buellosaurusrex
08-30-2008, 11:27 PM
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm running the Andrews N8 cams in my Cyclone. How do I like them? Love 'em! I would love to hear from any of you running different makes or grinds, why you chose them, and your opinion.
I'll go first.
I chose the N8 grind because it is a true "bolt in" cam; i.e. there are no mods required to valvetrain such as pushrod length or rocker arm ratio, or to valve spring height or tension. Why? Because the N8 uses the same lift as the stock Lightning cam found in the Thunderstorm'd X1 and S3 motors.
Correction: N4 lift is .490, N8 lift is .500. My bad!
In fact, the Lightning cam is really just an Andrews N4 incognito. So, the motor is factory set up for the lift....no worries about valves dinging piston domes or any other such nonsense.
What IS different is the cam profile; duration and valve overlap. When I say different, I'm talking a whole different animal! With no compression release, you have to "baby" the motor through with the starter....a couple quick taps with your thumb on the starter button gets a valve open and she starts up just fine. Just clamping down on the button will get you a click.....HUMMMMMMMMM and then maybe it will crank....but this is hard on everything and I don't recommend it.
Idle is very lumpy....the front fork vibes at idle like it's loose.
The torque curve, which on the Cyclone, used to begin just above 2K, is moved.....radically.....up to 3K. This is one of the most endearing qualities of the Cyclone and will affect your rideability....so make sure camming this thing is what you want to do.
The stock Sporty cams would pull quite well up until about 5K and taper off, running out of steam somewhere between 5 and 6K.
The N8s come alive at about 3K, and then violently so just upwards of 4K and pull hard like a freight train right smack into the middle of Rev Limiter Land. Dayyyyy-ummmm!
I will say I'm glad I've got other bikes, because Rex is no longer the mellow fellow he was when I first got him. He likes to stretch his legs and flat-out RUN and gets a bit finicky squirtin' around town, sitting in traffic. But then, that's the sort of riding I do, mostly, so I save the other bikes for the daily commute and errands and only take Rex out when I'm in the mood for a brisk romp.
So, am I sorry I did it? No. Hell, no! They make excellent companions for the rest of the factory race kit, and really woke this thing up. Just don't get too close while it's eating.
I'll talk a little bit about installing these things later......
I'll go first.
I chose the N8 grind because it is a true "bolt in" cam; i.e. there are no mods required to valvetrain such as pushrod length or rocker arm ratio, or to valve spring height or tension. Why? Because the N8 uses the same lift as the stock Lightning cam found in the Thunderstorm'd X1 and S3 motors.
Correction: N4 lift is .490, N8 lift is .500. My bad!
In fact, the Lightning cam is really just an Andrews N4 incognito. So, the motor is factory set up for the lift....no worries about valves dinging piston domes or any other such nonsense.
What IS different is the cam profile; duration and valve overlap. When I say different, I'm talking a whole different animal! With no compression release, you have to "baby" the motor through with the starter....a couple quick taps with your thumb on the starter button gets a valve open and she starts up just fine. Just clamping down on the button will get you a click.....HUMMMMMMMMM and then maybe it will crank....but this is hard on everything and I don't recommend it.
Idle is very lumpy....the front fork vibes at idle like it's loose.
The torque curve, which on the Cyclone, used to begin just above 2K, is moved.....radically.....up to 3K. This is one of the most endearing qualities of the Cyclone and will affect your rideability....so make sure camming this thing is what you want to do.
The stock Sporty cams would pull quite well up until about 5K and taper off, running out of steam somewhere between 5 and 6K.
The N8s come alive at about 3K, and then violently so just upwards of 4K and pull hard like a freight train right smack into the middle of Rev Limiter Land. Dayyyyy-ummmm!
I will say I'm glad I've got other bikes, because Rex is no longer the mellow fellow he was when I first got him. He likes to stretch his legs and flat-out RUN and gets a bit finicky squirtin' around town, sitting in traffic. But then, that's the sort of riding I do, mostly, so I save the other bikes for the daily commute and errands and only take Rex out when I'm in the mood for a brisk romp.
So, am I sorry I did it? No. Hell, no! They make excellent companions for the rest of the factory race kit, and really woke this thing up. Just don't get too close while it's eating.
I'll talk a little bit about installing these things later......