RB Racing's Harley Shovelhead Turbo..Early 1980's
Models: Shelby Sawyer (the good looking one), and Brett Clark (credits: Hunter, Star Trek Wrath of Khan etc.)
The
first successful turbo for the Harley big twin was this design
which
featured an IHI Turbo, an SU CV Carb, equal length primary tubes
joining into a 2-1 turbo header; a 2 1/2" turbo exit pipe with a
3"
diameter turn-out muffler. The RB Racing kit featured a fuel
pump with
a boost sensitive pressure regulator, a RB Racing billet Boost
Master
wastegate, a chromed inlet plenum, and a glycerin filled
boost
gauge.
These kits produced 150hp @ 15psi of boost. Some
kits were
produced with black chrome headers (see other chopper picture).
Although these kits were successful three things spelled their
doom:
(1) IHI discontinued the particular turbo all the development
had been
done on, (2) Our distributor ripped us off even though they knew
nothing about turbos, (3) the Evo Big Twins came along and that
spelled
and end to Shovelhead blow through carb development that we were
doing
in 1984-85.
In 1985 we moved to the evos with our blow through the carb design seen on Joe Walker's famous Jap Zapper show/go bike (see photo).
Some
25 years later Shelby got in contact with us and we got her some
prints
of the photo shoot. She was at the audition for the shoot with a
friend
and did the shoot after another model sort of dared her to give
it try.
Pro photographers Mark Rice and Ron Tuso did the shoot. Small
world.
Shelby is doing fine these days, involved in religious art.
We only do Shovelhead turbos by
appointment...there are multiple approaches but only on right
way.