Originally Posted by TwiZted Biker

Get a shop manual the factory book not a Clymers please first thing it will give you the specs on a stocker . 1200 conversations are a direct bolt on kit no machining or tricks to watch for and the $500 kit is as good as the $1200 one just shop a bit you'll save money for more parts later . I've done a good numbers of those , they are easy with a bit of common sense for anybody . Good luck bud keep us posted .

As for the color if it's your thing and you've got what it takes to shake off all the **** takes gonna get flung at you go for it man , joke em if they can't take a f*ck ya know .

Originally Posted by HarleyScuba

When you take it apart this winter and it's still an 883, be happy that no idiot has botched the job. Don't forget to lap your cylinders.
Put one of these on there and ride it for a cause. Maybe you can write off your gas expense as a charitable contribution. Consult your accountant:

Originally Posted by TwiZted Biker

A word of advice , if your going to keep the paint job as is you're going to need the 3 step program .

Step 1 , Get big into weight lifting & steroids quick
Step 2 , Develop & practice a deep Italian New York accent
Step 3 , Using said accent practice this saying in front of a mirror till you scare yourself " You Got A Problem Wit Dat ? "
Changing your name to Vinnie won't hurt either ..............

Originally Posted by carlgrover

That pink paint job must be some kind of motivator for your friends to run off and leave you. Ha ha. Ok, just teasing. I did a little research for you and found some quick and easy ways to tell if you have an 883 or 1200. These have been shamelessly ripped from another site.

1. You can actually measure the diagonal of the cylinder.
Jack up the rear wheel, take out both spark plugs
put the bike in 5th gear. Rotate the rear wheel
until the piston is at bottom dead center, BDC.
Use a wooden dowel or chop stick to feel when the
piston is at the bottom.

Then push the bottom end of the stick to the far side
of the combustion chamber and mark the end of the stick
where it hits the upper lip of the spark plug hole.
This is the diagonal of the chamber and it will be different
for a 1200 vs. a 883. Your measurements might be close to this.

For a 1200 it will be about 5 7/8"
For a 883 it will be about 5 1/2"

2. If they used HD 1200 cylinders, they are marked "1200" on the front right bottom right behind the front pushrod tube.

From what you said about the plugs it sounds like your bike is running rich. You need to get that rectified then I think they won't be running off and leaving you so easy.

Originally Posted by TXSwede

It sounds like the bike isin't FAST enough for him though. I am just letting the guy know if he wants FAST he got the wrong bike.

Originally Posted by Zap

Depends...there are different modes for fast

1 Fast
2 Fast for a Harley <----He wants this.
3 There's always something faster
I say, build that 883 engine to fly, leave the
paint the way it is and blow em off in pink.