Does it really matter??


Ride Safe,
Fired00d

Exactly. And btw, we now have three pages of responses that didn't answer the man's original question at all. He wants to know about the 2011 factory optional 103, which has absolutely nothing to do with the old CVO103, or "built" engines, or any of that other bench racing BS. If he buys a new 2011, should he stick with the standard TC96 or should he go with the TC103? What are the potential benefits versus potential drawbacks? Is the bump in displacement necessarily going to result in a proportionate bump in performance? ETC. IMHO, it all depends on if the factory installed big bore kit is a stand alone item or part of a package like the Limited, and what kind of pricing will be involved. If the price is less than what you would have to pay a dealer to install the same 103 big bore kit, I'd go for it. If you have to buy a bunch of other options that you don't really want, like with a Limited package for an extra $2000-$3000, I'd pass and just spend the money on the upgrades I really want. Reliability shouldn't be any different than with the TC96, and the increase in performance will be mild.
Anyone who actually owns a 2010 LTD with the factory 103 might want to jump in with their observations and opinions. That would be much more helpful to Aero8 than having us discuss the old CVO103, or whether a built 103 can thrash a stock 110, or whether any Harley can keep up with a 900cc Ducati or any of about 50 different metric bikes, et al.

It seems (still a rumour?) that in 2011 MOCO will produce some Touring models( FLHR, FLHRC, etc.) with a 103 Twin Cam.
What is known about reliability and performance of this engine?
Is the performance close to the 110 or is there still a big difference?
Is the 103 a big step forward in comparison to the 96?
Is it recommended to buy anyway the 103 engine, because it is based or similar to the Police engines?
Aero8/Switzerland