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/UsedItemR...artial&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/UsedItemR...artial&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 frameVery 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/sh...d.php?t=103464

[NordieBoy]

WR250 Turbo...

[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/i...howtopic=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!