The Screaming Eagle Catalog does a good job of breaking down Cams their performance and what you will need to add when doing more aggressive cams.
You have already described what you are looking for and the SE255 cams fit your desire. If you too radical you will be replacing Heads Pushrods and Pistons.

 

went the cam route on my old bike, didn't enjoy the power as much as I missed the fuel mileage. went from 42 ish to 38 ish. Don't sound like much until you are almost out.

Mark

 

I just want to know how to get that AC on my bike! It gets mighty dang hot down here in the summer!

 

Wouldn't recommend the SE255 based on the threads I've seen here. It's an entry level cam and tons of guys end up going more aggressive.

I'd look for a cam with broad rpm range. A buddy recommended CycleRama 575s to me and I couldn't be happier. Lots of smooth power from 2500 - the redline. In reality, you shouldn't be riding too far below 2500 (i.e. 2000) because you'll lug your engine.

Take a good look at how you ride, what rpm range you spend your time in, and the max rpm you hit when passing or accelerating. Then pick cam that starts in your lower cruise range and drops off higher than your typical max rpm. Otherwise, you'll be unhappy and end up spending the $$$ twice. Last thing you want is a cam that drops off when you're trying to pass someone at higher RPM (i.e. SE 255).

 

A friend of mine at work also has the Cycle-Rama 575's, and although he does like to twist the wick occasionally, like we all do, I'm sure, he's not what I would consider an aggressive rider. He describes it much like one of the other guys in this thread did. I would follow the advice given earlier and note how you normally ride, and go from there. I just mentioned the Cycle-Ramas because my friend is very happy with his. Good luck.

 

im doing the same thing, good luck with the choice, everytime i find more info i get more lost

 

If the torque comes on below 2500 you wont be lugging the engine. More agressive cams move the tq and hp farther to the right making lower rpms less usable. Some people might like it but I dont want to run 3500 to be in the power band. Yep I got those 255s but I picked them up very cheap. Would have went andrews 48 if I didnt get the 255s so cheap.

 

There are a couple of good cam charts at Andrews Cams website, & Nightrider.com. They'll give you all the cam specs that won't mean much to you till you do your studying. Learning about cams can be entertaining. The more you know the less you'll be fooled by big numbers. I'm sure there are several good books on cams in any good book store, but the one I like best is The Big Twin High-Performance Guide by D. William Denish. Unfortunately it's out of print & difficult to find. Whatever guide you find to study look into Lift, Duration, Overlap, & Timing. All effect how the motor responds. Too many people, including mechanics, go for just big numbers. Knowing what all of the parameters do will help you select a cam that will improve performance in the range you use your bike.

 

From the Andrews site:



Choosing a Cam


The question "What cam should I buy for my bike"? is the one we often hear. While there are no hard and fast rules for picking a cam for a specific application, some basic guidelines are worth considering. Keep in mind that performance camshafts are usually chosen for the basic purpose of producing more power from your engine. The three questions to answer before choosing a new cam are:
1. Primary application: Is the bike going to be used for all around street riding or is the goal to have an engine which is running at the maximum torque and horse power for track or drag racing?

2. Type of riding: Do you spend a lot of your time riding two up on highway trips or is it more important to have the most power you can get. In other words is your riding style conservative or aggressive?

3. Engine/Bike combination: This question relates to displacement (cubic inches), compression ratio, bike weight and what kind of cylinder head modifications have been done. Have the intake and exhaust ports been changed to result in better flow efficiency? Does the engine have higher than stock compression ratio to take advantage of a longer duration cam? Is the bike lighter like a Dyna or heavy bagger?

To get the best cam for your bike all these factors have to be taken into account. Almost every type of engine modification imaginable has been performed on H/D engines. Here is a short summary of modifications listed in the order of increasing cost and installation complexity.

Relieved air cleaners
Free flow exhaust system
Performance camshafts
Higher output ignitions
Modified fuel injections
Larger carburetors
High compression pistons
Big bore cylinders and pistons
Long stroke flywheels
It is important to note that too much cam sometimes results in poor low RPM power.

Street bikes will often perform better with a mild cam than more radical cams. While bigger cams may have a higher peak horsepower, more conservative cams may fell stronger to a street rider because the max torque occurs at lower RPM. Changing cams is the easy way to more torque in the 2000-4000 RPM range. A cam with a longer intake duration will reduce static compression pressure at low speed which in turn will tend to reduce low RPM torque. But with a longer duration cam and a higher compression ratio, power at middle and high speeds will be increased which is what you wanted all along. This is the main benefit of a good performance camshaft and properly tuned engine.

For an engine with a cam properly matched to the displacement and compression ratio, the net result will be more power at middle and higher engine speeds. In general, higher compression ratios need longer duration cams Bolt in type cams are intended for stock compression ratios.

Good luck!
Beav

 

My indy suggusted SE 204 Cams. What do you guys think about that one? Seen it a few times posted here and the folks that have them seem to like it. I ride single most times between 2000-4000 rpms and not aggresive. Do not want to sacrifice fuel mileage too much. Ride has about 32M miles on her and will probably need to crack her open this winter to change the inner tensioner.