Thinner head and base gaskets vs milling heads?

[Adam76]

Hey guys,  still working on a budget plan to increase compression in order to fit a hotter street cam, from hammer / NRHS / SE...

The bike is 2018 48 with stock 9.7 comp, and I'm asking if it's possible to reach 10.2 - 1  or even just  10.1  comp with .030 HG and  .010 base gaskets?

Secondly if I do this,  will l need shorter than stock pushrods.  If like to reuse my stock pushrods if possible.

Thanks for any advice.

[72fl]

MY OPINION is stop tinkering or thinking about it. To do this to a 2018 with 300 miles is not reasonable. If you were buying a Bike to go fast you should have bought a Rice Rocket or as some call them a Sport Bike. Why take a Brand New Sportster that you will never get your money out of and hop it up ? If this was your intention when you purchased it, you should have bought a used one, there are TONS and TONS out there with less than 5,000 miles on them for HALF the price you paid for yours and if you went through the Easy Harley Davidson Finance Program, a 1/3 of the price of yours. Adam you I can almost Guarantee will be in the market for a Big Twin within a year or two and your Sportster will more than likely will need to be traded in because the Market with "Hopped" up Sportsters especially a Brand New one is close to impossible to sell outright, because for one you are not an experienced engine builder as you are trying to take shortcuts and save money. If you want to BUILD a Sporty, try and get rid of your 2018 NOW before you do anything to it. Adam I'm not being a jerk, the reality is you are Throwing/poring money into a bike that more than likely is your first bike or at least your first Harley, before you know it you will have put another $2500 into it for a less than stellar build. I am being honest with you, save your MONEY and after a year or two of riding it, you will find out why people start out on Sportsters and want a Big Twin or Touring. And honestly it is easier to ride say a Softail or a Dyna than a Sporty just because they are balanced better and are lower to the ground, you don't sit on TOP of them like you do a Sportster.  Adam I'm just telling you if you want to build a go fast Sportster, buy yourself a used one at a huge savings over your New one and build that as a second bike, not your only bike. I currently have a 99 Sporty that was an 883 and is now a 1200 which has a carburetor, it has cams,big valves head work adjustable pushrods a whole bunch of other stuff and I fortunately have a friend that owns/owned a shop and got all my parts at cost and have another friend that is a GREAT engine builder that helped me build mine. When I started out with mine, the bike had only 6,500 total miles on it and was in great shape, now after the build around 2 years ago, the bike has maybe 10 miles on it if not less,thew reason it doesn't even have break in miles on it is I have some health issues that prevent me from riding for over 4 years now but any how, a Pile of Cash Later and all the power you could want out of this lightweight wheelie pulling knock your socks off Sporty, I can't get $3200 for it.... So what I am telling you is this, if you are going to keep your bike forever, then build it to suit you and don't cut corners, if you don't have the funds to do it properly then try and sell it and start with an Older used Sporty, that honestly you will have a whole lot less in it than what you bought yours for and it will be as fast as you want it to be limited of course by Budget. If I were in the market to buy and build another Sportster I would go 04 and up. I am attaching a photo of mine and probably the only real difference between visually is the exhaust and the air filter from yours.
LOOKS CAN AND ARE DECEIVING LOL

[Hossamania]

What's reasonable about owning a Harley? What's reasonable about putting any performance parts into one, old or new?
This isn't about reason, this is about getting the thrill!

[72fl]

LOL there is nothing reasonable about owning a Harley, I was just trying to save him some money and hearthache  when all is said and done and he tries to sell it and wants to try comfort instead of speed. 

[Hossamania]

I read through some old threads, Adam has, or had, a Softail Slim, so this isn't his first go around, he probably knows that the mods won't get much in return when it's time to sell. But what fun until that time!

[nosjunkie]

What are the thickness of the current gaskets that are in there now?  you could then do the math...

[Adam76]

I read through some old threads, Adam has, or had, a Softail Slim, so this isn't his first go around, he probably knows that the mods won't get much in return wdhen it's time to sell. But what fun until that time!

You got it Hossamania,
This is my 7th Harley in 20 years,  so I'm not new to this.

And you're right. You don't always buy a HD for financial gains.  I personally bought this one as a project bike,  specifically to tinker with, modify, build and customize.

What's wrong with that? 

[Adam76]

MY OPINION is stop tinkering or thinking...................

Read reply #6.

Yeah,  in hindsight you're probably right.  But a man's gotta have something to work on in the garage. 

Take it easy.

[Hossamania]

I read through some old threads, Adam has, or had, a Softail Slim, so this isn't his first go around, he probably knows that the mods won't get much in return wdhen it's time to sell. But what fun until that time!

You got it Hossamania,
This is my 7th Harley in 20 years,  so I'm not new to this.

And you're right. You don't always buy a HD for financial gains.  I personally bought this one as a project bike,  specifically to tinker with, modify, build and customize.

What's wrong with that?

Absolutely nothing wrong with that. I've never bought a Harley, or just about anything for that matter, to make money or for financial gains. I pretty much wear everything out, no value left when I'm done with them. When I modded my brand new RoadKing, it wasn't to add value. I painted it t to get it the way I wanted it, and I built the motor to beat my friends. Mission accomplished both ways. The value left in that bike is just a out nil now, but I've gotten my money's worth out of it.
Although I will admit, I was shocked when I got $11,000 in 2001 for my 1995 Heritage with 50,000 miles on it, but that was at the peak of Harley-mania, it will not be repeated like that ever again.

[72fl]

Adam first off I want to apologize to you as I did not mean to imply it was to build a bike for financial gain, I thought that you were building a new bike for the short term. Again I am sorry for misunderstanding on my part. As far as Tinkering and having fun, absolutely I would especially if I were young enough rich enough and mostly healthy enough to really enjoy it and be able to trial and error.

As for Financial Gain, I'm with you on that, as here is my 72 I built and IT IS A LIFELONG INVESTMENT that will NOT have any. (Attached Photo)

I built a Sporty 2-3 years ago that I have not gotten to ride but 2 people that have said  OH MYYYYY this thing is AMAZING. I have been told that I am overcammed, but right now I am unable physically and financially to put a new set of 8's in it, I am running 6's.

Again I am sorry for misunderstanding.

[Adam76]

Adam first off I want to apologize to you as I did not mean to imply it was to build a bike for financial gain, I thought that you were building a new bike for the short term. Again I am sorry for misunderstanding on my part. As far as Tinkering and having fun, absolutely I would especially if I were young enough rich enough and mostly healthy enough to really enjoy it and be able to trial and error.

As for Financial Gain, I'm with you on that, as here is my 72 I built and IT IS A LIFELONG INVESTMENT that will NOT have any. (Attached Photo)

I built a Sporty 2-3 years ago that I have not gotten to ride but 2 people that have said  OH MYYYYY this thing is AMAZING. I have been told that I am overcammed, but right now I am unable physically and financially to put a new set of 8's in it, I am running 6's.

Again I am sorry for misunderstanding.

Hey 72,
No worries mate, no need to apologize.
Im not rich by any means, but the sole purpose of buying this sporty was to have fun completely building and modifying it and keeping it long-term with no worries about how much I will or will not get if I ever trade it in.

I'm also battling health problems, so I totally hear you in that front. Again partly why I choose the sporty as a platform to have fun building because it's a lighter bike and not a heavy touring bike so is easier for me to push around.

Thanks for your input mate, all advice is appreciated.  I hope your health situation improves, and ride safe brother.