Technology: Yoshimura-Suzuki TL 1000 R

Posted on by admin

Table of contents

motorcycles

Technology: Yoshimura-Suzuki TL 1000 R

Technology: Yoshimura-Suzuki TL 1000 R
Sushi carbonara

Beating Ducati with its own recipes – two cylinders, a full liter displacement, electronic fuel injection – that is the declared aim of Suzuki’s TL 1000 R-Superbike.

Michael Rohrer

04/14/1998

The days when all the blessings of modern life emanated from the United States are long gone. In the present case, however, it worked again. While potential customers in the rest of the world still have to wait for the new Suzuki TL 1000 R – as is well known, series production was stopped due to engine problems and delivery did not even begin – the V2 hammer is already thundering across the racetracks in the USA.
Yoshimura, the big old name when it comes to Suzuki and racing, uses two machines with drivers Steve Crevier and Larry Pegram in the US Superbike Championship, where, contrary to the rules of the Superbike World Championship, no 500 machines have to be homologated become. The results of the first races are encouraging. Eighth place for Canadian Crevier at the start in Phoenix was followed by tenth place for Pegram in the 200 miles of Daytona. Crevier was eliminated, two places in front, eight laps from the end with a broken chain.
“Not bad for a three-month-old baby,” says Richard Doan, the technician responsible for the twin project in the Yoshimura team, which is also sending two four-cylinder GSX-R 750s to the US Superbike championship. In fact, the starting shot for the racing career of the Suzuki TL 1000 R was given in November 1997. “Because everything was new, we were able to build a racing machine from scratch in close cooperation with the factory racing department,” reports Doan. The Yoshimura-TL 1000 R does not contain the complete racing kit listed in the Suzuki price list with around 140,000 marks, but only a few parts from it.
»We use the kit connecting rods, the rest of the engine parts are either factory parts or from Yoshimura specially developed, “says Doan,” I can’t be more specific. Because before I tell any crap or lie, I prefer to remain silent. ”At least the friendly keeper of secrets succeeded in coaxing the 145 hp mark in terms of engine power, measured on the rear wheel as usual in the USA, into being. This means that a good ten PS are still missing on a top factory Ducati.
Things are a little more open-hearted in connection with the programmable NGK gasoline injection. Two lambda probes determine the C0² exhaust gas value and supply the black box with information on the mixture adjustment. Exhaust control by means of throttle valves also contributes to engine management, which, however, as technician Doan interjects, »works differently than the Yamaha Exup system. Only the basic idea of ​​achieving better pulling power and more power in the middle speed range is the same. ”Only the interference pipe of the Yoshimura titanium exhaust system developed in-house in the best tradition of the company, which has been changed from the production model, is externally visible.
The central theme of the TL in the truest sense of the word, the unique rotary damper with a separate spring strut controlled via a deflection, evidently led to more communicative than real technical problems at Yoshimura. “First of all, we had to agree with our partners at Kayaba how we would name the completely different parts compared to a conventional spring / damper unit. The function is problem-free. «The Kayaba racing damper, which is much smaller than the series part, apparently no longer suffers from thermal problems that were still popular with the TL 1000 S sister model presented a year ago.
On the chassis side, Yoshimura relies on a 48-millimeter Kayaba upside down fork at the front. The variable pivot point has been lowered especially for Daytona. This measure should not only bring more calm to the load in the steep walls at top speed, but also when accelerating out of corners. And with it less tire load, which seems to be necessary in Daytona not only because of the long-distance character of the race, but above all because of the rubber-killing surface and the completely contradicting parts of the track: full-gas partial walls alternating with an inharmonious Mickey Mouse infield course.
By the time the first TL 1000 R appear on European racetracks in early summer, from Suzuki Germany under Katja Poensgen or from the official test driver Stephane Mertens in the Alstare team, Richard Doan is hoping to be successful. “If the development goes on like this, we should soon be able to turn into Victory Lane with the twin.” Will the Yoshimura knights Crevier and Pegram manage that in front of Harley rider Pascal Picotte? Again, dear Richard preferred not to answer that question.

Technical data – Yoshimura-Suzuki TL 1000 R

Water-cooled two-cylinder 90 degree V four-stroke engine, crankshaft transverse, two overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder actuated via bucket tappets, electronic NGK intake manifold injection, engine management with two lambda sensors, Yoshimura titanium exhaust system with exhaust control. Bore x stroke 98 x 66 mm Displacement 996 cm³ Compression ratio 13: 1 Power 145 HP at 13,000 rpm, measured on the rear wheel; No information about torque. Power transmission Primary drive via gear wheels, dry clutch, six-speed gearbox, AFAM pinion and chain wheel, RK chain. Chassis Bridge frame made of aluminum profiles with screwed rear frame, Kayaba upside down fork, guide tube diameter 48 mm, with adjustable spring base and tension and compression damping, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum profiles, Kayaba central spring strut, with adjustable spring base, articulated via a lever system, Kayaba rotary damper with adjustable rebound and compression damping, 320 mm double disc brake at the front with AP six-piston calipers and floating brake discs, 220 mm disc brake at the rear , Marcesini wheels, Dunlop tires. Rim size front 3.50 x 17 rear 6.25 x 17 Dimensions and weights Variable steering head angle, 67 +/- 1 degrees, variable caster wheelbase 1395 mm Weight 166 kg

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *