I don’t think of my self as better or smarter than the next guy but have some wisdom learned over the years and some of that wisdom is knowing when I don’t know enough and being able to ask questions as I think of them. Ok let me get right to it.

I am not made of money but know how to turn a wrench. With that said I am hoping to learn about engines and associated costs with building from an old or just buying new. At some point one has to be aware of cost of both building from an old tired machine to just buying the latest greatest thing off the show room floor. I know I don’t want to finance so that leaves me with save up and buy or buy old used and build as I go and can afford.

my Dad was a trucker who owned his own equipment and taught me that if you want anything to last or get the best economy out of it to keep it bone stock factory OEM, change the fluids like clockwork at correct intervals and treat it like you love it and it is the only one like it because when it’s gone it’s gone. Well I threw in that last part, sounded good. Anyway I am always eager to learn and expand my wisdom.

OEM vs Performance. Naturally the train of thought is that OEM is designed to give a specific desired outcome of performance while lasting the longest and cost the least to maintain with least amount of breakdowns. We all know OEM is not always best for things like starters, bearings etc etc but at what point is adding performance parts leaning towards poor economy as in “ fuel economy, oil life, parts wear etc “ and not worth it in the grand scheme of things when it relates to having a good drivability with plenty of power on tap while having an engine that will last and not fall apart or require retorquing nuts and bolts all the time to keep it alive?

I like the idea of getting decent fuel economy and being able to drive accross the country and back with out braking down. I’d love to have a snappy throttle response and power that pulls enough to get me through the gears and up to highway speeds in no time flat in any condition be in up hill with a passenger in the dead dog heat days of summer etc.

Are there specific years of engines that are more performance based and will hold up better than others. example. 88ci vs 96ci vs 103ci vs 114ci. I understand there is no replacement for cubic displacement and that the more air an engine can breath the more power it can create but also at a cost of fuel economy.

Thinking there should be a happy medium between power/performance and cost with a good range or distance of travel per tank of fuel and durability of the engine. Hit me with your thought of wisdom. I have a lot to learn before I go out buying just any ol bike and find out I purchased the wrong one.

Oh yeah it might help to know more about me. For hobbies I weld/fabricate, turn wrenches and ride a red 2002 Ninja ZX6R j3 as well as bass fish on the boat etc. I use to be 6’4” at 180 lbs when I graduated high school, now I am 50 years old 6’1” and average 225 lbs. I have been looking at the Heritage Softail Classic because I like the look but I am not sure if I should be looking at a touring bike for comfort instead. That’s me in a nutshell if you want to know more feel free to ask.

I am currently reading this Cam thread linked below. There is a lot to understand with cam opening and closing timing LSA’s etc. just finished part I now on to part II

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/engin...1-and-2-a.html

 

 

N2, we ride motorcycles. We have short attention spans. Try to keep your posts shorter, with bullet points. You could probably make 4-5 threads out of that post.
👍

 

I believe you may be overthinking this. Most any modern Harley-Davidson will be reliable if you take care of it and don't go crazy with modifications. Then again, what do I know? I've only owned three of them over the past 32 years/280,000 miles. In all that time I've only been left stranded twice. Once from a plug wire that came off at the coil and once from a flat tire.

 

Thank you for the wisdom. I spoke with a guy that said not to buy a modern bike 96ci and up with over 25k miles if you don’t have maintenance records and know of it’s service interval history. He asked what my riding style is like, do I just want to cruise it or will I hammer on the throttle or stunt the bike etc. I will hammer on the throttle from time to time as I love the feel of having to hold on with the rush of wind blowing by as the bike accelerates as well as being able speed up quick enough to make safe passes when stuck behind slower moving traffic. I won’t be stunting and don’t need to blast everyone’s ear drums to make a statement about how loud my bike is. No offense to those who like their bikes super loud and maybe this is for performance reasons and is part of the equation I have yet to discover and understand.

This guy explained that the 88ci engines were bullet proof and that is why a lot of guys choose the 92 through 2006 bikes. He told me in 2007 when they introduced the 96ci that the crank shaft used was a two piece crank and that some people have the crank welded together and replace the stock bearings with Timken bearings at the crank to case bearing for lifetime durability.

A bit more about me. I typically buy things with the intent of never selling so I try to understand as much about it before buying. Once I make up my mind to buy I try to learn as much as possible so I know what to expect. I like consistency and knowing what I can expect from a piece of equipment that I will own. I’m not the got to have the latest and greatest type of person. No offense to those who are and can afford it. To each his own.

 

At least he used paragraphs! Still didn’t read it, though. 😎

 

I’ve had three Harleys starting with a 1991 EVO FLHS Electraglide Sport, what turned into the Road King in later years. Next was a 2004 Road King, now a 2018 Road King. So all three “modern” motors over the years. Each design has their share of aging issues. The EVOs notorious for leaking cylinder base gaskets, the Twin Cam for self destructing cam chain tensioners, the M8 engine sumping and transmission oil migration to primary drive case. My EVO leaked and I fixed it myself plus upgraded the cam. Twin Cam got a cam upgrade plus upgraded to hydraulic tensioners before the stock spring loaded failed, again I did the work. My M8, all stock, has never sumped and never migrated. As you, I keep things that work long term.

The first two bikes got mild cam upgrades just to bump up the low to mid range torque, kept the fuel economy and valve train longevity. The M8 stock doesn’t need this, I did bump the electronic tune to a Stage One which fixed a stock tune spark knock and lame idle. I’m not a drag racer but I enjoy the solid power when getting on the freeway or passing cars. I’m a fan of Electraglide type rubber mounted engines for long distance comfort.

Any bike design can have issues. My prior to Harley was a ‘72 450 Honda (ate a crankshaft bearing) a ‘79 750 Yamaha triple (mid RPM shudder, sh**y shifting 1 to 2) and a ‘86 Yamaha Virago 1000 (leaked oil from the PCV system out the back of the airbox down the rear RH side, sh**ty shifting 2 to 3).

 

It was a long post but it contained paragraphs with proper sentence structure. I say BRAVO!

Add a torque cam and complete stage 2 and ride it till the wheels fall off. Best of both worlds. Snappy response but not a race bike.

I personally really like the M8 and it feels like a performance engine compared to my 96tc which is also stock. I have ridden across the country once and across the state often. Good mileage, nice power, decent mileage.

 

Thank you NoRegerts for the positivity with cam suggestion as well as for your service.

I still have a lot of research to do and hopefully a lot of suggestions will get me there. Like pipe, air cleaner, injection tune etc etc.

Hey NoRegerts, so you like the bigger Touring bikes? Do you mind if I ask your height and weight?

The only Harley I have ever driven was a ‘07 heritage Softail Classic said to have performance enhancements. One of which was the exhaust.

 

You want my age and favorite author too? No, I kid. I'm 6'0" 210 with 34" inseam. I'm 38 and Stephen King to round it out. I have a Springer too, but I fell in love with the M8 engine and this Touring frame handles a lot better than I would have ever guessed. I raised the rear using Ohlins and that helped a lot. But yes, these heavier touring bikes are surprisingly nimble. It took some practice sessions to get the slow u turns down, but I'm pretty good with the low speed stuff now too. The weight melts away on the highway, and anymore, I rarely feel that I'm on a 900+ pound motorcycle. I have over 17k on this bike in the past year and a lot around here have even more. Your father's advice was great, the brighter the candle burns, the shorter its life. But the M8 has a stronger crank, the weak oil pump has been fixed in late model year 19 and up, and I'm seeing these engine run into the 100k without issues.

I'm planning on a stage two with the cam for that seat of pants take off, and even then it's only compared to other bikes. Cars can't even try to keep up with the bike stoplight to stoplight. I run about 80mph on the highway and that puts the engine about 3k RPM. I try to keep the engine speed above 2k and sometimes, though not often, I redline.