New Member from South Dakota
Hey guys!
First post on the forum! Had my 2008 XB12S for a little over a year now. Have always been a sportbike guy, had several bikes before this one. The last one I had before this was my 2001 Kawasaki ZX9R. You can definitely tell that the Buell has less Horsepower... BUT MAN!!! THAT TORQUE!!! Can't seem to keep the front wheel down! I've had friends tell me they don't like riding with me because they are worried I'm going to attract the police. Half throttle in 1st or 2nd will bring that tire 4 feet off the ground!!! Love this bike!
I have been throwing mods by the handful at this bike since I got it! Aftermarket intake manifold and air filter. Jardine GP1 muffler (modified some). And had the ECU re-flashed and dyno-tuned the bike. It used to be red with red wheels, but I used tail light tinter in a few light coats to tint the tank and face plate black (but it still has an undertone of red). I installed some red LED lights under the tank to light it up at night. During the day, the Dark tint looks like black paint. At night with the LEDs on, you can clearly see the engine through the tank! Love seeing people's jaws drop! Yesterday I also ordered adjustable pegs and levers.
2 days ago I had to replace my starter... The starter clutch went out on mine and my cousin had a sportster starter he sold me for cheaper than just buying the starter clutch from Harley! I worked at The biggest Harley Dealership in the midwest for over a year! and the starter on the Buell is 10X harder to replace than the Sportster... Was not prepared, but I still got it done in a few hours... Thank god for Electric Impacts...
I have been digging into the forum as a non-member for a few months thinking about adding a turbo. I used to work at a performance/racing shop and install and dyno-tune turbos on cars daily. I'm interested to see the difference on a bike! I am also considering a big bore (1400cc+) for the bike. As I said, I love the bike!!! I love how short and zippy it is! And I can destroy any rocket... Up to about 80mph... Then they walk away like I'm standing still... I'd like to change that!
Look forward to being active on the Forum!
Hello mate, welcome to the forum from the Englishman! i expect the Americans are still asleep! ha ha it sounds like you really know your stuff so i will be watching your posts with interest but you know the forum rules we need pics and/or video`s of your bike or it didnt happen! ha ha ha
Thanks for the welcome!Originally Posted by ToneTheMoan
Hello mate, welcome to the forum from the Englishman! i expect the Americans are still asleep! ha ha it sounds like you really know your stuff so i will be watching your posts with interest but you know the forum rules we need pics and/or video`s of your bike or it didnt happen! ha ha ha
Of course! "Pictures or it didnt happen"! I haven't taken any pictures with it in a while. Will have to find my dyno-sheet, but I plan on re-dynoing this summer anyways.
My starter went out Midway through the summer last year and I was a bit low on funds so I stored it in my garage until I had money earlier this winter. Unfortunately South Dakota temperatures and winds can yield a daily -40 degrees Fahrenheit...
Today was actually the first day I've ridden it in almost 6 months! The weather warmed up to 40 degrees on my lunch break so I went home and warmed her up a bit before heading back to work. Seems as though my clutch was still half engaged when the lever was fully released. Will have to adjust it here before I head home. Even on cold days like this I've never had trouble getting the wheel off the ground, but will a half-engaged clutch it was nearly impossible!
Look forward to talking more with you guys! I will build a thread when I start doing some more performance mods and I will post pictures right away!
I have been digging into the forum as a non-member for a few months thinking about adding a turbo. I used to work at a performance/racing shop and install and dyno-tune turbos on cars daily.
add it. would be awesome. pics of both rods dangling out of the engine cases and front head now residing inside airbox base plate is also mandatory.
Ha ha ha John i can see you are a fan of turbo`s then! lol DMIN that sounds chilly weather you have there then i am surprised it will even start the oil must be like toffee! lol is it kept in a shed/garege? mine is in a heated shed and its nowhere near that cold here, its more pampered than my wife! but then i keep telling her you can still get a new wife but you cant get a new Buell! ha ha ha look forward to your pics!!
It is in a heated garage and I put fresh oil in it. I always run a little thinner oil in it through the spring. Takes us up until about June or July to hit 80 degrees most years. Then goes back down again in September. Change to thinner oil in the spring and run the normal weight oil in the summer and keep it in over winter in storage.Ha ha ha John i can see you are a fan of turbo`s then! lol DMIN that sounds chilly weather you have there then i am surprised it will even start the oil must be like toffee! lol is it kept in a shed/garege? mine is in a heated shed and its nowhere near that cold here, its more pampered than my wife! but then i keep telling her you can still get a new wife but you cant get a new Buell! ha ha ha look forward to your pics!!
If you thought changing the starter was a PITA just wait till you have a transmission issue!
This is probably the best turbo build I've known of that has actually been completed.
Many have inquired and started but this is the only one I know of that has been successfully completed.
http://streetfighterperformance.com/...s/author/EricZ
BTW as Lunatic pointed out; there's A LOT more to adding a turbo to these bikes than just bolting one up and figuring out the cooling and exhaust challenges.
Be prepared to split your cases and empty your pocket book!
Good luck
And welcome!
Not sure I understand what you are trying to say? I've never heard of anyone worth half their stuff damaging an engine with a turbo?... Unless you mean like some 15 year old kid tossing a chevy diesel turbo on his Honda on max boost on stock internals?
I've seen (and ridden) multiple turbo bikes that definitely were not meant to have turbos from the factory. This one was made with the idea that it would be a turbo model and as such is looking to be easier to turbo than the Busa's and GSX-R1000 turbos I've helped with. I have a degree in automotive technology and performance and won a Skills U.S.A. competition at my school (which happens to be the 4th ((borderlining 3rd)) best technical school in the U.S. And Top school in the midwest. Don't mean to be getting upset already, but I have plenty of experience and certifications to do this job without worry of any engine damage.
Try to keep my trans serviced more than regularly, so hopefully I will never have an issue... But That's not likely.
I understand that there is a great deal that goes into the turbo, and as I previously stated, I am shooting for a big bore, and forged pistons with lowered compression. Hopefully these factors combined will make the engine that much more durable and reliable with the turbo. The reason I want to do a big bore is so that I can run lower boost pressures and still make more power, so I wont be putting so much stress on the cylinders as people who want to run 20 psi on stock internals. I'm shooting for single digit numbers for boost for a daily driver, and maybe put a tune in for 10-12 psi for the track (which I rarely attend).
As far as the cost... I have already looked up pricing of just about every internal part that could go out... As well as the big bore, turbo, and the piping to custom fab the exhaust, intake manifold and piping, buying the cooler lines, and have gotten my old boss to agree to allow me to use the motorcycle dyno anytime I need it (as long as it doesn't interfere with business). I also have built several of my own personal cars, one of which I ordered a race-spec tranmission, then did a v8 swap and turboed. So... I don't get much sticker shock anymore... Especially on a bike as hard to find parts for as a Buell... I don't expect anything to be cheap. I know this is an extensive and expensive build... But I've never been one to keep anything stock... If there's even a possibility that someone will confuse one of my vehicles for the one next to it, then I'm not done with it yet lol.
Last edited by DMIN; 02-24-2016 at 07:48 PM. Reason: additional info.
i smell a rumble brewin'. let me get the popcorn ready.6a00d83451cb7469e2014e5ff4c57a970c-400wi.jpg
Reply With Quote
