harley 45 souping up questions
Harley FlatheadDiscuss harley 45 souping up questions in the Classic Harley Motorcycles forums; I am looking at a 45 for sale & I am curious what can be done? I know I talked to several old timers years & years ago when I ...
I am looking at a 45 for sale & I am curious what can be done? I know I talked to several old timers years & years ago when I had a 45 in my younger days & was told that sportster top ends could be installed? along with stroker flywheels. is there any place that has the information available that I am looking for? anyone remember this conversion? along with what has to be done?
will it fit in stock frame? or will seat post tube need to be lengthened along with adjusting the frames height?
I am not new to Harleys & have built many shovels including big bore & stroker shovels in the years past. I have owned knucks & pans but mostly shovels & one 45 flattie which was basically stock.
I just need some guidance as to what needs to be done.
A WL (45) with a sportster top end on it is known as a Magnum-45. Do an internet search on it, it will come up. I know it can be done, but I'm not familiar with who, how, or where. I do know it requires some welding and machine work on the cases. I know it costs some coin. I don't know if it's worth the effort, measuring bang for buck, but that's totally your call.
I guess you already know that a stock 45 is not much of a powerhouse or freeway bike. The configuration of the exhaust valve next to the cylinder wall causes an inherant 'hot spot' and when pushed hard, the motor will sieze a piston.
A WL (45) with a sportster top end on it is known as a Magnum-45. Do an internet search on it, it will come up. I know it can be done, but I'm not familiar with who, how, or where. I do know it requires some welding and machine work on the cases. I know it costs some coin. I don't know if it's worth the effort, measuring bang for buck, but that's totally your call.
I guess you already know that a stock 45 is not much of a powerhouse or freeway bike. The configuration of the exhaust valve next to the cylinder wall causes an inherant 'hot spot' and when pushed hard, the motor will sieze a piston.
Thank you, that was pretty much what I was looking for, a little more work than I was thinking. but I will think hard. plus I will ask a welder, machinist friend, of mine he is probably the best at welding cases I have ever seen.
I once saw a set of pan heads on a 45 sitting on a workbench at a long gone old scooter shop, supposedly was cylinders too. they said it was too weak but was done just to say they did it.
I will now google all I can on the magnum conversions.
also why the BSA tranny? I have seen a couple pics in past with them as well. is it to get a foot shift? I never minded hand shifting. but I know there were several conversions to put foot shifting to a original hand shift bike.
[QUOTE=Bigincher;50274]A WL (45) with a sportster top end on it is known as a Magnum-45. Do an internet search on it, it will come up. I know it can be done, but I'm not familiar with who, how, or where. I do know it requires some welding and machine work on the cases. I know it costs some coin. I don't know if it's worth the effort, measuring bang for buck, but that's totally your call.
now to ask a machinist, welder friend of mine & see if I can talk him into helping me out if I pick this project up, he is the best I ever seen on welding up Harley cases.
I know about the lack luster performance. I dont want a race bike either, but just a BAD AZZ bike.
what was the reasoning of the BSA tranny? to get a foot shift? or a reason I am unaware of?
I have tried to do a quote twice now, but it hasnt shown up,
Thank you for the information. thats basically what I am looking for.
now I guess I need to talk to a machinist, welder friend & see what he says. then check back into the 45". he is the best I have ever seen about rebuilding blown out cases & I seen him form sections where parts blew out & couldnt be found where rods punched holes through the case.
I like things different & old school. I want another bar hopper, but something I could ride every day, but not looking for cross country riding, I will leave that for my shovel. I like the old 45's because I owned one as my second Harley as a teenager, I also owned an 78 electraglide as a road bike, but the 45 I never ventured more than 50 miles away. now days I would probably go around 100 miles on a bar hopper but want something that could be driven across country if the wild hair ever presented itself?
I do want to ask why people do the BSA pre-unit trans? is it for foot shifting? better ratios? or cheaper?
Randy, I haven't a clue why the pre-unit Beezer transmission was used. I could guess at a lot of reasons, but they would only be guesses. Maybe just for originality---- oops! There I went and guessed!
A lot of work to make a Magnum-45, huh.
However, I know a guy with a pretty hot 45, stroker wheels and I-don't-know-what-all-else, so I know they can be hot-rodded somewhat, without going to the extremes that the Brew-Dudes did.
Randy, I haven't a clue why the pre-unit Beezer transmission was used. I could guess at a lot of reasons, but they would only be guesses. Maybe just for originality---- oops! There I went and guessed!
A lot of work to make a Magnum-45, huh.
However, I know a guy with a pretty hot 45, stroker wheels and I-don't-know-what-all-else, so I know they can be hot-rodded somewhat, without going to the extremes that the Brew-Dudes did.
I will do more research. to see how much power can be delivered. not looking for race power. lol just decent better than average power with hotter camshafts stroker flywheels on e-bay are relatively cheap, under $300. I do like to ride bar hoppers alot. like the tune of 15,000 + local miles a year
believe it or not my wife wants a panster. with a divorced tranny running a ratchet top 4 speed but with foot shifting in a swing arm frame, classic drum brake FLH style wheels with hydralic rear. brake.
thats what I get for showing her a little bit of everything & letting her help me work.
she wants something to seperate the men from the boys. & it will show her whos real versus the phoneys as she cant tell or spot them as easily as I can, & with a bike like that they either know what they are looking at or talk out their butt or ask questions. best RUB detector either one of us can think of.
harley 45 souping up questions 
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