Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

• PROJECT BIKE H-D Screamin' EagleIHarley-Davidson FXSTSB Bad Boy By Scott Rousseau ver see or hear a stock HarleyDavidson Big Twin 'anywhere but on the showroom floor? either have we. The truth is that most H-D owners no sooner get their new pride and joy home than the process begins. Stock parts are quickly unbolted and replaced with trick aftermarket goodies that either reflect personal tastes, improve performance, or both. And more often than not, the first place a new H-D owner starts is right at the heart of the beast: the Evolution engine. Thanks to our watchdog American bureaucracy, Harley-Davidson must all but snuff out the power pulses that the Milwaukee-bred 1340cc V -twins are capable of producing by installing a wimpy cam, adding restrictive airboxes and mufflers as well as adjusting each machine's 40mm carburetor to a ridiculously lean setting in order to meet the heinous noise and emissions requirements set forth by the EPA. The proof is in the pudding, as the mighty Evo motors leave the factory in stock trim with the ability to produce a whopping 45 horsepower - from 1340cc. Cmon. Without bothering to get into a political or legal debate over what is the right thing to do in the face of such restrictions, we went ahead and joined the overwhelming throng of law-abiding HD owners out there who take matters into their own hands in order to unleash the .horsepower potential of their Hog and thus end up with the motorcycle that they should be getting from the factory in the first place. What we found was that with just a few simple bolt-ons we were able significantly increase the power output of our 1996 FXSTSB Bad Boy test rig and thus gain an exponentially greater appreciation for the bike. Best of all, it was so stinkin' easy. While there are numerous aftermarket accessory manufacturers a.nd hop-up shops out there who can easily convert any mild-mannered Harley into the "Born to Be Wild" beast that it should be, we decided that we did not waI1t to stray too far from the beaten path when it came time to building some more "bad" into the Bad Boy, and that included sticking only to Harley-Davidson accessory parts. But H-D does not produce any hop-up kits, nor were they necessarily willing to make any recommendations. (Above) The first step after the baseline test was to clear away the tank, seat and other trim items in order to access the rocker boxes. Instead, they sent us their Screamin' Eagle Performance Parts catalog and turned us loose. So armed, we decided to call on some fairly renowned experts in the field of Harley-Davidson performance - the people at Bartels( HarleyDavidson. The Marina Del Rey, California, Harley-Davidson dealership is one of the most successful in the country and one of the two largest in the Los Angeles area. Bill Bartels has built up a small empire on Lincoln Boulevard, which includes an incredibly posh sales boutique, a massive service department, his own name-brand performance accessories line and a Harley-Davidson rental business that caters both to the general public and the Hollywood film industry. Bartels has either custom-built or supplied motorcycles that have appeared in such films as "Terminator 2," "Harley-Davidson and the Marlboro Man," "Wild Orchid" and "The Crow." Bartels has entrusted his two sons, Scott and Ron with much of the business. Scott Bartels runs the Bartels' Performance Parts division and was the man responsible for guiding us to the right parts in the Screamin' Eagle catalog while Ron Bartels, who oversees the service department, coordinated the actual buildup. The first key to unlocking the performance potential of any Big Twin is to get the thing breathing. To that end, Scott Bartels steered us toward Harley-Davidson's Screamin' Eagle Air Oeaner kit and Screamin' Eagle Slip-on Mufflers. Knowing that we weren't going to be satisfied with the power-producing ability of the stock cam and hydraulic lifters, he also suggested a Screamin' Eagle IT Camshaft kit, which includes a cam, adjustable solid lifters and stiffer valve springs. To top it off, Scott directed us to bolt-on a Screamin' Eagle Ignition Module, but with a bit of a twist. He hinted that the XL module, with its more radical advance curve, was a better choice than the FL version of the same item. But it was what Bartels told us next that got us really pumped. He said that these bolt on items would be worth about a 30 hp gain (Above) The net step is to access the camshaft by removing the cam cover. The ignition cover must 11rst be opened and the timing mechanism removed. (Above) By comparing camshaft pr011les, It's easy to see that the Screamln' Eagle II cam (left) has a 1ar greater potential than the stocker (right). The lumpier cam provides greater lift and duration to help the Evo motor move a lot more air. (Above) Per a Harley-Davidson service bulletin, Big Twin owners planning to use a beefier cam should replace the stock cam bearing (center) with a Torrington bearing, part number. The stock bearing has a smaller roller area and can fail under the added stress 01 a bigger bumpstlck. (Above) Rivera took extra time In the wash tank to make sure that both the old and new perts were sanitary prior to the rebuilding process. Cleanlln_ Is critical to long engine I"e. (Above) The higher-lift cam required convertlng the lifters from hydraulic (right) to solid (left) by removing the center spring assemblies with the spacers provided In the kit.

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