V-Twin Forum banner

Choice 103 vs 110

55K views 80 replies 27 participants last post by  TonyC2 
#1 ·
I am trying to figure out which is the real best way to go on a newer bike.
I want power ( for 80mph + freeway cruising with passenger) the 6 speed tranny.
So I am looking at a SE 110 ( most likely a FXDSE or hopefully a 2009 softtail) or purchasing a 96 FXSTC and upgrading to a 103. What is teh reliability of a 103 for the long haul type of riding?

Ideas/ opinions?

Thanks
 
#2 ·
with the stock crank I would suggest the 103 is more reliable than the 110. I would go to the CVO forum and read the posts from those with both engines.
 
#3 ·
If you want real reliability, buy a one or two year old bike with low miles and have a reputable builder tear it down and build it up the right way. I'd be leary of the newer bikes where HD as relaxed the crank run out. As it turns out, my 05 had excessive run out. Fortunatly I did have the extended warranty. :woohoo:
 
#4 ·
@gree:

This is the best way to go. You will end up with a bike that will leave you smiling long after. The number of people with flywheel issues is growing as the mileage starts to grow on 07 + bkes:spank:
 
#6 ·
My salesman told me that their shop wouldn't do the 110 because it was a "warranty killer". What the hell? Harley parts and Harley labour equals no warranty?
 
#78 ·
110



A friend bought a new glide and had the dealer do the 110 upgrade before he tool delivery. He is sorry he did it.
It never ran right. Overheating, stalling, etc even though it was more at the dealer than in his driveway. He eventually traded it in for a new bike with a stock motor. He lost over 10k. Never again.
 
#8 ·
103 is a top end change. To go 110 requires boring the cases... which means total teardown. There has been some problems with cases cracking after being bored simply due to the lack of material left between the cylinders. That said, I went 103 on my 07 Softail. Big Boyz ported my heads, 103 cylinders & flat top pistons, Screaming Eagle 255 cams, Power Commander lll, and Rynehart 2 into 1's. It was like a major kick in tha ass! I am very happy with the performance & how everything seems to be working together. It's tame by some standards, but has excellent roll on throttle responce, and I feel it should be fairly reliable because of mid 9's compression and not that much cam lift. Stock is .485 lift and S.E. 255's are .550 lift. Stock springs are good up to .575 lift. S.E. 255 cams are stock in the factory 110 motor, I believe. This is just my .02 cents worth... but I'm very happy with my 103.
 
#9 ·
Mercury

Diggerpine here; What type of gas mileage do you get? I'm getting a "103" BB Kit installed with the "255" cam on my 07 Road Glide.
 
#10 ·
Uhmmmm.....

I don't know. I really need to check. I 've got about 800 miles on it, and back on Mobile 1, so I will do a fill-up & check this week. Check back here next weekend and I'll post my numbers.
 
#11 ·
I don't know. I really need to check. I 've got about 800 miles on it, and back on Mobile 1, so I will do a fill-up & check this week. Check back here next weekend and I'll post my numbers.
Will do! Thanks for the reply.
Diggerpine
 
#12 ·
I have an 08 sotfail cvo. The 110 is an awesome motor, as far as I am concerned. It has really good bottom and mid range power. The top end seems a touch weak for me, but I think nothing of pushing it to the top from time to time. To date, the only place that I have been beaten on that bike is over 170 kph ( Stupid canadians...I know) (roughly 105-110 mph). The bike pulls super hard right up to there, then moderately to the 120 mph mark. first gear, 50, second gear, 70, third gear, 100, fourth gear,120. Then thats all she wrote. Fifth and sixth are only for show. I race anything I can just to see what I have. I walk away from any of the 600 sport bikes like nothing. The last race I had was a Honda st 1300. We started at 50 mph to about 115. He was way back. Then he ousted me on the top end. I cant see how anyone can complain about that. If all you were concerned about was the performance, then go buy a vmax. For the rest of us that want to have some class while riding and not look like a total dork pornstar with our ankles wrapped around our ears, I think the 110 is a great option. That coupled with the 7 year full warranty, and I think the answer is easy from that point. I love mine!!!
 
#13 · (Edited)
Sorry bro but if you are walking away from sport bikes on a stock 110 they are Tards riding them. I have a 103 that will spank the $hit out of a stock 110 and I can't "Walk away" from a 600 sportbike..and an st1300 is 50 pounds lighter and has 118/86 again musta been a TARD riding it, but ha congrats, not trying to take away from your fun but if you get a good rider on the other bikes it will be a different story plan and simple. A Bone stock 600 will run low 12's High 11's if the rider is good, some of the newer one are running high 10's STOCK

Here is a dude with a pipe and a filter running in the 10's on a 600
http://www.dragtimes.com/Honda-CBR-Timeslip-11383.html
 
#14 ·
The 110ci is a good motor,if you pick the parts correctly.Most people have the stage 1 factory upgrade with the 255 cams.The SE 255 cams quit to early.The stage 1 also is not enough static comp (9.3:1)to post any real hp/Tq numbers.When ordering a new Twin cam one should opt for the factory stage 2 110ci factory upgrade.The stage 2 comes with SE 260 cams and high comp pistons for a 10.5:1 comp.The SE 260 cam again needs to be switched out ,in my opinion, for a better SE cam depending on your riding style!!!!!!!!
 
#15 ·
hehehe, was riding behind a SE 110 , saw the throttle hand go WFO and heard some loud noise. rolled my throttle a little and waited for the 110 to take off?????? never happened. wasnt very impressive, if i owned a 110, i wouldnt pick any fights with sport bikes------or sportsters! lol
 
#16 ·
110ci





Wow that bad huh???????:spank:
 
#18 ·
tonight was the trial at the track I made 2 runs, the first was against a gsxr 1000. He slaughtered me at 10.89 vs 12.47, I didn't see that one coming. My second run was the same against a 95" harley. I do believe that with some more practice at my launches I can get better times, though I am sure I will never make the 10s. I have no idea what that gsxr had done to it, but all the same it was a good time. I cant say much for the other riders on the street, but I know what the results from the races I have had were, and I have the slips in hand to show what I did tonight...

The main point I wanted to make is that the 110 makes enough power that most street riders should be happy with it. If the sole determination is speed, then like I said, you are starting with the wrong platform. As I learned tonight, the gsxr is a good start...lol.
 
#20 ·
I have 6000 miles on my 103 with 255 cams. Its on a 2008 Low Rider so the bike is light. No issues.
 
#21 · (Edited)
12.47-----------great job nomad.
comparison= stock internal flh 103 cvo bike with fatcat and SE a/c, t-max ran consistant 12.40's. added woors 6, and consistant 12.20's. trhen worked heads(SE 103 comprssion brought all the way up to 9.2! lol)and added 591 dunlop, bike ran some 12.05's

now on 1/8 mile track, same bike would whip most 600 cc japazukis. most 60 ft was by .5 seconds and the crotch rockets always found themselves trying to run down a big ass HD:clap:

nomad, here is a vid of the bike when it was 103" to giive you an idea on launching. the motor had 253 cams so you will hear motor pull down at lights, but whatch him leave. we never broke the tire loose that night!

happy to see ya on the track, it gets addicting!!

 
#22 ·
yeah, the stock cvo bikes are dogs...they can be very quick with a little work...my '08 fxdse2 screams with ported heads, 10.8 compression, se 257 cams, supertapp 2 into 1, power commander...6k miles and no leaks...but it's really not the best bang for the buck...price of bike and upgrades was $31k...could get the same power on a superglide for $18k total
 
#23 ·
I used to think that the drag calculators online were a good place to look to see what a bike can do. Now like I said before, I took off from 50 mph against an st1300, and he knew we were racing, Could be like was said earlier, the guy was a "Tard" but i left him still. So it got me thinking about it, and I went online to see what they would do (this was before I tracked mine, so I wanted a reference point) they are supposed to come in around 11.50's, depending on the forum or review you read. I looked into the power and weight specs, plugged them into the calculators, and there was no way that they were going to pull anywhere near that. I started to play with them a touch and found that if I entered the numbers into the calculator using the bikes dry weight and no rider then the time came in right on par with the magazine reviews! the magazines are claiming a stock cvo dyna 110 should pull a 12.20. It led me to conclude, based on that I have raced four seperate 600cc bikes and won each race from start, and lost one after 110 mph (ish), that the numbers on the magazine and websites are pure speculation. I have no doubts that the 600's, or any of the cafes are quick, but I do believe that they are over rated in theory. Few people take their bikes out to the track to learn how to launch them and rev them the way they could perform.


Has anyone else here taken their scoot out? What is it and what did you manage?
 
#25 ·
got a 09,110 softail screaming eagle the skinny rear drive belt lasted a whole 6,000mileswhen being rode easy , myhome built bobber stock 110 revtech carbed45 mikuni runs away from it easy at less than full throttle i think hd is heading back to amf quality thumbs down,lookingfor a good evo road king to replace it
 
#30 ·
Maybe my idea of a street race isn't the same, I consider it something that stretches out at least a 1/4 mile not block to block light to light in that type of race I can see a 110 stage 1 taking a zoomasuki up to a 750 but any of the 1+ liter bikes NO WAY past 100ft assuming the rider knows how to ride. At speed on the hwy I can get 2-3 bike lengths on a I-4 600 up to about 115-120 and then they run me down and pass. 1 Liter I-4's hell its no race I can stay within 3-5 lengths till 110 and then they walk away. Now I know my scoot isn't even close to "FAST" but ANY SE 110 without head work has never takin my bike. I'm not sayin Nomad wasn't winning I'm just sayin they didn't know how to ride their bikes. I speak from my own experience as well as first hand observation on the street. Now on the track I don't have the FIRST hand to make the statement. Now the other side of this is a 12.47 is a respectable time for an HD and this is a StageII build so before it would have been what maybe 12.6ish you can't tell me a 600 zoomasuki couldn't kill that time. Hell my bud has a 07 R6 and he has a slip of 11.82 BONE STOCK.:whistle:
 
#31 ·
Friend, you are welcome to call BS all you want, but the fact of the matter is simple. I could care less about if I win the race or not, and am not afraid to race anything that comes my way. I like to run. Now I am well aware that you are going to meet the fastest racers on the net, and the slowest ones on the street. Me, I could care less what peeps on the net "claim" All I can speak to is what I have seen. You make some good points, in that the peeps that I have been playing with may well be "tards" but please don't accuse me of being a liar. I am a straight forward person. If I lost the race I would gladly admit it, what is there for me to loose? Not a damn thing. I love my bike because it has style, class, AND performance. I am not attached to the outcome of any race, thats not how I value my ride. When I post something in any of these forums, it is what I said it is. I have two slips from the track right now to back up my 1/4 time if anyone would like to see them. Please feel free to ask. I stand defiant to your claim to BS and hold my comments are truthful and straight. Dare I ask if your disbelief is because your scoot cant claim the same? It could well be that you have had different riders that have more experience than the ones I raced, does that make me a liar?

Please do not think me as a fool, or as insulted by the comments you have made. Your opinion and feedback, although appreciated and considered, DO NOT change the FACTS I have experienced these things.
 
#35 ·
about 915lbs +/- with a full tank and myself (230lbs) I have taken about 20 lbs of crap off. I run a VPC on the clutch with an extra plate pack that helps alot, my stock clutch with SE spring lasted about a month :woohoo: I have not got back on the dyno since adjusting my tune a little more but I know I have picked up a little more just need to go see my bud...always same Dyno and same operator...been told his is a little stingy compared to the others in town but all its good for to me is if the changes went good or bad from before.
 
#37 · (Edited)
Variable Pressure Clutch/Lockup

I use AIM's 94T with Energy Ones +1 Pack...was getting to much slip before



BACK to the thread... I guess I would go 103 and save coin ver the SE110's (look at 107 its just bored jugs, I would have but the deal I got was to good to not go 103)
 
#38 ·
12.47 is damn good for a 110, IMO. I watched one struggling to break 13 at the track, but I think the rider had a lot to do with that.

By comparison, there's another forum member with an all-bore 207 running high tens.
 
#39 ·
By comparison, there's another forum member with an all-bore 207 running high tens.

Watch out...Tab will be ordering the "207 R&R kit"...lol
 
#42 ·
They went with the 50 mm tb and the high flow injectors. I tried to get the 58 mm but they said that it was only available for the deckers. So I went with the biggest one that harley had to offer, or so I was told. As for the pipes, I have been told by everyone that I should be using a 2 into 1 set, but I have yet to hear a set that I would want on my bike. I might try to take the baffles out and see how that does, but the sound of the bike is more important to me than a couple tenths, know what i mean?

I want to do the heads on the bike, but I have had no luck what so ever finding out what the bike has to begin with, and have been told by one of Harleys instructor mechanics that if I port and polish my heads they will be more prone to carbon build up on the street. I think for the time being I will just practice with what i have. My power band starts at about 4000, and that is where I was launching. I am gonna try to take off at 4500-5000 this weekend and see if I can shave some there, who knows. Next year it will most likely be the rear sprocket that gets changed first. Do you know what the valve sizes, springs, and cc's are for the stock cvo heads?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top