92 sportster
 

Hello everyone. I am new to the world of biker forums. I have been riding for seven years and am interested in any advice or opinions anyone can offer me about just about anything. My ride is a 92 sportster that started out as an 883 and has since been punched out to 1200 using the standard HD dealer installed conversion kit. It still has the stock 883 heads. I am running a S&S super E carb and air cleaner, Vance and Hines straightshots, and a screamin' eagle 8000rpm ignition module. Other than that, the motor is pretty much stock. I am not a wild man, but I am interested in adding some more street usable power. I am tossing around the idea of changing cams, but am not really sure what is best for my particular needs. I have been told that the stock sportster cams are already pretty good for most all purpose riding, and that most aftermarket cams don't provide that much of a significant boost aside from high revving high compression applications. I am interested in finding out more info about the Andrews N2 and N4 cams and any others that anyone may recommend. Thanks for your help and input.

Welcome Skully. I am afraid I am not much of a mechanic so can't help much with your tech questions but am sure someone here will be able to help. Good folks here. Enjoy the Forums.

skully1200,


The N2 is a pretty good cam. The power band is from 2000-5000rpm. I do not think that the N4 will perform at its best with stock 883 heads. With those heads you need to stay in a duration range of around 220-240 degrees. The N2 is 240 on the intake and 244 on the exhaust. I had N2s in my bike when I tore it down and they pulled nicely, but not enough for me. I’m a torque junkie. I will probably go back with an SE bolt in They wok good in the Buells. Based on your heads and your “I’m not a wild man” I think that the N2 will make you happy. Let us know what you go with and how it works. Good Luck!

P.S. I am not an expert.

I also think that you will be happy with the N2. I had N2's in my old sporty ran pertty go with stock stuff.I run a N8 with Light'n heads, 10 :1:1 compression and like them but has anyone compaired the N6 with the N8. I want more torque but the spec say the the lift and duration are the same just a diffrent power band.

thanks for the input. does anyone have any feelings about how these cams compare to other manufacturers. any other recommendations for a torque boost other than cams?

Edelbrock #1743 cams
or
Red Shift 567V2
Both will be hot cam for your bike. The overlap on them will make your bike act like a high compression piston would, and if you go larger than 1200 cc you can still use them. Remember, you will need to retune the bike. Adding all the “hot parts” and not planning on how it will work together will hurt you more than help. Example: you have a foot ball team with all the best players, but if they don’t work as a team. They will lose. The same with any machine. Fat tires, large engines, big carbs, Hot cams, trick billet stuff. If it does not play well together, it will perform poorly.
Oh, if you start pinging. Use a copper head gasket as a shim to bring the compression down to where your gas does not cause detonation.

Intake Dur. Exhaust Dur. Overlap Intake Lift Exhaust Lift

N8 256 263 60 .490 .490
N6 264 264 62 .490 .490
SE Hi 256 265 56 .536 .536

The N 8 pulls from 2000-6000 N6 2500-6500 SE 2000-6500

This is the information that I have. I am leaning toward the Screaming Eagle Hi Performance. I “think” that the larger duration on the exhaust will let my Lighting Heads breath better. And with less overlap than the other two I hope that the lower end will be better. The top end should still be good with the taller lift and it has a broader power range. I have not ridden a bike with any of these cams and I do not know anyone that I can talk to to get some first hand information. I am just basing my decision on some H-D research and experience with hot rod cars.

Thanks. I know that I can get down on it and hit second at about 50 , third at about 75 and was runnin for fourth and fifth but the law got me last April for 109 in a 55 so I havent tried that lately. Just like to see how fast I can get it to 60. Alway at the wrong place at the wrong time.

DILLIGAF
The cam in most 4 stroke engines do work the same, as you know it is how the rest of the system is designed. I am still trying to get my head around a 45 degree twin. The intake and exhaust pulses are nothing like a SB Chevy, nor a BB.
I was talking to one of the old timers about porting Iron heads and cams. He said if you really want to get a brain cramp, fire both cylinders on the same revolution.
But back to real life. Closing the exaust valve sooner will trick your engine into thinking it has more compression, only on the top end you will run out of breath.
A higher lift will work only to the limits of your heads. Give Brian Naillin at Naillin Racing a ring. His new ported XB9 heads will rock your world. The flow numbers look good.

With the screamin eagle you have to change the springs and with more spring tension you lose bottom end. I rode a bike with a N6 yesterday and couldnt tell the difference between them the N8 rides about the same the N8 kicked in eariler. I think that the only way to really tell is on the dyno. The money in head work and springs is too much for too little. just run a supercharger and leave it stock 100 hp out the box for the same money.

The original info that I had lead me to believe that the SE HP Cam was a bolt in. As fatster said it requires springs a machine work. Looks like I will probably be going with an N8. If I don't make up my mind soon I will never get this bike back together.

Andrews cams
 

Skully,

Check this site out, it has comparison data for the two cams you're considering. The data is on an Excel spreadsheet, but you can download the software off the internet from Microsoft to VIEW the files. http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/
RKCustom