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doing a 883/1200 conversion on 2003 sportster

JIMJAM

New Member
I have order'd the 1200 conversion kit with jugs and pistons (10 to 1) ,,, also order'd the andrews n4 cams.. the bike all ready has the screaming eagle pipes and K&N air filter.. I was told by the Andrews Tech. that the stock push rods would just fine in this.. I was thing about starting with 46/180 jets in the carb. .... As far as the heads go, I am cleaning them up some as far as porting, but going to wild there .... this is my first street bike, i have been riding dirt bikes for over 35 years,,now that my legs an knees are no good nomore and i cann't race nomore, i wanted to do the rest of my riding to be on the road ....I was just wonderin if you guys would help out an guide me in the right direction here ... Will this be a good combo .... Do I need to do something else to make this work .... Will this make a big diff. in power.... I am about 190lbs,,my wife rides with me some too,,she is about the same as me in wieght ... I have had the 2003 883 for two months now and have put over 2300 miles on her ... she has 6400 miles total on her now ... i will be doing this next week end for the kit I am getting is,,the jugs are bored but hored yet ,, have to get them done ... thanks for any help you guys can do for me here....
 
I have order'd the 1200 conversion kit with jugs and pistons (10 to 1) ,,, also order'd the andrews n4 cams.. the bike all ready has the screaming eagle pipes and K&N air filter.. I was told by the Andrews Tech. that the stock push rods would just fine in this.. I was thing about starting with 46/180 jets in the carb. .... As far as the heads go, I am cleaning them up some as far as porting, but going to wild there .... this is my first street bike, i have been riding dirt bikes for over 35 years,,now that my legs an knees are no good nomore and i cann't race nomore, i wanted to do the rest of my riding to be on the road ....I was just wonderin if you guys would help out an guide me in the right direction here ... Will this be a good combo .... Do I need to do something else to make this work .... Will this make a big diff. in power.... I am about 190lbs,,my wife rides with me some too,,she is about the same as me in wieght ... I have had the 2003 883 for two months now and have put over 2300 miles on her ... she has 6400 miles total on her now ... i will be doing this next week end for the kit I am getting is,,the jugs are bored but hored yet ,, have to get them done ... thanks for any help you guys can do for me here....
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I did an 883 to 1200 using 10.5/1 wiseco and stock heads..NO porting, just lapped the valves and cleaned carbon.

Jerry Branch of Branch Heads told me Years ago,

"IF you want power out of your 883 bike and spend Little money, JUST do the bore... and stage one like you are doing..

NO CAMS,, I found the stock 883 heads and stock Cams to do enough for me..(Branch said You Want Low end Torque then MOST go Cam It Out.)

The carb Might need a little bigger jet on the low and High side.. .048 Biggest and 185 is what Mine ended up using..
You also can put two #4 brass or stainless flat washers under the needle to hold it UP a little.... NO way go with a Carb. Kit especially the kind that say DRILL out the slide (ruined carb).

Using the standard Single bought Jets are Much Cheeper than kits..


Now you will get different opinions but Mine come from Many years of riding like you.....

If you go 10/1 compression That should give High enough compression pressures to run Good on Normal High octane gas.. Using the stock 883 heads will also give a LOT of low end torque...

I actually would go with Adjustable push-rods and FORGET the cams for now.. They can be put in Later IF YOU want them.. I just like the fine adjustments made on the valve lifters with adjustable rods.

The stock push-rods work fine BUT if your "STACK" Height is different,,, then you'll need the adjustable ones.. SE slender tapper adj. work good in my 09 FLHR and other TC bikes I have done.

I would think IF you build the upper end Like I did and just using 10/1 pistons at 1200, you will be Happy enough with that build. It worked Really HOT but the 10.5 to 1 was a Big boost and I would NOT do that for a daily rider...

What I would do first is : BUILD the Top End,,,,,,then decide IF you need Cams... It can be done later.. For ME the stock heads flowed enough for MY build, No porting or valves or springs reworked....

Good luck and give me an answer to HOW you do your bike..

BTW,,, Jerry Branch ONLY suggested the simple build as I had Already Bought the parts and the Wiseco pistons didn't fit his Bath Tub Design Heads..

Jerry told me to do the simple build like he stated and then Go Find a Pole and Climb it... saying; call me back with the results...

His Bath tub design was in dispute with other designers of His time, into court and I don't know where it went from there... Many racing bikes used his design and product.

YOU NEEDED Sunglasses to look at his finished exhaust ports they did Polish Them...

No Glider NOT with PLEDGE...:D

signed....BUBBIE
 
You guys are makin' my head spin with project ideas!!
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Bubbie is right here the 883 heads do perform good left alone seeing is believing:s
 
I would go with the simple build and keep the stock push rods fairly simple build and just a wee bit more fuel 185 or 190 on the main and perhaps 46 or 48 for the slow should be good
as the 883 has different gearing from the 1200 you will accelerate quicker and have more torque to the back wheel but a stock 1200 will have a higher top speed
At my time of life top speed is not that important as long as the bike will do 90 it is faster than i will need so quicker and more torque at the back wheel are where i would want any extra

Brian
 
ok guys..I did the upgrade and it runs great,,very strong bike now,,I did have to rejet the carb. but the timing was left alone..no spark knock,,,, now the front wheel takes a ride in the air from 1st to 2nd and again from 2nd to 3rd,,,or it spins the back wheel,,,,great mid range power but upper end I can tell that I wish I had put the bigger valves in the 883 heads,,,thats what I will do now that I will have a little down time on my hands,,I have but 1185 miles on the upgrade so far,,,but I go back in the hosptal tuesday morrining for knee surgrey again,,,so I will be off my legs for awhile,,(not too long I hope),,so while I'm down,,I plan to pull the heads an do the valve upgrade now,,and see what that will do her,,,,will let yall know as comes together....
 
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