i bought a new street bob, put a small fairing and T-bars on it and I'm going on a bunch of runs with the Booze Fighters local because those guys have the most fun on motorcycles....and i haven't had a drink in months nor do I see myself joining a motorcycle club.
anyway- this harley is funny. it's fun but slow once you get moving. i do get why every scum bag rides a black Dyna with T-bars and a fairing though. it is kinda the perfect lane splitting so cal- "i couldn't recognize him he was on a black bike dressed in black" outlaw bike.
i got mine in kind of a rust brown and put AMF era yellow and orange stickers on it. it looks dumb.
...I'm going on a bunch of runs with the Booze Fighters local because those guys have the most fun on motorcycles....and i haven't had a drink in months nor do I see myself joining a motorcycle club...
Kidding.
@PaMtbRider knows a thing or two about those bikes.
BMW GS update: working on them is still a D.I.Y. delight. BMWs are easy to wrench. Gotta love simplicity and well thought out maintenance routines. Oh, it gets about 42 mpg ;)
been out on a yahama t-max on undulating swoopy roads. There are loads of motorbikers out now the weather is better, lots of look at me big aggressive bikes, a few riders are excellent, but most are not, and they are annoyed when I go past them on my terrific scooter with my groceries under the seat. To be fair they are visitors and i know the roads better. Makes me smile though. regards.
here it is. still trying to figure out if i'm going to just do cams- or make this thing crazy and bore it out and make it high compression.
i think with cams and exhaust i can get it to 130hp 130ft/lb and that'd be dandy.
i'm also going to have someone make me a longer rear shock so the thing gains some travel and height.
I really like this thing more and more the more I ride it. It just needs a bit more power especially higher in the rev band once the torque dies off and you can't fake it anymore. Suspension and braking is pretty awful too.
My neighbor annoys me. He's been riding an old Triumph from before when the US made them switch the side the shifter is on. I was mowing the lawn, he started it I got confused because it was a clear sky so how could a thunderstorm be here? So I see a bike in front of his garage, I grow confused again. A BMW R75 of about the same age. His son was working on his car and just grinned. "He's got two. The other's off getting restored." A shame, that bike was in great original shape until some moron backed into it.
He annoys me because High Command says motorcycles are forbidden.
here it is. still trying to figure out if i'm going to just do cams- or make this thing crazy and bore it out and make it high compression.
i think with cams and exhaust i can get it to 130hp 130ft/lb and that'd be dandy.
i'm also going to have someone make me a longer rear shock so the thing gains some travel and height.
I really like this thing more and more the more I ride it. It just needs a bit more power especially higher in the rev band once the torque dies off and you can't fake it anymore. Suspension and braking is pretty awful too.
Yes. I am a poser.
Did I read this right? You can get a Harley air cooled motor to 130 hp?
That's what I'm saying! I want to hear him out! I don't know Harleys much at all, but I was under the impression that they were 900-1200 air cooled twins that made 60-80hp stock, so it seems like it will take a lot to get the HP to that level. Looking to get edumacated.
That's what I'm saying! I want to hear him out! I don't know Harleys much at all, but I was under the impression that they were 900-1200 air cooled twins that made 60-80hp stock, so it seems like it will take a lot to get the HP to that level. Looking to get edumacated.
There will be a 30 page thread coming shortly...and no P cars were hurt.
Did I read this right? You can get a Harley air cooled motor to 130 hp?
yup. the Milwaukee Eight is a pretty cool piece of engineering. I spent a lot of time with a guy who is far as I can tell- the best Harley tuner guys in the world- although unlike almost all the folks in this world I've tried talking to- he is super kind, humble, and enthusiastic and willing to help. I can't mention names because what we're doing we can't really do legally here in California. Despite the fact that what we end up with will actually produce less greenhouse gases than what we start with- CARB laws here are no joke- and I'm not going to risk getting him in trouble. Suffice it so- he's been instrumental in running Harley's factory drag race and flat track programs forever and I really feel comfortable with him and what he is saying. Most "tuners" I've spoken to seem full of shit at at best or just more concerned with things like aesthetics and sound than performance.
He's done a bunch of these new engines and we're basically going to do new cams, bump the displacement up to 124cc with S&S stuff. The only other stuff we need to do an air cleaner and exhaust. I'm going with RB Racing because they're from the drag racing and land speed record world and know how to make an exhaust that actually performs. (According to the guys in the know- the new M8 actually works worse with most aftermarket exhaust because of pressure, speed, and all sorts of science stuff- even with different tunes and cams.)
The cool thing is that were also going to be getting over 130 foot lbs of torque out of this thing. It'll make power everywhere. My initial conundrum was whether to do one of the Harley Screamin' Eagle stage kits. With a Stage 3 or 4 or I could get within 5-10% of the power and torque as I can with my plan.
The difference is that the Screamin' Eagle kit is down on torque OR power big time. Stage Four is actually worse than stock except if you're wringing the bike out. Stage 3 is better everywhere and has more torque but is down on HP compared to the stage four at high revs. You've got to pick. They also use a canned tune/auto-tune thing rather than a dyno tune. The nice thing is that you do keep your warranty. Harley has become really strict about that shit. They flag any bike that has been fuukecd with and your warranty basically is voided. Any non harley parts no matter who they were installed by will void the warranty and any harley parts installed by a non dealer will also void the warranty. this applies to anything from slip ons to air cleaners and certainly tunes. For me- I didn't buy any extended warranty or service plan because I knew I'd be doing this- and the other thing is I don't really trust the dealership with what is essentially and engine build. I'd much rather have the guy who builds Harley's race engines do my bike with no warranty- than the guys I see wrenching on bikes at my Harley dealership all other things being equal. The fact that I can get significantly better performance is gravy.
Now the price- the dealership quotes 14 hours to install a stage iv kit that costs about $3000 in parts. Their labor rate is $150 an hour. That is totally absurd. This guy is going to get me everything parts and labor and we're going to upgrade the clutch for $4800 out the door.
Here's a random dyno tune of a 124" M8 build with the same cams I'm going to use but different pipes (most likely worse- this build was for a touring bike that needed to stay quiet. My bike will probably be a bit down on torque early in the revs but way up above 4000rpm.)
I' still on the fence about putting all this money into the Harley- because it will mean I will need to sell my awesome Aprilia that I love. But maybe if I can get the Harley to a place where it is fast and handles and is ultimately fun for the riding I do- I won't need my RSV4 anymore. I don't know. I just don't but this bike is really fun.
Getting horsepower and torque out of the Harley is very doable, I have seen plenty of people do it. It sounds like you are headed the right direction and not just bolting on parts out of a catalog like many people do.
Getting the bike to handle is the bigger challenge. It can definitely be improved from where it is at, but it will never be an Aprillia. Properly valved suspension with the right spring rate will do wonders and make it a fun bike to ride. The weight, cornering clearance, length of the bike, are all things you can't do much about.
It sounds like a fun bike and project, just don't expect a canyon carver or Laguna Seca track day bike.
Wow, holy torque! Interesting. I'd like to do a basic remap on my bike as it has wicked pops on decel and is pretty snatchy under 4k rpm - just want basic drivability improved, it has plenty of power. Problem is identifying a tuner who is competent, etc. Know anybody anywhere near Boston who can do a decent remap on a 2012 Ducati streetbike? My bike is old and has a lot of miles, so at least warranty is not an issue.
I bet the Harley could actually be more fun for street riding than the Aprilia if the throttle is easy and responsive.
Likes: Originally Posted by Too Tall
Rouleur
Re: Motorcycles.
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