| Author | Message | ||
     Jens |
 German TT, on the historic Schleizer „Triangle“ Racetrack, founded 1923 and it is the oldest natural German Racetrack what’s still in use. Our 2006 season was from the point of ranking more or less a disaster till now. In the Thunder B.E.A.R.S Competition we start with a major engine splash of our last year 2005 shortstroke 1200cc tubeframe engine and at the Festival Italia we lost an XB engine and two bikes in crashes, one crash was for our rider Holger Turni so serious that he was flied out by helicopter, but he come okay again. We took Points and Podiums here and there over the season, but our idea for 2006 was a bit different. End of last season we closed with our Tubeframer “Boyracer” the gap to the 2 class leading Ducati and Moto Guzzi, and the plan was to win the Thunder B.E.A.R.S. Championship in 2006. But not much things are more incalculable than racing…..  We had the 2006 new Bike “Thors Hammer” early ready to race, but after the engine splashed at the first race weekend, we needed months to get a XL case that matches our needs. Meanwhile we raced a mild tuned engine out of a 96 Buell S1 Streetbike. But in any catastrophe is something positive, after concentrating in 2005 on the engine, the circumstances press us in 2006 to work hard on chassis, weight and driveability. After 6 month hard work we meet now our 2005 laptimes with more than 20 Horsepower less. We changed geometry, suspension, tyres, found a setup for all of that and we developed also for the old XL engine a slipperclutch. Never we had invested so much time without that lack of enginepower and never we learned so much in a so short time. The new M-TeK engine will be not ready before Biketoberfest, so for the Germann TT the old Lightning engine had to make it one last time. Weather was reported sunny and we had because of noise regulations only on Saturday 1 free practice and 2 qualifying sessions. At the first stint the bike start to loose very much oil from the rear rockerbox. After the bike came in we changed the gaskets and sent it 2h later out with rider Tommy Schuler for the first qualifying session, what he finished 3rd. Bike starts again leaking oil in the second session but we speed up and got the second place overall and lost the first time this season the Ducati behind us. The leading Moto Guzzi in front of us was in the corners constantly slower than the Buell, but on the straights our bike was too underpowered to go over. After this great qualifying result we strip down again the rearcylinder and found that the rockerbox was twisted (?) and the new gasket was not ready to seal it against the head. A big load of engine silicone was the solution for this never before seen problem. At the Sundaymorning warm up all was fine and we were looking very positive to the afternoon Thunder B.E.A.R.S race hoping to get the Guzzi of rider Holger Aue and stay in front of Ralf Schädels Ducati. Not much later it starts to rain heavily….. and what we don’t had was a rain setup. What we had was a set of Pirelli Raintyres, not the best choice for heavy rain… and of course experience from the past with the old geometry. So we adjust the suspension to general raincondition and sent the bike to the start. Tommy got a good start and hold the 2nd, but in the first corner the Ducati pass him. The rider have done in a different class the race before and was knowing very well what speed his tyres are able to go in that heavy rain. So Ducatirider Ralf Schädel finished first, before Moto Guzzirider Holger Aue and Tommy Schuler on the Hillbilly-Motors-Motors Buell finished third.  For the last race at Biketoberfest the new engine will be ready and that package will be hard to beat –we hope… Jens  Fullsize pictures here: http://www.hillbilly-motors.com/html/german_tt_2006.html | ||
| Bud |
 congratulations gr, bud | ||
| Easyrider |
Good job | ||
| Jimidan |
Jens, Great write-up man! Congratulations!  REgarding the "The new M-TeK engine...", what kind of modifications have you made on it? I like seeing the old tube frame Buells still racing. They just handle so much differently than the XB's...stability wise. How are you adjusting the geometry? Keep us informed on your team's progress! Jimidan | ||
| Hobanbrothers |
Jens, Congrats on hard work and podium finish. But not much things are more incalculable than racing….. I like this qoute! Did I catch this right, you and your team will be in Daytona? I look forward to seeing you again if you are truly coming stateside. Our last visit got cut short, but I promise that will not happen again! Congrats again Jens | ||
| Davegess |
Excellant!!! Congrats!!! | ||
| Mutation_racer |
great job go buell | ||
| Court |
Congratulations. . . this is good news! | ||
| Blake |
Wonderful report Jens! Thank you. And congratulations on a good showing. Will be anxiously awaiting to hear about your next competition. | ||
| Josh_cox |
Good job Jens! Hillbilly-Motors FTW! | ||
| Imonabuss |
Awesome team work and race report, Jens. You need an XBRR sometime; I'll bet you guys would fly! | ||
| 1313 |
GREAT JOB!!! On a tuber no less! Hearty congratulations! 1313 | ||
| Jens |
Good to be part of this community (-: Thank you all for your friendly words! Imona Because of circumstances out of our control the XBRR didn´t made it to us, but competing with what you have is sharpen your mind (.: But yes, to continue the work with the XBRR is a must! In the end the things will come together.... Hoban Yes man didn´t forgot that you guys had the beer that night (-: Well, it is my -like from any serious racer- dream to start at the 200, but from Europe you have to have a big budget to get that organized and you have to be competitive. I don´t see that for my Team 2007. But I would be there personally if somebody need me. Jimidan We found out very early that the stock stroke will not match with our need of engine lifetime. So our engine engineer Alex Kucis from M-TeK converted 3 years ago the first Tubeframer engine to the short XB 9 stroke. In combination with Rev.Perf cylinders you get a 1200cc shortstroke engine. Rpm is on the track everything, because the resulting topspeed is engine rpm multiplicated with ratio. The engine is coverted to XB pistonoilers, something we (M-TeK) do with any XL case we get in our hand! because all the rearcylinder overheating problems are gone after that. All the parts are lighter (Engine total minus 8 Kilo), special valvetrain, head etc. resulting (after 3 years now) in a 122 rearwheelhorsepower engine you can race a full continental season without opening (app. 100 trackhours). The problem we still had with the old setup was, that our 48mm Mikuni flatslider was feeding the both cylinder very different. The rear was always running to lean, while the front was running so rich that the sparkplug was near the firingborder(you say that?) So we say the next step have to be 2 carbs. Our first idea was to use the heads from the Confederate (Thanks BRIAN N.!) but they have a large boltpattern. So we ask some other guys (Thanks SA,HD and EB from ET)who had experience with that from the past and they help us out with a set of unfinished heads. The manifolds didn´t match our needs so they have to be developed completly new. But now "Thors Hammer" will come back with 2 Carbs and we will find out what is in that 45 degree, aircooled, 2 valve pushrod engine..... to be continued. When we start this project 4 years ago we convert an M2 frame to XB steeringhead angle and do a lot of other modfications. The bike was very hard to ride and always loose time in the very quick right/left combinations. We have a very known GMD Computrack man (Herbert Strassmaier) here in Germany, he analyze this chassis and make us a long list of changes in swingarmlenght, angle, Triple offset, forkheight and many things more. After we done that changes in the Winter 2004/2005, the bike was in the season 2005 first time really quick rideable and the bike finished 4th and 5th in the 2005 Thunder B.E.A.R.S championship (in real 3rd if you add the points together, but its a riders championship not a constructor). With the new rider Tommy Schuler we got mid of last year a very experienced (25 years on the Track) annalytic rider coming from Enduranceraces (Bol d´or, Le Mans, Spa, 25.000 Km experience on the legendary Nuerburgring Nordschleife and multi Battle of the Twin (TR1) Winner. He is not a young gun, but he brought into our team what we are looking for. Experience and Analyze. So over the winter 2005/2006 we builded different setups and go into the wintertests in Cartagena end of Januar to see what change. The result was, back to more Steeringheadangle (X1 Frame), lower the total rideheight 30mm!! (for that we build the "bended" swingarm what reduce rideheight without changing the angle (traction). Less offset of the Triples and Bridgestone BT 02 (tested against Bridgestone, Pirelli, Dunlop 17" Slicks). The Hyperpro rearsuspension we convert to a 20mm more diameter Öhlins shock to have a choice in different springs. After tuning all suspension Elements (dont remember how often I build them in and out) the bike has now amazing cornerspeed and traction and is more handy than ever in superquick changings of the direction (the right/lefts). Thanks for your interest! Jens | ||
| José_quiñones |
Congratulations! | ||
| Jimidan |
I am a big supporter of pistonoilers (or squirters as I call them). I have them on the front a rear pistons on my engines. It is curious that your Mikuni is feeding the front and rear cylinders differently, as mine seems to do the same. At least the front plug gathered more carbon build-up than the rear. I thought it was because the front cylinder ran cooler since it was in the front. So, I use a step hotter plug in my front cylinder to burn off the excess and that works fine. Your experimentation with the geometry of the tube frame is very interesting. Do you just not like the XB frame? The Tilley AMA Pro Thunder team used the dual carb set-up quite successfully. I believe they used a Mikuni 42 for the rear cylinder (right hand feed) and a constant velocity carb with a vacuum piston controlled venturi for the front (fed from the left side of the motor). They used special heads that had the intakes machined at angles to allow for the dual manifolds. I understand that STD heads can be made like that...special order. Great write-up again! jimidan | ||
| Jens |
Jimidan,  we love the XB, here is a 1200cc shortstroker XB with 8P ZTL and multiratio (12 different ratios) secondary beltdrive. Before the XBRR came out, the XL Case was the only platform to build a 1350cc shortstroke engine, and I dont want to build an XL engine in a XB frame (not a big thing, but the engine is so heavy). Our focus was from the beginning to build a 1350cc shortstroke engine. Now with the RR Technology its nearer to realize this in a XB frame than in a TF. We measured the unburned hc´s (hydrocarbons) and the problem is not the cylinderheat. For the full performance of the 45degree V2, the singlerunners (we calculate) are the answer. I´ve seen at the CCS races this spring in Daytona one of this bikes using the CV on the left, not sure if it was the Tillys bike. Jens | ||
| Henrik |
Outstanding work Jens. Very impressive - both the huge amount of development as well at the the race results. Henrik | ||
| M1combat |
How much for the multi-ratio secondary belt drive? | ||
| Jscott |
Jens, do you have any more pictures of that neat vented front fender? | ||
| Blake |
Wow, that is a LOT of work and very interesting. What I could do with a competent handling 122 RWHP 1200cc racing machine in the club class here in the CMRA. Or at least I like to think of what I could do.  First thing would be to get back in shape so I could actually ride the thing.  Sounds like your experienced rider is a perfect asset for you and the team. | ||
| Jens |
Blake, I come from dragracing..... this guy is a bank! (-: Jscott, http://www.hillbilly-motors.com/html/m12.html M1, hard to say, because I never calculated a complete kit. We made some frontsprockets and with the 14mm Belt also the old TF Frontsprockets fits (you have to grind away some alumium from the case were the upperbolt from the belttensioner is located). Than you need a adjustable Belttensioner, I use our springoperated one with screw (for the spring) and different bushings, Now you need different rear Pulleys, (we made some) and you can choiche the ratio. Please ask Dave S. for prices of the components. For the records: 1170cc XB M-Tek engine, early 11mm XB 9 Belt, 7-8.000 Km Track and more Km on the Road never had a broken belt. The 1200 shortstroke XB, more than 10.000 Km Track the same, no broken Belt. Whats killing belts is not enginepower or hard track use. Jens | ||
| Jscott |
I wonder if that vent would benefit those using the ZTL2 in the states? Is overheating a contributing reason Deeley's and Innovative Research have chosen to go with a more conventional setup? | ||
| M1combat |
Thanks for the tips. I will . | ||
| Jens |
Jscott,  we use scoops and vented fenders since the ZTL 1 came out with the first XB 9, and we raced all our XB´s with ZTL. Extra air to the brake is never wrong (I cant resist if I can get that with 60 gramm carbon and some holes) and result on the ZTL over longer racedistances in less handpressurepoint travelling and longer brakepadlife. If you ever have the chance to test the 8P ZTL² you will agree that this brake is not standing behind actueil double radials, what brand ever. Not in brakepower and not in heatacceptance. Riders and Teams choose the components they are trained on and in what they believe. Its hard to accept for some people that the rest of the show might be wrong. And its always easyier to go back to a well known construction from the past, than invest time and brain in the progress. Jens | ||
| Jscott |
Thanks for the info Jens! | ||
| Blake |
JS, If overheating of the ZTL-2 were an issue, Jezza would have found it at Laguna Seca. Instead, he compared its performance as being closest to that of MotoGP braking systems and more precise and aggressive than what one finds on WSBK machines. | ||
| Buellerthanyou |
Man, with enthusiam for Buells like this, I wish I lived in Germany! Thanks for this useful information, Jens. HellBuelly J "All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with the wheelie. There is nothing higher than the wheelie." --Immanuel KantBuelly | ||
| Jens |
If God rides a Harley, Immanuel Kant rides a Buell, interesting idea!! (-: Jens | ||
| Jetrider802 |
Jens is your brake duct for the ZTL available to the public??? I looked on your website and could not find it. If it is available what is the price? Thanks Jetrider802 | ||
| Brineusaf |
Good showing Jens, sorry I couldn't make it to the race; I would have loved to have been able to assist you's somehow. | ||
| Jens |
Jetrider, I use til today always a carbon Xb rearhugger, to be honest (-: The mountinghardware is qick done. Wee discuss at moment to make a product from that idea. Is a solution in carbon with mountinghardware 130 Dollar worth? Brian, we see us in October at Biketoberfest? Jens (Message edited by Jens on August 31, 2006) |
