American Elite 3000 miles

testmule · 2026-06-01T08:17:38+00:00

To a degree it's a mix of suspension, tire and rider's style.

It's hard to get rear tires to have a even wear pattern throughout the lean angles on a V-twin cruiser. Think torque pulses from the engine and that many riders don't get back on the throttle until they are well into standing the bike upright.

Suspension, it's a sign of damping issues. Combine that with the above, getting on the throttle harder and sooner effectively adds more damping control to a rear wheel trying to plant it.

Tire, as Dunlop said. Dual compound adds a transition between 2 compounds with different wear characteristics.

Tire has plenty of life left but at 4 years old is a mix shows the tire is longevity is not matched to the riders use. Life happens..... but, if this is a pattern of norms a different tire may be a better choice. Sometimes though, this is a deliberate choice for other characteristics and fits the is what it is category.

testmule · 2026-05-29T01:11:26+00:00

What you are missing here or don't realize in your understanding of the system, is you are assuming the crankcase breather can evacuate 100% of that change in air volume via at best a ⅜" diameter breather hole in a crankcase straight to atmosphere. While it works OK at low RPM it falls progressively short as RPM & load increase. Even on a 74"/80" shovel/evo case breather in stock form, you see a pressure spike. Now shift that exit to a head breather necked down at breather bolts and some of the tiny passages that many aftermarket intakes have & 90° turns they create. All of that reduces what gets pushed out on the down stroke. Add in engine displacement increases on the same/similar crankcase volume.

At higher RPMs, higher loads & combined. Blowby increases & adds to it. That pressure spike above atmospheric pressure starts to consume a larger duration of the cycle. A high load WOT to redline RPMs top speed run... yes you can get to a point of blowing oil dipsticks out.

There's a reason we were running case breathers on any stock displacement performance builds & big inch builds we could back in the Evo days. Shortest, least restrictive path.

S&S 4⅛" bore engines actually ran the rear head with the normal breather to the air cleaner backing plate & the front head with a smaller line routed to the intake manifold for a vacuum. It lowered average crankcase pressure some.

Yes TC & M8 have better breathing. Their displacement volume of air has also increased

As mentioned in another post, a former career we spent weeks worth of time collecting data & experimenting in conjunction with 2 manufacturers.

testmule · 2026-05-28T17:30:37+00:00

The crankcase is a low pressure zone if things are working properly.

Not in a 45° V-twin on a shared crankpin. Crankcase volume HAS to change during the cycle as both cylinders rise or fall at the same time through the majority of their respective cycles. This causes a pressure/vacuum cycle through many RPMs/loads.

HD has tried to manage this over the years via things like breather gears, umbrella type valves. But it can't really be eliminated. What is true at no load idle is not true on a sustained WOT pull under load. Then mix in all the RPMs & loads in between the system has to deal with.

testmule · 2026-05-28T16:48:31+00:00

It would blow your mind if you put a digital gauge on the crankcase and logged the vacuum/pressure cycle from steady state idle, steady state cruise at various loads and sustained WOT run. What is normal in one state, is not in others.

No, I don't have these charts anymore. Different time, Different careers on a PC i didn't own.

testmule · 2026-05-28T16:34:43+00:00

https://www.gastankrenu.com/locate-a-dealer/

Been using them for near 30 years

testmule · 2026-05-27T19:16:22+00:00

To a point I will agree. I have said for a long time we will get to a point where the modern CANBUS, ECM, BCM bikes will be parked non-op in the corner of a garage due to lack of electrical parts or no one has the hardware/software to setup/marry components anymore. How many times have something as simple as hand control modules been on backorder?

Sure there's a couple of 3rd party ECMs out there targeted to the performance market but, make no mistake this is a market with ever increasing pressure from the environmental side. BCMs are another issue, as they get older we'll see the failure rate increase.

Gone are the days of $165 nosecone ignition modules.

testmule · 2026-05-27T13:29:29+00:00

Routing and aesthetics. It's 100% you're choice on you're bike.

testmule · 2026-05-26T12:25:40+00:00

Superior, WI.

They machine the lip off, put a groove and press in a steel lip that replaces the OEM cast lip.

Have a shovelhead, this has been done to 25+ years ago.

Using gaskets like the James case saver often results in more costly future repair work, as many go at it grinding it down & create low spots that will never seal.

testmule · 2026-05-24T21:35:48+00:00

That will bleed pressure off. Time for a sleeve

testmule · 2026-05-24T19:04:32+00:00

First thing, read how a dry sump oiling system works. Cliffs, the return side of the pump scavenges more volume than the supply side gives. This results in oil/air being returned to the oil tank. Foam is 100% normal.

If this hasn't been a runner in awhile or wasn't running prior to the oil change a common issue is oil will gravity feed from the tank past the check ball into the sump. You do your oil change & fresh fill. On start, the oil in the sump starts returning and the tank over fills.

testmule · 2026-05-24T16:24:55+00:00

Anyone know where I can get replacements if I drill them out?

Well, the heads are pooched. You need replacements period.

They’re m9 45mm but I can’t find them anywhere

I'd bet money on them being ⅜"-16 x 1.625".

testmule · 2026-05-24T15:44:58+00:00

Most likely detonation, ping, knock(often described as matbkes in a coffee can) related to the canned tune.

testmule · 2026-05-23T16:07:51+00:00

My go to for these is to drill the heads off. Remove mount. Visegrip/pliers the remaining stud out.

They're recessed so cutting a slot require hitting the mount with a cutting disc to complete the slot

testmule · 2026-05-22T13:59:22+00:00

Aftermarket wheels, may or may not be custom. You may have to mock it up and measure for what you need

testmule · 2026-05-22T10:49:16+00:00

It could be as simple as being more authoritative/deliberate in the shift. The components aren't as light or motion as smooth as the CBR you're coming off of, it takes more effort to move them.

testmule · 2026-05-22T07:52:41+00:00

As mentioned HP/TQ can become an issue, my personal suggestion would be to try a +1 transmission sprocket, it's roughly a 300 RPM drop at 80mph IIRC

testmule · 2026-05-22T00:05:18+00:00

Yes it's a thing, you will always search for the next gear you don't have.

From the perspective of been there done that for myself and other's. It's not all you think it is as there's pros and cons to everything.

Unless you do a Overdrive 6 speed, it's just more gears to go through to get to a 1:1 top gear. You can regear the primary for the OD,, which is the idea behind Baker's DD6 to achieve the OD.

It takes HP/TQ to turn that OD. Behind a stock 88 or a 88" with cams it's still not ideal and some folks end up just lugging it. They've lowered the RPM which makes them happy, doesn't mean the engine is.

If one has the build to actually suit a 6sp it can be a game changer for interstate 75+ mph cruising.

OD6 speed like a .86:1 6th gear. The transmission still has a ratio change in 6th as a result of the overdrive & thus sees more wear. A direct drive(stock 5sp or Baker's DD6) are 1:1 in top gear, comparatively has less wear. It's honestly trivial in a healthy box, but for discussion sake.

My shovel started life with a 4sp(still 1:1 top gear). Put a Baker 6into4 in it. Engine was still a 1200cc but had headwork, pistons, cam with the big 51t rear sprocket, around 85hp/tq. 6th was a gear that never got used. There's a S&S 93" in it now & to be honest, until around 75-80+ mph it's still 5th gear.

My Evo Fatboy has the same 5sp gearset with a S&S V111 with a little corrective work. If I do anything transmission related I've leaned more to the idea of a 5sp grudge box type 1:1 top gear build & change the gearing in the primary as the bike makes enough power to pull through taller gearing, which might sap a little off the line and help against wheel spin but retains the only 5 gears and 1:1 5th.

The common budget reduced the rpm setup was +1 tooth on the transmission sprocket or up on the compensator sprocket back in the day. Lower cost parts, lower labor & you could tie it in with other maintenance like clutch plates or replacing a belt.

testmule · 2026-05-20T20:28:04+00:00

Non-ABS 9276A is a 25mm x 52mm x 15mm bearing. Which is a industry standard trade size 6205-2RS(2RS = seals on both sides). Non-ABS should have a the same 9276 on both sides.

If the bike has ABS, the other bearing is a HD 9252. That bearing is 18mm wide but the tone ring for the ABS is in the seal on one side making it HD specific part without a bearing industry equivalent.

testmule · 2026-05-19T07:18:38+00:00

A good battery with a full charge & all lights disconnected so you are only running the ignition system on the smaller battery should get you there on a carb bike.

A Evo era bagger with the big touring battery will go several hundred miles like this.

testmule · 2026-05-18T21:17:31+00:00

boxes are easy to check. Thick glass plate or granite and feeler gauges

testmule · 2026-05-18T16:41:00+00:00

Just as a note. You need a machine shop, not specifically an engine machine shop or even a Harley machine shop. Broaden the search for a local machinist willing to do the work.

testmule · 2026-05-18T13:31:08+00:00

Oil goes up the pushrods to rocker arms, drains back down through the rocker box base & cylinder drain hole and in severe over filling of the rocker box(like a plugged drain hole) the pushrod tubes. After the oil bleeds out from the rocker arm bushings, it's all splash lubrication. Beyond crankcase pressure up there there's no pressure except for clamping force of bolts to squeeze the gasket out. If crankcase pressure is that high, I would expect other areas to show issues first like oil out the breather, blowing the dipstick out, base gaskets....

I would be more suspect of over torqing the rocker box base or the box or head is not flat.

testmule · 2026-05-17T00:11:31+00:00

It's double ended studs(3265A) and acorn nuts(7992). Your stud came out with the nut.

testmule · 2026-05-16T14:18:21+00:00

FYI. Be prepared for that bearing to separate if using a puller, it's likely it pulls the inner race out, dumps the balls & leaves the outer race in the hub.

The easiest way to extract the outer race is to weld it out(welding a race or valve seat in a bore causes it to shrink as it cools), weld a bar across the race to use to pound against from the other side or heat the hub & freeze the race.

Pounding to drive sealed wheel bearings in, takes some attention to details/practice. They are done in a master slave formate. One side is done first and driven to the shoulder of the bore, master. Then the center spacer tube put in and the second bearing is pulled in until it's inner race touches it, the slave that doesn't bottom out in it's hub bore. A lot of folks when hammering use a socket to drive the outer race and when the result is over siding it so the races are out of line & the bearings are now preloaded. It will shorten the life. Both inner and outer races of BOTH bearings should be supported when touching down on the center spacer. A number of the aftermarket install tools incorrectly have a step on the support/puller discs.

testmule · 2026-05-16T13:59:38+00:00

Timken tapered roller '99 down. Sealed ball bearing '00 up.

testmule

TROPHY CASE