Try running long and hard with some serious riders on TwinCams, and your "old Shovel" will hammer itself to pieces.

I'm not sure if you're really serious.

 

I remember when 750cc was a big bike! My how the times have changed

 

RK4ME, I had a '79 Low Rider with one of the last of the 74 cube motors because all the swells were buying the 80's. The only problem with that motor was that no lead gas was being forced on motorists and the valve guides could stick. You could replace the guides or the MoCo sold this white additive (Teflon?) to run once through your oil tank.


I used that additive and never had valve problems. Also each time I changed the oil I would adjust my primary chain. I rode 20,000 miles a year then and never had a
problem. Being 36 years younger, I would guess I rode a whole lot harder than I do now on my 96" Twinkie. BTW, I believe due to the self adjusting primary running to much tension is why my comp sprocket went **** up at 35,000 miles. So I don't know about shovels "hammer itself to pieces." Not in my case.


You can stick all the cubic inches you want into a Harley. The only thing it will do is make the bike run faster in a straight line. I like to carve turns and that's where there is a difference between '79 an 2015, the frame is a bit better, but not much.


Stick that old shovel into a custom twin spar aluminum frame with real suspenders and it would suck the side panels off a 110 CVO.


I really don't understand why Harley boys spend all that money on Screaming Eagle stage kits when a track school would make them a much better, faster and safer rider. It would also teach them the importance of proper suspension, which stock Harley's don't have. Flexie frames too.

 

I believe that Harley has gone to larger engines to maintain the same level of performance as bikes have gotten heavier and more restricted by noise and emissions regulations.

Would be very difficult for a carb equipped Harley to get approval from CARB regulations.

 

I'm talking about running 80-85 MPH all day long on the interstate. TCs are built to tighter tolerances than the Shovels were. Back when I had my XLCH, the unofficial cruising speed for 74s was 65MPH. You could run 'em harder but I don't think they'd last as long. At 33K miles, my XLCH's cylinders were worn to max spec and the valve guides were shot. That was no big deal, but at 33K with a modern Harley engine, you're not even thinking about that stuff.
As for modifications, I did a 95" w/cams build on my '04 RK so I could safely pass cars and trucks on a two lane highway without running out of power before I could get around those vehicles. It was time and money well spent. If I want to ride something faster and sportier, I'll get on one of my BMWs.

 

......... i was w/ya till i read this.

 

Ahh, gotcha. I took it to mean "a measly 74" as compare to the big inch motors of today.

 

"HD needs to up the ante, if they want to stay with the 4 valve, 111" competitor..."

No they don't. They will ALWAYS outsell the competitor. Harleys are absolute. Nothing can compete with them. Never has; never will. Otherwise, you'ld see a lot more people on Boss Hoss's.

 

It is already said before, the bigger engines are only to compensate a small dick or a desire 'to have the biggest'. Can somebody explain to me the advantages of a high CI aircooled engine (or liquid cooled, whatsoever) in a world where speed limits only may be exceeded on special race tracks? And where on every street corner police officers are exited waiting to **** a speeding biker or cager with a few hundred bucks.
Please, dragracing is not exiting when you have to limit yourself at 70mph..And in other parts of the world it is ****ing painfull in your wallet as well, with fuel prices over 4-8 times those of the States. I had in the past an 88B block in my Heritage Classic 2003 and we crossed litterly entire Europe with 2 up and luggage. From the steep mountain roads in Greece up to the German Autobahns. And from the Scottish and English hilly country roads to the meadow roads of Holland. From the hedges of Normandy till the Spanish coats and Barcelona. Never, ever we have experienced a lack of torque, a lack of power or otherwise. Not with a gale force 9 to 10 right ahead, not with climbing mountains on the Swiss and Austrian highways. What took us to the 2015 Limited was the extended comfort for rider and passenger on long trips and the lack of the extreme heat beneath the noble parts and nuts in hot climates in Southern Europe and later here in Saudi..Long live the Twin Cooling, a blessing in hot climates.
Not the desire for 'more power'. By the way, with the phrase 'more power' I always hear the phrase of Tim 'the Toolman' Taylor in the TV serial...."Huhhhh, more power..!!" And of course everything went wrong when he applied that....

 

The thing is, it's not a new engine or even a new displacement, so all the naysaying that it will junk is nonsense since it has been in CVO's for years.

If we only needed to get to 70 mph, we could all be riding scooters or single cylinder bikes. Most enthusiasts in this forum want good acceleration from a red light, good top gear roll on, and an engine that is not straining to do 70 mph.

Americans are also getting fatter and fatter, where the rider and passenger combined are approaching the weight of the bike. Add on all the luggage etc they want to take with them these days, and it begins to add up.

The engine has to be capable of more power through increased displacement due to ever increasing emissions and noise regulations.

Again, this is coming from a guy that is quite happy with an 80" carbureted relic, even though I appreciate what a larger engine has the potential of doing. Think about this. The 120" inch engine which is available, is one and a half times bigger than my Evo.

I like my Evo for what it is, what it does, how it does it, and it's simplicity. I hope to ride it forever, but if something happens to it, I like to know what options might be out there.

Buy a Vespa if you are into small displacement utilitarian nonthreatening two wheeled transportation.