable or too powerful for the rest of the bike to keep up with, if that makes any sense.

So to make a long story endless, I would just like to hear from owners who have either done extensive mods to a stock Harley engine or who went with an aftermarket motor like an S&S or Ultima El Bruto. What do you like about it? What do you not like about it? Would you do it again? What would you do different on a new build?

 

S&S motors will be more reliable than the stock motor because of tighter tolerances, better manufacturing procedures, higher quality materials, etc. Never heard of El Bruto so I cannot give my opinion on that.

I have a S&S 124" Hot Setup Kit in my bike because they don't offer a crate motor for my '05 Fatboy. It is not a twitchy, unmanageable monster because of the 640 cams (torque comes on about 3500 rpm). The only time I have to be careful is when the roads are wet - not a downpour that washes everything away, but the drizzle or light shower that brings all the oil up to the surface.

When people start adding higher compression, different cams, bigger injectors & throttle bodies, under gear the drivetrain, etc., that is when things start to become twitching, unmanageable and a PITA.

 

I run a 107" Ultima. Great engine, lots of ponies. Also, ALL El Brutos up to 127 inch cost the same & come with ignition & a Mikuni carb. I've had mine for 5 years. No problems.

 

Do some checks on chopper websites ( i.e. Club Chopper) or just Google El Bruto. Tons of problems with Ultima, both engines and transmissions. Right there with Revtec. I've had a number of S&S. On resale you will lose more than the cost of an engine with anything with a Revtec or Ultima. People in the "non-Harley" world know about them and stay clear. People who use them either are selling a build for quick sale or replacing a blown up engine on the cheap so they can unload.

 

S&S is the only way to fly. i've got friends with a 124 , and two 96 inch engines that get beat on ,hard. good engines. Ultima ? i wouldn't fool with one of these and i know the guy that started them at E&M motorcycles many years ago. i not saying you can't make them run good. but if i were buying something to keep and ride myself, it would be an S&S.

 

s&s engines are top notch

 

Okay, S&S engines are reliable and top quality. Fair enough.

I'm more concerned about how these motors feel and react in an otherwise (mostly) stock Harley.

I know a guy that had one, and although he echoed the sentiments about the overall quality of the engine, he also said it introduced problems. He said the engine was great, but the rest of the bike just couldn't keep up and needed heavy modifications. At one point he was going through two belts a month (yeah, he rides hard), and eventually converted to a chain. Plus Brembo brakes, and gear work.

After all that his bike was fast, which is what he likes. But to me it seemed like a beast that just wouldn't be fun to ride for general use. But, I could be wrong about that as it's just an impression.

 

I've had probably 100 bikes over the last 50 years. One thing I am sure of. If I had a Harley with a good VIN and I needed to replace the engine I would use a Harley crate engine. If I was building a total custom I would use an S&S with a Baker. I just sold my S&S 124 chopper. I enjoyed it for rides under 50 miles. I now have a '12 Road King Classic that I could ride all day. I'd never confuse one for the other or try to make one into the other.

 

Okay, thanks. That kind of confirms what I had already been thinking.

Like I said earlier, my Duc has massive hp and torque, but it also has a host of modern features to help keep all that power manageable and safe. I see guys on YouTube slapping 150hp fire-breathing monster motors into stock Harleys and I have to wonder if that isn't sort of setting yourself up for failure out on the road. The brakes and handling on most Harleys is already criminally pathetic, and more than doubling the hp without significant changes to the rest of the bike sounds like a bad plan to me.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll have to think on it some more, but I'll probably stick to more mundane mods that make sense rather than trying to build something "cool" that I don't actually ride further than the local BBQ shack.

 

I would go with S&S. Been around since 1958 and USA made!