M8 Stage 2 Upgrade Essentials

A Stage 2 upgrade is often considered the "sweet spot" for Harley-Davidson performance. While Stage 1 lets the bike breathe, Stage 2 focuses on the heart of the engine: the camshaft.

What’s in the Kit?

A Stage 2 upgrade is cumulative, meaning it requires everything from Stage 1 to function correctly.

Performance Camshaft: The star of the show. It changes when and how long your valves stay open.
Adjustable Pushrods: Usually required so the technician doesn't have to disassemble the entire top end of the engine to install the cam.
High-Performance Tappets/Lifters: Often upgraded to handle the increased lift and stress of the new cam.
Stage 1 Essentials (Prerequisites): * High-flow air cleaner.
- Free-flowing exhaust.
- An EFI Tuner (like the Screamin' Eagle Pro Street Tuner or a FuelPak) to recalibrate the fuel map.

The Big Choice: Torque vs. Power

When you go Stage 2, you have to choose a "flavor" of camshaft based on how you ride:

Cam Type	Best For...	Performance Feel
Torque Cam	Heavy touring, riding 2-up, or stop-light sprinting.	Gives you an immediate "grunt" in the low-to-mid RPM range. You feel the pull the second you twist the throttle.
Power (HP) Cam	Aggressive solo riding and highway passing.	The power builds as the RPMs climb. It feels like a "second wind" kicking in at high speeds.

Why Do It?

Passing Power: No more downshifting twice to get around a semi-truck on the highway.
The "Idle": A more aggressive cam often brings back that rhythmic, "loping" Harley sound that modern stock bikes sometimes lack.
Efficiency: Interestingly, because the engine doesn't have to work as hard to maintain speed, many riders see little to no drop in fuel economy during steady cruising.

A Note on Warranty: If your bike is still under factory warranty, stick with Screamin’ Eagle parts and have a dealership perform the install. Aftermarket cams (like Woods or S&S) offer more "bang," but they will usually void your powertrain warranty.