I dig Evos, and I'm not sure about Twin Cams. I've asked performance builders around the country which they prefer from a performance standpoint. Most recognize the case strength of the twin cam and the alignment between the engine and trans, since they are mated. Then there's the less extreme pushrod angle of the Twin Cam for more accurate cam and valve action.
I'm still in love with the downright fantastic simplicity of the Evo engine, the balance, the beauty, and the history. The Evo is the final refinement of the classic Knucklehead engine.
“But the twin cam oil pump is much improved,” said Bob Bennett at Bennett's Performance.
Okay, goddamnit, so Twin Cams have their benefits, but Evos represent even more, the last of the Freedom machine. As of 2009, H-D is becoming Toyotasized, with anti-tampering devices and electronic throttles. Evos will always represent the best in hand-buildable technology, motorcycles that can be fucked with forever. It's the heart of our existence and I want to support that aspect till I die, damn it!
This tech will tinker with some of these freedom-thinking elements, as a long-time brother of mine rolled out of Long Beach, California, toward the desert east of Palm Springs. It's an outlaw area, where thugs and dreamers escape the squalor of Los Angeles to munch on peyote buttons and enjoy the unhindered brilliance of the elevated desert sky. It's a gritty hovel, but still ten degrees cooler than the lower elevation on the other side of the Little San Bernardino Mountains, Palm Springs.
But before I carve any deeper into this grizzly cactus-strewn berg on the edge of nowhere, let me back up. The bike scheduled for this tech was a '89 Evo FLH with almost 200,000 miles on the clock. It belongs to Dr. Hamster, a Hamster for about 20 years. We've ridden to Sturgis several times. It's not fancy, heavily customized, or strewn with performance components. It's mostly worn stock elements, a remanufactured factory engine, with a True-Track for stability and a custom ghosted paint job by another Hamster, Jim Waggaman. It's a simple, long-distance rider.
We rode to the Smoke Out West recently, and the stock '89 didn't bat an eye, except the mileage wasn't terrific, even less than my rough- and-ready, 93-inch Sturgis Shovelhead. He hadn't endured a tune-up in ten years and his exhaust system was rough, so what's a brother to do but hook up a brother with all the right parts to make his Evo sing for another ten years? Does that make Evo motorcycles worth standing beside for the long haul? I reckon.
The formula called for a set of D&D blacked-out performance Fat Cat pipes, 2-into-1. Compu-Fire recently developed the best-of-the-best ignition systems for all cone-motor customs, an all-in-one single-fire ignition system, with one simple coil that will bolt into place of the stock coil, no problem.
The final element was a slightly modified K&N filter system for more enhanced breathing through the S&S Super E carb. They make these systems for all the stock carbs, but not S&S, so we modified it. But we'll get to that.
This process kicked off with a short ride to Bennett's Performance and a dyno run. It's not as if we plan to see a vast horsepower change, but what the hell. Dr. Hamster has a stock Evo 80-inch engine, with no modification aside from the S&S carb, Twin tech ignition, and an Andrews cam. He did change his primary gearing for lower RPMs at high speeds. The Bennett's Dyno pointed out that he had a lean spot in his high-end mixture and still mustered 65 horses and 74 pounds of Torque. We grabbed the information and made a plan. We would deliver the bike to the Chop N Grind Performance Center, in the heart of the desert town of Yucca Valley for performance mods, and then return to Bennett's for another dyno run and perhaps some carb rejetting. Plus, we'll install the latest in D&D muffler technology and see if one simple muffler change makes a difference.
I just scratched my graying beard as I realized that we were working with three hardened Bonneville racing teams. We interrupted Bob and Eric, who were planning for their Bonneville run with their Bennett's Performance bikes. The notorious Chop N Grind Racing team, made up of serious desert escapees, would be our installers, and we were both members of the infamous Bikernet 5-Ball Racing masterminds behind the World's Fastest Panhead. We sharpened our knives before riding into the desert.
The good Dr. Hamster, the master of Golf Performance and the only biker Chiropractor I know, and I made a plan to meet for breakfast at a faded franchise truckstop at the junction of the 15 coming north from San Diego, and the famous 10 that runs from the Santa Monica Pier across the entire country through Houston, Texas, along the southern coastline to New Orleans, Mobile, Alabama, and ends on the beach in Jacksonville, Florida. I believe Route 66 was the historic trailblazer for interstate 10. I'm actually fulla shit. The 40 through Oklahoma City out of Barstow, California stole the thunder from historic Route 66. Ah, the day of the small lingering highways.
We met at the TA truckstop where I was nearly arrested in the '70s, and Camy, our Lower Alabama Bikernet Weather Lady, puked on RW's boots while he repaired his truck in the vast parking lot. This is one of those faded plastic franchise dumps that says so many bad things about our society. It smacks of oil companies taking over, of small towns and family restaurants destroyed by interstate upheaval. For years, there was nothing out in this region, except for this Red Cross station for wayward drunks and truckers.
Hell, this damn joint was mentioned in my first Chance Hogan book. As a biker in the '70s, it was a tool-tottin' oasis for bikers. Now the city is spreading and surrounding it. Strange.
We ate breakfast, gassed up, and got the hell out of there. It was right at 60 miles from the coast. We had another 80 to go, to slip off the 10 outside the Bob Hope luxury of Palm Springs, and slide east on the highway 62 into Marengo Valley, past Hutchinson's Harley-Davidson into Yucca Valley and the home of the Chop N Grind Racing team.
Dr. Petri has a PHD from Harley-Davidson school of wrenching and was recently the top dog of the Palm Springs Harley-Davidson service department. He's always contained a performance itch and owned High Desert Performance for a decade before slipping into the dealership mode. Now, he's back to the Chop N Grind at his own performance center in Yucca Valley.
We rolled in about 10:00 a.m. We immediately went to work on the good doctor's dresser, stripping it down, changing oil, and basically performing his first complete service in ten years. We let the '89 cool, then removed the existing pipes and prepared for the all-black D&D two-into-one system. There was some concern about fitment, since this system comes with oxygen sensor bungs, mounting tabs, and there was a billet True Track strap-mounting tab bolted to the True Track. It was a fine, solid piece designed by the late Wil Phillips.
After some discussion with the crew, we hacksaw-modified the True Track billet piece, and put a hand file to use under the tutelage of Bob T., a member of the Chop N Grind team and a long-time rider. Hell, he rode with Bandit in 1970, when life was boot-tough and rattlesnake-mean. Before I get covered in shop grease and road grime, I need to mention the Code of the West when it comes to any tech.
This is a seemingly simple install of the D&D Fat Cat, a K&N air cleaner system, and a replacement ignition developed by Compu-Fire. Nothin' to it, right? Anytime you take a handful of products built specifically for prosaic stock models and attempt to install them on a modified, slightly older model, you're going to run into obstacles, lumps in the road and brackets you didn't expect. Get use to it, goddamnit, and take it as a mental challenge. Then fix it and pop open a beer to celebrate.
In this case, we immediately ran into the True-Track bracket. Then Dr. Petri manufactured an adapter plate to insure the K&N air cleaner fit. We needed to adjust the carb bracket and choke system. As it turned out, the Compu-Fire system bolted directly into place. So, hang on as we take you on a stroll through the Chop N Grind Performance Center.
The two doctors started to mount the D&D system using our new modified mounting bracket, but ran into a problem installing the True Track heim joint again. Upon inspection, we discovered damage to the front rubber mount. We pulled it and brothers made a mad dash to Hutchinson's H-D for a replacement, two new H-D 56-4A plugs gapped to .040, and two new exhaust manifold gaskets. I discovered that this '95-'06 D&D Fat Cat system will fit virtually any Evo and twin cam.
In the meantime, I started to inspect the magic black powder-coated K&N air cleaner. I removed the existing S&S air cleaner that mounted to the heads to hold the carb in place. This '89 didn't have head breathers ported to the interior of the air cleaner; they were strictly threaded mounting holes.
We filled the holes with polished stainless fasteners, and I stole an S&S carb bracket from the Chop N Grind S&S B carb from their Bonneville bike. I need to replace it or die trying.
I replaced the stock S&S choke-to-air cleaner lever system with a stand-alone choke lever I copped from their performance carb. I need to replace it or die trying. Don't want to get buried in a shallow grave in the desert to become tarantula food. In the process of checking out the S&S Super E, Dr. P. discovered a cracked accelerator pump diaphragm and replaced it.
The S&S bracket and stand-alone choke mechanism replacements were a cool breeze by the swamp cooler whirring in the corner. Nothing to it. Then I attempted to install the standouts running from the inner K&N air cleaner plate to the clean powder-coated outer plate. With my handy pocket knife, I cleaned the satin black powder away from the ¼-inch fine threads, but I didn't run a bottom tape to insure thread safety. I blew out the shallow threads and started screwing the hex standout into the outer cover, but it bound. I tried several times and cross-threaded it once.
The Code of the West surfaced again. Don't force anything. I carefully worked the mild steel stand in and out of the soft aluminum threads. Finally, I felt I was good to go and started to tighten them. One of the stands slipped into place conveniently, the other cross-threaded. When I attempted to back it out, it snapped off.
Dr. Petri looked at me like the turd I was and slipped me a box of high-dollar Snap-On easy-outs. I carefully drilled the stud and broke the hardened steel easy-out in the stud. My turd developed a terrible disease. We drilled out the cover, punched out the stud, drilled holes and dug through the Chop N Grind fastener can for a couple of fasteners and spacers to handle the job. My sordid name was finally erased from the shit list.
Larry, or Dr. P. changed the oil, replaced his filter, jacked up the engine, and replaced the front motormount. We plugged the vent hole in the air cleaner backing plate, attached the True-Track heim joint, and were ready to replace the ignition system with a pure, simple Compu-Fire, single-fire ignition system.
Generally, single-fire ignitions call for mounting dual coils, but not in this case. Single-fire pumps up the spark per firing cycle, reduces wear and tear on the coils, smoothes the engine at idle and enhances the performance and mileage. That's what the gods of single-fire told me, and most of the bikes we build from the ground up are set up with single fire ignitions.
“We use single-fire ignitions on all our Chop N Grind Bonneville bikes,” Larry said.
Note from the boss of Compu-Fire, Martin Tesh:“Some bullet points for the Compufire Single Fire Ignition Kit:
Eight selectable advance curves for engines from mild to wild
Operates both single fire or dual fire
Eight position RPM Limiter
Tunable VOES (5 or 10 degrees vac. advance)
Single Fire coil mounts in the stock location
Systems available for electric start, kick start, and race applicationswhich require ignition retard.
Plug wires are silicone jacketed with spiral wound conductor.”
Basically, we removed the old Twin Tech system and the sensor plate. Dr. P. removed the plugs, jacked up the rear wheel, kicked the bike into fifth gear, and rolled the engine over to find top dead center (TDC) with a flywheel slot centered in the case inspection hole, after he determined the engine to be on the front cylinder compression stroke.
The Compu-Fire systems come with a thin shim, maybe .015, but Compu-Fire warns not to use it. It's available if the sensor spins under the ignition plate, over .075 from the plate. We cleaned the ignition trigger cavity and could have replaced the oil seal if it was leaking. Larry P. secured the Compu-Fire trigger rotor with the socket head screw and flat washer supplied, using blue Loc-Tite to prevent loosening. We aligned the locating pin with the notch in the cam. We torqued the screw to 25-inch pounds.
We made sure the TDC slot was located in the center of the timing inspection hole. The good doctor Petri observed the position of the magnets and the locating pin in the trigger rotor. For Big Twins, the locating pin will be in the seven o’clock position. If the pin resides at one o’clock, it would be dead wrong and the engine would need to be turned over a complete revolution to bring it up to seven o’clock.
Larry replaced the plugs and installed the Compu-Fire ignition module using the two standoffs just tight enough so the module could be rotated to set timing. Next, he located the module with the V-notch in the module over the V-grooved area in the housing. This groove is at approximately the seven o’clock position on Big Twins and 11 o’clock on Sportsters. He carefully threaded the cable from the Compu-Fire ignition module through the hole in the housing, making sure to leave enough cable inside the housing to adjust the timing.
Warning: The sparkplug wires must be attached to the ignition coil during timing.
The Compu-Fire ignition module has a built-in ACCU-RAY timing light and does not require the use of standard timing lights. In fact, use of a standard timing light is not recommended. Especially don't use a dial-back light, as the Harley-Davidson engine fires asymmetrically and will give an incorrect readout.
With the ignition switch in the off position, Dr.P. reconnected the battery ground cable. He carefully slit the cable jacket back about one inch to expose the inner wires. He removed the excess jacket and stripped the red wire only. He temporarily connected the red wire to the positive battery post, being careful not to short the battery to ground.
Next, he rotated the ignition module counterclockwise to the full retard position. The ACCU-RAY timing light may be on or off. He used the supplied disk magnet to turn this LED light off and on to get familiar with it by dragging the magnet across the bottom of the Compu-Fire ignition plate. He left the light in the off position.
He slowly rotated the Compu-Fire ignition plate clockwise until the light popped on. He repeated this movement a couple of times to insure that the plate was tightened down in the exact pop-on position, then tightened the timing plate. It was timed, done deal. Larry wired the Compu-Fire system to the ignition switch and to the coil. Then he set the Compu-Fire switches to single-fire and the advance curve switch to the fifth range or total advance 35 degrees before TDC. The bike will start at TDC, then advance to 35 degrees BTDC. We were burnin' daylight as we wrapped up the project, and Dr. Hamster took the bike for a round-the-block road test. I could smell the desert heat being replaced by sweating cactus, Joshua trees and jackrabbit farts. The desert night loomed ahead as we pulled out of Yucca Valley and rolled toward the interstate, like a couple of old dogs trying to find home and a place to eat.It's not a good idea to work on any motorcycle, then ride 140 miles through Saturday night traffic in the middle of the night. Midnight on the 10, peeling through the outskirts of LA, is like riding a fresh build in rush-hour traffic in Denver. It's not a pretty sight, a sea of blinking taillights, bitchin' wives and screaming kids watching DVDs on a black freeway.
We cut almost back to the 15, and then leaned off the interstate in the bleak agriculture town of Colton. We rode for miles past liquor stores, massage parlors, farm equipment supply houses, and fast food joints. There were blinking neon signs announcing massage parlors on every block, but no restaurants. We rode for miles until we found Mimi's and the reason for all the massage parlors. We both ordered Turkey melts with Avocado. Our waitress was a very young, big round girl with a smile that would melt the bumper off an 18-wheeler. He skin was as soft and the fuzz on a fresh peach and her eyes were as bright as the stars in the desert sky.
Combine all those attributes with gigantic, jutting tits that begged to be touched, fondled, and kissed, and I was ready to test the vast Colton massage parlor industry. I wanted her worse than I want to win the lottery. She was heaven in a Mimi's apron. We begrudgingly departed the restaurant to discover a loose front exhaust flange on my King. One of the nuts had already departed, so we tightened the other one and prayed for surf as we sliced onto the freeway and cut a midnight trail across the city.
The '89 once more didn't bat an eye as the good doctor cut into Santa Monica, while my twin cam hissed a leaky exhaust, dropped the other nut and the exhaust clattered to a stop near the port of Los Angeles, just two miles from home. Rather that risk damaging a valve, I called the lovely Sin Wu, who rescued me with tools and nuts. I broke the code and forgot to carry tools.
Another Evo saving tech is alive and well on Bikernet. We will bring you more dyno results, and the new concentric muffler design from D&D in the next couple of week, and I'll fix my King for the ride back to Bennett's on Signal Hill.
