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-   -   Let’s hear from folks that have done 114 to 117 stage three on 2018 M8 (https://www.hdforums.com/forum/milwaukee-eight-m8/1213627-letis-hear-from-folks-that-have-done-114-to-117-stage-three-on-2018-m8.html)

BigRed117 01-06-2018 06:41 PM

Let’s hear from folks that have done 114 to 117 stage three on 2018 M8
 
I posted this question on another thread but got no real responses except how to break in a new motor, which of course were inaccurate in my humble opinion.
I just like to hear from folks who have done stage three on their 114 M8 particularly with the 2018 M8 with the upgraded oil pump. You happy with it? Any issues? Noticeable power from the seat of your pants? Any dyno numbers? Sorry I know lots of questions but just interest in what other folks are experiencing. Thanks for your responses.

BigRed117 01-12-2018 05:21 PM

Well I guess no one or they aren’t posting. Folks you don’t know what your missing.

Mofo67 01-12-2018 05:38 PM

I have only have the stage 2 done so far but as you can see in my other post I am thinking about Stage 4 but using the stage 2 TQ. cam of the stage 3 cam. I don’t ride at the red line so Stage 4 puts the power up in an area that may not be usable for me.
I know this 2018 is a 117, have you replaced the cam or had addition work done? You mention above we don’t know what we are missing so I am wondering from what perspective you are speaking.

BigRed117 01-12-2018 06:21 PM

If you want to maintain any warranty hopes you must use the cam that comes with the stage three. I have a riding buddy that put a stage two cam in his fat bob. I have ridden it and while it is nice and torquey it is no comparison to the stage three. He also agrees with me. You get a nice boost down low on the rpm scale but after about 4K rpm it peters out while the stage three just keeps on getting stronger. I would say they are almost equal to 3500 but then things change. I like you, thought I would not ride that much above 3500 rpm but I was certainly wrong. Let me tell you downshifting to pass is a thing of the past. Just roll on the throttle and you will not believe the torque you’ll get. The cam for the stage 3 is pretty much perfect as it gives you pretty strong torque down low like the torque cam but after about 3500 rpm you will notice a rather large difference as it continues to pull all the way up to 5500. Your bike will have a mild lope( less than torque cam) much deeper exhaust note and louder sound from exhaust. My bike next to my buddies Fatbob which has Hines slipons are pretty much the same sound level and I have street cannons. Service tech tells me I need to put about 5000 miles on it to really reap the benefits. If you strongly feel you will always ride within the 3500 to 4K rpm range, frankly I would suggest you stay with the torque cam as it has more kick in that range than either the three or four stages. If you think you will run in the 4 to 5 k rpm range at least 35% of the time the stage three will really make you smile. If all your doing is cruising the boulevard and never really going much over 60 most of the time I agree you have exactly what you need right now. Good luck on your decision. Oh by the way no sumping and no tranny fluid migration....hope and fingers crossed.

Mofo67 01-13-2018 05:30 AM

Thank you for the information. While I enjoy what I have I miss what I had. I am about 10hp/10tq on the bottom and top of the rpm range and 20/TQ at about 3,000 short of my old bike. I agree with you that stage 3 is the way to go for me and my riding style, but I can’t see leaving the heads, TB and injectors on the table for an extra grand of the stage 4 kit. I am thinking with Stage 4 and using the stage 3 cam it would be really nice. Anyway I’m heading to the shop in a few hours and I’ll post what they tell me.

BigRed117 01-13-2018 08:37 AM


Originally Posted by Mofo67 (Post 16993008)
Thank you for the information. While I enjoy what I have I miss what I had. I am about 10hp/10tq on the bottom and top of the rpm range and 20/TQ at about 3,000 short of my old bike. I agree with you that stage 3 is the way to go for me and my riding style, but I can’t see leaving the heads, TB and injectors on the table for an extra grand of the stage 4 kit. I am thinking with Stage 4 and using the stage 3 cam it would be really nice. Anyway I’m heading to the shop in a few hours and I’ll post what they tell me.

No matter what you get, you will get used to it and you will want more. Your right the stage four gives you heads and a larger throttle body. Sounds like your not concerned about your warrant if you plan to mix cams with a stage four. HD will not warranty that change, believe me. If your going to blow your warranty you may want to consider an after market upgrade like Fuelmoto has. I think they have a post about their stage up grade. The aftermarket folks are much more aggressive and you will really get more bang for your buck. Just remember what ever you choose you have to live with and if you have lots of power with a nonstreetable bike, I don’t think you will be very happy. Power is a nice thing but if you plan to run on the street keep streetability in mind. Good luck!

Mofo67 01-13-2018 04:38 PM

Good news I have a couple of weeks to make up my mind. It has to be installed by February 28th to ensure the warranty so they said if I order by February 1st I will be ok. They also said I could do Stage 4 with Stage 3 cam and it would be under warranty. Honestly I’m not buying it so I will consult a couple of other dealers next week. You are absolutely right that non-streetable power is useless. I normally ride 200-300 mile weekend trips and 1-2 long trips a year so it has to be enjoyable, usable power. Thanks again for your imput.

BigRed117 01-13-2018 05:58 PM


Originally Posted by Mofo67 (Post 16994455)
Good news I have a couple of weeks to make up my mind. It has to be installed by February 28th to ensure the warranty so they said if I order by February 1st I will be ok. They also said I could do Stage 4 with Stage 3 cam and it would be under warranty. Honestly I’m not buying it so I will consult a couple of other dealers next week. You are absolutely right that non-streetable power is useless. I normally ride 200-300 mile weekend trips and 1-2 long trips a year so it has to be enjoyable, usable power. Thanks again for your imput.

Dude don’t believe your dealer. Think about what you do if you get a break down 350 miles from home and must use another dealer for that warranty work who could figure out what you have done fairly easy. If HD even gets wind of what you and your dealer have done they will dump you like a hot potato and fine the dealer. If your doing a lot of highway miles the cam in stage four is what you would want unless all those miles are on little country roads at speeds in the 40’s and 50’s. Stage four is really perfect for those Highway/freeway cruising miles where you can really take advantage of the higher rpms and increased power you get in that rpm range. I used to help build corvette 427 motors as a form of relaxation. Folks wanted it all, that is low end torque and high end torque from a single cam. You can get a low end torque cam or a high end torque end cam but you can’t get both. Think long and hard on your decision as you will have to live with it. Your right to take advantage of the HD service special. I just wish they would include the 2018 models as well. Best of luck to you.

Thingfish 01-14-2018 12:01 PM


Originally Posted by BigRed117 (Post 16992146)
If you want to maintain any warranty hopes you must use the cam that comes with the stage three. I have a riding buddy that put a stage two cam in his fat bob. I have ridden it and while it is nice and torquey it is no comparison to the stage three. He also agrees with me. You get a nice boost down low on the rpm scale but after about 4K rpm it peters out while the stage three just keeps on getting stronger. I would say they are almost equal to 3500 but then things change. I like you, thought I would not ride that much above 3500 rpm but I was certainly wrong. Let me tell you downshifting to pass is a thing of the past. Just roll on the throttle and you will not believe the torque you’ll get. The cam for the stage 3 is pretty much perfect as it gives you pretty strong torque down low like the torque cam but after about 3500 rpm you will notice a rather large difference as it continues to pull all the way up to 5500. Your bike will have a mild lope( less than torque cam) much deeper exhaust note and louder sound from exhaust. My bike next to my buddies Fatbob which has Hines slipons are pretty much the same sound level and I have street cannons. Service tech tells me I need to put about 5000 miles on it to really reap the benefits. If you strongly feel you will always ride within the 3500 to 4K rpm range, frankly I would suggest you stay with the torque cam as it has more kick in that range than either the three or four stages. If you think you will run in the 4 to 5 k rpm range at least 35% of the time the stage three will really make you smile. If all your doing is cruising the boulevard and never really going much over 60 most of the time I agree you have exactly what you need right now. Good luck on your decision. Oh by the way no sumping and no tranny fluid migration....hope and fingers crossed.

I appreciate the description BR. The stage 3 sounds like a ton of fun, but you're helping me figure out that my Stage 2 fits my profile pretty well at the moment. I rarely go above 4000, and mostly to shift. I wring it out to 5000 probably 2% of the time....I'd likely do it more with the stage 3 since it'd be more fun...but I already have trouble keeping myself under triple digits in the meat of the stage 2 powerband because it's just fun to "go there". 100 mph is 3650 on my Stage 2 114....I can live with that for now. Maybe down the road the itch will grow, usually does, and either my bike will have become a tried and true companion with no need for more - or I'll take it to stage 3 for that extra fun top end. Thanks again for sharing your comprehensive impression/details. I'm sure I'd love the stage 3, but it's nice to be able to just leave the checkbook in the drawer for now...at least as long as I can ;)

BigRed117 01-14-2018 12:54 PM


Originally Posted by Thingfish (Post 16996452)
I appreciate the description BR. The stage 3 sounds like a ton of fun, but you're helping me figure out that my Stage 2 fits my profile pretty well at the moment. I rarely go above 4000, and mostly to shift. I wring it out to 5000 probably 2% of the time....I'd likely do it more with the stage 3 since it'd be more fun...but I already have trouble keeping myself under triple digits in the meat of the stage 2 powerband because it's just fun to "go there". 100 mph is 3650 on my Stage 2 114....I can live with that for now. Maybe down the road the itch will grow, usually does, and either my bike will have become a tried and true companion with no need for more - or I'll take it to stage 3 for that extra fun top end. Thanks again for sharing your comprehensive impression/details. I'm sure I'd love the stage 3, but it's nice to be able to just leave the checkbook in the drawer for now...at least as long as I can ;)

Yes the torque cam is fun. If you hang around 4 to 4500 rpm you will not miss much of a change between the two. However once you pass 4500 oh baby. Great choice you have made and your right don’t really need it in your riding style.


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