Your carburetor is re-jetted, a free flowing air
cleaner is in place, you have the perfect exhaust system, and the ignition system has been
upgraded. If you have made these Stage 1 changes to your bike and are still
looking for more power, you may be ready for a Stage 2 engine, a performance camshaft. You
must limit your choice to "bolt-in" cams unless you are willing to change
pistons, change valve springs or otherwise modify your heads. Those changes require
significant time and money.
There are many companies out there that are
competing for the dollars that Harley owners are willing to spend on their bikes.
As an owner, you will be bombarded with a vast array of promises, claims and inaccuracies
in an effort to get your money. Reading between the lines on many of the performance
claims can be bewildering.
Does the Harley-Davidson world need
another bolt-in camshaft engine modification article? We decided it does, since the
results obtained by the engine upgrades listed here provided significantly better results
than those documented by the popular magazines aimed at the V-Twin crowd. The Motorcycle
Performance Guide staff continues to obtain better results than the "experts" in
the press.
How to build your own Stage Two engine
Stage Two engines do not involve any internal
changes to the engine other than replacing the camshaft and camshaft bearing. All
modifications are made by bolt-in changes. Some special tools and training is required to
perform these modifications. Unless you are a very good mechanic, it is recommended you
find a competent shop to install the camshaft and bearing. For those of you that want to
install the camshaft yourself, Motorcycle Performance Guide has created the step-by-step instructions for installing a camshaft.
Over the past several years we have installed and
tested many manufacturers components. The list of parts used in building the
ultimate 'bolt-on parts' engine is the end result of this testing. The best and least
expensive of the individual components was selected an tested as a single package. The
fact that virtually all the parts used for the project are from Harley-Davidson is a
coincidence. There was no plan or idea to use mostly Screamin' Eagle parts for this
project.
All the parts used are
readily available through your Harley-Davidson Dealer. The components were
installed and tested on a 1997 FXD Dyna Super Glide. No special tuning was performed to
achieve the results listed. All components were installed according to the manufacturer
instructions supplied.
