I went with Automatic Compression Releases. Takes the guesswork right out and i wont smoke my starter or worse on those days I spend a little too long at The Typsy Goat

 

I'm going with Automatic Compression Releases. I was doing some reading around & it seems like the SE 211 cams perform best at the upper rpm's. Can anyone who has these cams verify this? Most of my riding is in town & would think that low to mid range power is what would suit my better.

 

If you want to use 93 octane gas then the highest your compression should be is 9.3:1 unless you want to add an octane booster. You can push that a little, but then you have to start tweaking your timing and you need a good aftermarket ECM to do that. Changing your timing to avoid predetonation reduces your power.

You also need to choose the right cam to match the increase in compression (assuming that you aren't going to change the throttle body) and you need to make sure that the air intake and exhaust work well with the increased compression unless you just want to talk about how much compression you have. Tuners have recommended configurations that they find work best based upon experience. Otherwise, start drag racing your bike and figure out what works best for you from your own experience.

Measuring how much performance costs is counter-productive and a waste of time in my opinion. And, if you're concerned about durability, it's really, really a waste of time. High performance engines that are durable for long distances cost waaaaaaayyy more than normal bar bragging rights parts.

 

Get a procharger for that thing...you can see my numbers in my sig....of course my engine is completely rebuilt..you will see around 120-125 hp with around 105-115 ft-lbs of torque. Not too many bikes will be able to hang with you..

 

Just spoke with an other HD shop in San Antonio, Texas & they recommended swapping out my cams for some SE 254E's & dyno tuning it. Will the SE 254E's run good with stock compression? They said they have seen some really good performance with those cams.

 

That's up to you.

I did a stage 1 and it just didn't cut it for me and then I went straight to stage 4 and I'm happy. If I was ever gonna buy a new bike again I would have the stealer install the Stage 4 right from the start. The thing is, your always gonna want more power or at least I do. Stock Harleys are slow IMO. If you do just a cam upgrade will you be happy ? Some people are and others are not. If it where me I would go with that 103 kit for $2300, have the auto compression release installed and have some head work done and do it right the 1st time but that's just me. That's the reason why I went with the SE Stage 4 Pro 103 kit.

This is it right here. I added auto compression release and SE Heavy Breather.

 

I spoke with Bob at Woods Cams & he recommended me going with TW-777 cams, SE adjustable push rods, prowler lifters & a good dyno tune. He said that should get me where I want to be. He said if I want more after that then to install high compression pistons & get some head work done. I have no problem going with the 103" for $2300 but just want to make sure I use the right cam for what I want. Decisions.........

 

Study the Dyno sheets in the Softail Dyno thread and learn how to read them to figure out what you want. If you look at the Dyno sheet in the SE Pro 103 Stage 4 that I posted you'll notice max TQ is from 3200 to 5200. There is plenty of TQ for me in the 2000 - 3500 range for normal cruising but when I want to be "BAD" I'll rev her up to 5200-ish and the bike turns into a beast. Even though MAX HP is at 6200, there is no point to bring the motor up there because all the TQ is gone. That's the range I wanted. Some guys want the lower range like 2000- 4000 and some guys want 4000- 6000. Definitely go with the 103 or better because that will give you all the TQ. Harley's are all about TQ IMO. Head work,better throttle body and 10.5 - 1 pistons are a no brainer if your going 103 to achieve maximum results.

It all depends on how much money you want to throw at your engine.

 

When you say head work, what exactly do you mean?

 

I'm not the best to answer and hopefully someone else will chime in but it means haveing the heads machined. They are ported and decked if thats what you want and it can be done to the throttle body as well. When the heads are machined they create a bigger, smoother opening opening for better flow. Check out Hillside customs website and I think they have some pics of before and after heads that they did. I hope to get this done this winter. This is a simple explanation so maybe someone can give more detail.

Right now, I am really wanting to change the front and rear pulleys to 30T and 70T respectively to get more low end grunt.