Well the bone stock S&S 124 is living up to the dollars invested really well. Finished my first 500 miles this weekend. I've been basically keeping the bike in the 2500-4000k rpm range the entire time. I've been on all sorts of riding roads and conditions and have done solid pulls through that rpm band in every gear. So far so good.
What I've noticed? Well the motor is significantly stronger than the 110/fullsac/TTS configuration. In every rpm and in every riding situation there is gobs of power. And boy is it fun! Not a single hesitation, spudder, backfire, hiccup, or otherwise. Basically perfect. Extremely well mannered as well. The 604 cams in this high-compression version of the 124 are definitely a scale later than the 255s. It's not lacking power down low at all...but at 2500 the cams really come into their own and after 3k you better have both hands on the bars if you are even a quarter of the way into the throttle. You can feel the power seriously coming on and it's awesome. My buddy at S&S told me to twist it up to 5k with no worries but I've been shy this early in break in mode. At the end of my 500 miles I did explore 4500 and good lord almighty the beast awakens. Really impressive pulling power and believe it or not the shifts at 4500 are even more smooth. It really makes a difference when shifting and the next gear is still a fair amount above 3500 which tells me that power band is perfect in the upper 3s. And that fullsac DX pipe with 2 inch baffles sounds like none other in those upper rpms. Wow!
What do I need to do? Well there is plenty actually. I've gotten used to the increased power and by continuing to respect it, will keep me safe for sure. I'm fine with running one gear lower in just about every riding situation. Some Vtwin guys may have trouble getting used to riding around at 5-700 more rpms but it was easy for me to change. I come from the cb750 chopper world so listening to 3000+ rpms at cruising is not foreign to me. S&S was very clear to not lug this motor and were very convincing to trust that it really enjoys spinning. Anything under 70mph and you're at the bottom of the power band in fourth gear. In town finds you in second quite a bit of the time. I pretty much watch the rpms and always keep it at 2500 or more.
I do need to work on learning what gears work best at what speeds in tight cornering. I prefer to downshift and be under power pulling in the turn excellerating on exit with an upshift. This set up is taking some adjusting with more power and that power in a different spot with different throttle positions. But the feel for it is coming quickly and I'm finding I prefer the new set up. I think once I'm fully adjusted my skill level will go up and the ability of the motor actually will help me, not hindering at all.
What's next? Change the oil and filter first. Then it's another 500 with good hard pulls to 5k or so. I won't test the motor to its full capabilities until I hit the 1000 mark. For one reason, I want to make sure I have broken in the motor following the specs. But really....the motor is capable of more than I'm prepared to do most likely. Lol so another 500 miles of gradual increased fun should be a smart step in my new riding world as I adjust to a whole new level of riding! I'm seriously wondering what the next upgrades will be in the winter. My HD guy keeps telling me to ditch the pipe but I'm not convinced it's the weakest spot. Heavy breather will no doubt be next but what after that for the next level? I've got all summer to think on it and listen to your suggestions! Cheers! Wino
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Topic: 500 break in miles done on new 124 (Read 1123 times)