My indie mechanic suggested cams to go along with headers, mufflers and A/C I was already planning to install. I need to read up and not sure where to start. Any help pointing me in the right direction is much appreciated.

 

if you figure it out let me know. i just did the hd heavy breather with v&h 2-1 high output propipe system.

 

What cams you choose depend largely on your riding style. Do you want more low end and mid-range? More mid-range and top end? Do you ride mostly around town or hiway? Hilly terrain or flat? One up riding or 2 up and fully loaded? Ate you going to keep the compression ratio stock or bump it up a bit with a thinner head gasket? Stock pushrods (can be used with one of the SE camshaft and a stock base circle) or adjustable pushrods with any of the aftermarket cams? There are sooo many variables that you need to stop and determine what your intended parameters are before you even start looking at cams.

 

Understood. I'm not looking to choose right now. Just learn.

 

Cams can be confusing , so you would start with the rpm range you will "realistically" use most of the time.
For most riders with heavy bikes , this would be 1800-4600 rpms more or less.
Cams in this range are built for low end torque and nice passing power , just what we need for touring bikes.
Also , most cams in this range won't require special valve springs and retainers or machinig of the pistons for clearance.
Most cams in this range are going to spec out like the SE255 Harley cams.
These are a favorite here in the forum , and with good reason , good power increase , good fuel mileage , perfect rpm range , no special other equipment needed.
S&S , Crane , Andrews , etc all make similar grinds which will work well.
The rookie mistake is to pick a hotter than needed cam in the higher rpm range , which most won't utilize fully as with a milder grind like the lower rpm cams.
Mick

 

Also ask your Indie which he would suggest and has had success with - this is key and he needs to be able to properly tune it. If he has some recommended cams, bounce those off the group here for pros/cons. Many will work for you if tuned properly; some will be harder to tune.

 

Thanks Mick. I agree. Low to mid rpm torque is what I'm probably looking for. Probably will do a lot of cruising in the mountains in the 40-60 mph range. I often see numbers (SE255) associated with cams. Do they represent something other than something like a model number?

 

He did have some in mind but don't recall what they were. Since I'm not very familiar with HD cams it left my brain almost immediately. I figure I'd learn everything I could before I talk to him again so I can have a more intelligent conversation.

 

Generally speaking, any cam with duration numbers in the 220-235 degree range could be considered a low end or Tq. cam. 235-250 degrees would be considered a mid range cam and 250+degrees would be more for top end/high RPM's. I also would venture to say anything with .550 or less lift could be considered a bolt-in camshaft, meaning that you wouldn't have to replace the valvesprings. (some would say up to .575 lift, but I'm being somewhat conservative) For a good all around cam, I'd recommend a cam with 230-240 degrees duration and around .550 lift. There are numerous manufacturers that make camshafts with these specs. Some of the more populars cams are Woods, Screaming Eagle, Andrews, S&S, etc. There are LOTS of camshaft threads on here. By the time you read all of them, you'll be more confused than when you started. Find someone you trust and talk to them at length, discuss your riding style and your expectations. Don't get overwhelmed by all the numbers (it happens)

 

Thanks Gearhead. That's good information for me. It gives me a place to start. Now that you mention some of the manufacturers, my tech mentioned Andrews although I don't recall which ones.