I took a vacation day yesterday and installed a set of Andrews N4 cams in my Roadster.

The install went off without a hitch, and everything went together smoothly. The scoot fired right up afterwards, no leaks, no cam gear rattles, and nice idle quality.

It did seem easier to start up, and I believe that it's because the motor is generating less cranking pressure due to the later intake closing event on this cam (I still have the stock 9.7:1 CR).

Since there was 2" of snow on the road when I got done I didn't get a chance to road-test it yet. I'm really looking forward to see how this baby runs....hopefully this damn weather will improve so I can get out and crank on her!

I'll post my riding impressions once I get some seat time.

I don't know if I could stand putting a go-fast goodie on my bike and not be able to ride it....

So what made you choose that cam over all the others on the market? Not implying that it is not a great idea, just wanting to hear your thoughts, maybe share your search with the rest of us.

hey good for you red...... I'd be dyin' to take my sporty out after doing something like that!!!!

Matter of fact I picked up the SE bolt in cams that I think are the equivalent of the N4's off ebay for a killer price.

I'm on the fence though about putting them in myself or saving up sum bucks and going to my dealer. I know it sounds crazy but I'm nervous to do it.

Cool Rob. :tour

I don't know if I could stand putting a go-fast goodie on my bike and not be able to ride it....

So what made you choose that cam over all the others on the market? Not implying that it is not a great idea, just wanting to hear your thoughts, maybe share your search with the rest of us.

I went with the N4's because I like the profile of the grind, and because they are one of the largest cams that will fit without claying the pistons to ensure that piston-to-valve clearance is still OK. If I intended to take the heads off the motor and really measure things, N8's might have worked with the stock pistons.

I liked the N4's because they have slightly more valve overlap compared to the SE 497's (a couple degrees, but for all intents and purposes they are the same cams) and better than the SE 551's because of their noted gear clatter. Also, I prefer cams with greater duration figures and slightly lower lift than a high lift, short duration cam. I feel that the N4's will make power in the RPM's that I ride most in, compared to the 551's.

I don't know if how I typed this makes any sense, but I really put a lot of research into the various cams on the market, and for a internally stock '04 & up 1200, these N4's fit my needs the best.

YMMV.

cool beans. I installed my V-4's (4-speed version of N4) and everything seems good-to-go. Just waiting for the jugs and heads to come in...

OK, so the cams are installed, and we finally got some decent weather last Sunday, so out I go for a road test.

Got her nice & warmed up before I started romping on it. Hmmmm, throttle response could be a little better, need to tweak the jetting a bit.

But wow, what a difference overall! The first time I shifted from 1st to 2nd gear at 6500 RPM's, I nearly lost it! I was on a very gradual curve and was leaning ever so slightly when I released the clutch into 2nd gear and the front end came up about 6"-8" off the ground and stayed there for about 20 feet! I wasn't ready for that, and got a little squirrelly until things settled down. Pulling power from 4000 RPM's on up is incredible..... I passed a car on a country road and was at 110 MPH about halfway through 4th gear before I knew what was going on! Damn!

Anyhow, after getting my adrenalin rush for the day, I came home and gave the scoot the once-over to double check things..... Shit! Oil is dripping from the bottom of the cam cover. :doh

Monday morning, I call Dan at Nallins and get another cam cover gasket sent to me. I took the bike back apart today and found out that when I installed the cam cover gasket the first time, the rear portion of it pushed out from the sealing surface of the cover and caused the leak. :frownone As much as anything else, it happened because I was working too fast when I put it on.

Anyhow, got the scoot back together today and road tested again. No leaks this time, and its running a little better since I adjusted the mixture screw. Only problem is that I'm now 3.75 turns out, and really should go one bigger on the pilot jet. I have a 48 in it now, and will try a 50 to see how it helps.

Also, I think I'm gonna wrap the headpipes of the Bassani pipe similar to what I did with the stock headpipes.

Thanks for reading this long-winded post and following the progress of my scoot.

Sounds like the right mod! What's next?

Thanks for the thought trail and congrats on the successful test ride....

Sounds like a winner to me!

Sounds like the right mod! What's next?

Still deciding between rearsets and a Twin Tec ignition...... I'm giving Chris at Trak Tec some time on the development of the rearsets before I make a decision. I'm sure he will come out with a nice product.

Now all you need to do is put a Mikuni on that motor and you will have neck snappin' throttle response ... even at just part throttle! :)

Anyway, glad it's running good for you.

Ron,

I had a bunch of questions for you, but I just edited them out. This is your thread. I'll do some more research on modifications/cams.
Congrats on new found performance/thrills.

poppin' wheelies...that's what it's all about...

OK, so the cams are installed, and we finally got some decent weather last Sunday, so out I go for a road test.

Got her nice & warmed up before I started romping on it. Hmmmm, throttle response could be a little better, need to tweak the jetting a bit.

But wow, what a difference overall! The first time I shifted from 1st to 2nd gear at 6500 RPM's, I nearly lost it! I was on a very gradual curve and was leaning ever so slightly when I released the clutch into 2nd gear and the front end came up about 6"-8" off the ground and stayed there for about 20 feet! I wasn't ready for that, and got a little squirrelly until things settled down. Pulling power from 4000 RPM's on up is incredible..... I passed a car on a country road and was at 110 MPH about halfway through 4th gear before I knew what was going on! Damn!

Anyhow, after getting my adrenalin rush for the day, I came home and gave the scoot the once-over to double check things..... Shit! Oil is dripping from the bottom of the cam cover. :doh

Monday morning, I call Dan at Nallins and get another cam cover gasket sent to me. I took the bike back apart today and found out that when I installed the cam cover gasket the first time, the rear portion of it pushed out from the sealing surface of the cover and caused the leak. :frownone As much as anything else, it happened because I was working too fast when I put it on.

Anyhow, got the scoot back together today and road tested again. No leaks this time, and its running a little better since I adjusted the mixture screw. Only problem is that I'm now 3.75 turns out, and really should go one bigger on the pilot jet. I have a 48 in it now, and will try a 50 to see how it helps.

Also, I think I'm gonna wrap the headpipes of the Bassani pipe similar to what I did with the stock headpipes.

Thanks for reading this long-winded post and following the progress of my scoot.


Congrats. on your mods. I also just installed v4 in my bike along with a set of XB heads. Same happened to me I was winding it up to about 4k shift hard and the front came right off the ground just about shit myself really wasnt expecting it. But it is running like crap 1000 to 2500 rpm and I also have a 48 in over 3 1/2 out. Let me know how you do with the 50. Shits great aint it?:banana

I had a bunch of questions for you, but I just edited them out. This is your thread. I'll do some more research on modifications/cams.
Congrats on new found performance/thrills.

Post your questions here if you like.... You're not gonna hurt my feelings at all.

This is an interactive site where we try to share information and learn from each other. I'm sure you'll get some good feedback and opinions from the forum members that will help you with your mods.

Don't feel like you are stepping on anyone's toes.

Thanks,I'm still feeling my way around here.
I was truly impressed with the performance you described.Had my 1200R stored at dealer over winter.(my garage/shed is dirt floor.I'd keep it in the living room if wife would let me.) I put se ac and cs tapered slip ons with 45 jet w/88-89 1200 needle w/stock main. Tried it out before slip ons. Less throttle response, but more power that seemed to come in like turbo.I think I had mix out 3 turns.Then it snowed and got stored.
Had dealer install cs slip ons. I asked for dyno run.(took them 2 mnths to get to it.) They gave me dyno chart like"here's your sign". No air/fuel ratio and no tech feedback.
I picked the bike up yesterday and trucked it to indy shop that a friend recommended.(wrist surgery wiil keep me from riding couple more weeks) The tech there said 88-89 needle was old school and is putting in dynojet thunderslide kit.Also said kit needles are more durable than they used to be.
After reading recent se/ac thread,I am going to get new se filter to indy shop.Wish I'd known about the hurricane. Finally,I'll get to the point.If I'm going to install cams, I should do it before it gets dialed in at the shop.With all the back roads(50mph) and 2 up riding I do,should I stay with stock cams? I really want good,make that awesome,throttle response. Is the 1200R still cruise freindly with N4 cams? Are the cs slip ons compatable with N4s? And is the se/ac going to screw things up by not flowing enough air?
Sorry to throw so much at you,but I need to sort out and make decisions real quick.I'm headed for the Smokies 3rd week of April and want to be enjoying the performance enhancements in the twistys and hills.Thanks for any advice.
Pete

Now all you need to do is put a Mikuni on that motor and you will have neck snappin' throttle response ... even at just part throttle!
Anyway, glad it's running good for you.

I'll second that!

JB

I liked the N4's because they have slightly more valve overlap compared to the SE 497's (a couple degrees, but for all intents and purposes they are the same cams) YMMV.



the N4's and the SE 0.497's are the same cam ... there is a slight difference in advertised specs but I don't know of anyone who has been able to find any difference between the 2 cams... :shhhh even normal manufacturing variations would account for the difference in advertised specs..... and yes I've found some cams out by more than a degree or two ... had a set of N2's with a rear exhaust out by 4 degrees



Aaron has mentioned this before as well...



to my knowledge Andrews makes the SE cams anyway.... they did ... can't confirm they still do..

I think they still do...I read that somewhere recently.

Is the 1200R still cruise freindly with N4 cams? Are the cs slip ons compatable with N4s? And is the se/ac going to screw things up by not flowing enough air?

Pete

Pete, all I can tell you is my experience with my scoot....

I would say that the N4's/SE497's are still a very streetable cam profile, but you will probably notice a slight amount of difference in the 2000-2800 RPM range where the stock W cams seem to pull a little bit better. After that, the bolt-in cams just take over and produce way more power. The selection of pipes will have a bigger influence, IMO, on the bottom-end power of the motor compared to the bolt-in cams. I lost more bottom-end power with my 2-1 Bassani (2000-2800 RPM) than I did by switching cams.

I'm sure the SE a/c will work for you, but it will most likely give up a couple ponies to a Hurricane Flow. I've had both, and I noticed a difference between the two. The bike did too, as it required a jump from a 45 pilot jet to a 48 to keep it happy. The only change that was done was swapping to a Hurricane, and when it showed signs of being lean, that's telling you that it's flowing more air. The top-end power of the motor was better too.

Good luck with your mods.

This is very useful information.I have been reading bike mags and websites for two years trying to understand modification choices.Of course,this forum has the most information. But there are many variations within this site, as well as opinions.Your observations are objective and concise. I have more confidence about getting my bike dialed in now.

I hope to post dyno chart and riding impressions within a couple of weeks.
Thanks for sharing,
Pete