Ok, here we go....yeah another guy trying to understand motors, building, rebuilding, go 103, do this cam, that cam, no CR needed...yeah, CR needed. Ive been goin up and down reading everything, looking at catalogs, watchin local clubs tear it up and down the streets.......my head really hurts from all this. OK, heres my question, WHY do you choose this certain item over that certain item? Excuse me, I know this is a very broad question, but to break it down as short as possible.....why?



Thanks all!!

 

Well as another guy pricing his build I empathize with you. There's a lot of choices and no real way to test them out until you actually pull the trigger so you have to reply on other's results and trust they are indicative of the work of the shop.

I started with a price range. How much can I afford to spend on this? Then what do I really want out of this build? Do I want to take my bike to the drag and race it? No... so I don't need some race specific kits or builds. Am I a touring guy that spends most of my time on the Fat Bob on 200 mile long trips? Nope. Eliminates some kids. But I do want to tour from time to time so I need to prepare for that and not build a street rod. I want to get up and go and in the immortal words of Ricky Bobby, "I wanna go fast", but like I said, I want to chill and tour as well. So... compromise.

You just have to find the kit that works best for you. Start with some parts that you see as pretty much universal: high flow exhaust and high capacity intakes, and a tuner. Those three alone make up what is often referred to as the Stage I kit. So you can see where your prices go from there. Compare and decide. There's lots of reviews on the main intakes, exhausts, and tuners so you can see what pros and cons are for them.

When it comes to the Stage II and 103" to 107" kits you're getting into the nuts and bolts, literally. Cams, push rods, gaskets, covers, roller rockerss, timing covers, compression rates, throttle bodies... etc... etc.. etc... I got overwhelmed just trying to find out what was involved but took the time and read and talk to folks on here who pointed me in the right direction. I found a few good builders of the kits who've talked to me and recommened one kit over another because of what I do. I trust a mechanic and builder's insight over my novice understanding so I'm leaning towards the 103" build with an oversized throttle body. While the numbers of the 107" excite me, the price difference is what will really sell me, and that I'm not going to the drap strip anytime soon.

Good luck

 

As suggested think about your riding style. And select a cam that will put the power where you want it.
A lot of the SE offerings make good power down low, but nothing in the higher rpms.
Some of the Wood Cams (among others) make great power across the entire rpm range. Its all about what you want, and what you want to spend.

Desired Compression ratio will be dictated by the selected cam.

Best answer I an give you is. Some people select things soley on price, some want the best performance. Some just dont know what the hell their doing.

Some people are after the same thing, but still choose different ways to get there.
After all Breyers does make vanilla AND chocholate.

 

Always use parts that complement each other. We have a couple of shop bikes here for people to ride so that they can experience for themselves what true quality is. An old boogy budy of mine stopped in earlier this summer and rode the 01 Dyna and said although it was nice that he didn't need that much so we settled on leaving his S&S 510 cams in with a set of stage 2-1/2 cnc ported heads and a set of 98" CP pistons. He called a month ago and said that there was something wrong with his engine. It kept burning the rubber off of his rear tire.

 

You are on a interesting road.

Keep reading and studying. I have now for about 50 years.

Work toward understanding the process. That seems simple but everything is a process. That way you can understand the relationships between the different parts. Not just how, but why.

And that is just for starters.

 

Assuming Stage I has been completed
1. budget
2. heavier FL or lighter FX
3. displacement (adjust budget as required)
4. riding style/requirements; two up loaded or solo touring? bar hopper? drag strip?
5. where do you want the power? low? low to mid? mid? mid to high? high?
6. study dyno charts of other builds to find one that will meet 4 and 5
7. ride other bikes, if you can, to get a feel for what is possible with certain components
8. cam selection based on 4 and 5
9. head porter, discuss all above with head porter for tweaking
10. buy the parts and build
11. tune

This assumes that you are the builder. If you choos a builder, you can discuss all of the above with the builder and a competent builder should get you the desired results. Of course, there is minutia involved that will be encountered along the way and lots of reading and listening to others but at the end of the day, you should make the decisions and own the process.

 

And when you are new the answers will seem to be in the numbers, cam closing, lift and duration , compression ratio , corrected compression ratio, cold cranking pressure , cubic inches, bore and stroke ,throttle body diameter, exhaust pipe diameters, cylinder head flow, and the most over used number of all Horsepower. Experience is key , if you don't have it use somebody that does and even then things will go wrong from time to time using the best shops and mechanics so go easy take small steps and ask alot of questions.

 

The weight of the bike, the type of riding you do, your geograghic location, all are important factors when working with clients, to insure that they have a build that is taylored to be what they want/need.
Scott

 

I don't think anyone can adequately explain why a "motorhead" does what he does, e.g. chooses this cam today and another cam tomorrow... I for one have always sought MORE power from an American V-twin. My 1973 Superglide that I rode for 19 years was upgraded probably 10 times. My first bagger, a new 1997 Road King had an 80" Evo that stayed stock for about 2 weeks. The next bagger was a 99 Road King with the new Twin Cam 88. It was GAME ON with the Road King. Went from 88" to 95" to 116". I can remember at least 8 different cam sets!!! Yea, I have it bad. When I finally built my own bagger (I say built but mean assembled the parts starting with a Rolling Thunder frame) I went with an S&S 124" crate motor thinking I would be finally have all the power I wanted....NOT...I have left the motor stock so far (a little over a year). My "other" bike is (now don't puke) BMW. When I get the urge for speed I jump on the Beemer (160hp) and it satisfies me for a few moments. If only I could get the Bagger to go this fast....

 

As other have said, be honest with yourself as far as how you ride and what you want, and it seems you have that part figured out.

As far as components, don't stray from what a reputable shop recommends. What they reccomend may not be my choice, but for them, they have proven that all parts work together and produce results. Those of us that have been doing this for some time have our personal preferences, and at times are quite passionate about those choices but barring that, once you have settled on a builder/supplier, listen to what they say.