2014 touring bike with a 124. Anyone running a solid sprocket? What are your thoughts?
we install lots of them, the Darkhorse Man-O-War and the EVO Industries 30t kits being the favorites
You will know if you are lugging the engine when installed.........
I have a 124" S&S crate engine from FuelMoto, and run a solid 32T front sprocket kit from Vulcan Engineering.
I used Vulcan because the kit comes with a manual primary adjuster with an oversized shoe. I didn't want to run a snap-on shoe...
It was a little noisy at first, until the new shoe broke in, and it may be a tad nosier due to the angle the chain must run... but I don't notice it now ....
Even with the bigger displacement engine, putting out 135HP/151TQ, I like the lower gearing the 32T solid engine sprocket gives me.
I have not noticed any "bad manners" from the lost damping of the compensator...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49797390128_166b790e92_k.jpg)
I think it's great for the drag strip, but not everything carries over to a street only bike. I feel the same about flyweight hats on clutch's as well. But that's me.
I run a 30T solid engine sprocket sprocket with my 124" RK. I also run a 58T rear sprocket as I like to have "holeshot" gearing most of the time. I have a Baker Grudgebox tranny which gives a mild overdrive 6th gear which drops the cruising rpm a few hundred rpm.
Although it would probably be fine, I'm not 100% sure I would run a solid engine sprocket with a motor with stock flywheels. My lower end is all bulletproof S&S parts which will never shift with disastrous results. I had a set of stock 96" Harley wheels shift once with less than two thousand miles on them. The immediate effect of this was my oil pressure instantly dropped to zero as the flywheel shift caused the oil pump rotor to self destruct & at that point I instantly had zero OP.
All this BS I am posting doesn't apply to the OP with the 124" motor but I posted it anyway figuring it may help someone with this decision in the future. If anybody is still reading at this point, although I am running the Vulcan solid sprocket in my bike, if I was doing it over again I would use the Darkhorse Man-O-War to provide a very small amount of cushioning when riding at slow speeds/maneuvering through parking lots etc.etc.
When you swap from any revision of compensator to a solid sprocket, you will feel the result immediately. It's not for everyone however. I absolutely LOVE my setup but I installed the Vulcan setup for a buddy a few years ago & one week later he said he hated it so I took it back out again for him.
~John
I installed the Vulcan 2010 Road Glide 96cui. The stock one was getting bad quick. No complaints basically a stock motor. Retained stock tensioner. Runs smooth low and high speeds. I do not baby the bike, but like anything if
your gonna run it hard most rides you have to install parts made for that reason.