Cam selection

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Apr 23, 2013 | 09:02 AM

#11

0ldhippie

Ultimate HDF Member

Joined: Mar 2012

Posts: 6,129

Likes: 143

From: Santa Cruz

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan8585

Yea I had been looking at the 259E cams which are in the Stage III kits that I saw....didnt wanna go with too little cam but didnt want something extra wild either. Was being pushed hard by the stealership on going with the 254E stage 2 build and I wasnt sure on it. They keep saying its an all around cam and its what I would like, basically I just want a cam that will add some nice power but not be crazy when riding around town and bucking and surging all the time when Im doing like 1500-1700 RPM. The intake and exhaust will be done as well and Im just looking for opinions on the cam......The bike is brand new and still have a 4 year warranty so staying SE is a evil NECESSITY. Still recommend the 204's after everything I've mentioned? Also lets say I did wanna go with the 259E cam....what all would need to be done to have a machine that performed optimally?

259 want compression and headwork, they work up top. Ya might as well just do the SE stage IV and be done. 254 will run out better than 255 (do not put 255 in 103!) but not much. They are both really dumbed down to meet EPA. I would still go with 204s, high ratio rockers and maybe thinner head gasket if ya don't plan headwork. Of course there are much better choices in the aftermarket...

Apr 23, 2013 | 09:51 AM

#12

$tonecold

Club Member

Joined: Feb 2011

Posts: 4,708

Likes: 2,212

From: Gilbert, Az.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan8585

One thing you need to ask yourself is will this be the last performance upgrade, at least for a while. I wouldn't rule out after market cams just because of the warranty. They can only deny the warranty if the non-HD part causes the problem. If HD does the work they will have to warranty that IMO. Its kind of like choosing to use non-HD oil, filters, or/and doing your own service. It will not void your warranty as long as everything is within spec and records are kept.
If future upgrades are in your plans I would go with a Wood TW-777 or TW-888. This will allow the addition of heads, bigger throttle body, high compression pistons, etc. in the future, while giving you robust performance now. You live in Houston which has several HD dealers so if the one you're dealing with now doesn't want to help, check with some others. If no luck there go talk to KT at KT's Cycle on I-10 in Baytown. He can give you some options. Anyway, before making a decision go to www.woodcarbs.com and look at the Twin Cam fuel injected dyno graphs for 103 ci. That will give you an idea of what is possible.

Apr 23, 2013 | 12:54 PM

#13

ke5rbd

Road Warrior

Joined: Apr 2010

Posts: 1,648

Likes: 37

From: Monroe, Louisiana

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan8585

Now that you have made it a little clearer, I think you would be happy with the 259. It does have higher lift .579, but will work with your set up. Get the SEPST and the program and cables and learn how to use it. The canned maps from Harley are very good and you can find a good match to your setup. They mainly refer to race exhaust as the muffler system and high flow aircleaner. They don't mention any aftermarket items. With the right map you will have no problem with lope at slow speeds. What they do is increase the timing from 6 to 8 degrees on the low end and this takes care of it. You may have a little cranking issue and can decrease the cranking fuel in the areas above 16 degrees centigrade by about 30%. You can download the PV software from Dynajet and some maps and learn to use the software basics. The SEPST is very similar in the way you modify maps and improves the learning curve greatly. The PV is very easy to use once you read and work with the manual. You will need to download it also. Just use the working with Win/PV section as the PV itself is different. You could also go ahead and by the SEPST software and install it and play with it if you like.