Softail too slow?
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 170
Likes: 3
From: 815
Softail too slow?
Is it me, or are the bone stock Softails with the 88ci (1450cc) counterbalanced twin cam motors pretty sluggish? Just took mine out for the first time, and man it sure seems like a dog. My 1200 sporty seems waaay quicker, but maybe it's in my head because it's so much smaller??
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,067
Likes: 2
From: New Hampshire
A bone stock 88b moving that 700+ lbs bike can be a bit underwhelming. It is one of the major reasons so many people let them breath better with a Stage-1 air intake. This of course leads to free flowing pipes, and a EFI tuner. I've go so far as going with a cam upgrade and dyno tune. My 88 is a very different experience compared to stock bikes.
Last edited by TheTroupe; Apr 7, 2014 at 10:13 AM.
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 170
Likes: 3
From: 815
A bone stock 88b moving that 700+ lbs bike can be a bit underwhelming. It is one of the major reasons so many people let them breath better with a Stage-1 air intake. This of course leads to free flowing pipes, and a EFI tuner. I've go so far a going with a cam upgrade and dyno tune. My 88 is a very different experience compared to stock bikes.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 27,097
Likes: 4,676
From: Frozelandia, Minnysota
Your 1200 should easily leave the stock Softail behind, not just quicker but should have a higher top end, too. Even a stock 103 isn't rated as fast as the 1200. I haven't timed them, but my 1200 and S&S 96" powered Glide feel pretty close. I'd guess the 1200 might have a chance at hitting 60 first, but the Glide would probably take it in a quarter mile; but that's an S&S with close to double the horsepower of the original 80. Just imagine what those guys running 74 inchers back in the early Japanese bike days felt like when a 250cc Suzuki Hustler would leap away from them in the stoplight races.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 15,365
Likes: 24,241
From: NC, USA
My 02 Softail has S&S 510 cams, high perf breather, S&S Super E carb, V&H Straightshots with Thunder Monster baffles. It pulls so hard it scares me sometimes.
I can see where a stock set up might be under powered but that can be rectified.
I can see where a stock set up might be under powered but that can be rectified.
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