I don't know squat or care about Porshes. I've heard that they are high maintenance and driven by yuppies, but I really don't know. I do know Harleys. The '02 was the last decent low end assembly Harley built. That "superior" 11 model has cheap flywheels, no bushings in the wrist pins, no bearings in the camplate, caged rollers on both side of the flywheels rather than double Timken tapered bearings on the sprocket shaft like a '55 through '02s. Excessive pinion shaft runout was unheard of prior to '03. Now the spec has been upped to something like .012. My '02 was .0007. That 7 tenths of a thousanth of an inch.

Oh yeah, the wheel bearings fail quite often since '08 and that new improved throttle by wire fails on quite a few bikes and is only there because those cheap *** flywheels are prone to scissoring if you can open the throttle fully at will. If you want your throttle hand overuled by the ECM fine, I don't. The downside of that '02 is youu don't get the 180 m.m. rear tire, so you won't be as cool as the guys at OCC, or the six speed.

If you trade up every couple of years and don't modify your bike, the new ones are fine and dandy. If you are a rider, and keep your bikes a long time and like to up the performance like a lot of us, the '02 is the best bagger Harley ever built. Porsches????

 

I certainly don't like compromises in motor design either. Yet Harley will still warranty a dealer installed bolt-on/tuned bike for 7 years, unlimited miles and that will satisfy the vast majority and the long distance riders.

So what I'd like to know is what seems be be the hp limit on the stock bottom-end with all these compromises? Is it related to lower redlines too?

Wheel bearings, havent' heard but okay, when did the next sourcing/spec change after '08? TBW is perfectly reliable, superior to a carb and unless equipped with traction control, a tuned bike will be just fine.

What I do have is a better frame, iso-drive, a stock 103 with oil cooler, ABS, fuel injection and the 6speed. My fuel lines in the tank may last longer too.

Regarding Porsches, the 993 was the last of the aircooled motors. Purists said it was the last of the finest. That was a bunch of horsesh!t. The new ones are better, faster, safer, and more efficient in every way and are raced just as hard.

 

My previous bike was a 4 speed, and I never had any issues running it up to 85 mph. Smoothed as silk. Anything over 40 and it smoothed right out. Below that, and you felt the vibration of the solid mounted 80 inch shovel.

 

I got an 02 FLHPI setting 6 feet away, built up 88", 82hp/85ftlbs with a S&S 6 speed cassette in it. She will run with the new 09FLHTPI w 103 all day! And it does, the missus is riding beside me on it! When SHE wears it out, I'll go to 95" and should last her the rest of her riding life!

02's are the best motor that the MoCo built, put a few more hp's in it, drop in a 6 speed and you got less $$$ than a new one, stonger lower end.

BUY IT, Ride it and add to it as you can afford.

"Don't get caught up in the newest, greatest thing to come along", buy what you can afford and enjoy!

02's are the BEST platform to build on. I done it and would not let it go to anybody, except SHE took it from me! And it's not that far away, I can borrow it back anytime.



Dan B.
Central Ks.

 

I'm not trying to jerk your chain man but my take is...Better frame? It is stiffer but Harley didn't change it to improve anything. The frame was changed to accomodate the threewheeler rear section. Any benefit in handling is just coincidental. The iso drive was to quiet the noise coming from the tranny/primary in the '07s. Tons of complaints on the first 96" six speed bikes sounding like rocks in a can. The IDS was supposed to cure that, but it's a very cheaply made piece in my opinion. ABS and Brembo brakes are an improvement. Other than O2 sensors the Delphi injection is essentially the same as in '02. As for the TBW I know several guys whose bikes have gone into limp mode for no apparent reason. They turn the ignition switch on and off a few time and it goes again. I never broke a throttle cable in over 40 years of riding.

The 25m.m. wheel bearings were introduced in '08 and have failed a lot. I've heard that the new bottom ends will handle 120 h.p. but the design alows for more flex in the crank assy. compared to a pair of Timken tapered bearings. The problem is the hot forged flywheels were abandoned in favor of cheaper wheels and pressed together in a fixture and then just stuck in the cases rather the press in Timken set up Harley used since 1955. It was simply to avoid the labor intensive set up of the flywheels. They are literally slapped together now and the flywheels have a much greater runout.

I have two Twin Cams. An '02 that I modded to 95" with ported and polished heads, 10.5 to 1 compression and .590 lift cams. I also installed a S.E. six speed. In 50,000 miles it has given me zero problems. I still ride it a lot. It just runs like a banshee. In '07 I bought a new Streetglide. I immediately went to a 103 kit. blacked out a lot of parts and put on a black Fat Cat. I love to ride the bike. Other guys drool over it. It hasn't given me many problems, but I still know my '02 is a better quality bike.

Harley knows most guys don't ride 5000 miles per year and the quality cuts won't cause a problem for many years under those conditions. They're still great bikes, but like the old gray mare, they ain't what they used to be. The '02 may not have quite the creature comforts, but they are really reliable.

 

The frame is stiffer, so theres that. The IDS works beautifully. TBW time will tell. Thanks for the info.