Harley-Davidson Crate Engines That Cost Almost As Much As A Brand New Motorcycle

While motorcycles might not have something as popular as an LS engine swap, there are plenty of bike owners who replace their existing motor with something stronger. It might seem like a daunting task, but Harley-Davidson's line of crate engines makes a swap easy — and you can do it at home as long as you have the proper tools. On Harley-Davidson's website, you have your choice between 14 different Screamin' Eagle crate engines, though none of them are particularly cheap. The 131-cubic-inch engines all cost $7,299.95, and bumping it up to 135ci raises the price to $7,999.95. While it's not the price of a Harley-Davidson cruiser, you could pick up a bike like a Kawasaki Ninja 400 for cheaper than these motors. Harley-Davidson calls the Screamin' Eagle its most powerful engine, so that's a big reason why the price tag is so high.

Engine swaps aren't something every owner does, and they're mostly reserved for enthusiasts looking to get the most performance out of their motorcycle. While Harley's website shows a wide selection, it's a lot slimmer than it looks. Many of the engines offer the same performance as the others, so essentially, you're choosing between how they look and how they are cooled instead of how they perform.

If you're trying to get some extra juice out of your motorcycle, picking up a Screamin' Eagle isn't a bad idea. The main downside is that they are very pricey, but installing one is simple as they'll bolt right into where your old engine was in your touring bike. An engine upgrade is usually done to increase your bike's performance, and these motors do just that — and then some — by increasing both your torque and horsepower over the stock engines. While the Harley-Davidson website doesn't have a lot of user reviews for its engines, the ones there are all positive.

Something important to note is you'll still need to get an ECU calibration done when you install your motor, so it's not quite as simple as popping it in and calling it a day. A tuner can cost you about $500, so that's another cost to keep in mind. While you can do all this at home, there are some benefits to taking it to a dealer to perform the swap. A big one is if it's dealer-installed, you can roll the engine into your motorcycle's factory warranty if it's installed within 60 days of buying your bike. Of course, that doesn't apply to people swapping out their engines years after owning the bike, so feel free to upgrade older bikes at home if you know what you're doing.