Turbo bikes

[tigertim20]

Ok, I have heard a few times about people wanting to turbo their bikes, and seen the videos on youtube. Lots of people go on about, I knew a dude, who heard about a guy whose cousins mate turbos their bike, balh blah blah
Now I for one have only ever seen a few vids on youtube, and saw a gsxr K5 thou on Tardme a while ago that had been turbed, for the pricely sum of $20k.
I want to know, who, if anyone has actualy done this, not, "I heard about it from a mate", but actually done it? is it very common at all?
what are some of the pros/cons etc? How much work in involved in plumbing the thing in, and associated costs etc?

Yes, I will admit that it has crossed my mind to try it, I even have a few turbos on my tard me watchlist, but realistically, at this point in my life it is a pipe dream, but I still want to get some info on it, as it does sound like a fun future project!

[JimO]

Ok, I have heard a few times about people wanting to turbo their bikes, and seen the videos on youtube. Lots of people go on about, I knew a dude, who heard about a guy whose cousins mate turbos their bike, balh blah blah
Now I for one have only ever seen a few vids on youtube, and saw a gsxr K5 thou on Tardme a while ago that had been turbed, for the pricely sum of $20k.
I want to know, who, if anyone has actualy done this, not, "I heard about it from a mate", but actually done it? is it very common at all?
what are some of the pros/cons etc? How much work in involved in plumbing the thing in, and associated costs etc?

Yes, I will admit that it has crossed my mind to try it, I even have a few turbos on my tard me watchlist, but realistically, at this point in my life it is a pipe dream, but I still want to get some info on it, as it does sound like a fun future project!


kawasaki produced a factory Z1R turbo in 1980

[Oakie]

kawasaki produced a factory Z1R turbo in 1980

There's one for sale in a small Canterbury rural town for $24000. Can't remember where but I saw on the Bike Trader website a couple of weeks ago.

EDIT: Rakaia. http://www.bikepoint.co.nz/UsedItemResults.aspx?Ntt=Z1R%20Turbo&N=0&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&Ntk=All

[sil3nt]

I have a sort of offtopic but not really kind of question...

Anyone know the website that had some (Australian?) dudes making a CBR 250 turbo? They also customised some other bikes. It was real kind of backyard type stuff.

[98tls]

There's one for sale in a small Canterbury rural town for $24000. Can't remember where but I saw on the Bike Trader website a couple of weeks ago.

EDIT: Rakaia. http://www.bikepoint.co.nz/UsedItemResults.aspx?Ntt=Z1R%20Turbo&N=0&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&Ntk=All Had a sit on that a few months back,talk about take you back in time,mint condition beast,all that power and a spaghetti frame:banana:Very very collectiable.Had a look through a thread on the TL website re a turbo SV.Fwiw there was a VTR Honda running round in Australia with a supercharger off an MR2 stuck on the side,ridden daily and went well.

[James Deuce]

kawasaki produced a factory Z1R turbo in 1980

It wasn't factory, it was a Kawasaki US conversion.

The GPz750 Turbo was a Kawasaki factory item.

Suzuki had the XN85, Honda had the CX500 and CX650 turbo and Yamaha the XJ650 turbo.

That's it from the majors. It's only worth sticking a turbo on from the perspective of land speed records, ego, and over-weening ego. A GSXR750K8 would murder all of the aforementioned bikes (yes, I know that's not the point).

[James Deuce]

I have a sort of offtopic but not really kind of question...

Anyone know the website that had some (Australian?) dudes making a CBR 250 turbo? They also customised some other bikes. It was real kind of backyard type stuff.

There's nothing like giving a 250 the performance of a 400 for twice the price of buying a 400.

[98tls]

Reminded me of this.http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=103464

[NordieBoy]

WR250 Turbo...

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[mossy1200]

there was a busa turbo running at Carterton 1/4 miles last year.
I was extpecting it to be rocket fast but 304kmph is not alot higher than stock.It got 2nd to a top spec vfour ducati at 305kmph.(if memory serves me correctly.

There was vmax with mr2 supercharger running the Dunedin 1/8th mile about 8 years ago.It peeled rubber for a long way.

[tigertim20]

i know about the factory turbo bikes, i am talking about people who take a stock, non turbo bike and do it cos it seems like a fun project.

[98tls]

Fwiw again,not a turbo but an interesting read on supercharging a VFR Honda,just for the sake of it.http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=31492

[Mikkel]

One of the guys here in Chch has got a turboed GSX1400... He claims it puts out around 210 hps and 170 foot pounds of torque on the dyno, and he'd expect more on the road due to better cooling.

I don't doubt him - it pulls the most groteque wheelspins if he just cranks it. Does some incredible wheelies too. Apparently it becomes a bit dicey when it goes off the clock (260 km/h) - and it does that very easily. Crazy machine - crazy bloke.

[FJRider]

there was a busa turbo running at Carterton 1/4 miles last year.
I was extpecting it to be rocket fast but 304kmph is not alot higher than stock.It got 2nd to a top spec vfour ducati at 305kmph.(if memory serves me correctly.

There was vmax with mr2 supercharger running the Dunedin 1/8th mile about 8 years ago.It peeled rubber for a long way.

The ability of a bike to reach its potential as such, depends on the ability and bravery of the rider.... as 98tls has shown in another thread.

[DEATH_INC.]

It all comes down to how stupid you wanna be. It's not that hard or too expensive if ya wanna give it a go, but there's a shitload of work to get it all working smoothly, and it'll never be as rideable as a stock bike.
My old turbo is pretty close to a one off, I've remanufactured all the stuff on it, the only thing is it has the factory scavenge pump for the turbo. You can get electric pumps though.
I also turbo'd an old CM400 for a giggle, with a simple draw through carb setup....

Basically you need to make some headers to hang the turbo on, if you can keep the drain above the sump oil level you won't need an oil scavenge pump. Run a small pod filter on the turbo. Run the outlet pipe up to the 'airbox' which you'll need to make to take 20 or so psi (ali is the go) Best if the bike is efi, just run a powercommander with the throttle position sensor wire connected to a boost sensor ( to richen it on boost). You may need a bigger fuel pump and/ or bigger injectors. If you're gonna run more than 10 or so psi you can decompress it with a spacer plate under the cylinder block. Prolly best to fit a bov too.
Easy....do it!

[Gremlin]

There's nothing like giving a 250 the performance of a 400 for twice the price of buying a 400.
spoilsport :nono:

I've always thought having a supercharger would be better for smooth power, and would be fun... but not having any mechanical knowledge, it would be an expensive one.

Nothing like putting a grin on your face tho :D

[koba]

saw a gsxr K5 thou on Tardme a while ago that had been turbed, for the pricely sum of $20k.

I suspect that may have been the one that Paul Hear bought and ran at the Carterton sprints, It did look to be quite fast before it blew up.
It didn't complete a timed run.
The Hayabusa that was there also had other issues, I don't think it was working to its full potential.
That was an interesting day with a modified (1570cc or somthing?) atmo 'busa a Nitrous fed 'busa and turbo 'busa all facing off. The atmos wasted the other two.

The name of that place in aussie that did the zeal and others escapes me right now, I thought I had it booked marked but can't find it.
I will post a link if I remember and someone else doesn't.
It was a 3 letter acronym starting with S...

Fuggin TLA's crowd my brain.

[koba]

Here is another site.
http://www.mbcustoms.co.uk/80720/info.php?p=13

[mulletman]

Big CC Racing in pomgolia have done loads of turbd bikes.

The 1400 in Ch Ch is on his second engine ,to be fair 20,000 odd ks of being constantly arseholed something has to give namely a conrod, but looking at the rest of the pulled down motor you wouldnt have known it had been turboed.
So another engine with some tough rods check the heavy duty clutch and its back on the road pulling monster wheelies again.

He is in the middle of a 4th 1400 turbo buiild at the moment. Interestingly
his current turbo is mounted where the airbox used to be its a real nice tidy fit compared to the usual header area mount.

[vifferman]

Fwiw again,not a turbo but an interesting read on supercharging a VFR Honda,just for the sake of it.http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=31492
That guy has done a brilliant job, as he's made sure to engineer everything properly, and documented his work, so he could produce a commercial kit.
He's sold a couple now, and they're basically just bolt-on power. They take the VFR800 from around 95hp, to around 160 or so.


I've always thought having a supercharger would be better for smooth power, and would be fun... but not having any mechanical knowledge, it would be an expensive one.
Expensive? Yes. The VFR kit is US$5000, plus you need to get the bike dynoed to get a custom map for the Power Commander - so another NZ$500 or so.
Smooth? Yes.
The guy who was the latest to fit one says the bike runs better everywhere, not just when the boost kicks in, as it's now getting proper fueling across the range, courtesy of uprated injection (from memory, bigger injectors and a Honda Civic FPR). It also wheelies everywhere if you turn the loud handle up high. Yet when ridden sedately, it's sedate.
Interestingly, the guy who developed it now says that he's now really aware of how porky the VFR is after tooling around on a GSXR. So although it's a lot of fun having a fire-breathing VFR, it's easier and cheaper to get the same power and better handling by buying a race replica.

[1wheel riot]

the bikes are that highly strung they get very un reliable

[SMOKEU]

Don't forget the FMIC, external gate and screamer pipe.

[Old Skool Subbie]

I remember about a year or two ago seeing a turbo Suzuki or maybe Yamaha sports bike getting built.
It was at my wof place.
It had a little intercooler fitted to the front too.