{"id":1463453,"date":"2019-05-28T22:53:32","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T12:53:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/?p=1463453"},"modified":"2019-05-28T22:53:32","modified_gmt":"2019-05-28T12:53:32","slug":"turbo-niken-review-weapons-grade-in-war-beige","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/turbo-niken-review-weapons-grade-in-war-beige\/","title":{"rendered":"TURBO NIKEN REVIEW \u2013 WEAPONS-GRADE IN WAR-BEIGE"},"content":{"rendered":"

IMAGES BY NICK EDARDS \/HALF LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHIC<\/strong><\/p>\n

Certain man-giblets I have start gronking whenever turbocharging becomes involved in a motorcycle.<\/p>\n

The Hell-Snail and I have some history.<\/p>\n

I rode the first turbocharged Harley in Australia.<\/p>\n

This was back in my Ozbike<\/em> days when in lieu of paying advertising bills, advertisers would give us things. I got tattoos. Keetsy, Ozbike<\/em>\u2019s advertising manager, got a turbo bolted to his Softail.<\/p>\n

The Lord truly had mercy upon us all and the engine exploded 3000km later, which was right about the time Keetsy and I were starting to get complacent about riding a bog-stock Softail with a turbo on it. Complacency was not a good thing where that Softail was concerned. It ached to kill us.<\/p>\n

\"\"

It’s a modern-art masterpiece.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Years passed, and the next time terror liquified my gizzards was thanks to Snake from S&R Speed Pro, who had caused a 600hp Hayabusa to be.<\/p>\n

He let me ride it around some back roads and Ken Wootton published the results in AMCN.<\/p>\n

SOLID SNAIL RESEARCH<\/strong><\/p>\n

What my research has shown is that bang-for-buck, nothing beats turbocharging. Horsepower can be doubled, tripled, and quadrupled for the price of four high-level call-girls and a goodly bag of Bolivian dancing talc.<\/p>\n

But with great power there often comes great pain.<\/p>\n

\"\"

An appropriate hurricane fence.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

The pipe kinda gives it away. A little bit.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Bikes not equipped to deal with a doubling of power and torque will often surrender like the Germans at Stalingrad. There will be tears, recriminations, and despondent looks. Things will fail. Things that would never fail if the bike was left alone will let go \u2013 often with some decorative smoke, hot oil, and clunking noises.<\/p>\n

So that is the challenge facing anyone who bolts turbos to bikes.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The gauge is filled with fresh tears.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

The rest is filled with blood.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

And this was the challenge facing Justin Chisholm, the owner of Trooper Lu\u2019s Garage. I could sense it in his voice when he called me one evening\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to get Ben Shaw to turbocharge a Niken. Then I\u2019m going to put dirt tyres on it. I also want to paint it something crazy, something special,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cListen to me,\u201d I said. \u201cI know everything about turbos, and I know lots about painting shit. Paint it matte black. Put racing slicks on it. Hand-cut some tread in them with a Bowie knife. I\u2019m coming over now to film it all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

I have just the place for this…<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not ready yet!\u201d Justin replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the best time to do these things!\u201d<\/p>\n

But of course it wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Making great even greater.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

WAR PAINT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Still, Justin does not sit on his hands. He\u2019s like the Energiser Bunny, but with tattoos. He makes things happen. Quickly. I am a little in awe of him because I procrastinate, and people like me look at people like him as if they are from another planet.<\/p>\n

We spoke a few more times in relation to the paint. Justin wanted it to be \u201cAll Desert Storm\u201d and I think he wanted me to tell him that would be a good idea. He was going to do what he was going to do, but it is always healthy to have a partner in crime \u2013 especially paint crime.<\/p>\n

\"\"

It is ready to bring Freedom and Democracy to where the oil is.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

To be honest, I didn\u2019t think his paint scheme would work. I told him. But I am glad to be proven wrong. It is War-Beige and it\u2019s spot-on.<\/p>\n

The entire build is, in fact, spot on.<\/p>\n

\"\"

If you must top-box – then top-box like a mad beast.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

You don’t have to put water in these. Givi knows this. Great gear.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

And I would make these observations before moving on, because I know you need to know these things.<\/p>\n

The Turbo Niken sounds incredible. Full Akro systems will do that. Coupled with the stock quick-shifter, the music of its people is glorious.<\/p>\n

The spotlights aren\u2019t much chop, though the red jet-fighter-like deployment switches on the dash are trick as. You turn on the spotties at night and they light up the sides of the engine. Which is nice and pointless, I guess. Like a dancing owl.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Speaking of dancing owls…<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

IT’S ALWAYS BAT COUNTRY<\/strong><\/p>\n

And that crazy, bulletproof Givi top-box, which I love like one loves that uncle who gets drunk at Christmas and takes his pants off in the kitchen. The top box lives in my peripheral vision all the time. A black presence that reminds me of bats. This is not something I am unfamiliar with, so it is not off-putting for me. A less seasoned rider may well freak out and hit a tree.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Where people see puddles, I see pools of reflection.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Ultimately and importantly, the Turbo Nike looks like it was made by the Yamaha factory\u2026on a night when the bosses were out and the engineers were full of sake and bad manners, and didn\u2019t want to be caught in the morning.<\/p>\n

So its true nature is obscured by bling \u2013 very good, top-notch bling. It\u2019s illusory in that regard. There is no obvious Hate-Snail. Unless you knew what you were looking at, you\u2019d think it was just a fancy-painted Niken with lots of salty blacked-out bits.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Under that red flip-switch is another switch, like in a jet fighter.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

But when you look a little closer, you start to see things\u2026<\/p>\n

This is not an easy thing to achieve, as anyone who has built custom bikes will tell you. To create a custom motorcycle which looks like it was made by the factory is, quite frankly, the most difficult kind of build there is.<\/p>\n

\"\"

You need a clutch to do this. I had one at this stage.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

WHAT’S THAT SMELL?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Justin has managed to pull it off superbly well.<\/p>\n

The first time I took it out, it went so well it ate the stock clutch like a fat kid doing biscuits, ie. Quickly, efficiently, and with a bit of a smell.<\/p>\n

Justin was mortified when I told him. He took it personally.<\/p>\n

He is somewhat of an unmedicated perfectionist, so me nuking his new bike\u2019s clutch was not so much a slur on me as it was on him.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Blurring the world.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI knew I should have used the older, stronger clutch and put in heavier springs. These new MT-09 clutches aren\u2019t as robust as the early ones,\u201d he lamented.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could have not done burnouts,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you have to do burnouts!\u201d he exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\"\"

It’s mandatory.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

I understood this concept. So I did them, three of them, and then called the ute to come get the Turbo Niken. Up until that time, the Turbo Niken was transcendental.<\/p>\n

With the clutch now upgraded (it has a slightly heavier pull) it will do burnouts until the tyre flings itself into the trees.<\/p>\n

It is transcendental once more.<\/p>\n

\"\"

That jacket is pretty trick when the lights hit it, huh?<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Turbocharging increases torque as well as horsepower, and that torque increase is evident even off-boost. The Niken is more responsive, more willing\u2026more everything.<\/p>\n

But when the boost comes on (some six pounds of it) at about 7000rpm, you need to hang on. Seriously. Hang on. It is crazy good.<\/p>\n

Justin walked me through the numbers while I wiped the speed tears from my eyes.<\/p>\n

\"\"

It is an act of Revolution in many ways.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

SOMETHING ABOUT SAUSAGES<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe stock MT-09 engine makes 104 horses at the rear wheel. The turbo is a modified Garret GT25 320hp unit, which gives this Niken 150 at the wheel running six pounds of boost. It\u2019s also oil-cooled with a remote pump.\u201d<\/p>\n

I held up my hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop talking. I do not want to know how sausages are made. Only that they taste good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

I can see the top box. All the time.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

A stock MT-09-engined Niken is certainly lively enough. The fitment of a fizzing Hell-Snail turns that lively into savage intent. A man suddenly becomes very, very grateful for the immense front-end grip the Niken provides.<\/p>\n

Justin anticipated the need for this gratitude. He modified the front-end by making two of the fork tubes into adjustable-volume air-springs with sub-tanks. It now feels even better. Even more planted and sure. Which is so important when the Hell-Snail is dancing.<\/p>\n

Ben Shaw did an amazing job, and quite rightly deserves the reputation he has for building forced-induction monsters.<\/p>\n

The end result is really somewhat of a triumph \u2013 both in terms of concept and certainly in execution.<\/p>\n

And the credit there is all Justin\u2019s.<\/p>\n

The applause is all mine.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THE DETAILS\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

Hate Sand or War Beige?<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

PAINT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Designed by Justin and painted by Lawrence at Collide a Scope in Horsnby.<\/p>\n

www.collideascope.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

It’s in there. Trust me. They can’t book you for what they can’t see.
<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

TURBO<\/strong><\/p>\n

Modified Garret GT25 320hp turbo.<\/p>\n

Producing150hp at the wheel on six-psi boost, stock internals<\/p>\n

Custom billet fuel-pump carrier<\/p>\n

Upgraded fuel pump<\/p>\n

Oil cooled turbo with remote pump for circulation to keep turbo cool<\/p>\n

Custom-fabricated intake plenum<\/p>\n

Custom-made boost gauge pod with boost gauge<\/p>\n

All created and fitted by Ben Shaw at Extreme Creations<\/p>\n

www.extremecreations.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

So trick.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

SUSPENSION<\/strong><\/p>\n

Done by Justin<\/p>\n

Black anodising on fork legs<\/p>\n

Custom KYB decals<\/p>\n

Front-fork modified to be an air-spring with adjustable air volume<\/p>\n

Ait sub tanks fitted to front fork leg to allow adjustment of the air spring<\/p>\n

Rear shock \u2013 Justin says: \u201cWe like it as is \u2013 with a big load it could use a touch heavier spring but it\u2019s very good.\u201d He is saying this while looking at an Ohlins unit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CLUTCH (after the first one)<\/strong><\/p>\n

2016 MT09 clutch carrier<\/p>\n

Heavy duty clutch springs<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

PARTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yamaha heated seat<\/p>\n

GYTR clutch and brake lever<\/p>\n

Yamaha top-box carrier<\/p>\n

GB Racing engine covers<\/p>\n

Alloy chain guard<\/p>\n

Akrapovic headers and muffler off MT09 retro-fitted to suit turbo<\/p>\n

Renthal Handlebars<\/p>\n

Bark Buster handguards<\/p>\n

Scott grips<\/p>\n

Black RK 525 Chain<\/p>\n

Stealth Black Hybrid Sprocket (Inner is alloy and outer is hardened steel)<\/p>\n

Givi Trekker top-box<\/p>\n

Givi front-screen extension<\/p>\n

Givi fuel bottle and carrier<\/p>\n

Givi flasks and carriers<\/p>\n

Givi Halogen Spot lights<\/p>\n

SW Motech crash bars<\/p>\n

SW Motech sump guard<\/p>\n

Rizoma footpegs<\/p>\n

VIDEO<\/strong><\/p>\n