114 vs 107
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,437
Likes: 848
From: The High Plains, USA
I had my heart set on a 114 before I bought my 107. Long story short, I went to the dealership and they were doing demo rides. They had a Heritage with the 107. Rode it and loved it. Definitely no lack of power and on the Heritage, I think you can get away with the 107 a little easier than on a "hot rod" style bike like the Fat Bob or Fat Boy. Now if they had a 114 in stock I probably would have gone with that but the 107 does not leave me feeling disappointed in any way. The only thing I don't care for is the round air cleaner cover which I'm going to replace with a Ventilator soon.
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 331
Likes: 102
From: Southern Ohio
I had my heart set on a 114 before I bought my 107. Long story short, I went to the dealership and they were doing demo rides. They had a Heritage with the 107. Rode it and loved it. Definitely no lack of power and on the Heritage, I think you can get away with the 107 a little easier than on a "hot rod" style bike like the Fat Bob or Fat Boy. Now if they had a 114 in stock I probably would have gone with that but the 107 does not leave me feeling disappointed in any way. The only thing I don't care for is the round air cleaner cover which I'm going to replace with a Ventilator soon.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,584
Likes: 918
From: coast to coast
For my part I was happy with my '16 Road King powerwise. It just was un-enjoyably hot to ride for 3 months a year. Chasing a solution started a process I never found full satisfaction with before trading. There was a lot more to try, and plenty others either solved it or don't have the same issue I did, but the M8 was the good call for me in either 107 or 114 flavor.
I love the stock motor and I'm tempted to stage 1 for sound and motor health...
I'm tempted to Stage 2 because...oh hell...no good reason, but it sounds fun.
Stage 3 is the bargain of the bunch for 25% increase across the board at 2x cost Vs Stage 2 gains....and still full warranty....
I gotta stop talking now before I build a rocket ship.
I've got a hotted up Evo and a rock solid TC Dyna stage 1...I want this Heritage to LAST by not overdoing the mods.
For me this bike gives me power I'm happy with, heat I can live with....it could use a tiny bit more sound...
It's like whack-a-mole!!
But mostly I'm good.
Last edited by Thingfish; Oct 11, 2017 at 02:44 PM.
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 227
Likes: 29
From: Atlanta
Not this guy. One of the main reasons I traded my '15 103 Ultra Limited Low was a distinct lack of power and torque at any rpm.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 94
Likes: 13
From: SW Region
Inevitably everybody wants to increase the horsepower torque and displacement at some point. The 114 starts off with more potential due to its stroke being about half an inch longer. That also means that later on down the line, if you go with a larger bore, that longer stroke will yield you a bigger increase.
With engine design, if two engines have the same displacement but one has a large bore and short stroke and the other has a small bore and long stroke, the one with the longer stroke will have more torque. Most Harley riders like low end torque because it is what gets you going. Think of the crank pin as a lever and a longer stroke is a longer lever.
The 114 has a better chance of keeping you satisfied as is. These engines are built with tighter tolerances than in the past. As a result, everything is very tight. As they get broken in, they loosen up and produce more power. The difference between the two engines will be more pronounced after break in.
The difference in purchase price is minimal and is substantially cheaper than an upgrade after the fact. To me its a no brainer to go with the 114
Later on when you sell or trade in the bike, that factory 114 will be more desirable and worth more and to the lender, the vin will be tied to a bike worth more.
With engine design, if two engines have the same displacement but one has a large bore and short stroke and the other has a small bore and long stroke, the one with the longer stroke will have more torque. Most Harley riders like low end torque because it is what gets you going. Think of the crank pin as a lever and a longer stroke is a longer lever.
The 114 has a better chance of keeping you satisfied as is. These engines are built with tighter tolerances than in the past. As a result, everything is very tight. As they get broken in, they loosen up and produce more power. The difference between the two engines will be more pronounced after break in.
The difference in purchase price is minimal and is substantially cheaper than an upgrade after the fact. To me its a no brainer to go with the 114
Later on when you sell or trade in the bike, that factory 114 will be more desirable and worth more and to the lender, the vin will be tied to a bike worth more.
Heat wise, my 114 is much cooler than my 103 Rushmore Road King. It would make sense the 107 might be cooler still, unless your running it harder to make the same power.
Power wise, I rode both and as a low mile demo bike they both felt good, but didn't really get a full sample of either. I chose the 114 because it was in the bike I preferred. Also my basic instinct was $1,300 difference for 7 cubes more couldn't be a bad choice. After putting a few thousand miles on it I'll say these motors get a lot stronger after break in. Lots of gear driven parts that need to learn their mesh. With the 114, upgrading is purely optional compared to other stock motors I've had. Don't need more power, heat is fine...could use a notch more sound. Not 100% sure I'd feel the same on a 107, but possibly.
One deciding factor is if you think you'll ever build it up. The 114 is basically a stronger base to go Stage 3 or 4 on the existing architecture over the 107. If you plan to stop at stage 1 and maybe adding a cam, either might make you happy.
Power wise, I rode both and as a low mile demo bike they both felt good, but didn't really get a full sample of either. I chose the 114 because it was in the bike I preferred. Also my basic instinct was $1,300 difference for 7 cubes more couldn't be a bad choice. After putting a few thousand miles on it I'll say these motors get a lot stronger after break in. Lots of gear driven parts that need to learn their mesh. With the 114, upgrading is purely optional compared to other stock motors I've had. Don't need more power, heat is fine...could use a notch more sound. Not 100% sure I'd feel the same on a 107, but possibly.
One deciding factor is if you think you'll ever build it up. The 114 is basically a stronger base to go Stage 3 or 4 on the existing architecture over the 107. If you plan to stop at stage 1 and maybe adding a cam, either might make you happy.
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Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 667
Likes: 189
From: U.K.
Both will do the job well. But if you're planning on doing any engine mods, why would you not just go with the more powerful motor to begin with?