Has anyone tried the screaming eagle heads. I have a crack in my 03 and need new ones anyway and am only looking to spend 7-800 on for new ones. The dealer said a complete set would be $806 after tax for them. Just want to know if they are better or worse than the stock xb9 heads. Thanks!

Don't know about better or worse but, the price seems a little high. Try Chicago Harley on line.

http://www.chicagoharley.com/shop/

This has been discused here many times.The screamin eagle heads are decked .050 for higher compression. This is not the best way to raise compression. IMHO If you can afford it get the xb1200 heads and 10.5-1 pistons you can get your cylinders bored to fit them. Then you will still have valve clearence for high lift cams.

Yah unfortunately money is tight and I need to get my bike back up and running quickly. I tried the search and found nothing about the screaming eagles heads. Does anybody have a link to one of them?

Yah unfortunately money is tight and I need to get my bike back up and running quickly. I tried the search and found nothing about the screaming eagles heads. Does anybody have a link to one of them?

I don't know if this is what your looking for but, there's some good basic info:

http://www.sportster.org/tech/evo-tech/heads.shtml

I'm running the screamin eagle heads. I Can say that for the $$ I am extremely happy. Basically they are the 1200 S heads (dual plug, 10° dome)

They look good and are a great conversation piece. If you're looking for power Vs Price these are a great option. Otherwise there are better options out there, Just more $$

I'm running the screamin eagle heads. I Can say that for the $$ I am extremely happy. Basically they are the 1200 S heads (dual plug, 10° dome)

They look good and are a great conversation piece. If you're looking for power Vs Price these are a great option. Otherwise there are better options out there, Just more $$


I was using the 07 version of the SE heads and was very happy with my setup as well !

Whenever you talk about SE heads, you need to be aware of which generation you're talking about.

The original SE head, which came out in '96, was a "Lightning" head. Stock on 1200S models. Dual plugs, 10 degree cast in squish shelf, 62cc chamber with badly shrouded valves, smallish 1.715 intake/1.480 exhaust valves, and the same crappy ports that all 88-03 Sportsters came with. A single plug version came on pre-Thunderstorm Buells (except the S2's which used the crappy hemi chamber Sportster head).

The later SE head is an 04-up 1200 head, which is an XB head in black. 1.810 intake/1.575 exhaust valves with 7mm stems, much improved ports, much better chamber.

But what they don't tell you is that the new SE head is literally just a stock 04-up Sportster head with it's deck cut a whole bunch, as well as an upgraded spring pack and stainless valves. The valve sizes are the same. The ports are identical. They flow exactly the same as a stock head.

The .050 deck cut is not a particularly good thing to do to these heads. You reduce piston to valve clearance substantially. These heads are already .020 shorter than an '03 or older head (and shorter than even the current 883 head). So now you're dealing with a head that's effectively .070 shorter. That's a bunch. You're much better off to use a piston that's designed to give you the compression you want than to molest the head that way.

Also, the spring pack they use forced them to cut the valve spring pocket .120 deeper. That's also a bad thing, as it makes the roof of the port thinner. This is a major area of modification when you port a head; making it thinner limits what the porter can do. You're much better off, IMO, to use a better spring pack and not molest the head.

So bottom line, I'm not a fan of either generation of SE head. The old one is not a good head design at all. The new one is a stock head with some ill-advised modifications.

Here's more info on both heads: http://www.xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/showthread.php?t=14000

I've got a thread around here with some pictures and description of the new SE head ... let me see if I can find it ... here it is: http://www.xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/showthread.php?t=11769