"Back in the day", most people were running manual shift vehicles, and picking the right cam was a little more forgiving.
With a manual shift (4 speeds were usually the flavor of choice) if you picked too radical of a cam, you just revved the engine a little higher and partially slipped the clutch some and you were on your way.
When the automatic trans equipped machines started being more prevalent, choosing that "right sounding cam" became more of an issue....... or you have an expensive slug to ride around in.
Now you are talking a LOT better ignition system and probably a slightly looser torque converter that allowed the engine to flash higher into the power curve to get the machine moving efficiently. Eventually the camshaft industry came up with grinds that you could still use in an automatic equipped vehicle while still using stock torque converters, that also had a small performance increase, but had "the sound".

What I am trying to say is there are tradeoffs for performance and sound, and now days the industry is providing off the shelf (no brainer) choices for a cam for the H/D's.
There are MANY (read that) MANY threads discussing that very desire which you are seeking.
It is REAL easy to pick one that will suit your desires and needs.

Just remember, there will be all kinds of responses of success stories and even some horror stories, but just remember the important thing here.......you are NOT chasing National Records here and not even competing on the drag strip for points etc.
If you were, you would be asking TOTALY different questions!!

I don't think you can go wrong with one of the popular "flavors of the month" bolt in cams as they will all pretty much give you a seat of the pants increase in power and the sound that you crave.
Remember, a good exhaust system will also add (or subtract) to (or from) the results......but that is also "cussed and discussed" in many other threads......here again, sound, performance and NOW LOOKS enter this equation!!!!
Andrews, Screamin Eagle, Wood, S&S, T-man, Head Quarters and a host of others, all have grinds that will provide what you are seeking without turning your machine into "a slug".
Mind boggling isn't it?

 

my 04dx with 257's lopes pretty hard even though it's idling at 1k. If I got it down to 850-900 it would sound alot different. I like the hunting idles associated with long durations personally, makes me feel fast when at stop lights.

 

Idle sound on my bike with cams is night and day. Def not like a carbed bike but very noticeable.

 

I was ready to throttle a service writer when he tried to start my carbed bike, he leaned on that starter button like no tomorrow, I reminded him it was a carbed with cams and he just goes, oh I don't start many carbed bikes, I said yep I can tell. Definite difference. Good sound at traffic lights and rolling thru town.

 

Yeah, a hot rod can do that because it has 7 more cylinders to keep it idling....when you put a cam that rad into a V Twin (or even worse, a single) you'll be lucky if it idles at all.

I got a 1929 BSA Dirt tracker in my workshop that hot-as cams and has to idle real fast just to keep going.

 

My 06 SB build done this winter is defiantly noticeable over the stock motor. It might be an overall combination of 10.25 to 1 pistons, Reaper 574 cams and big value heads that were ports and polished.

Karsten

 

since i put se259 cams in my bike its night and day and you can tell its definitely cammed when its idleing

 

Well, my bike IS carbed. When I installed an EV27 camshaft, that much loved choppy idle marched out of the woodwork. I actually raised the idle just a bit to smooth it out. Sounds sweet as can be when the engines still cold and the idle is very low. True music.