How to Bore and Hone Cylinders By Panhead Jim

Whether you are punching your 883 out to a 1200, or rebuilding a clapped-out Shovelhead, you are going to need your cylinders properly bored and honed. On the surface, the concept of boring and honing cylinders is pretty straightforward, but things get tricky when it comes to the actual execution. To do the job right, you need a variety of expensive machines, precision measuring devices and the knowledge and experience to correctly use them all. Even though it is unlikely that most of you reading this will ever bore and hone your own cylinders, it’s always important to know the proper procedure, so you can ask the right questions when you are looking for a reputable machine shop and be able to give your machinist the right information to do their job. For this article, I traveled down to Bill’s Cycle Salvage in Jacksonville, NC, and let their lead mechanic Dave take me through the entire process.