I know both these cams perform well as bolt in cams for the 96" motors and are both great TQ cams....

My question is which cam would pull harder at the mid - upper rpm range??? I'm looking for the cam that will keep acelerating higher in the rpm range not just all low end TQ if you get what I mean. My bike is a FL Softail and already has a/c, 2-1 pipe and PC-V.

Thanks for any input from those tuners who have ridden and tuned bikes with these cams.

 

The Woods cam is intended for more of mid power, that is why they recommend a +4 key when placed in a stock motor.

when you do some head work and increase the compression to the correct level that the cam was designed for, you may remove the key and get the full impact of the grind.

 

The SE 204 is also a mid range cam.

As for the 4* adv key.... in the touring section Fuel moto did some dyno testing of the TW6-6 (a very similar cam) with and without the adv key and it made very minimal (read alsmost none) difference.

Yes the 555 would respond very well to increased displacement and compression and headwork...... but I don't plan on doing any of those things so I don't want that to affect my decision. .

 

I've read where the Woods cam has a .020 smaller base circle than SE cams. It may require the use of adjustable pushrods while the SE 204 is truelly a bolt-in and you can reuse the stock ones. Not performance related but may be of interest to you...

 

I have not run the TW555 but have run several 204 in 88" and 95" configurations. Both cams have the same LSA but the 204 has less overlap. JMHO but in a cam only upgrade in a stage I 96" motor, the 204 would be my choice. The TW555 has a much later intake close which is going to pull down compression in a stock configuration. As you have pointed out, both cams would benefit from more compression and headwork but in straight bolt in situation, limiting choices to these two cams, I would go for the 204 with the earlier intake close.

 

Thanks for your thoughts..... I was only thinking the 555 would be better because of the bigger dyno #'s is was getting when Fuel Moto tested this cam in that thread in the touring section (stock heads, stock comprerssion)..... But with similar #'s and a cheaper price the 204's are also a great option.

 

Stock pushrods = more cost in labour getting them installed because you gotta pull the tank and rocker covers etc so it works out to be the same overall cost. I suppose the benefit of adjustables are that you can change cam/displacement etc down the track - but I don't think I will need that option anyway. I'm pretty sure a cam only change will keep me happy.

 

Yes and no. About an hour more labor and that's less than the cost of the pushrods. Pros on stock pushrods are they're light and won't go out of adjustment. Cons are certainly not as easy to do any future cam swaps and may go out of adjustment but certainly many, many here swear by adjustables....

 

I went back and looked at the dynos from that thread and you might get close with the 204. One thing you have to remember is the exhaust; you are running a 2:1 pipe which should help out your TQ numbers. The closest numbers I can compare are from a Stage I 95" I built with stock heads, .030" head gasket and V&H Sideshots (2:2 power chamber pipe; not a torque pipe) and it made 92TQ/85HP; better pipe and I would expect those numbers to improve a few points.

Both cams will produce a nice runner and the TW555 will work should you decide to upgrade displacement in the future. I am backtracking now but the TW555 looks pretty damn good; I think I would give it a try.

 

Well I think I'm pretty much guarranteed 100TQ / 90HP with the SE204 and a good tune..... so from a cost perspective (the 204 being much cheaper) that one or two extra HP is probably not worth chasing. I just got off the phone with my dealer who is willing to do me a good "package" price on supply and install of cams and bearings so I think thats made up my mind.

The other thing to think about when reading that Fuel Moto TW-555 cams thread is that it was on a touring bike not a softail, and the difference between the rubber-mounted and counter-balanced motors does come in to play..... So even if I was to go with the 555 I probably wouldn't see those numbers in my softail.