Screamin' Eagle Sportster 1200 Hop-Up

Screamin' Eagle Sportster 1200 Hop-Up

CW EVALUATION

Strong medicine for the low-performance blues

IN THE WONDROUS WORLD OF HARLEYDavidson, it wasn’t big news, it was huge news: For 2004, the venerable Sportster would have a rubber-mounted engine. Finally, that bike’s notorious vibration would be banished to its rightful place in motorcycling’s hall of pain. On its way to rubber-mount ecstasy, however, the bike had gained a whopping 50 pounds. So even though the new XL churns out a few more ponies than its recent predecessors, the ’04 Sportster 1200 Roadster we tested in our October, 2003, issue was a few ticks slower.

But all is not lost: Harley’s high-performance division, Screamin’ Eagle, already has a selection of hop-up components available for the 2004 Sportster, equipment that The Motor Company claims will awaken a new 1200 to the tune of more than 15 horsepower. Eager to see these gains for ourselves, we gathered all those hot-rod pieces and bolted them onto the very same 1200 Roadster we had used for that October test.

Although we evaluated these components as a set, Screamin’ Eagle doesn’t

sell them that way; instead, they are offered only as separate pieces.

The XL Performance Cam Set ($325) provides .551-inch of lift and 249 degrees of duration, considerably more of both attributes than the stock cams.

The 44mm CV Carburetor ($310), which is

4mm larger than the stocker, combines with a Big Bore Intake Manifold ($75) and High-Flow Air Cleaner ($110) to help the 1200 breathe in with less restriction. Slip-On Mufflers ($250) do the same for its ability to exhale. A 7000-rpm Ignition

Module ($120) provides a more-aggressive spark curve while raising the XL1200’s rev limit by 800 rpm. ^ Installation of the mufflers and air cleaner is a no-brainer, even for

average shade-tree mechanic. The carburetor and manifold present a slighter greater challenge, as does the 7000-rpm module, which requires the installer to go through an ignition re-initialization procedure. And installation of the cams is a task that do-it-yourselfers should avoid. The bare-bones instructions are geared toward knowledgeable dealership technicians, and properly timing four separate cams offers the uninitiated too many opportunities to make a serious, costly mistake.

In parts alone, this modification runs close to $1200. If you’re not capable of installing all the pieces yourself, toss in approximately $400 in labor. Overall, then, you’re looking at a bill for around $ 1600. All these pieces, incidentally, will also bolt onto an ’04 883 Sportster, but we can’t predict the results of such a modification. The combination of big carb, oversized intake manifold and long-duration cams may not be a good match for an engine that is more than 25 percent smaller than the one for which those components are intended.

On our 1200, though, the results were just short of spectacular. Peak horsepower jumped 25 percent, from 60.2 to 75.7; and although peak torque only went up 1.3 foot-pounds, from 69.9 to 71.2, the shape and length of the torque curve were both dramatically improved. Whereas the stock curve peaked at 3500 rpm and then fell off fairly abruptly, the Screamin’ Eagle curve was still climbing at that point. It didn’t reach its peak until 4800 revs and was still grinding out 55 ft.-lbs. when the 7000-rpm revlimiter kicked in.

Even more impressive than the dyno curves is the big improvement in seatof-the-pants feel. The torque does dip a couple of foot-pounds below that of the stocker between 2500 and 3800 rpm, but that difference is much too small for the rider to detect. From four grand upward, though, the modified XL flies like a true hot-rod, racing up to redline so quickly in the first two gears that you barely have time to upshift before banging off the rev limiter.

So, while this might not be a cheap fix for the new Sportster’s ho-hum performance, it is a good one. It offers a night-and-day improvement in a world in which far too many so-called “upgrades” do little besides lighten your bank account. This is one that actually lives up to its billing. O

DETAILS

Harley-Davidson Motor Co., Inc.

www.harley-davidson.com

Price . $1190

A major performance improvement Factory-certified components ensure good fit and durability

owns v An expensive modification for the "cheapest' Harley v Not home-mechanic friendly v Should have come from the factory with this performance