Need advice from the wrenching gurus.. S&S 117 Build

BDMastiff said:

In addition to my Road Glide I have a 1996 Fatboy. I swapped the original engine for a 2008 S&S 117 EVO. I did head work (Branch O'Keefe) and cams. My bike has difficulty starting at times and often leaves me stranded. I always give the throttle a few pumps and open my enricher before turning it over. The bike chugs before starting. It has a single fire ignition and I often get a backfire that sounds like a gunshot. I'm always able to get if going if I jump start it but that's not a solution to my problem. I'm thinking that I may need a higher torque starter. I don't want to invest in a new starter if that's not the issue. Any advise or thoughts are appreciated.

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BDMastiff said:

Yep, it was from my Mastiff. The Fatboy belonged to a friend who worked at RB Racing. RB used the FB for testing all types of turbos, intercoolers, pipes and other prototypes. My Big Dog was having tons of issues and I was tired of dealing with them; especially since they went bankrupt. My gas tank was actually at their factory in Kansas when they went belly-up and it took my 5 months to get it back.... with no help from anyone. I liked the S&S so I bought the Fatboy minus the engine and sold the Big Dog chassis. My friend did most of the wrenching.

Before the engine swap:

After:

My Big Dog:

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BDMastiff said:

I had tons of electrical problems too. Also, the tank liner peeled out and clogged all my lines. After I pulled the 117 I send it to Branch O'Keefe and ported the heads. I also upgraded the cams. My 117 is now a super beast. It's incredibly torquey almost has too much power for the fatboy. I love it!!!!!

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BDMastiff said:

My 2013 Road Glide is a CVO with a 110 and it was personally dyno tuned by Steve Cole at TTS. Also, the CVO is an EFI bike and the S&S 117 is an Evo engine. It just made sense to put it in the Fatboy which is a carbuerated bike. Lastly, my 2013 CVO is my favorite of all the bikes I've ever owned so I didn't want to mess up a good thing.

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BDMastiff said:

No doubt, the Big Dog was a fun bike when it was running. The electrical problems became too much of an issue and once the tank liner pealed I was done with it. I broke down at least a dozen times and sometimes the bike would just shut down completely while I was riding. The funny thing is that the guys who love Big Dogs are pretty hardcore about it. I rode with some of the guys on the Big Dog forums and they were mostly die hard fanatics.



The Fat Boy is uber fun to ride. I can spin my rear tire while moving so I've gotta pay attention when I womp on the throttle. Also, the bike is lowered 1" so I've gotta watch the corners when riding twisties. I'll probably bring it back up to the standard height.

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Hillsidecycle.com said:

Of all the chopper bikes that were being manufactured at one time, Big Dog was actually one of the best, if not the best.

Sheldon Coleman(Coleman Camping Equipment)had/has deeeeeeeep pockets to be able to withstand the ecomonic climate, when the bikes were not selling as well, they did not go bankrupt, they just folded the Big Dog company.

We have one for sale currently in our retail area.

Scott

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Hillsidecycle.com said:

We had repaired some of the electrical issues on several local bikes.

Once attended to, correctly, all was well, and those bikes are daily riders, and enjoyed by the owners.

The 117" S&S emmission engines were about 98-101 hp, and hovered at the 120 ft/lb mark.

Not a shocker, and not a barn-burner.

Again once we established "0" deck, attended to the emmission heads via our Stage II S&S Headwork, swapped cams, Thunderjet and bore the carb, and switch them over to an adjustable ignition, 125-130 hp, and torque at the 135 mark has been repeated time after time.

THAT is where a snappy 117" should be at.

Scott

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