So after giving myself stomach aches from trying to research a cam for my 2012 Street Glide on this and other forums, I finally decided on the TW-555 by Woods.

My set up is simple. Vance & Hines Power Dual Headers, Vance & Hines Twin Slash Round Mufflers, Screamin Eagle Air Cleaner, Screamin Eagle Race tuner. On the before run I was at 79.66 HP and 97.68 TQ. Averaging around 38 MPG if I kept it around 70 MPH on the highway on Cruise Control.

I was debating the following:

• Staying with low lift and just throwing in a 26H.
• TW-222 because of all the good low-end reviews
• 57H because of the price and similar characteristics to the TW-555

I was given more opinions by people than I could count. Opinions are like A-holes...everyone has one and some are bigger than others. Everyone's cam or tuner is better than the next guy. SE cams, TMan cams, S&S cams, etc. The list goes on and on as everyone knows. I decided to just pull the trigger on my initial thought and personal reviews after speaking with Bob Wood and the folks at Fuel Moto.

My riding style is probably similar to most people. In town I typically shift around 4k RPM and cruise from stop light to stop light or back roads at around 3K RPM. When I'm on the highway cruising to work or just going on a little road trip I typically stick it on cruise control in 6th gear between 70 and 80. Normally not more than 3K RPM on cruise control.

The installer/tuner I used is not familiar with the Screamin Eagle Race Tuner I already have. He really likes to use the Power Commander V. I was up front and told him that I didn't want to drop another couple of hundred dollars on a tuner and that I would just take it somewhere else to have it done. He asked me if he could still tune it so he could learn more about the SERT as he knows quite a few people do have good luck with them. So...I decided to let him use my bike as a test bike.

I told him that all the dyno sheets I've seen on the TW-555 give about 110+ tq and somewhere in the 90's HP on the 103" engines. He told me not to get my hopes up too high, that this is Orlando, its hotter here, more humidity, bolt in cam typically doesn't give that sort of gains, etc. I just asked him to do his best and let me know the results...

I got a call from him late yesterday afternoon and he said you're not going to freaking believe this....I immediately thought the worst and he blew up my bike...He then proceeded to tell me that while he doesn't have a perfect tune on it yet, he got 91.26 HP and 112.15 TQ out of just a bolt in cam.

Needless to day, I was pretty darn happy. He said that right now he couldn't figure out how to save the changes he made to flash the ECM so he found a canned map that was pretty close. He made a few minor adjustments to it to get me on the road through the Christmas holiday as he is closing the shop until after the new year. He wants to take that time to learn more about the SERT, watch videos, play around with the software, etc. so I let him keep my tuner box so he could learn how to fine tune it. I'll be taking it back to him the first week of January to get it dialed in perfectly.

1st impression...

Sounds great. No loud ticking that people have complained of. In fact, the bike doesn't sound that much different than stock in the engine/lifter area. I can hear it sucking in more air a little bit but that is offset by the slight change in my exhaust note when driving like a normal/sane person. At 3K RPM is sounds like a sewing machine...Nice and tight with no extra noise. When I left the shop this morning I was VERY ANNOYED because of the amount of traffic in the area! I didn't have a place to get on it for a second to feel the power.

What I did notice has me wondering what people are complaining about with this cam or the 57H. I hear so many people say that you lose low end. I don't see it. I'm pushing more foot pounds of torque down low than I was at stock. In town or light to light I don't shift until about 4K RPM (Except from 1st to 2nd. I shift around 3-3.5K RPM) I can feel that the bike has more power than before from a stop to my first shift. I actually now have 90 TQ at 2500 RPM! In fact...I finally had a break in traffic and I was in 1st just barely moving so I hit the throttle hard...I'm not saying that the front end of the street glide came off of the ground (but I'm pretty sure it did as it sure felt a little squirrel-y)...I'm saying that it did throw my fat butt back and actually scared me a little bit because I WAS NOT EXPECTING that type of acceleration and torque from a roll on in first gear. I was below 2k RPM and hit it...talk about a smile on my face now.

Shifting into second gear now and rolling like a sane person again I do feel the effects of not having the tune dialed in perfectly. At 1/8th-1/4 throttle around 3600-3900 RPM I can feel the bike sputtering a little bit. It's weird though because if I throttle through it, it feels like there is a turbo booster on the bike and it just GOES. No matter the gear with very little throttle it sputters in those RPMs. Again, runs like a raped ape if I heavy throttle it through that area.

On to the on-ramp now. I'm in third gear going through a sweeping right curve on ramp and about 1/4 throttle in the "bad sputter spot"...I look over my shoulder in the blind spot, no cops all clear....look ahead as far as I can and no traffic or cops (that I can see) in front of me...all clear...I nailed it and holy crap! I'm in 3rd WOT and the bike is just pulling like nobodies business. I look down and I'm near 6k RPM so I shift to 4th...Still pulling...I'm well over 100 MPH now and still pulling...shift into 5th and still pulling...at this point I look down and the speedo is maxed out at 125 and I'm still in 5th and the bike is still pulling...around 5500-6000 rpm I shift into 6th and roll off of the throttle...I have no idea how fast I'm going as the speedo is buried and I caught up to the traffic QUICK.

I drop back down to 70 and stick the cruise control on to just ride to the office like a sane person again. I did pass one of those speed limit signs that gives you your speed. I was on cruise control at 70 MPH and this radar said I was doing 66 MPH. I wonder if it has always been off by 4 MPH or the canned tune and new cam messed up the calibration?

I'll go back at the beginning of the year to get the tune dialed in but all in all (So far) this cam is a beast. I can't believe what an improvement over stock this is for a "bolt in". The shop doing the tune says he will get even more out of it once the tune is dialed in perfectly. Should see better torque line a little lower rpms and obviously the fuel/air will be right where it needs to be. At least I get to ride it over Christmas break.

One more thing...notice the HP line. At 4500 RPM this thing goes flat and doesn't start dropping down at all. This cam is awesome now and is begging for more. Most other lines I've seen have the HP dropping down a little after 4500-5000. This guy is begging for more. Hope to get 100 HP after its tuned properly...we shall see.

Total build will be even better in a couple of years when I want to add more and do a bump in compression and/or head work. I would recommend this cam to anyone.

I'm posting this so there is a newer reference point for people. When I was researching 103 cam for stock heads all the threads were a few years old. I hope this helps someone make a decision w/out the agony that I went through. I was so nervous about this decision but now that its done..I am very happy (day 1). Can't wait to get the final tune done!

Merry Christmas everyone...

Jimmy

 

Jimmy, great post, thanks for sharing, researching cams myself. Did you switch out push rods as well?

 

Yes. I went with the entire kit from Fuel Moto. Cams, bearings, adjustable push rods, woods lifters and gasket kit. Got a discount as a package. Bob woods recommends the SE adjustable push rods over the Fuel Moto he said. My installer likes the S&S pushrods. The kit was easy to purchase though. Just rode home 22 miles from work. Totally different bike. Feels like it wants to be ridden around 85 now. This is going to get me in trouble.

 

Nice! A better tune should flatten the torque some but headwork and compression will really wake it up. Enjoy!

 

Did you even consider the TW 5-6 cam.
I went with the TW222cam on my 2013 FLHTK Limited

 

I saw it but it wasn't on my radar. After speaking with Bob Wood and Keith and Brian at fuel Moto, I was feeling good about the 555. The reason for me calling them was for the 222. After telling them I may want to do more in a couple years and didn't want to buy cams again they pointed me to the 777 actually. I went middle of the road and decided 555. I'm not a racer, just like to go for long rides and play with the throttle now and then. This cam will allow me to grow the engine in stages easier.

 

Yeah, I'm looking forward to getting the tune right again. He just didn't have time today and I wanted my bike back for the next couple of weeks. Would hate to have it sitting in their shop while they are closed for Christmas and not in my garage, haha.
Compression and head will definitely happen someday. That's why I went with this cam now. Didn't want to purchase another one in a couple years (Assuming I can wait that long)
Feels really good now and once tune is final it will really rock I bet.
Thanks!!

 

And that's the very reason I chose the 777s. Those cams along with a 30 tooth pulley do really well.

2010 Limited with some stuff!!

 

How did Bob Wood describe the difference between the 555 and 777?

I was thinking of going with the 777 on my '13 but now your post has me thinking...

 

I've heard and read the 777 is the 555 on steroids! He said the 777 with a pulley or "clutch basket" (I think that's what he said) would really be a hot rod. Would be even better with head work and compression. I kept middle of the road. I'm after long term reliability with a lot of fun thrown in there. ONLY reason I didn't go 222 was because my history has shown me I will want to do something else in a couple of years and don't want to have to buy another cam. 555 allows me to grow the engine in stages if I want. 222 doesn't show as good of numbers as 555 (or 777) with upgrades to heads or Pistons.