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Turbo assisted bird


R1000

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Is any of you using a turbo assisted bird on a daily basis? What are your findings, is it something that you can recommend, or is it not worth the effort and cost involved?

My experience from the car side is that a turbo is next to a must thing. I’m driving a Volvo 60 T5 that is chipped from stock 250 to 300 hp and that was a real good investment on the play account. The performance is far beoynd the classic Chevy SB engines that I used when the hair was thicker... I’m still driving the same Volvo S60 after almost 6 years and have no plans to change for long. The upgrade was followed up by adjustable shocks that handles much better than the worn stockers. In case it would have been a 140 hp base model it would have been replaced years ago, and that would have cost much more over these years.

In case turbo works as good on a motorcycle it may be a good idea to think more about this. I have some common tech knowledge and tools etc. and a garage to work in. Still, if it is a high-risk application and cost a lot I’ll pass since I appreciate the bike in its current condition.

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It is a hahn kit with some custom parts from EFR racing www.efrracing.com

I had it installed in October so I have only been riding it for a month or so and only put about 6-700 miles on it so far.

neil has the same basic setup on his bike

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basically bolt on. you must find someone to tune it right.

I am still running stock compression, stock injectors but high flow fuel pump. HanksXXX has a carbed bird he used a thick head gasket to lower compression.

XX4me and Elixxer have turbo built motors.

I could get 30-40 more hp if I used a dump pipe and opened up my lower for bigger air filter/intake.

I am running around 204rwhp at 10lbs of boost pump gas (93 octane or higher)

post-1465-1196366854.jpg

post-1465-1196366964.jpg

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basically bolt on. you must find someone to tune it right.

I am still running stock compression, stock injectors but high flow fuel pump. HanksXXX has a carbed bird he used a thick head gasket to lower compression.

XX4me and Elixxer have turbo built motors.

I could get 30-40 more hp if I used a dump pipe and opened up my lower for bigger air filter/intake.

I am running around 204rwhp at 10lbs of boost pump gas (93 octane or higher)

Damn it, you have almost talked me into a turbo kit :-) I'll email efrracing and ask what they can offer.

The installation also looks very clean on yor bike !

Thanks for the info !

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Request just sent:

"Hi Guys !

I'm interested to buy a turbo kit for my CBR 1100 XX -97. I wonder what systems you have to offer and pricings. The bike will not be used for drag racing, so a power level of about 200+ rwhp would be enough. The bike already has a street ported head, MIRA cutted seats and stage 1 cams and delivers 155 rwhp in current condition. The exhaust is a full 4-2-1 Akrapovic. Please email me information of possible solutions and the price for them. I live in Sweden and also need to know the shipping cost. I have no problems to install a system myselft and I have access to a close company that can tune the engine in a dyno bench.

Best Regards"

I'll keep you posted about the outcome

I guess the proper solution would include reducing the compresion from current 12 to 1 to 8 to one or so. New pistons would cost a lot so the presnet idea is to use a thicker head gasket instead. This will increase the squish that will increase the risk for detonation even more than the turbo in inself will. The solution will then be to run the engine on E85 (alcohol). Any ideas and suggestions about this? I know the fuel supply must be increased by 30% to compensate for the lower energy in alcohol but the E85 is cheap in sweden.

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5000 trouble free miles since May with the carbed BB Turbo. It woulda been more but health problems ended my riding season in July. I bolted it all together and no dyno tuning was necessary, in spite of what CxBXR may think. I haven't touched it since and it even still has the spark plugs it was assembled with. Never even looked at one. My kit was very similar to MCXpress kits and my suggestion would be to get in touch with Eric at MCXpress in Sweden and see if you can get an intercooled kit from him. Others may disagree, but IMO, he offered the most tested, most complete kits ever produced. It had a thick head gasket, heavy duty clutch springs, 18 tooth countershaft sprocket, everything to bolt on the kit and enjoy 240 HP and 150 lbs TQ on pump gas. It also had a Turbo sized for very quick spool up. I have a switch on mine for low and high boost. 225 HP on low and 255 on high. High boost scares the shit out of me...I guess I need more seat time or a younger body/brain.

Over the road, without factoring in odometer error, I average 40mpg and have gotten as high as 44. The odometer reads low, so actual fuel milage would be higher. I built the bike as a daily rider and tourer and after 40+ years of riding and over 700,000 miles, having owned hundreds of bikes, lots of hot rodding and some racing, I can say that it is by far my favorite and I could think of nothing else I would want at this time. If you can afford it , do it...you will love it.

For a kit for an FI bike, check out Jack Frost at Holeshot Racing UK. Be forwarned that for most companies, the BB is ancient history and they have stopped modifying them. Also be forwarned that the wrong kit will be nothing but problems and headaches.

You may want to get in touch with Forrest (XX4ME) and Dean (EliXXer)...They both have lots of experience with Turbos and the problems associated with them and were very helpful when I started on mine. Good luck wth the project and let me know if you'd like some pics and a dyno chart...Hank

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Thanks HANKSXXX, I appreciate the information. It would be great to see some pics of your installation and also the dyno curves.

I've emailed MCexpress earlier today and asked what they have left for the CBR 1100 XX. Unfortunately they have discarded the bird kit from their revised site so they may not build those kits anymore. I know they provide excellent solutions though.

Unless nothing pops up against the US system that was mentioned above, this is also a very interesting solution and I'll see what they will reply. I have also asked in Sweden if anyone has a left over MCexpress system for the bird after trading up to a newer bike. I know many birds in Sweden have been provided with MCexpress kits. Not to mention the Ghost Rider...

Thanks again

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Thanks a lot eliXXir, I'll contact you very soon. I'm happy you popped in since I know you have a lot of knowledge in this field.

This will be an expensive winter if everything turns out well...I've just said OK to a trip to the Nurburg Ring with a couple of other guys next year. In case the bird can deliver, it will be the right time to use it instead of the GSX R since there is a lot of high speed driving also on the German autobahn.

The clock is one hour past midnight now, this thread has kept me awaken a bit longer than usual.

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R1000, I don't know how to post pictures, etc. and don't want to know...

If you have an email address, I'll send some stuff to look at...Feel free to post it in this thread if you'd like...If anyone else wants to help out, that'd be just as good...Lemme know...Hank

BTW Dean, what kind of problems have you had with Carbed and Turboed Blackbirds??

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R1000, I don't know how to post pictures, etc. and don't want to know...

If you have an email address, I'll send some stuff to look at...Feel free to post it in this thread if you'd like...If anyone else wants to help out, that'd be just as good...Lemme know...Hank

BTW Dean, what kind of problems have you had with Carbed and Turboed Blackbirds??

email PM:ed, thanks !

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Short progress report - I've got a lot of good pictures from HANKSXXX that has a very clean turbo installation on his bird. I've decided to follow that concept as much as possible. I've also been in contact with MCxpress and am awaiting prices for the different parts.

Below is a pic of Hanks turbo set up. I'm quite surprised that all stuff including an air cooler fits within the stock fairings. It has to been some real 3D thinking behind to achieve this.

I've just asked a guy for the price of a low mileage bird engine that he has. It would be nice not to have to use the excellent engine that is in the bike right now and start the project from scratch in case something goes wrong. Whatever happens, the bird is not meant to be garaged during season...

post-3595-1196422923.jpg

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Fair enough Dean...I understand the problem, but that is where the carbs on the BB shine.

The vacuum chambers on a stocker are joined together and a hose goes to the airbox. On my setup, the same hose goes to the plenum. The float bowls on a stocker are paired and each hose , IIRC, goes to the airbox. Perhaps they just go to atmosphere, I really can't remember...In any event, those 2 hoses go to a pitot tube in the charge or intake tube. Thats it...all thats required...

With entirely stock carbs and all stock jetting, the Air-Fuel showed 11.2/1 at 10-12 lbs boost.

That could be a bit leaner, but it's a safe operable range and has done well for 5000 miles without even looking at a spark plug. The A-F trace would make a lot of FI guys envious.

BTW, Power Commanders scare the shit out of me...I'm an old school guy.

Tuning, for me, is a box of brass, not a keyboard. I'm sure that after hours on a dyno with a sniffer and a guy who really knows his stuff, FI can be more accurate than carbs. That just kinda takes the fun out of it.

Take it easy...Hank

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Short update. The current plan is to buy a complete kit from MCXpress, just aviating the cost for a complete kit and is also working to arrange a group-buy in Sweden to cut costs.

I haven’t decided finally to go the turbo trail. We'll see who wins, the cheap account responsible or the enthusiast inside.

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Cool.

What ~cost did yo negotiate for the kit?

3 k for a Mithusbishi T16 Turbo, Intercooler, Downpipes and Plenum Chamber. Still awaiting costs for the rest of the parts like hoses between turbo-IC and IC-plenum and other bits and pieces. I guess it will be about 4 k without exhaust pipe and muffler.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Turbo plans dropped, for the moment. The bike runs very well as is and I can't motivate myself to spend 5 grand for a MC Xpress turbo kit on a 10 years old bike with 75.000 km's on the odo. I have no problems though to understand that people running turbo birds are happy and hope I wont meet any of those on roads :icon_shifty:

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Turbo plans dropped, for the moment. The bike runs very well as is and I can't motivate myself to spend 5 grand for a MC Xpress turbo kit on a 10 years old bike with 75.000 km's on the odo. I have no problems though to understand that people running turbo birds are happy and hope I wont meet any of those on roads :icon_shifty:

Good for you.

Turbo i XX er galskap :icon_biggrin:

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I disagree in that a turbo for the XX is crazy, as you said. A turbo kit is what the bike deserves to return on top. Design is 10 of 10, but the performance would be quite happy with a turbo conversion. Unfortunately, I'm not willing to spend the money for a turbo kit at this moment.

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Same general idea here...to return the CBXX to the top as far as acceleration against other stock superbikes. My only real concern is daily reliability since I ride year-round (10-100 degrees).

I had Mr. Turbo build a GS1100 back in '85 and rode this a few years in all conditions. Driveability was great with only tight traffic causing overheating problems. I had the engine built (pistons, water injection, etc) and ran up to 20 pds boost (fun) with great success.

That is the general goal for my '98 bird as time (and $$) allows.

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