Anyone know how/where to contact EricZ for info on his xb12 turbo build?

[ThaRickestRick]

I've only been buelling for 2 months and after riding a plethora of sport bikes over the years, I'm in love but I want to build a bike that has more on the top end and still has the grunt power of the buell and I've always enjoyed boosted machines so a turbo build it is. I know I'm late to the xb party but I'm loving the bike and I had the opportunity to buy a second bike (minus swingarm, rear wheel and subframe) and I plan to design/build my turbo setup on this bike and fine tune it while still working on a healthy NA build on the original xb12s. Ultimately I'll complete the donor bike but for now its just my testing grounds. I've been trying to find a way to contact EricZ as I've researched his turbo build(s) with the info I CAN find and I was hoping to get in touch with him about some specifics and the streetfighterperformance website has long since been abandoned it seems. I was planning to try and find his build on badweatherbikers but on multiple devices and networks I keep getting an error when trying to register for the forum so I dont even know if the build is somewhat documented there or not. I cant seem to find much info on anyone doing quite as much r&d and testing on a boosted build as it seems he has done. I'd greatly appreciate any resources/contacts you guys have on xb turbo builds that I can use to save myself as much error on the "trial and error" approach. Both bikes are 07' (an S and the donor an R) so I know I'll be having to beef up the lower end with some 08+ assembly and most likely find an early gen frame with the cutout already in place but at this point I'm just trying to collect as much valuable info as I can...one primary concern is finding a good base tune and resource for tuning in general. I think a boosted engine is beyond the scope of what IDS provides but I could be wrong. TIA.

 

[34nineteen]

Good luck finding an 08- up lower end. You'll probably have to be on the lookout for a complete motor, then tear it down and send the lower end out for more machine work. The 08-up lower was superior to the early models, but in your case, you're going to want to go beyond that.

Also, try to find a 2005-earlier bike with the "pass through" in the frame/tank assembly. The original XB's were designed for a turbo, and this pass through was intended for the charge pipe to the throttle body. It was closed off in 2006-up bikes.

Or start off with a tube frame bike. Dr. Motorcycle makes a kit and converted an M2 Cyclone to turbocharging. I'm curious to know how well that bike held up with the high mileage and added power, also if the paint on the tank bubbled or not.

 

[ThaRickestRick]

Good luck finding an 08- up lower end. You'll probably have to be on the lookout for a complete motor, then tear it down and send the lower end out for more machine work. The 08-up lower was superior to the early models, but in your case, you're going to want to go beyond that.

Also, try to find a 2005-earlier bike with the "pass through" in the frame/tank assembly. The original XB's were designed for a turbo, and this pass through was intended for the charge pipe to the throttle body. It was closed off in 2006-up bikes.

Or start off with a tube frame bike. Dr. Motorcycle makes a kit and converted an M2 Cyclone to turbocharging. I'm curious to know how well that bike held up with the high mileage and added power, also if the paint on the tank bubbled or not.

Yeah I've been on the lookout for the 03-05 frame but I'm also not above cutting/welding a hole in this extra 07. I kinda new I was going to have a hard time finding the 08 lower but I'm not in a rush since I'm also playing with the NA original bike so for now I'll just keep my ear to the ground. I do expect to have to pick up a full motor etc but thats not too much of a concern. I'm pretty set on sticking with the xb as its by far my favorite buell. I think my target is about 140-150 hp currently and from what I can tell Eric ran the stock 08 lower even a little beyond that point but I could be wrong and even so I'm a big fan of overengineering when it comes to the internals so I do agree that I will be in need of more than what the stock 08' can provide, if for no other reason than peace of mind. One of the many reasons I'm hoping to contact him or find more info on a few of the builds I've seen. I was admittedly hesitant to boost this big V until I came across the info about the bikes having an original turbo design and even going as far as maintaining the frame cutout and mounting points on the earlier gens. I also found someone claiming that the earlier 03-05' models had a fuel system that was capable of supporting a turbo (albeit not as reliable overall as the later systems it seems) but again, something I really am hoping to find more info about. From what I can tell on the little info I found on his builds (in his own words at least) 140-150 is a fairly conservative number for a boosted build if its done correctly and I'm not quite trying to set speed records but I am a little tired already of reaching for a sixth gear that isnt there and I'd like to go with a ratio that can run 160-165 without sacrificing more bottom end power than what I'm willing to throw away. Thanks for the input. Even if I've already come across some of the info its always nice to hear some confirmation from more experienced buell owners :up: Also, is that frame pictured yours? If so do you want to sell it or perhaps leave it sitting outside unattended? lol

 

[34nineteen]

No, that is from eBay.

 

[34nineteen]

The bike to watch out for is Mike Lowary's XB9. I was texting with him yesterday and he was showing me some of his upgrades. Its going to be a 9K redline 1200cc animal.

Or you can reach out to Jesse Brown on FB. He is building some incredible XB's as well.

 

[ThaRickestRick]

No, that is from eBay.

Ah, gotcha. I found a few potential frames on there but I'm holding out hoping to find something local (I travel quite a bit across texas so "local" might now be as unrealistic as it sounds) to avoid shipping cost and get to inspect it before purchase.