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Okay I am new to the Harley world but not new to motorcycles, this is bike number 5.
I picked up my 2021 Heritage Classic 107 on Monday and next week Ill turn 71.
I was riding my bike this morning and thought how so much better that this bike is than my 2003 Victory, the handling, speed and comfort the only thing I liked better on my Victory was the heel toe shifter.
So I guess Im wondering why would I need an increase in performance when there are so many other things Id like to spend my money on at bike wise. LED turn signals and LED break light, maybe some bling here and there. Not that theres anything wrong with increasing performance not slamming anyone.
i am amazed (not surprised) just how much stuff is out there to upgrade/customize.
Okay I am new to the Harley world but not new to motorcycles, this is bike number 5.
I picked up my 2021 Heritage Classic 107 on Monday and next week I’ll turn 71.
I was riding my bike this morning and thought how so much better that this bike is than my 2003 Victory, the handling, speed and comfort the only thing I liked better on my Victory was the heel toe shifter.
So I guess I’m wondering why would I need an increase in performance when there are so many other things I’d like to spend my money on at bike wise. LED turn signals and LED break light, maybe some bling here and there. Not that there’s anything wrong with increasing performance not slamming anyone.
i am amazed (not surprised) just how much stuff is out there to upgrade/customize.
There are probably threads about changing turn signals on this forum. I found one and posted my dyno sheets cause I couldn’t imagine anyone spending their money or time on turn signals.
Last edited by Rains2much; Oct 5, 2025 at 05:06 AM.
2006 FXSTBI
95" - HTCC CNC Heads and Pistons - 10.5:1 Comp
SE 260 Cams - 50mm TB - 150% Injectors
JBV Guppy Exhuast
120.62 HP 109.13 TQ
That dip in there this is when 100 post follow telling you its your drag pipes and how if you installed a 2:1 it would flatten out . Lol. Ill bet that bike screams. Impressive out of a 95
If you are happy with the sound of the exhaust system, the acceleration, torque, horsepower then you don’t need to do stage 1 or 2 etc. Those are the main reasons people upgrade.
Props for you - still out there riding! I’m 73 and put about 11,000 mi on my 2020 Road King Special this year.
I got my heel shifter on Amazon for about $25. Works great.
Here is my current build:
Fuel Moto 128 Big bore kit; 11:1
Fuel Moto Level Z +1 ported heads w/ S&S head bolts
Full S&S cam chest (S&S 540 cam)
Fuel moto crank sprocket
HPI billet 62mm Throttle body
HPI Manifold
HPI Ram jet air cleaner
Fuel moto 6.3 gps Injectors
SP concepts big bore exhaust with proflo
New parts going on next and new tune:
Darkhorse crank
Custom +2 Heads from T-rod speed (decked to make 12:1)
S&S top end guardian kit
Fuel moto 7.1GPS injectors
Ward WP550 cam
Baker grudgebox
Ultracool 2
Those are awesome numbers. Making me a believer in the M8.
Thanks! We are expecting 160 HP with new heads/cam... maybe 170 TQ too hopefully. New parts are more geared toward HP though
The M8 “might” finally be that technology has passed the threshold. So far Shovel, EVO, Twinkie all can make reasonably good power up to say 1.1hp… maybe 1.25 per cubic inch. Once over that threshold reliability flys out the window. If you really see 160/170 outta a 128” and it stays together 35,000 miles and can do say 500 mile round trips then I’m really impressed. I’d actually do it. I’m hoping it will.
I have known of a few M8’s that made 170rwhp and seemed to have decent street manners but of the ones I personally know about, they didn’t last long at all. I’m not a Debbie downer on M8’s at all. I’m Rooting for it to be the design that pushes relative reliability past the 1.3 hp per cube.
When I make comments like this folk seem to think I’m blasting M8’s… No, I’m taking 30 years of making Harleys fast experience and sharing devils advocate to hear the responses. Ya’ll are spending thee big bucks and I’d like to learn what’s to do but more importantly what not to do.
I watched one fellow that legitimately made the 170 number spend about $20k to do it…. And it “did” it for about 6,000 miles before total loss and having to start over.
So your experience is encouraging.. especially if your soup recipe stays reliable… It means it would be time for me to hang up the big EVO’s and transition over.. I’m still gonna go carb though lol. Ain’t teaching me FI new tricks.
Last edited by Rains2much; Jan 20, 2026 at 02:19 PM.
The hypocrisy of it all lol… seems my mood and state of wallet change my words… From another thread about chasing horsepower numbers:
“So if you always follow you’ll never lead.
I get what you’re saying… get more for your money without the labor pains, just hold the baby. But man that’s just wallet racing.. safe, but wallet racin. The trick is to learn discover, trial and error. Then either sell the secret or sit on top of the mountain. The age of the internet is bitter sweet.. the mysteries are revealed like flood gates are opened… but the lies are too.”
Both sides of the coin are true, I guess I’m tired of ruining heads trying all kinds of things.. at 55 I’d rather follow who’s successful… my previously quoted words are from a more ambitious younger Rains2much.
Once you’ve lived through trying 13:1 and a 630 lift cam in a Shovel you understand ruining heads…. And just about every other part along the way.. breaking the eggs to make the omelette I guess. Nobody was around to say “Hey stupid, don’t try that” but once you did, you were the guy who said it to others.
Last edited by Rains2much; Jan 20, 2026 at 02:42 PM.
Okay I am new to the Harley world but not new to motorcycles, this is bike number 5.
I picked up my 2021 Heritage Classic 107 on Monday and next week Ill turn 71.
I was riding my bike this morning and thought how so much better that this bike is than my 2003 Victory, the handling, speed and comfort the only thing I liked better on my Victory was the heel toe shifter.
So I guess Im wondering why would I need an increase in performance when there are so many other things Id like to spend my money on at bike wise. LED turn signals and LED break light, maybe some bling here and there. Not that theres anything wrong with increasing performance not slamming anyone. i am amazed (not surprised) just how much stuff is out there to upgrade/customize.
Oh yes, Harley Inc depends on each new unit sale to generate $$$$ worth of clothing/appearance/performance things from each new owner.
Within the first 90 days of ownership. Here's the averages:
Just got my twin cam 88 dyno tuned after I installed the Fueling 525 cam chest kit. Wasn't looking for high numbers, just reliability and to replace the stock cam chain tensioners. The Bassani full fishtail exhaust doesn't really help any with performance, but Im going for a full vicla build (not going for max performance from this build). The exhaust also contains no baffles and sounds rowdy as hell (which so far I'm really liking). Now that 'm done tinkering with the motor it's time to move on to cosmetics (handlebars, wheel, paint, air ride etc.)
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
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Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
Performance Upgrades
