What is one thing most motorcycle riders have in common? The need for speed! Modern motorcycles can go extremely fast, but is there a way to make them go even faster? Can you add a turbocharger to a motorcycle to get even more speed out of your machine?
Turbo can be added to most motorcycles with the proper kit. However, there is a reason few factory motorcycles come with turbo. The short answer is that turbo is just not necessary with the speed that motorcycles can already offer.
If you’re really interested in having a turbocharged motorcycle, there are definitely some things you should know first about how a turbocharger works, turbo lag, and some of the dangers that are associated with turbocharged motorcycles. Luckily for you, I’ve gathered a lot of that information for you already so you can make an educated decision about adding turbo to your motorcycle.
Can you add a turbocharger to your motorcycle?
The short answer is: yes, you can put turbo on a motorcycle.
Before we get deeper into that answer, we need to understand what a turbocharger is and how it works.
A turbocharger is a forced induction device. Basically, forced induction forces air into the engine, resulting in increased efficiency and power. In the case of turbo, exhaust energy is recovered and passed through a turbine. This forces more air into the engine than can be done with atmospheric pressure alone.
If you’re wondering about the difference between a supercharger and a turbocharger, there’s a section below to clear that up. Although technically a turbocharger is a type of supercharger, in modern language they are used to talk about two different things. More on that later.
First we’ll cover some of the pros and cons of adding turbo to a motorcycle. Why do some people do it and what are some of the dangers to consider before you do it?
Pros of adding a turbocharger to a motorcycle
Why might you want to add turbo to a motorcycle?
Engines with turbo have more power and are often more efficient.
Because of this added power and efficiency, they also add speed. If you look at modern sports cars and race cars, turbo is a common feature. However, it’s fairly rare in motorcycles, though we do see turbo used in dragbikes.
When you do see motorcycles with turbo, they are custom bikes rather than factory bikes. This shows that it is certainly possible to add turbo to a motorcycle. In fact, there are some kits online which can be added to a motorcycle.
Note that not all kits will work on all motorcycles. If you are new to motorcycles or have never customized a bike before, I suggest working with your mechanic to find a kit that will work for your model and to install said kit.
If you’re used to building custom motorcycles, though, know that you can plan for the addition of turbo, though at a high cost.
Not only will this give you some added boost, but it will definitely make your motorcycle stand out as a truly unique custom bike.
Most riders who opt for adding turbo to a motorcycle do it for the increase in power. While it isn’t ideal for canyon racing, it can give you a lot of speed on a straightaway.
Cons of adding a turbocharger to a motorcycle
However, there are some problems with adding turbo to a motorcycle. There’s a reason it isn’t often done!
For one, in order to make turbo work on a motorcycle you have to make sure the bottom end is strong enough and the bike has low compression pistons. When installed incorrectly, turbo can cause serious damage to the pistons. Not all bikes have a strong enough bottom to support turbo.
In addition, adding turbo to a motorcycle makes things difficult when it comes to weight and space. Motorcycles are much smaller than cars, so the added parts can result in a clunky bike that’s difficult to control.
You’ll also need to consider the added weight, which may change the way your motorcycle rides.
Finally, the main problem with adding turbo to a motorcycle is turbo lag.
What is turbo lag?
There is often a short delay with the acceleration of a turbocharger. In a car, this isn’t usually a big deal, since there are four wheels on the ground and a low center of gravity.
However, on a motorcycle, the turbo lag can be deadly.
Imagine you are riding around a sharp curve and the turbo kicks in a few seconds late. The sudden increase in acceleration can cause you to lose control or just shoot forward instead of moving with the turn, sending you off an edge or into a wall.
Motorcycles with turbo can be so deadly that for years they were blacklisted by insurance companies. I’ll talk about that more when I discuss factory bikes with turbo.
For now, just know that there are some dangers that come with turbo. With how powerful and fast modern motorcycles are, many riders agree that there just isn’t a reason to add turbo, at least not until the technology improves.
Can you buy a motorcycle with forced induction?
If you’ve decided that you want a motorcycle with turbo despite the risks and hesitations, how can you get that? Is it possible to buy a factory motorcycle with forced induction?
In the early days of motorcycle racing there were some motorcycles with forced induction. In 1946, the FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme) banned forced induction from road racing.
The regulations from the FIM tied to road racing, but it also had an impact on public motorcycle riding and the popularity and innovation of forced induction bikes decreased.
In the 80s, motorcycles with turbo started appearing in Japanese companies. Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Honda all released models with turbo.
These bikes were very appropriate to the 80s and look like they came out of a sci-fi movie from the time. They each advertise their turbocharged engines in flashy letters as the main selling point.
When the turbo bikes began appearing on the market, however, several insurance companies blacklisted them because the risks were so high.
Although it appears that Yamaha may be giving superchargers another go, for now there is no way to buy a factory bike with turbo.
However, you can find custom bikes with forced induction. Turbo is most commonly found in dragbikes, since the turbo lag during turns isn’t a problem for drag racing. However, custom bikes across the board can have turbo added as a customization.
If you aren’t sure where to start looking or have more questions about finding a motorcycle with turbo, the Turbo Motorcycle International Owners Association is a club where you can talk to owners of turbo motorcycles and get some additional information.
Why aren’t there factory motorcycles with turbo?
I’ve already talked a lot about some of the reasons factory motorcycles don’t come with turbo. There are logistic difficulties, like making sure the turbo fits on the bike and doesn’t add significant weight. There are dangers to consider, most notably turbo lag.
Another significant barrier to turbo motorcycles was the insurance blacklist. State Farm created a blacklist of several turbo bikes in the United States. They consider this style of motorcycle to be too risky to insure.
Not only did this make it difficult for the bikes to sell, but it also helped to perpetuate the idea that the bikes were too dangerous to ride.
Some factory motorcycles have appeared throughout the years with turbochargers or superchargers, but they are few and far between.
However, as the technology continues to improve, we may be able to see a resurgence of turbo as they get lighter and smaller and as engineers work to solve the problem of turbo lag.
As I mentioned previously, Yamaha is currently working on developing a new model which is a three-cylinder turbo machine. This could change the market for other companies to also begin developing motorcycles with turbo.
In the meantime, there are plenty of fast motorcycles if speed is what you’re after. Right now, the extra expense of adding turbo just isn’t worth it when there are so many comparable bikes on the market.
Is supercharger different from turbocharger?
Technically, all forced induction devices are considered superchargers. In fact, the turbocharger was originally called a turbosupercharger.
However, we now talk about turbochargers and superchargers differently. The main differentiator is that superchargers are mechanically-driven.
The turbocharger relies on the vehicle’s exhaust to power the compressor, which then feeds air to the engine.
In contrast, the supercharger depends on the engine’s rotation. It relies on a mechanical system to compress air from outside the bike. Superchargers can be either gear driven or belt driven.
Both superchargers and turbochargers add extra weight to a motorcycle and take up space. Superchargers tend to be slightly less efficient than turbochargers and more expensive.
In the end, both are alluring because of the speed they can provide, but as of now they aren’t actually fast enough to make much of a difference from other fast bikes already on the market. While companies are certainly experimenting with both turbochargers and superchargers, we aren’t quite ready for them to be mass produced on motorcycles yet.
There are already plenty of really good, really fast motorcycles on the market. Only time will tell whether the future will bring a resurgence of turbocharged engines on motorcycles.
Many motorcycle riders have theorized that superchargers can counter some of the problems that turbochargers present. There could be more of a future for motorcycles with superchargers than with turbochargers.
Why is turbo more common in cars than motorcycles?
I’ve spent a lot of this article discussing the problems with turbo. However, the fact remains that although rare on motorcycles, they are very common in cars. Why is it that cars can handle turbo better than motorcycles?
The obvious answer is that cars are much larger than motorcycles, with a lower center of gravity and four points of contact instead of two.
This means that weight isn’t as big a deal proportionally. Fitting a turbocharger into a car involves a lot less creativity than fitting one onto a motorcycle.
Along with the ease of adding a turbocharger comes the added bonus that you can add more than one. One of the ways that cars can counter turbo lag is by adding either two smaller turbos or one large and one small. This allows for a more even and smooth acceleration and decreases the risk of turbo lag.
In addition, even when turbo lag does happen in a car, because of low engine speeds which don’t produce enough exhaust gases, there is less chance of wheel spin. This is due to the low center of gravity and the four points of contact instead of two.
Plus, because forced induction works better in cars already, there has been more research done and more advances made than with motorcycles. Although the market for forced induction in motorcycles might change, right now it just can’t compare to turbochargers in cars.
Is forced induction worth it for motorcycles?
While the answer to the immediate question “Can you add turbo to a motorcycle?” is a simple, “Yes,” there is a follow up question that must inevitably be asked. “Is adding turbo to a motorcycle worth it?”
Adding a turbo to your motorcycle will be costly and time consuming. A turbo kit for a motorcycle starts at around $4,000 and can jump significantly from there. That’s assuming you won’t need to buy any tools or other parts.
Your motorcycle will be out of commission while you work on it, as well, and the process can be time consuming and slow.
Although adding turbo to a motorcycle sounds like a really cool modification, the truth is that it just isn’t worth it right now. With turbo lag you are adding a significant safety risk to your motorcycle.
More importantly, turbo just doesn’t make motorcycles that much faster. Top speed motorcycles can already hit over 200mph, and the addition of a turbocharger doesn’t significantly change that.
If all you want is a fast bike, there are plenty of options out there that are safer than adding a turbocharger to an existing motorcycle.
That isn’t to say that you can’t or absolutely shouldn’t add turbo to your motorcycle. If you really want that extra burst of speed, just make sure turbo motorcycles are legal in your part of the world and make sure you know how to assemble the kit you purchase.
One place where turbochargers are worth it is in drag racing. In a drag race, motorcycles need to go straight–fast! These racers happen on a ¼ mile paved track.
Turbo lag isn’t a problem when there are no turns; the dragbikes just need speed. There have been some turbo bikes in drag racing already, and more are sure to appear as the technology improves. Some fans suspect a bit more competition will arise between turbochargers and superchargers in drag racing.
Overall, as with most aspects of motorcycle modification, the choice is up to you. Adding turbo to your motorcycle may not be worth it now, and it can come with significant dangers. However, it can be done, and it can be fun.