| Author | Message | ||
     Phelan |
I've been pondering a motor build for a while, with EFI conversion, and I thought, why not? It seems like a killer way to add crazy efficient horsepower when done right. | ||
| Jvv |
I had a few friends that went that route. Pretty much a bolt on with good mechanical skills. A great way to go through rear tires. : ) | ||
| Lynrd |
Seems like Fireman Jim was talking about having done one for one of his customers. | ||
| 1313 |
H-D and Buell (through H-D) were considering turbos towards the end of the tube frame days. Before the XB Diablo project, there was an X1 Diablo project. 2 bikes - that I know of - were built. The ECM's were specially programmed to limit boost in the lower gears to avoid turtling. The same thing that killed the project for Buell likely killed H-D's interest, but it sure is another interesting what-if if H-D and Buell had actually begun using turbos... I've probably already said too much... 1313 | ||
| Rick_a |
These engines get temperamental enough when pushing 100 rwhp or more when normally aspirated. Properly built with moderate boost would likely be fine, but that's a lot of junk to add when a square bore x stroke and proper top end set up could do the same. | ||
| Ceejay |
There's a guy that did a fuel framed turbo - made it look real clean, and IIRC had excellent power. I can't remember if he started with a 9 or a 12 but I know he did a real nice job with it. He was pretty cool about it too, very informative. I've only had a few XL motors apart and no XB's but I wouldn't think they'd be too different to give it a go. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I've played a LOT with turbocharged cars. Dished pistons. Lower static compression ratio. Different valves / valve materials / valve seals / valve seats. Different crank, rods, bearings, and block/skirt design. Different intake/exhaust porting requirements. Different cam profiles due to different lift and overlap needs. Different headgasket requirements. O-rings. Piston rings. ALL of it changes. It's definitely NOT a case of "bolt one on and it can blow air into the engine for ya". Can you run a couple PSI through a stock, naturally-aspirated motor? Maybe. If you fight detonation (a split-second of detonation under boost will hole a piston; the same damage will require hours of detonation in a non-boosted engine), and add enough fuel. But it's much more reliable to do old-school hot-rodding - hotter cam, bump the CR, port the heads, and play with timing. Do I love boost? Sure. In engines that are designed from the get-go to be pressurized. Back in the day, I was running 30psi+ through my Dodge 2.2 engines and my buddies and I had our cars down in the 11's/12's easy. My buddy Pat still runs one (the ScAries) in the GRM Challenge, and he's in the 10s with it. Boost is fun. LOTS of fun. If the engine is designed for boost. The 3.0 VM Motori turbo diesel engine in my 2014 Grand Cherokee is a "light duty" diesel - with SIX BOLT MAINS, a girdle-main setup (not individual main caps), low (for a diesel) compression, and low boost levels. I suspect...the old HD common-crank-pin bottom end simply didn't like boost. At least, not for very long. Nevermind the lack of coolant for the turbo center section... | ||
| Phelan |
Yeah, he has an '05 XB12XSG that pushed 15# of boost and 187 HP before he blew it up. I believe he was on stock internals at the time. I know the bottom end was for sure. His new build should push even more. Rick you can't push that kind of power on street gas with naturally aspirated unless you go like 150+". | ||
| Screamer |
1313, I think I still have G.V.'s dyno chart from the X1 version - low 150s. Rode it several times. The last time I rode it, the isolators (and tires) were pretty well shot and what was a moderate handlebar tremor accelerating through100 became a horribly violent head shake decelerating through 100. Equally one of the most terrifying but exhilarating bikes I've ridden. | ||
| Skntpig |
There was a drag racer that slapped an aerocharger on an S2 back in the day in our town. His thought process was it's already lower compression. I don't know about reliability or boost / hp figures. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
The best I've seen that I can remember.  Rocket in England | ||
| Malott442 |
That looks like 20k of add ons to me. To each his own... but I would just buy 2 more bikes  LOL | ||
| Phelan |
Rocket, I saw that. While I like it's parts, the sum just doesn't seem to blend for me. Maybe it's the wrapped header. I've actually been doing a ton of research on the idea, and seen most of the turbo Sportster/Buell setups on the web, just curious if anyone else has been thinking of it. I know I want to use the '08-up XB12 crank, just undecided on if I want to make it fit in tuber cases or if I want to fit XB cases in a tuber instead. Both have been done before. I'm planning a motor build anyway because I've always wanted to do one but couldn't finish the Sportster motor build I invested in years ago. My theoretical plan is about 180 hp in an S2T, not necessarily the one I have now. I'm equally tempted to find a frame and title and start ground up since that's also something I've always wanted to do. Just depends on how the money flows over the next year or two. Big ideas, big plans  | ||
| Phelan |
Here's a great example, the one brought up earlier. http://streetfighterperformance.com | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
"That looks like 20k of add ons to me." ok....but youre wrong. Aerochargers are around 5 grand | ||
| Phelan |
"ok....but youre wrong. Aerochargers are around 5 grand" The RAM single sided swingarm is $9K - no joke. The shock setup is like $2500 (I forget the brand), and the front wheel/disc/caliper setup is like $2-3K when you can find it anymore. So yeah, $20K in extras is about right. | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
9 grand for a swingarm? someone got ripped off....and only one was sold. what an idiot | ||
| Ceejay |
Was at Mid-O quite a few years ago for a track day, there was a fellow with a turboed tuber of some sort - I think it was an S2. He looked to be having fun with it and it sounded very good running down the front straight... At some point it isn't really about cost, it's thier coin, and while I'm not a huge fan of SSSA's some folks are. I really like the front end set-up, but for the rear set-up I'd think an XB motor and swingarm would be a much more elegant solution. It would require some extensive frame mods for the rear motor and shock mounts and would shorten the wheelbase up to around XB numbers, but it would look tight, clean, and probably be a hoot to ride - if you got that fueling right - maybe a MAF sensor in the intakes and a competent tuner? | ||
| Coxster |
I have a spare Kubota turbo I'm saving for when I win the Lotto. I figure it's sized right 2.2l @ 2500 rpm vs 1.2l @ 5000 rpm : ) If nothing else it looks cool on the garage wall next to my other spare parts | ||
| Phelan |
Yeah I've been talking to Jim about fueling solutions and EFI options; I'll probably opt for HD's Delphi setup but with a Thundermax or similar replacement ECU, though Jim recommended a piggyback module for extra fueling for the turbo, which may also be an option, just depends. I know of at least one tuner (an XLForum sponsor) that has good experience tuning Sportsters with Delphi-type ECUs. I know where there's a sweet late-model XB12 motor, but I'll probably opt for the stock style cases, in case I want to add a 6 speed and/or S&S cases down the line. Using an XB motor I'd almost have to use DDFI because the cams run differently (IIRC backwards?) compared to tubers. The more I look into this the more it seems I know which way I want to go . |
