I was dupped into buying the 2010 Tri because my 03 FLHT was such an all around great bike. I ordered it carburated and after I did my performance mods I richened up the fuel to match the performance mods. I did not complain about the mods to the 03 because no one leave one stock. That 88 was a little uncomfortable on hot days so I am not complaining about normal V-Twin air cooled heat.

I am getting to like the Tri and have always liked the handling. Casper the thing is I should not have had to spend the money I'm out of pocket and the effort just to make a Trike tolerable. If I had pulled the 2010 off the showroom floor the way it is right now for the price I paid for it, I would be a happy camper. Hell, everybody loves the thing, until I have to tell them about the little heat problem and what we have to do to cure them.

I am lucky also because I found this forum and have had a lot of help from the people on this forum. Just sayin for the people that don't hang out here the heat won't be helping Harley's image or sales. I did not know what I was buying because I own an 03 HD that is the best bike I ever threw a leg over. I know it is let the buyer beware and always do your research but no one knew that Cat was in the headpipe on the 2010 until it hit the dealers.

I am getting more and more satisfied with the Tri everyday but the first two months left a lasting impression. I don't blame HD as much as I do the EPA but having said that, it's hard to settle once you have had a machine that was 100% on the money just because the new one has the same logo.

 

Of the twin cams started way before '07. I went to DC for Rolling Thunder in '04 on a '99 softail that had the 80" EVO motor riding two up with my wife. A friend went & was riding an '03 softail. In traffic his bike was overheating by almost 100 degrees more tham mine. We had to keep stopping by the curb for 45 minutes at a time to let his twin cam cool off & he was riding by himself. We checked his oil & then we thought maybe his temperature gauge was off. We wiped them off & switched. With in a few minutes his was hot by my gauge & mine was cool by his. When he got home to Tampa he took his Twin cam to the dealer & they could find nothing wrong. He added an oil cooler that helped a good bit by it still runs hotter than mine. His motor is bigger but S & S & others build EVO style big motors that don't overheat like a twin cam does. I think it's a bad design flaw. I built a rigid 3 years ago & run an S & S 88ci motor & it doesn't over heat!

Scruffie

 

the hotter the twin cam seems to get. From the 88 to the 96 to the 103 and 110. Scuffie do you know if they are boring them out and thinning out the piston walls or how much of this CU. IN. increase is made by bore and stroke.

I have thought about the thinning of the piston walls by overbore and less cyl. wall material heating up faster and the oil splash not as effective in cooling them down.

When did they go with a new block casting, from the 88 to the 96 or from the 96 to the 103? Or did they ever go to a new casting and just kept punching out the 88TC?

 

Part of the problem for Harley is trying to keep up with the engine sizes of the H2o cruisers which offer the bigger motors because size of the motors matter to a lot of people that buy Harleys. I'll keep my EVO which seems to handle the summer here in the Panhandle just fine.

 

The 96" is the same bore as the 88" they get the CI from increasing the stroke. The 103 is the same bore as the old 95" just a longer stroke. Most of the changes in the block are in other areas such as to change the way oil is passed between the oil pan and to cast in the oil filter mount. I could go back through all the tech forms I have and dig all the changes out.

 

I know that bore and stroke can be used to change cu. in. displacement but am having a hard time wrapping my brain around how an 88TC can out perform a 103. I know there is a considerable weight difference but the 88 is a running piece of plunder with very few mods. That 103 is doing better but still a dog in high gear when compared to the 88.

 

It just hit me! The gearing? I should not be comparing a bike to a trike anyway but that 32 to 30 tooth gear change on the 11 Tri will help that top end I bet!

Duh! Senior moment!

 

On my 08 Street Glide even before I brought it out of the dealership, the Pipes where changed to Python true duals and the oil cooler with fan was installed. Now that following year I had the Jugs diamond cut and beefed up the 96 motor to a 103.

The 2010 Ultra limited came with a oil cooler, but the right side of the bike was like a oven on the bottom of my leg. This also forced me to change the header pipe and change the to a power commander with a stage 1 breather.

Designers at Harley need to step up to the plate and give their customers a even better product then what they have now.

 

The gearing change will help tubby the trike get moving easier from a stop and make 6th gear a much more usable gear. Your going to gain right around 400 - 500 rpm over the present 09 - 10 gearing, the TC really isn't in its sweet spot until about 3,000 rpm.

 

The header wrap and sealer was one of the most effective things I have done for radiated heat. "rider comfort"

I don't know if the stuff would hold up on an OEM Catalytic Converter but on a catless headpipe you can really feel the difference.

I am hoping the sealer will keep the wrap dry, if it does not work long term and in weather it may not be worth the effort.

50% reduction in radiated heat, the chrome exhaust shields hide the wrap about as well as it hid the black and blue headpipe.

Necessity being the mother of invention I'll try about anything but this one has some merit. I guess we never did it before on bikes/trikes with no exhaust shields, who would want to cover up them pretty chrome covered pipes but the cheapo HD exhaust set up now with the cheap pipes and the shields just begs for this solution.