Originally Posted by JimGnitecki

I just realized why the poster about "low power: felt what he did. I forgot to mention the stupid gearing.

HD has been progressively making the overall gearing of its bikes more and more numerically low, which means lower rpm at any given road speed, in each gear. i.e. "freeway long distance touring gearing" versus "responsive / nimble gearing. Donny Peterson tlaks about this a lot in his Volume 2 book on the HD bikes.

HD is doing this to reduce noise levels and emission at any given "testing speed" that they must do noise and emissions testing at. The lower engine rpm lowers the sound level and the emissions level.

Unfortunately it absolutely kills the feel of the bike, making it seem like its dragging a busload of weight or something, even though many HD models are actually light compared to earlier models - the Breakout actually only weighs around 700 pounds wet.

The "best" cure is to re-gear the bike, so that the rpm at any given speed in any given gear is higher.

With the older HD models, this was not hard. There were multiple sizes of transmission output sprockets and rear wheel sprockets available, both from HD and from the aftermarket. In addition, you could also change the egaring at the primary versus the final drive, with there being choices in both compensator sprocket and clutch sprocket.

Now, this has changed for the worst.

HD offers almost ZERO ways of changing your gearing. Basically, you are on your own to hve to figure out what sprockets or pulleys they offer for various models, current and older, and figure out which ones are compatible with your bike. That sucks. My dealer was absolutely no help.

And, if you eventually find a set of parts that can make the gearing change, you bike is going to be "non-standard", so that 132 tooth final drive belt that fits every other Breakout won't fit yours anymore. And, since a final drive change affects speedometer operation, and since hD went the "software" route for driving both the speedo and the gear indicator, now BOTH your speedo and your gear indicator will be wrong, until you correct them via either an aftermarket speedo correction black box, or by using a tuner like the Power Vision to reset an internal "field variable".

Plus, the parts and labor bill for th gear change is going to be several hundred dollars, because no matter what you do, you need to disassemble the primary. . .

It' a real pain. But, I intend to make the gearing change as I KNOW from past experience how much difference it will make. It'll be dramatic.

Jim G

Originally Posted by rodrocket

Jim

look at the Tri Gide 30 tooth pulley on the front of your belt, it should help with the gearing but make sure you have enough adjustment on your rear wheel to be able to adjust the belt

regards
Rod

Originally Posted by rodrocket

Jim how about a 30 tooth on the front & go up to a 68 tooth on the rear

I haven't done any home work on were it will put the RPM but I think it will make a good useable change to the bike

I am looking into options now as I would like to stick with the standard Harley belt as the others have had issues with breaking with aftermarket belts

regards
Rod

Originally Posted by BlessedHellride

24v, well done. each time i come back here after a while, you got something new going on.

Originally Posted by JimGnitecki

Don't forget that the "nothing but an air cleaner and pipes" adds 15 to 20% more power to any big twin Harley. Now, you might not have gotten the full 15 to 20% because you did not optimize via a tune, but that's still a notable kick over a stock 103, which makes very little more rear wheel power than the smaller displacement engines that preceded it. The stock output for a 103 is only about 65 to 68 rwhp.

Couple that with the adversely tall gearing, and yeah, I can see why you were disappointed in the stock 103, compared to your Stage 1 smaller engine with decent gearing.

Jim G

Originally Posted by jcallesano

It had a V&H fuel pak on it when I bought it, but my indy took it off and said it wasnt doing anything for me. I didnt know those two items could add 20%, that seems high. But i really dont know any better, I just ride the **** outta her. I figured the 103" being over 200cc's more than mine would have more *****, but not that case at all. I realize im talking about a stocker, but I was hoping for a rush since ive never been on a 103 before.

So then, to me, this is opinion here.....the larger engine displacements are "selling point" then.. because they obviously dont perform like the number suggests. I was thinking, yea, im gonna start it, its gonna sound awesome and its gonna rip through gears and make me say, wow, i should buy one.

None of those things happened, could barely hear it with stock pipes, no get up and go even when droppin a gear and I wouldnt buy one unless someone else already dumped 10k in upgrades on it.

So if I keep my cleaner and pipes, and add aggressive cams and ported heads, ill have a mini monster ?