I know there's no replacement for displacement. I know a Stage One along with cams is better. I know there are a number a fuel management add-ons (Power Commander, SERT, etc).
However, forget about all that for a moment.
I am interested in increasing torque so that I can get up to speed with greater ease as well as being able to pass with greater ease (whether alone or with a Passenger).
Here's my question:
On a 2009, would adding only SE 255 Cams and leaving the stock air kit and stock pipes, give me an appreciable increase in torque?
Would I need a fuel management system?

 

YES. YES. Intake and exhaust would help some too. I would recommend the TTS Tuner.

 

You'd definitely pick up some torque. The stage I air cleaner has only minimal effects in the lower half of the rpm range, so you wouldn't be losing a whole lot by staying with the stock air cleaner. If you're going to keep the stock air cleaner housing, you should consider swapping the filter element out for the K&N OE replacement filter. http://www.knfilters.com/search/prod...x?Prod=HD-1508

THe 255 cams aren't too fussy about exhaust due to the fairly short duration. The stock system will work ok, but I'd encourage you to at least consider some better breathing slip ons.

You will need some sort of fuel management device and a custom tune.

 

If the air flow through the engine remains restricted, why bother with cams? There is a reason why performance mods are made in stages; stage I being the first, increase the air flow through the engine; let it breathe. Jumping ahead of stage 1 to stage 2 just excaserbates the situation. It's law of physics that more work done will generate more heat and with cams, the engine will surely be trying to do more work. The engines run hot enough in the lean delivery condition, installing cams without improving the engine's ability to breath will hold heat. Heat is bad, the main enemy of any air cooled engine. Reconsider and go at improving performance starting at the beginning.JMHO

 

plus 1

 

in all honesty, you'd likely be better off doing your intake, exhaust, tuner and cams at the same time. if you can't swing it now, just be patient and start rounding up your parts. you'd notice a difference with the 255's, but to be able to fully appreciate them, you'd have to do other stuff that would work with them properly. just my opinion.

 

If you are doing cams, and follow the good advice of otheres here, you should consider something other than SE 255 smog cam, becuase you are going to improve over stock exhauast and intake. You also need to price in the tuner you will need. I went with an andrews cam, you can go to a tom woods cam or any other to get the performance and function you desire. There are many threads here and on other boards to look at before you make your final descion. Do the reseaerch. you will be gald you did. oh, and loud pipes do not equal performance. i have already found that out. Stage 1 will give only about 3-5% increase on HP/TQ. Cams will make all the difference.

 

Alot of good advice given here. That being said, I can help you out in a couple of weeks. My 2011 Tri-Glide is going to our dealer on Saturday to be done next week. We are installing Fuelmoto's 2x1x2 catless header ceramic coated and wrapped, Fuelmoto's Jackpot mufflers, SE Ventilator A/C and the SE 255 cams. We'll also be using the TTS for a tuner. Like some of the poster have stated, there are some better cams out there like the Woods 555's that are getting good reviews.

I'm going this way as I'll have no warranty issues using the HD parts and having them do the install. My dealer principal agreed to allow the use of the TTS instead of the SEST, as the SE product will not save the base map like the TTS will. It's a Trike and needs all the low end grunt it can get, specially two up loaded and tripping. Besides that I'm getting older and don't need to do 100 on the Interstate anymore.

 

Adding SE255's alone would probably make a difference over stock, but any cam upgrade would make the other changes mentioned here (AC, tuner, mufflers) highly recommended. To deny the engine the ability to breathe you cut-off the bike's ability to use the fuel it needs to perform. To give you an idea of how the AC and muffler affects performance, I installed 255's in my '07 and experimented with quieter baffles for my Jackpot mufflers. The Fuel Moto Silent Insert, a removable device used with the optional Quiet Baffle kit, put the sound volume down to stock levels, but the performance hit was huge, feeling about the same as taking my present setup AC and exhaust setup and going back to the stock cams. I would think that using 255's with stock AC and mufflers and no tuner would realize a performance increase, but would stifle the potential that certainly is there.

You could try HD's Stage II download in lieu of a tuner upgrade, but that wouldn't be optimal for a number of reasons. Besides, I believe that map is based on the SE AC and a free-flowing exhaust.

In short, I wouldn't recommend 255's or any other performance cams without a tuner, AC, and muffler upgrades. BTW, don't be swayed by the few naysayers you hear who likely have never ridden a bike with 255 cams installed. They aren't for those who value top-end HP over all else, but do give a very good torque increase in the low-end and midrange where most of us ride, and most who install them are happy with the result.

 

I agree the 255's pack a nice punch. I am happy with them, and agree a tuner and pipes will make a big difference