Okay AJY, as long as I've got your ear, let's get some things nailed down.
First, let's be clear.Are you contemplating an Electra or an Iron Bullet?
It makes a difference,and if we know, then we can target our responses directly, instead of trying to cover all the bases for all the engines.
Next, you really have to stop the comparisons between various Hondas, HD, and other bikes, with the Bullet or Electra.
It doesn't matter what a Honda or HD can do, regarding what a Bullet can do. That's apples and oranges. All that matters when discussing a Bullet is what a Bullet can do. All this stuff about not being able to believe it, and all that sort of thing isn't going to change anything. It is what it is, and it has limitations that are lower than HDs and Hondas.
Now, that said, if you want to crank up the power with hot-rod parts, ride the holy hell out of it, push it for all it's worth like a race bike, you can do that to an Iron Bullet. .
However, you will need to become very accustomed to engine rebuilding, and also spending alot of money for parts, rebuilds, and breakages.
There are alot more options for hot-rod parts with an Iron Bullet. There's very few options for the AVL/Electra.
You can push the Iron Bullet 500 to about 31rwhp, the 535 big-bore Iron Bullet to about 33rwhp, and if you get the 612cc stroker kit, you can get 40rwhp.
I know all about what it takes to do this, because I'm building one right now, and I have friends that have also done it, and some also have done the full-out 612 kits. I've been researching and discussing various ways of Bullet building for 3 years, with some of the best Bullet builders with the most experience and knowledge, probably in the world.
You're gonna put about $5k-$6k into building an engine like that. If you ride it hard, you'll be rebuilding each year or two.
Your first step is the $1600 billet crankshaft, racing rod, oversize-crankpin with Alpha roller bearing on the big-end, and a top-grade set of European-made main bearings.
If you don't start with that, you're pissing into the wind, because the normal bottom end will fail in no time flat with a hot-rodded top end.
Then, you have to be very judicious in what you pick for the hot-rod parts such as cams, because you can lose your lower rpm torque very quickly, when you try to gain higher rpm power. Then the bike becomes a nightmare to ride on the street.
Additionally, a long stroke single is rpm limited by piston speeds, and no matter what you do, you're not going to get more than about 6500rpm out of this engine in any useful way. More like 6000rpm, realistically. Even with the racing crank/rod/bearings.
Your powerband will get narrow, and you'll have to rev it to get anywhere.
This means you'll have to get the 5-speed gearbox, because you're gonna be shifting alot to keep the engine in that narrow rpm powerband.
Now, you could put in the stroker crank and get the extra torque of the 612cc, but then you have compounded the piston speed issues, and your rev limits get lower. Also, trying to feed the extra 100cc's requires wilder cams with higher lifts which stresses the valve train components even more. Your clutch isn't going to take this power level, so you can figure in another $900 for the racing clutch and belt-drive primary. Stock rear wheel spokes have been known to snap with this level of mods, so a hotrodded rear wheel build with racing rim and spokes would be a good idea. Just another $500.
Ya wanna be able to drag that horse down to a stop? Well, the disc brake kit and wheel are available for just another $500.
You're going to end up with about a $12k Bullet, because that's where all the rest of us wound up when doing it. No hope of re-selling it for anywhere near what it's worth, so you had better like it when it's done.
Are you sure you want to go down this road? You could buy an aircooled Sport-Desmo Ducati 1000cc twin for the same $12k that you're gonna spend.
The other option is to do a pipe and carb and air filter, and be satisfied with hp in the mid 20s, good torque and streetability, and the limitations that everyone else is riding Bullets with. That's the cost effective option.
And believe it or not, most people, including myself, have found that a Bullet with a pipe, and air filter change is a quite nice bike to ride that is as enjoyable as anything else we've ridden over the last 40 years that we've owned bikes.
A Bullet isn't really about trying to make everything a "blur" between Point A and Point B. A Bullet is about enjoying all the ride between Point A and Point B. You don't even really want to get to Point B, because then you have to get off the bike.
Topic: Top Speed and Sweet Spot (Read 20558 times)