We recently evaluated 14 of the most popular & widely used camshafts in the 117″ Harley-Davidson Milwaukee-8 engine. Our test bike was a 2022 Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST equipped with 117″ engine. The bikes performance modifications included Fuel Moto AC/DC air cleaner with BMF filter element, stock throttle body with Fuel Moto cast 55mm intake manifold, Fuel Moto 5.5 fuel injectors, Jackpot RTX full length 2/1 exhaust system. We tuned the bike after each cam install with Dynojet Power Vision. The tests were performed on a Dynojet 250i dynamometer in our climate controlled dyno cell in no particular order. Dyno charts are formatted & scaled in the default format and displayed using SAE correction factor (see additional info at the bottom of the page for more info).
The following cams were included in this test:
Zippers Red Shift RS-472
S&S Cycle 475C
Wood Performance WM8-22XE
Wood Performance WM8-22XD
Wood Performance WM8-777XE
Star Racing 30/30
Andrews 465
Andrews 485
Cycle Rama CR-480MT
Cycle Rama APE/CR- 483
Cycle Rama APE/CR-485
Fueling 472
Rocket 474
Comp Cams 234A
The chart below represents an overlay of each of the cams tested
See individual results below:
Zippers Red Shift RS-472
The RS-472 delivers a great balance of torque and horsepower and builds power early. The Red Shift cam profiles are developed to minimize valvetrain noise and to deliver a smooth power curve.
S&S Cycle 475C
One of the earlier M8 cams released and still one of the top performers, the 475 cam has a strong mid-range hit and pulls through the upper RPM’s really well. Early torque is slight less than some of the other however choose your exhaust wisely and it pulls strong down low.
Wood Performance WM8-22XE
The WM8-22XE is still one of the most popular M8 bolt-in cams on the market, and for good reason. It lays the torque down early yet hangs in there late. Big broad power curve with an emphasis on early-mid range torque
Wood Performance WM8-22XD
We call the 22XD the “hooligan” cam, brother to the 22XE with a bit more attitude. It gives up a little low RPM torque for a bit more upper RPM power and has a more aggressive idle
Wood Performance WM8-777XE
The 777XE was designed as a full effort bolt in for max horsepower. This cam really shines in the upper RPM’s (it developed the highest horsepower of the test) and also delivers very smooth throttle response. Great cam for those that like to click a downshift and twist the throttle.
Star Racing 30/30
The Star 30/30 has proven itself as a great performer, offering an excellent balance of horsepower & torque with a very smooth power curve. This cam shines in a lot of combinations.
Andrews 465
The 465 is the first of two new cams from Andrews. This cam is designed for early torque delivery & strong mid range power. A great cam for heavier touring models & trikes where low-mid range power is essential, also very flexible exhaust wise.
Andrews 485
The 485 is a new hot rod bolt-in from Andrews. It has a strong mix of horsepower & torque and provides a great power curve. This cam likes to rev yet still makes very good low-mid range power.
Cycle Rama CR-480MT
The 480MT is all about early-mid torque and it delivers, making the highest overall torque in this test. Great choice for riders that ride in the lower RPM’s, early-mid range power is abundant.
Cycle Rama – APE CR-483
The 483 cam has similar characteristics to the 480MT with more mid range bias. It likes to rev a bit more, mid RPM torque is its high point where it really ramps up strong. Also more idle lope than the 480MT.
Cycle Rama – APE CR-485
The 485 is a full effort collaboration between Cycle Rama and APE. This cam has an emphasis on high RPM power, yet provides a broad curve and still maintains good low-mid RPM response.
Feuling 472
The 472 does a lot of things right, another cam that does a great job balancing horsepower & torque. It makes very good overall power on both sides of the curve. Runs out very smooth.
Rocket 474
The 474 cam has a very smooth curve with very good horsepower & mid RPM torque. Pretty rev happy and the mid range comes on strong. Moderately strong idle lope.
Comp Cams 234A
The 234A was designed for high horsepower with special emphasis on valvetrain stability. Really likes to rev but still makes good low-mid range torque. Very broad power.
Additional information
- Notes: this group of tests was performed over a 4 week period and relative conditions varies considerably during these hot humid months.
- Results will vary based on different conditions, different components, different tuning, and different test procedures. What this means is if you have a different bike on a different day in different conditions with different parts, it’s unlikely your results will be the same as ours.
- Different parts, different results. Different components can & will affect the results for each of the camshafts tested; sometimes greatly, sometimes hugely! For example the exhaust system can completely change the overall curve and characteristics of each of the camshafts in this test.
- When comparing dyno charts, do not base your research on the single highest or best dyno chart you have found on the internet. Instead, base your info on an assortment of charts from multiple well-known, reputable sources. Its also important to understand many times the charts that are being shared are apples to oranges comparisons. Some dyno charts weren’t even created on the same brand chassis dyno. Also be sure to reference the conditions on the dyno chart. These will indicate the actual temperature, pressure, & humidity the runs were performed in, as well as the correction factor that’s being applied. The most popular and widely accepted correction factor is SAE. Some dyno operators will use STD correction, which will produce numbers several % higher than SAE. If you want to compare charts, simply ask for the chart to be displayed as SAE to compare to other SAE charts or vice versa.
- Read our article on the differences between dyno charts and tuning shops here>> https://university.fuelmotousa.com/article/the-differences-between-dyno-charts/