About Us

andy Torgeson aka: “the King of Cubes”, was building big twins three decades ago as an apprentice with Doc Dytch and later, Shorty Axtell, the legendary pioneers in big bore cylinder technology. These were valuable years, learning all the critical skills in machining and assembling engines that were destined to break records at drag strips as well as the Bonneville salt flats.

Randy put all this experience in high gear when he opened Hyperformance in 1983, specializing in cylinder head restoration and racing cylinder head modifications. In the mid-80’s, Torgeson launched his first generation of cast ductile iron Big Jugs™, specifying #80-60-03 ductile iron heat treated to 90,000 psi. tensile strength, and machining all Big Jugs (including fins on street cylinders) for uniform wall thickness to minimize distortion and improve heat dissipation.

Hundreds of these cylinders are still in service on streets and drag strips all over the world. The only “fly in the ointment” so far has been the occasional appearance of pin hole porosity discovered during an overhaul (caused by bubbles created during the settling and cooling down of molten iron in the mold). The new generation of Big Jugs™ abandon the problems of casting and utilize the porosity-free attributes of pure billet ductile iron Durabar™. 

Randy also offers external braided stainless steel oil return lines that have become very popular. Although he offers basic Big Jug kits, almost every order requires custom details to accommodate each application. He has several different Big Jug patterns which permit him to create almost any diameter/height/bore (up to 5 1/8"!) and accommodate almost any conceivable crankcase-cylinder head combination. IE: he was recently asked to create a pair of cylinders for a 1915 Indian 8-valve boardtrack racer).

All of this would be enough to keep the average guy busy, but Randy is a human dynamo. Beneath his deceptively calm exterior breathes the soul of a top fuel engine! He gets up early every morning to run several miles so he can arrive at the shop before dawn, energized and ready to go! Watching Randy in action around his shop manipulating his machine tools with his fluid, efficient rhythm, is like watching a guitar virtuoso make a difficult rift look easy. 

A tour through his shop is a real treat. Pistons so big they look as though they belong in a John Deere tractor, ports almost big enough to stuff your fist into, monster cases, and pet projects like his gilmer belt-driven overhead cam conversion, and radical engines in various stages of completion lurking everywhere!

As an example of his cutting edge of V-twin technology, Randy collaborated on the amazing 144 cu. in. Dux Big Block project with Michael Dux . Dux Industries in Germany has created a massive set of super tall deck cases to accept a pair of Hyperformance 5 1/8" Big Jugs™ topped off by an awesome pair of Hyperformance CNC billet Megaheads™ with 2.6" intake and 2.0" exhaust valves. The massive bore combined with a short 3 1/2" stroke promises some serious horsepower potential. This project has been very time intensive to date, but all that remains for completion is some very minor CNC program tweaking. This project would be dazzling enough without the fact that this is a street engine!

Hyperformance is a distributor for Precision Machining™ products, including Black Diamond™ one-piece, stellite tipped, black stainless steel valves, as well as their guides, seals, springs, etc. To complete the full spectrum of top end services, Randy and his trusty tool and die wizard Buckwheat, have developed an amazing array of custom tooling and fixtures which permit remachining almost any Harley cylinder head orifice to new condition. His “Rock n’ Roller™” roller tip rocker arms utilize an ingenious set of fixtures that permit him to cut and weld roller tips on OEM rockers. He can extend the tip to create a1.72:1 ratio for higher lift, plus, he can cut and rotate the rockers to achieve proper valve geometry for radical racing applications. 

Although Randy’s first love is racing (who doesn’t love the smell of nitro and burning rubber), he still does a solid bread-and-butter business in no-lead or dual plug conversions, as well as general cylinder head reconditioning and engine overhauls for retail shops around the globe.

As an option to the do-it-yourself-trial-and-error, engine building headaches, monster motor maniacs can satisfy their lust for brute power with Hyperformance 116" HyTorque™ and HyHorse™ Long Blocks, Düx Big Blocks™, 160" ProMotors™, or simply bolting on one of our dyno-tuned HyperPacks™. Ordering parts from a variety of sources and orchestrating their timely arrival can be a nightmare of last minute delays and assembly surprises. “Oh, didn’t we tell you that won‘t fit with that... or gee, I guess you’ll have to pull the heads again to recess the valves a little more...” Randy is quick to point out that the difference between success and failure in engine building is the careful selection of compatible components to achieve that magic “combination”. The mystical act of balancing displacement, compression, intake velocity, and valve timing to achieve serious horsepower while enhancing the natural torque of Harley^®-style V-twins requires a lot more than lucky guesswork. The learning curve is slow and very costly!

Bigger is definitely better... and Randy would love to put a throbbing monster between your legs, but before you go “whole hog”, consider your riding style and budget. Do you need the bragging rights to the “biggest one” in the parking lot? Do you wheelie away from every stop sign? Do you like to cruise at triple digit speeds? Or, do you simply want to ride your loaded dresser up a grade without downshifting, or show a bunch or rice-grinders your Buell taillights? 

Often, one of our HyperPacks™ (including a pair of welded and machined OEM heads and related parts) can wake up enough dormant power in your ride to “fold your feet back like a duck”. The King of Cubes invites you to call and discuss your plans.