Topic: Zippers CVO 103 Muscle Kit (Read 7811 times)

Tom149 · « **on:** October 19, 2007, 07:53:41 PM »

Tom 149 Here!

Anyone have any experience/opinions with the Zippers CVO 103 Muscle Kit, and if so how do you like it and what kind of numbers can I expect? I am running Rinehart True Duals, a HD Hi-Flow Air Breather and a Race Tuner on my 2006 FLHTCUSE right now and I am looking for more torque (low end) and HP. I am contemplating a motor upgrade and the Muscle Kit is one of the options I am considering.

grc · « **Reply #1 on:** October 19, 2007, 10:00:41 PM »

Quote from: Tom149 on October 19, 2007, 07:53:41 PM

Tom 149 Here!

Anyone have any experience/opinions with the Zippers CVO 103 Muscle Kit, and if so how do you like it and what kind of numbers can I expect? I am running Rinehart True Duals, a HD Hi-Flow Air Breather and a Race Tuner on my 2006 FLHTCUSE right now and I am looking for more torque (low end) and HP. I am contemplating a motor upgrade and the Muscle Kit is one of the options I am considering.

Tom,

One person who has extensive experience with and knowledge of this particular kit is Twolanerider. If he doesn't see this and reply, you may want to PM him. In the meantime, try the following thread:

http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=12397.0

Jerry

Hoist! · « **Reply #2 on:** October 19, 2007, 10:12:27 PM »

Quote from: grc on October 19, 2007, 10:00:41 PM

Tom,

One person who has extensive experience with and knowledge of this particular kit is Twolanerider. If he doesn't see this and reply, you may want to PM him. In the meantime, try the following thread:

http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=12397.0

Jerry

2Lane's travelling out of town right now, but if you're looking for rave reviews on the Zippers muscle kit, I'd think twice about talking to him. I'll let him speak on it himself and give you the details.

Hoist!

110tHunDer · « **Reply #3 on:** October 19, 2007, 11:57:08 PM »

Besides Don, there's another fella, "just-us-6," that probably has some opinions about Zipper's builds.

$:-\$

Twolanerider · « **Reply #4 on:** October 25, 2007, 02:01:07 AM »

Yes, I have that particular Zippers kit. Made for a decent bike in the winter time. Once the weather warmed up it was untunably bad; to the point of being unrideable.

Have found a solution that can be executed in just an afternoon's time though. Of course it involves having another set of pistons, cylinders and heads prepared and ready to go on in place of the poorly designed, poorly executed, unsupported and unwarranted product Zippers produced and provided. This needs to be done, however, after a prior afternoon's time has already been spent replacing the overly large cam they provide as part of this kit. The overly large cam they provide in an attempt to band aid the very poor head work.

Aside from the poor execution and compilation of the package the actual machine work on the heads I received was unbelievably poor as well. So, aside from the shoddy machine work, inexcusably poor service, badly designed head geometry and compilation of a package that didn't work for crap on my bike and at least two others I know of (necessitating eventually taking the whole mess off and starting over) I think it's a heluva package. In fact as long as you can avoid Zippers support or their product they're a heluva company.

The Mysterious Q! · « **Reply #5 on:** October 25, 2007, 07:31:37 AM »

Don tell us how you really feel.

Twolanerider · « **Reply #6 on:** October 25, 2007, 01:31:37 PM »

Quote from: BigDaddy1569 on October 25, 2007, 07:31:37 AM

Don tell us how you really feel.

You know me John; always trying for the fair and well reasoned explanation

.

Tom149 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 25, 2007, 02:52:18 PM »

Twolanerider,

TY for the insight into the 103 Muscle Kit, doesn't appear to be a wise choice. I may just go with 575 Redshift gear driven cams instead.

Thanks Again,
Tom

Midnight Rider · « **Reply #8 on:** October 25, 2007, 03:06:21 PM »

Quote from: Tom149 on October 25, 2007, 02:52:18 PM

Twolanerider,

TY for the insight into the 103 Muscle Kit, doesn't appear to be a wise choice. I may just go with 575 Redshift gear driven cams instead.

Thanks Again,
Tom

You can just get better design and performance from other places, and for a better or equal price. Several people here are happy with the 575 cams, and also the Freedom cams...both are "bolt ins". Heads are the weak link on the 103's, so GOOD head work is the key to really making a strong, cooler running engine, IMO.

Twolanerider · « **Reply #9 on:** October 25, 2007, 03:06:49 PM »

Quote from: Tom149 on October 25, 2007, 02:52:18 PM

Twolanerider,

TY for the insight into the 103 Muscle Kit, doesn't appear to be a wise choice. I may just go with 575 Redshift gear driven cams instead.

Thanks Again,
Tom

Tom, that's what I did first. The enemy of "good" is often times "more." I should have stopped at the 575s. Assuming they've got their rumored hardening problems taken care of (ask them) that was a really nice upgrade to a 103. I wish I'd stopped there. Good luck with it!

110tHunDer · « **Reply #10 on:** October 25, 2007, 03:27:14 PM »

Quote from: Twolanerider on October 25, 2007, 03:06:49 PM

Tom, that's what I did first. The enemy of "good" is often times "more." I should have stopped at the 575s. Assuming they've got their rumored hardening problems taken care of (ask them) that was a really nice upgrade to a 103. I wish I'd stopped there. Good luck with it!

OK, you have my attention. I had not heard about that. Trust it's something that would've shown up in the 6,000 miles that I've been running them?

Twolanerider · « **Reply #11 on:** October 25, 2007, 03:51:56 PM »

Quote from: 103tHunDer on October 25, 2007, 03:27:14 PM

OK, you have my attention. I had not heard about that. Trust it's something that would've shown up in the 6,000 miles that I've been running them?

There was rumor (separate sources, unconnected to each other, but never independently confirmed) of matallurgical issues (i.e., the Zippers cam started hard but got soft prematurely, a real issue of course).

One rep at Zippers as an aside while I was trying to thrash out T-Max questions started talking cams. I mentioned that I'd previously had the 575s. He rather absent mindedly responded that it was good I'd not gotten a (then) current one with the "hardness problem." He clammed up after that remark.

Heard separately some months later from a member here of the same issue. While I did eventually get Zippers to pony up and admit to issues I was currently seeing that was enough of a hassle that I didn't push on issues that were not consequential to me at the time. After they got pinned down to what they did admit they stopped talking at all. So I wasn't (and didn't try hard) to find out anymore. Was washing my hands of them by that time.

Given the time frame you got yours I'd expect that you're ok even if the rumors were true.

Fired00d · « **Reply #12 on:** October 25, 2007, 04:50:00 PM »

Quote from: Twolanerider on October 25, 2007, 03:51:56 PM

There was rumor (separate sources, unconnected to each other, but never independently confirmed) of matallurgical issues (i.e., the Zippers cam started hard but got soft prematurely, a real issue of course).

One rep at Zippers as an aside while I was trying to thrash out T-Max questions started talking cams. I mentioned that I'd previously had the 575s. He rather absent mindedly responded that it was good I'd not gotten a (then) current one with the "hardness problem." He clammed up after that remark.

Heard separately some months later from a member here of the same issue. While I did eventually get Zippers to pony up and admit to issues I was currently seeing that was enough of a hassle that I didn't push on issues that were not consequential to me at the time. After they got pinned down to what they did admit they stopped talking at all. So I wasn't (and didn't try hard) to find out anymore. Was washing my hands of them by that time.

Given the time frame you got yours I'd expect that you're ok even if the rumors were true.

That's good to hear, had me concerned for a minute.

Ride Safe,
Fired00d

Twolanerider · « **Reply #13 on:** October 25, 2007, 04:53:53 PM »

Quote from: Fired00d on October 25, 2007, 04:50:00 PM

That's good to hear, had me concerned for a minute.

Ride Safe,
Fired00d

No worries Gary. If I'd heard of a prospective problem while also knowing of potential buyers while the problem was ongoing I'd have certainly let them know. It's the balanced thing to do; we look out for our friends.

Tom149 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 25, 2007, 11:55:40 PM »

Twolanerider,

Thanks for the heads up on the Zippers 575 cams. Looks like I may now be going for the Freedom YB14 SEC gear drive setup. I have seen some really good numbers on here from fellow members who have installed them. Any feedback concerning these cams would be appreciated.

Tom149

Twolanerider · « **Reply #15 on:** October 26, 2007, 12:03:24 AM »

Quote from: Tom149 on October 25, 2007, 11:55:40 PM

Twolanerider,

Thanks for the heads up on the Zippers 575 cams. Looks like I may now be going for the Freedom YB14 SEC gear drive setup. I have seen some really good numbers on here from fellow members who have installed them. Any feedback concerning these cams would be appreciated.

Tom149

Tom, users of both have been almost universally happy. Both seem to do a great job in the 103 application. The only difference of note between the two is the the Yuill cam seems to give slightly better overall numbers but comes in just a bit later while the Zippers cam comes in a bit earlier but at the expense of top end numbers. Those differences seem not to be great though. Just a little.

MUFFMAN · « **Reply #16 on:** October 26, 2007, 06:40:14 AM »

I have an 07 110" Se. I was going to go with the 575's and Zipper's heads and my builder advised against it. I went with Headquarters 575's & new heads. Pulls like a freight train with 120lbs torque. I did have Zipper's tweak it when I was in Daytona last week. Shifting from 1st to 2nd at 5gs makes for a ride on one wheel experience.

Muffman from Canada

Boatman · « **Reply #17 on:** October 26, 2007, 08:31:18 AM »

I've got a little over 13,000 miles on my 575's and I hope I don't have any soft cams.
There hasn't been any metal on my magnetic oil drain plug but I haven't cut my oil filter apart since the cam install. For my riding style, the 575's are much better than stock and I no longer have tensioner plastic in my oil filter. I put in the cams for a performance benefit and the added plus of getting rid of the tensioners. Hopefully, I got a good set of cams as I was unaware of a possible problem until this thread.
With Zippers products, people either love them or hate them. 2Lane's pictures of their head work on his job was less than desireable.

Twolanerider · « **Reply #18 on:** October 26, 2007, 10:57:23 AM »

Quote from: Boatman on October 26, 2007, 08:31:18 AM

2Lane's pictures of their head work on his job was less than desireable.

That was not pretty headwork Bob. That's for sure. You know it's bad when you get "rebuilt" and redesigned heads back from a company like that and decide to do the valve job over again before you dare install what they sent you....

Tom149 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 26, 2007, 06:06:37 PM »

Where did I miss the pics of the Zippers headwork?

Tom

110tHunDer · « **Reply #20 on:** October 26, 2007, 06:22:18 PM »

Quote from: Tom149 on October 26, 2007, 06:06:37 PM

Where did I miss the pics of the Zippers headwork?

Tom

You didn't, really. They're in about a year-old thread in the SEEG section. Pictures of the heads and commentary start here: http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=8183.msg134033#msg134033

radavi98 · « **Reply #21 on:** October 27, 2007, 04:23:53 AM »

Sounds like you made the right choice. From all my dealings with them that brought the wrath of Zippers fans shutting down the thread at http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=13153.0

I think you dodged the bullet that avoided a grenade situation

naitram · « **Reply #22 on:** October 27, 2007, 11:32:31 AM »

Quote from: radavi98 on October 27, 2007, 04:23:53 AM

Sounds like you made the right choice. From all my dealings with them that brought the wrath of Zippers fans shutting down the thread at http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=13153.0

I think you dodged the bullet that avoided a grenade situation

sorry, wasnt shut down by zippers fans. i still have stock fuel management in my bike.... it was shut down because a few chose to put it in a downward spiral where nothing more productive could come of leaving the thread open

jfscheck · « **Reply #23 on:** November 01, 2007, 02:03:11 AM »

BTW - I Luv It...

You think H-D is bad - Try Zippers...

Author Topic: Zippers CVO 103 Muscle Kit (Read 7811 times)