If you've been looking for a way to wake up your Milwaukee-Eight electric motor, swapping your share setup for any cr480 cam is usually likely the first recommendation you'll operate into. It's one of those components which has reached nearly legendary status within the V-twin planet, and for valid reason. The stock M8 is an excellent engine—it's smooth, dependable, and has lots of manners—but it's the bit "polite" from your factory. For a lot of us, that polite nature feels a little bit too much like the sewing machine plus not enough just like a Harley.
Installing a cr480 cam changes the whole personality of the particular bike without producing it a nightmare to ride in traffic. It's often referred to as a "bolt-in" cam, meaning you don't have to proceed pulling the mind off or machining the cases to get it to suit. It's designed in order to work with the stock valve springs, which saves you a lot of labor and extra parts expenses. But simply because it's easy to install doesn't mean it's subtle.
Precisely why torque matters even more than horsepower
When people begin talking about motor builds, they usually lead with hp numbers. It's a great stat intended for bragging rights at the bar, but intended for great touring bicycle, horsepower isn't in fact that which you feel whenever you're pulling aside from a stoplight. What you want is torque—and you want this early.
The beauty of the cr480 cam is that it's the torque monster best where you actually invest your time using. Most of us aren't screaming lower the highway from 5, 500 REVOLTION PER MINUTE all day. We're cruising between two, 000 and several, 500 RPM. That's where exactly this cam shines. It provides the power on earlier and holds it through the mid-range. Whenever you're loaded straight down with gear and a passenger, and you need in order to pass a semi on the two-lane road, you don't desire to have in order to downshift twice only to find the power. With this particular cam, a person just twist the throttle and the bicycle moves.
The sound every driver is looking with regard to
Let's be real for any 2nd: we don't just buy cams for that dyno sheets. All of us buy them intended for the sound. The particular stock M8 offers a very constant, almost rhythmic idle because of the way the share cam is surface for emissions and fuel economy. This lacks that traditional "lope" that individuals associate with a top-end V-twin.
As the cr480 cam isn't so intense that the bicycle really wants to stall from every light, this definitely adds the noticeable hit to the exhaust note. It offers the bike a deeper, more intense growl and that will slightly irregular nonproductive that just noises right . It shows everyone standing close by that there's something greater than a stock engine under the tank. It's enough to become noticed, although not therefore much that this becomes annoying on a six-hour trip.
What else do you need for the install?
You can't just buy the cr480 cam plus call it a day. Well, you could , but you'd end up being doing yourself the disservice. To do the job right, there are the few "while you're in there" components that you actually should consider.
First off, you're going to would like adaptable pushrods . Considering that you're swapping the cam, you don't wish to have to pull the top of the engine apart just to get the stock strong pushrods out. You can just bolt the brand new cam in, clip the old overhead valves, and slide the adjustable ones within. It makes the job way faster.
You'll also desire to look from your inner cam having . The stock ones are alright, but if you're currently within the cam upper body, spending the additional twenty bucks for a high-quality full-needle bearing is the no-brainer. It's cheap insurance for the long-term health of your engine. Furthermore, don't forget a fresh set of lifters. Putting old lifters on the brand-new cam is really a recipe for premature wear, plus nobody wants to do this work twice.
Don't skip the melody
This is definitely one of the most important component of the whole process. If a person drop a cr480 cam into your bike and try to operate it on the stock ECM chart, it's going to run like garbage. It'll probably run warm, pop on deceleration, and you may even damage the engine.
You need a proper tuner—something just like a Dynojet Power Eyesight is usually the gold standard right here. You'll need a specific map developed for this cam and your specific intake and exhaust system setup. A good tune doesn't simply unlock the strength; it ensures the bicycle stays rideable. It smooths your throttle response therefore the bicycle doesn't feel jerky at low speeds, which is the common complaint along with poorly tuned cam swaps.
The particular rideability factor
Something I constantly tell people is usually that you shouldn't over-cam your bike. It's tempting in order to look for the biggest, nastiest cam in the marketplace, but if a person do that, you'll lose all of your bottom-end power. The bike will feel sluggish off the series in support of "wake up" when you're going way faster than you probably should end up being.
The cr480 cam hits that "Goldilocks" zone. It's aggressive sufficient to seem like the massive upgrade, yet it's civilized good enough for daily travelling. You can nevertheless creep along within stop-and-go traffic with out the bike bucking and complaining. It's designed for the particular guy who loves to tour but wants that extra "umph" when he strikes the canyons or needs to blend onto a fast-moving interstate.
Comparing it to the particular competition
There are a lot of cams in this particular category. You've probably seen the S& S 475 or the Woods 22X mentioned in the exact same breath as the particular cr480 cam . Most of them are great, but they possess slightly different "personalities. "
The S& H 475, one example is, is usually known for the really heavy strike within the mid-range and a very unique sound, sometimes bikers find it a little soft on the very bottom end compared to the 480. The Woods 22X will be legendary because of its stump-pulling torque right off the idle. The cr480 cam seems to sit best in the middle—it offers a great balance of that immediate tip-in torque while still pulling hard good enough in the mid-range to keep points exciting. It's the very versatile option that works nicely in 107, 114, and 117-inch motors alike.
Reliability and heat
Another thing to consider is warmth. M8 engines may run pretty warm, especially the rear cylinder. When you add a more aggressive cam like the cr480 cam , you're letting the engine inhale and exhale better. In several cases, a well-tuned bike with an aftermarket cam may actually run cooler than a stock bike choked out by manufacturer emissions settings. Simply by getting more atmosphere in and out there efficiently and changing the air-fuel percentage, you're helping the particular engine stay within a happier temperatures range.
As far as reliability goes, Cycle Rama has a great reputation. These cams are precision-ground and made to live the long life. If you aren't bouncing the particular bike off the particular rev limiter with every single stoplight, there's no reason a bike with a cr480 cam shouldn't final just as longer as a stock one.
Final thoughts on the upgrade
With the end of the day, updating your cam is definitely the best bang-for-your-buck modification you can do to some Harley. You can invest thousands on elegant wheels or stainless, but nothing adjustments the feeling from the ride such as a good cam.
The particular cr480 cam is a solid choice because this delivers exactly exactly what most Harley bikers actually want: more grunt, better sound, and a bicycle that feels still living. It turns the M8 from the very capable device into a truly exciting one. If you're sick and tired of your bike feeling a small "flat" when you're out on the open road, this is the particular way to move. Just make sure you perform the supporting mods, get a strong tune, and end up being ready to smile every time you hit the starter button. It really is usually that much of a difference.