Turbo Cruiser!?

[zadok]

Can you imagine a Honda VTX 1800 Turbo? It might happen.

There seems to be a good argument to put a turbo on a big V-Twin.

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/30jan...urbocruise.htm

[WRT]

I've given a lot of thought over the years to turbo'ing V-Twins. Admittedly, it never occurred to me to think of turbo'ing a cruiser, but there you have it. From my somewhat amature viewpoint (see my thread on learning about two-strokes to see truly just how amature), the major issue with whacking a hair dryer on a V config is going to be where to locate the turbo. On an inline engine, you have all the pipes collecting neatly at the front, which also often happens to be about the only place a modern sportsbike has any spare space hidden under the fairing.

On a V, you dont have that luxury. If the pipes come together, its normally somewhere hidden down below or behind the engine, say around the swingarm pivot or that sort of reigon. Not a huge amount of spare space there, nor is it particularly close to either the headers (from my limited understanding you are best advised to keep the turbo as close to the manifold as possible) or the airbox, if you were even able to position the unit there in the first place.

Throughout this thought process I am assuming that you are wanting to run the turbo off both exhausts, partly so that everything is nice and balanced, and partly because otherwise you are robbing the turbo of 50% of the gases it uses to spin up.

So, this leads me to conclude that you are best off leaving the turbo'ing to the inlines, rather than the V's. If I was wanting to force-feed a V, I'd instead be looking at a supercharger to fit inbetween the cylinders. Naturally, you are going to need a fairly wide configuration of the cylinders, but it seems the most logical solution to me.

Especially for a cruiser, I would have thought the "instant-boost" scenario of a supercharger would be far more desirable than turbo lag, which I dont see how they could avoid it altogether on a big V-Twin.

Has anyone actually seen a turbo'ed V? If so, how did they get around these issues?

[thehollowmen]

V-twin turbos usually have it hanging off the side which looks unballanced.

Nice turbo harley in chch.

Which makes me wonder why they don't go twin-turbo :-D

[WRT]

Did wonder about a twin turbo set up, but figured its twice as complicated as it needs to be, plus extra weight, etc. Better off with just a single supercharger mounted in between the cylinders I would have thought.

But then again, I'm no expert.

[Jackrat]

Natali's in Sydney Oz turn out heaps of turboed Vtwins.
They go quite well til the bike blows up.

[thehollowmen]

. Better off with just a single supercharger mounted

A supercharger gives a smoother delivery of power... or at least it did when I drove a friend's supercharged jag.

I think the turbo would be a bit more economic at low rpm than a supercharger, and give more "grin factor" with the jerk of acceleration when it spools up.

Now a supercharger - air ram setup would be sweet ;-)

[.produKt]

Well with a turbocharger (from my expeirienced gained watching videos with turbo bikes) the bike will more often than not go into one wheel mode on boost....

Fancy falling off the back anyone ?

Anyway check out this video.

Its of a GSXR600 with a turbo and a blowoff valve . It may not be a Turbo Cruiser as this thread's topic dictates(its actually a turbo sports bike? is there a difference?) , but its still pretty damned cool.

Turn the volume up real good when your've downloaded this clip

http://www.phattpad.orcon.net.nz/GSX...peed-39sec.mpg

And if your looking for likeminded bike clips. Check out http://www.bikepics.com/ No bullshit. No ads. No pop-ups. Just Motorbike Clips and pictures to download... to the site owner

[dangerous]

Not a huge amount of spare space there, nor is it particularly close to either the headers (from my limited understanding you are best advised to keep the turbo as close to the manifold as possible) or the airbox, if you were even able to position the unit there in the first place.

Has anyone actually seen a turbo'ed V? If so, how did they get around these issues?

I think the turbo would be a bit more economic at low rpm than a supercharger, and give more "grin factor" with the jerk of acceleration when it spools up.

Yeah ya on to it with the turbos being as close to the cyl's as possible, but the main problem with a V turb is the pulse.... a twin will make the turb spin/stop/spin/stop sorta thing not quite that bad but ya get the jiff, a muilti fires every TDC so the gasses flow evenly.

Had me a Turbo V2 but it was a transverse V so the turb was in frount of the engine behind the radiater.
There are a few turbed HD's around including a twin turb, these bikes have the turbo on the side of the engine, which is handy to the airbox and head.

Super charging does make sence with a V2 but it takes power to make power..... were as a turbo uses wast energy to make power.
Placing the turbo to far back from the head will cause more lag but turbos these days are rather trick, a way around it would be twin turb like the Sub car were the turbs are geared diferantly.

[Motu]

There is an Army Indian around with a turbo,you'd never know to look at it,a very discrete set up.I've seen Harley Sportsters with a vertical supercharger off the timing cover,whoever does them makes it look almost factory,best supercharger set up I've ever seen.

[kiwifruit]

saw a super charged harley back when i was a petrolium distribution technician,
asked they guy if he could show us a little acceleration......

had never seen a harley sideways b4 that day!
man it had some power, just steeped out in first and second, very cool.
it looked factory as,
id love to have something like that one day

[ajturbo]

a lot of people wonder where my turbo is ....
turbo lag?.. there is a "bit" but not as much as you would think....

[dangerous]

a lot of people wonder where my turbo is ....
turbo lag?.. there is a "bit" but not as much as you would think....

IIRC.... the turb is (see 1st pic)

When I opened up the pipes on my beast it made a differance to the lag and mid range, AJ you have modified pipes dont ya?

The best muilti set up was the ZX750, with the turb being in the belly pan, suzuki wasent bad either being ontop of the gear box by the injectors.

[ajturbo]

modified?... not really, the "only " difference is the muffler.... one not there and just a new"er" can.....

but i still think that the suzuki still LOOKS the best

[Hailwood]

Have a look at latest Motorcycle Trader...interesting article on supercharged V-Rod made by V2 in Aussie....very nice indeed