Don't worry, that risk if very much front of mind. But let me explain a little better, it's not a case of saving $200 it's a saving of about 40% if i import rather than source in Oz eg: Progressive springs (USD 70ish) Valves (USD $150ish) with shipping thats AUD $296 delivered to my door. Same parts in Oz, springs $170 valves $310. When you start talking cylinders, etc the differential gets very large. If there ever is an issue it's still cheaper to ship them back to USA.

In terms of chasing numbers... yes would still be happy with 100/100 numbers, but concensus seems to be i can get 10% more without any considerable step up in costs as it would cost me X to drill out a 103 install in Oz and X(same) to buy a full 106/7 kit with new heads in USA. The Oz market for performance HD stuff is very small, and there would be less than 10 shops in the whole of my state that could do the work, and 6 of those are the same franchise.

I just got be to sure i settle on parts that will compliment each other and the install should be quite easy. Just a bolt on (in). Thats kinda where you gents are helping me out.

 

Sounds like your mind is made up but, IMHO, you are going the long way round to achieve the desired outcome. A dealer Stage III build just makes a world of sense to me, particularly in your situation. The Stage III package with the 259E cams is new but the dyno sheets I have seen show that this build is consistently making close to 110TQ/105HP. Throw in head porting and pick up another 8-10TQ/HP, so the numbers are there. The bike will be a blas to ride and under warranty.

You can still import the parts and save, so that addresses the cost issue. What's left? Sounds to me like you are more interested in having stuff with "Axtell" or "S&S" stamped on the part than the outcome of the build. Nothing wrong with that, your bike, your money but doesn't compute for me.

The 259E cams are very similar in profile to the Andrews 54. A little higher lift, a little more duration and fairly close valve timing. The later intake close makes the cam fairly compression friendly as compared to the 255. It's a high lift version of the 211 and specifically designed for EFI applications.

None of my business but the situation you describe is more complicated than you realize. You make light of shipping parts back to the US should there be any issues. I have had to ship parts back within the lower 48 and I can tell you that sorting out issues like that means major down time and you won't be getting any help from the dealer.

A Stage III build is a bolt up operation. Get a service manual and do the work yourself and then find a good tuner; nothing to it.

Good luck with whatever you decide; please let us now how it all works out for you.

 

I've been labouring under the assumption i'd be re-using my stock cylinders and boring them out (and the cost to bore them out is more than buying new cylinders)... but i've been wrong haven't i! This does change a few things. Page 15 of the SE catalogue for the Stage 3 kit (less the Super Tuner) gets me where i need to be and avoids machining here in Oz. About USD $1000 for parts. Strange the Stage 4 kit with the new heads give almost the same TQ, but more HP. I'm assuming balancing out the HP with Stage 4 would improve reliability? Less stress on the heads?

BUT - S&S 106" (J&P cycles, first site that came to mind) $726 plus say S&S 585 cam $345 is $1070. Just seems to make more sense to take the extra cubes for whats virtually the same money.

Or have i missed something?

 

Forget about the HP, it is a mathematical calculation based on TQ. I have already said my piece; if I were in your situation I would have a "street" port job done on my heads, ala BigBoyz and go with the Stage III package. The Stage IV package includes heads that won't perform as well as your stockers ported.

The extra cubes don't mean much if the numbers aren't there. I would have to see a dyno sheet on the S&S/585 combination in a 103" configuration before I would venture off in that direction.

Keep an open mind; keep digging and don't pull the trigger until you are sure that the build will achieve the desired results. You are getting ready to spend a lot of money and need to be able to predict the outcome. I have seen so many throw good money after bad because they really didn't understand/know where they were headed with a build.

 

So close it's not funny - both would be ok. I like the idea of the easy start cam as porting heads or drilling CR's too expensive in Oz.

 

I did some more search & I really think the best option in your case is to go for SE 103" stage 2 Pro kit & send your heads to BigBoyz for porting. Using .040 head gasket your static compression ratio will be 9.90:1 & corrected compression is 9.60:1 so you dont really need compression releases, especially that you get high octane fuel in Australia.

Your total cost would be:

1- Stage 2 SE Pro 103" kit = $592/-
2- BigBoyz porting & gaskets = $455/-
3- Int'l shipping charges = $300/-
4- Labor cost = $300/-

Total cost (parts + shipping + labor) = $1647/- for a very reliable 103" street motor making atleast 95hp & 108tq.

Anyway, if you decide to go with any other option your overall cost would increase a lot because you'll need new (pushrods, lifters, compression releases, lefty bearing...) the power gains will be just around 10-12 TQ & HP

I'm facing the same problems here in Dubai (only 1 HD dealer & he charges 25% over catalog prices!), thats why im getting my parts from the U.S & sending my heads to BigBoyz.

103", 106", 107" It all depends on how fat your wallet is.

 

Here is a little more food for thought. Just did the stage III last week and i have put 300km on it . My dealer wanted to go with the 255 though because i wanted the TQ so i had the manuel cr installed. So far i have had to take it easy till i get 500km on it then he will do the Dyno and i can crank the throttle . I can tell you that he said he has done this build a lot and the numbers should come in around 100HP 116TQ also have the JPrescion II race heads. Twice i have forgot to hit the cr's and the bike did start but i don't want to make that a habit So hopefully our El Nino winter continues and i can get some more miles on it and get the Dyno and see what this puppy can do. Seat of the pants tells me i likey

 

Just a couple of comments. 9.6:1 corrected CR is too high for a well mannered street build; particularly in a hot envrionment like Dubai. The SE255 cam intake closes at 25* which is why the corrected CR is in the 9.6 range and the CCR is about 200psi and you really do need compression releases. This also assumes that your chamber volume is stock, or about 86cc and deck height near 0.00". 9.3 is about the top end of corrected CR for a well mannered street build.

A .040" head gasket will not tighten the squish areas effectively and can facilitate detonation which results from inefficient combustion; you shoud go with a .030" head gasket, unless you have negative deck height.

The 259E cam closes at 47* which, with 80-82cc chambers, will bring down corrected compression to about 9:1 and CCR to about 188 which is manageable without CRs and will make a strong but well mannered build. I know the 255 cams come with the SE 103 Stage II Pro kit and the 259E comes with the Stage IV kit. IMHO, it would be worth buying a set of 259E cams, if the dealer won't let you swap out, to make this change.[/QUOTE]

I can't speak to cost but if you can use pushrods and lifters with the SE package, you can use them with any other package. Using stock pushrods is a good cost reducing measure. If the lifters don't have many miles on them and the rollers look good, nothing wrong with reusing them as well. I am not so sure the lefty bearing is worth the investment but it sure can't hurt anything but should be common to either build. BigBoyz is a good choice for the headwork and he will drill and install compression releases if you need them. You should give him a call, he may be able to work with you an an exchange basis so that he can ship the ported heads to you as soon as he receives your cores. That could save you at least two weeks depending on Bean's backlog.

 

That 106 curve is remarkably similar to the actual one I have for my S&S 107, which also has the 585 cam. I suppose that should not be much of a surprise! Would be nice to lift the first part of the torque curve a little to match the later part.

 

"That could save you at least two weeks depending on Bean's backlog." 3 weeks and counting here. I'm shooting for 9.25 with mine.