Performance Responses from the local shops
After sending out the request for upgrading a 1200S Sportster
to all of the Harley Davidson Dealers and most of the
Custom Bike Shops in the Phoenix area, some have responded.Below is their recommendations for the request.
For a review of what was requested click here.Please support our sponsors!
They responded to the request and
want to help you with your upgrades.
I am looking for a bike to upgrade next month (November)
If you want to have your bike submitted to the local Harley Davidson Dealers
and Custom Bike Shops, please send an e-mail to me at kirk@phoenixbikers.comHere are the Shops that responded
SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY'S
Arrowhead Harley Davidson
Hacienda Harley Davidson
BDS Bikers Discount Supply
Custom Performance
Ramjet Racing
Buddy Stubbs Arizona Harley-Davidson, Inc.
A little back pressure will give you 10 horse power in the mid range where the big horse power and torque dip is on your dyno sheet. Change a $3.00 main jet and turn one screw. SOUTHSIDE JOHNY'S
HI-PERFORMANCE CYCLE CENTER
1243 SOUTH 7TH STREET.
PHOENIX AZ. 85034
602-340-1266 OR 602-705-7474 CELL
FAX 602-340-8387
www.southsidesdyno.com
Kirk, after reading your request, I would recommend replacing your carb with a Mikuni HSR42 and the pipes with a good 2 into 1 like a Pro-pipe or a Thunderheader. If you want to spend more to get some awesome results, run Baisley heads.
I will ride nothing but Sportsters, my 2 Sporsters have most of the items mentioned and run extremely well.
Dear Kirk,
I'm pleased to list below the response from our 2 master technicians their
recommendation on your project bike. I must give all the credit to our
Hacienda Tech's - Joe Tarantino and John Shields for eagerly taking on the
task. They came up with 1 option that would be the least expensive but
still extremely effective.Install:
Mikuni - more tuneable, flows re air, and it is a flatslide
Pro-Pipe - 2 into 1, proper length, proper back pressure, flows more exhaust
Side Winder A/C - flows more air
Upgrade to better spark plugs - better spark, lasts longer (100,000 miles
out of it)Cost Breakdown:
Labor: 4.5 hrs @ $60/hr = $270.00 (includes dyno and tune)
Parts: $1150.25 + sales taxTotal Cost: $1,420.25 + sales tax
Please feel free to contact either Joe or John for further in-depth details.
With the above modifications you would be guaranteed the increase in
horsepower by more than 10 h.p.
Regards,
Andreanne
The easy horsepower upgrade to your configuration would be to put on a 2into1 exhaust system aka thunderheader (450.00),white bros. E-pipe(430) ext. an addition to that direct hits spark plug capacitors and a re-jet of your carb, would put you right about 12 hp.
But! for a couple more bucks:
With your current setup, this is what we would recommend.
We would like to send your stock cam to Red Shift and have it re-lobed, this costs about 400.00. You would also need to change your pushrods to S&S adjustables, which are $70.00, as well as the valve springs which are 109.00. Labor would be about 5hrs this includes re-jeting the carb. Totaling $850.89 with tax.
Here is some of the tech specs on the Red Shift setup. When we send them off they will put new lobes on your stock cam which will increase the lift and duration with out increasing cam noise. According to our Accelerator Pro computer program you will experience a 22 HP increase! But only a 3ftlb of torque increase, which could be increased with a performance 2-1 pipe. It is a little pricey but you get a lot of power for your buck.
RE: Project Bike for Upgrade - 2001 Harley Davidson XL1200S
To get horsepower you need the right combination of components and each component must compliment the other; one incorrect component in the combination can starve the whole set up. For example, the wrong camshafts or the wrong exhaust can actually decrease your horsepower.
Without going into the engine and keeping the cost down, I would first change the exhaust. Just by changing the exhaust and tuning to either a two into one Thunder Header or two into one White Brothers E-Pipe, you will gain 8 to 10 horsepower with about 5 ft. lbs. of torque throughout the entire rev. range. The Thunder Header will give slightly more midrange torque but less low-end power than the White Pipe. The longevity of the engine would remain the same because this upgrade allows the engine to "breathe better", optimizing what we have.
The next step for performance would require cylinder head work, more compression, camshafts, carburetor, ignition, etc., and would be more costly.
Listed below is what I recommend for an exhaust upgrade that will give you between 8 and 10 more horsepower, guaranteed, will prove on dyno:
White Brothers E-Pipe w/heat shields $650.00 + tax
Or
Thunder Header w/heat shields $589.00+ taxLabor to R&R pipe $97.50
Spark plugs $7.00
Dyno Tune $150.00
Total White Brothers E-Pipe upgrade: $904.50 + tax
Total Thunder Header Pipe upgrade: $843.50 + tax
Sincerely,
Nick Trask
Based on the experience I've had with this particular model, I believe the best place to start with this bike, (any bike, usually) is the carb and exhaust combination. The two-into-one exhaust will give us bit of a bump, the carb and air cleaner combination will round out the rest of the system nicely. It has been my experience that this is the best place to start, the next big steps with this bike would be the heads, (reworking, or replacing), and then maybe the cams after that. The labor price as quoted includes the installation and basic tuning, does not include dyno-testing or dyno-tuning.
Thunder header for xl $450.00
Screaming Eagle Mikuni 42 mm carb $399.95
Forcewinder air cleaner $250.00
Air cleaner Adapter $25.00
Installation labor, ( 3-5 hr. depending on tuning) $135.00-225
Buddy Stubbs Arizona Harley-Davidson, Inc.
Project Sportster upgrade
AZHD recommends a Vance & Hines Propipe, Drag part number V16527. Cost
retail $449.95. Use provided baffle.The current exhaust system is causing a drop in tongue between 2000 and 4000
RPM. This is where most street riding is done.Install a set of Andrew N8 Cams, Drag part number DS-199078. Retail
$263.95. Installation labor for XL cams is $260.00 based on $65.00 an hour
shop rate. Additional gaskets and parts usually run another $100.00.
Double check the jetting on the kit and the job is complete.This combo will make aprox. 82 rear wheel horsepower and approx. 80 ft/lbs.
torque. An XL is hard pressed to produce more than approx. 80 ft/lbs.
Torque due to the basic engine designAny question call JD / Jason at ASHD 602 971-3400
This is the Request that was sent to each of the
Dealers and Custom Bike ShopsMy name is Kirk Johnson and I am the Webmaster for phoenixbikers.com. In the next couple of weeks I will be posting the suggestions provided by shops like yours. This objective, should you accept, is to provide your recommendations of how to best upgrade a Harley Davidson Sportster. Following you will find information on the upgrade request and the bike that is to be upgraded.
This is a great way to get your name in front of a large audience. Currently I get about 2,000 to 4,000 hits per day. I know that this project will create interest, as a lot of the people that I talk to would like to increase their power. Now you have a forum to provide your technical knowledge.
Please, I need this information back by Oct. 25th. This will then give me time to post the information on my website at phoenixbikers.com.
Project Bike for Upgrade
Bike
Harley Davidson
Year 2001 Model XL1200S (Sport Model) all stock, includes
10 to 1 compression
Dual spark plugs per cylinder
Mild camsMileage 14,200 miles Modification Vance & Hines Straightshots # 16809
Dynojet Kit
XL High-flow Air Cleaner KitCurrent Data* Max Torque = 76.1
Max Horse Power = 72.2
Objective: Increase horsepower by 10 H.P.
or Torque by 10 ft-lbs.I would like your suggestion for increasing rear wheel output by the above or close to the above objective. I would like to grab a little more power without being radical. I still want to be able to use the bike to ride on the local streets or cruise on the freeways without having to worry about using an octane additive or worry about more frequent tune-ups than the recommended Harley Davidson schedule for the said bike.
I also want this to be done in a way that will not break the bank as far as introducing exotic parts or making radical changes.
As you can see I have included a DYNORUN done by Hacienda last March 2002. The bike was configured the same way for this test as the description above.
Should you respond to the request, please do so in writing. Please include a list of the parts, kits, procedures and approximate hours associated with the upgrade. Also include why you think this is the best solution for this upgrade. If possible, your best guess as to the actual increase or suggest a way to assure of the performance recommended, i.e. dyno test.
I will send this request to all of the Harley Davidson Dealers in the valley and all of the Custom Bike shops listed on Custom Bikes page at phoenixbiker.com. If you need to check out the bike before responding, please let me know. I will arrange for a meeting.
After I get all of the responses, I will put together a report that will summaries your response and publish it on the web at phoenixbikers.com. I assure you that no one will know who responded or what the response was until it is published.
Thanks,
Kirk Johnson
Phone 602 363-5386
E-mailkirk@phoenixbikers.comIf you mail, use this address
Kirk Johnson
2534 E Behrend Drive
Phoenix, AZ. 85050
