Milwaukee 8 Gen 2 Cams – What Should You Choose
Gen 2 Milwaukee 8 Cams - Seven Camshafts, One Platform
You’ve watched your mate’s Street Glide pull away from lights like it’s on rails. You’ve felt that low, menacing lope at idle that says “built, not bought.” And you know your Gen 2 Milwaukee-Eight® has power left on the table, power the factory never woke up. The question isn’t whether you want a Stage 2 camshaft upgrade. It’s which one best suits you?
Each cam here is bolt-in (no spring changes required on Gen 2 engines), each is available through Rollies Speed Shop’s Australian dealer network, and each delivers a different power curve, idle character, and RPM sweet spot. Your job is to match the cam to how you ride, and what you want to hear every time your thumb hits the starter.
If you’re planning a Stage 2 upgrade and you’re not sure which cam suits your engine displacement, compression, and riding style, call (07) 3252-5381 (Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat 8am–12pm) and talk to someone who knows these engines inside out.
Red Shift 528 Chain Drive Camshaft — Zipper Performance
If you’re chasing a strong bolt-in torque cam, the Zipper’s RS528 is purpose-designed around the Gen 2 cylinder head and induction system, and it pulls hard from below 2,000 RPM all the way to 6,000. That means instant throttle response everywhere you actually ride, rolling onto the highway, punching out of a corner, hauling two-up luggage down the coast, and it works brilliantly with factory Touring headers and cat-equipped high-flow mufflers or full racing exhausts.
The RS528 delivers that character without valve-train chatter or premature wear, so you get quiet mechanicals and aggressive acoustics. It’s a bolt-in design, meaning no springs needed.
This Cam Was designed for the highway heathen looking to pass the next road train, and the weekend warrior looking more bottom end for their favorite twisty run.
Red Shift 532 Chain Drive Camshaft — Zipper Performance
Step up to 121ci, and Zipper’s RS532 grind becomes the ideal companion. It’s the 528’s bigger brother, same early-torque Red Shift philosophy, same drag-lope idle, but retuned to match higher compression and larger displacement. The RS532 delivers instant acceleration from 2,000 RPM and pulls cleanly to 6,000, giving 121ci Gen 2 engines the best overall balance of torque and horsepower Zipper’s testing could extract from a bolt-in cam.
Like the 528, this cam is designed for riders that want the bottom end passing power and added confidence in the S bends and it works quietly in the valve train like the Red Shift ramp geometry is known for.
One critical note: the RS532 **requires** S&S Tappet Cuffs (SS330-0655) due to its lift characteristics — not optional, mandatory. Beyond that, it’s the same bolt-in, factory-spring-compatible design.
Red Shift/Fuel Moto Z-Factor 534 Chain Drive Camshaft.
Developed in partnership with Fuel Moto’s dyno team, the Z-Factor 534 is the power-shifter of the Zipper range. Where the 528 and 532 prioritise low-end torque, the 534 deliberately trades a modest amount of that early grunt for stronger mid-range acceleration and higher-RPM horsepower. Regardless of your exhaust choice, you get instant acceleration from 2,500 RPM (note the slightly higher starting point) and strong, sustained pull beyond 6,000.
This is the cam for riders who want top-gear roll-on power where you hold it open and let it breathe. It’s a bolt-in design best suited to 121ci, or larger Gen 2 centre-cooled engines. If your riding style leans toward sustained high-speed cruising and you’re willing to give up a touch of stoplight punch for stronger mid-range surge, the Z-Factor 534 is exactly that.
TTS 185 Chain Drive Camshaft. Fits Gen 2 Milwaukee-Eight 117 2024up. – TTS Tuner
TTS built its reputation on dyno-validated tuning and cam designs that do exactly what the spec sheet promises. The TTS 185 is the company’s 117ci Gen 2 answer: a bolt-in cam designed to increase torque across a wide 2,000–6,500 RPM range. It’s a straightforward, reliable, well-documented grind developed specifically for centre-cooled Milwaukee-Eight® engines with stock heads and pistons, the bolt-in, no-surprises option for riders who want proven results.
The 185 doesn’t chase peak horsepower at redline. It chases usable torque across the entire rev range. That means confident acceleration from a stoplight, strong mid-range pull for overtakes, and enough top-end to keep pulling cleanly to 6,500 without falling flat. It’s the cam for riders who want more everywhere, with no trade-offs. The 185 is what you choose when you want a known quantity, and you want it to work the first time.
TTS 190 Chain Drive Camshaft. Fits Gen 2 Milwaukee-Eight 2024up – TTS Tuner
The TTS 190 is the 185’s big-inch sibling, optimised for 121ci Gen 2 engines and tuned to the same wide 2,000–6,500 RPM torque band. It’s a bolt-in design developed for centre-cooled Milwaukee-Eight® engines running stock heads and pistons. The philosophy is identical to the 185, usable torque everywhere you ride, but the profile is calibrated to match the airflow, compression, and displacement characteristics of a 121ci motor.
If you’ve got a Gen 2 to 121ci and you want a cam that wakes up every cubic inch without requiring all the extra parts and labor, this is your grind. Throttle response is immediate, mid-range pull is strong, and the top-end doesn’t drop off when you’re holding it open on a highway run. It’s the logical, proven choice for 121ci builds where “more power” also means “predictable and dependable.”
HPT542 Chain Drive Camshaft — S&S Cycle
S&S Cycle has been developing cams in the United States since before EFI was a sketch on a whiteboard, and the HPT542 is what decades of in-house design, grinding, and dyno validation look like when applied to the Gen 2 Milwaukee-Eight®. This is bolt-in big power: a 0.542in lift cam that pulls cleanly from 2,000 to 6,200 RPM, delivering a mile-wide torque band and high-RPM horsepower wrapped in an idle that announces itself proudly.
The numbers tell part of the story, but the feel tells the rest. Outstanding throttle response, aggressive lope at idle, and the kind of broad, usable power curve that makes a big bagger feel a third lighter than the scale says it is. The HPT542 is a bolt-in for 117ci and 121ci non-VVT Gen 2 engines with oval-port heads.
If your the rider that all the torque for where you ride without giving up the horsepower number that impresses your mates, this is the bump stick for the job.
540 Chain Drive Camshaft (M28 Cam) — Star Racing
The Star Racing M28 cam is the biggest bolt-in camshaft currently available for Gen 2 Milwaukee-Eight® engines. This cam delivers a broad, usable powerband from 2,000 to 5,500 RPM — exactly where you ride. Low-end grunt for highway roll-ons, mid-range torque that pulls hard through the gears, and enough top-end to keep it exciting when you twist the throttle wide open. The dual-profile design is the reason it works so well: the intake lobe is optimised for low-RPM power, while the exhaust lobe makes top-end horsepower.
The M28 works with your stock valve springs on Gen 2 engines. The trade-off is straightforward: due to the high lift, you’ll need tappet cuffs (part # SS330-0655) to complete the installation safely.
With its hard hitting acceleration this is the big torque cam you need if coming second place light to light is not an option with is usable power working well for both 117 and 121 engines.
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