Help Choosing Correct Cam

C

chgog

New member
I don't think you can go wrong with any of the cams you mention. They're all good, and all will provide benefits over stock.

As others have stated, it is very much subjective and unless a person is switching different cams in and out, then the ones they have will be the 'best'. I would do the research based on your particular riding style, and whether you ride 2-up frequently.

Good luck with your choice.
 
Having very little knowledge about cams in general, how do these numbers compare? Also, I'm working on a price comparison for each type, but I need a little help in understanding what else I need. Parts alone, I'm between $430 and $600 depending on brand and where I purchase, including cams, pushrods, install kit, oil/filter, and exhaust gaskets. Does this sound about right? Might need to throw some tools on top of that to complete the project as well.
 
Just came across some good reviews of the S&S 551 EZ Start Cam on another forum. Found this dyno and thought I would share. I'll leave it up to the experts to analyze.
 
My two closest riding buddies both have the S&S 510s, 03 Road King Classic and an 01 Heritage Springer) I have an 05 Road King and am going the same route next week. That cam has a nice sharp exhaust note and has good pull all around.
 
When it comes to camshaft selection,you really need to know what your looking for in performance.Some like stump pulling torque,others like to buzz their motors,requiring two completely different grinds,then some like mid range.Whatever your style there is a lot more involved when it comes to camshaft selection and some are compression ratio,fuel supply, ignition,exhaust,and finally gearing all affect how a camshaft will work in any given combination.Your first chore is decide how you really like to ride most of the time,that will help narrow the choices.
 
Do I want to raise the front wheel off the ground or do burnouts, no, but what I do want is a little more "pull" through the rpm range. A typical ride for me consists of hills and curves, the kind that you like to get on the throttle when existing the turns. Most rides occur in rural settings on county roads or state highways. I do take interstate roads every so often as well.

I live in the city and commute to work, but I'm not one to drag race from stop light to stop light. In fact, I try to stay off the throttle in town as much as possible. I don't think this bike will get any further engine upgrades beyond a cam swap, so, hopefully this will be "it".....

Two-up riding is pretty rare right now, but still needs to be included in the decision.

I've realized that selecting a cam is as difficult as picking out names for your children....just too many options.
 
Picking a cam is pretty easy if you just stick to what you want to accomplish.
Here's an example if I was to pick a cam for my riding.
I would like more power from 1800-3500 RPMs.
I don't care if it falls on it's face above this RPM range , it won't really , but will go kinda flat compared to other cams.
This will be the only engine mod I ever do at this point.
So I'm looking for a low end (rpm) torque (type) cam that makes it's most power down low in the RPM range.
I'm really looking for a cam that's a pinch bigger than stock , good fuel mileage , good torque gains.
Nearly stock compression , mods , etc.
I'll use andrews cams (chain drive nothing fancy)f or the example.
At this end of the spectrum is the
21H 1700-4800 RPM
26H 1800-5200 RPM
If you look at the Andrews site , all the bigger cams could use more compression , mods , etc.
The other cams come in later (higher RPMs ) than these two cams.
So I narrowed it down to 2 cams already...
Between the 2 cams , I like the 21H as I want all my power increase as low in the RPM scale as possible.
Either will pull harder than stock , both will provide nice fuel mileage.
If you look at the specs on these cams , you will notice a pattern of lift , duration , overlap , etc.
The bigger the specs go , the higher the RPM range goes with it.
That's pretty much it , more or less.
Pick a brand and pick the RPM range , your pretty close to done with your choice.
Most cam manufacturers have done alot of work for you already , to make the selection easy.
Just be honest with yourself as to what you really need to accomplish.
There is no "best cam" there's the best cam for your riding style and intended engine mods.
Mick
 
I know the louder ticking is not always true, that is why I wrote " just letting you know what it may be like." I was just trying to politely let the op know that depending on the set up he may end up with a louder valve train noise. I am aware that this is not always the case but sometimes it is too.
 
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