Turbocharged Harley Davidson Stainless TIG welding

[jakeru]

I've welded several small projects for one customer's turbocharged Harley Davidson motorcycle. I've never heard turbine whine coming out of a motorcycle exhaust before. It looked like a pretty nice cruising machine.
1947

One bike project was splitting a single exhaust system (ceramic coated stainless steel) into a dual system. The customer wanted the "sleeper" dual exhaust look (as a turbo is not expected with a dual exhaust.) I removed a small amount of ceramic coating around the area where the weld needed to be and welded a "Tee" branch he prepared, with a custom internal air deflector to help persuade some of the exhaust gas to take the side branch. Here is how the end result looks after being installed underneath the bike (it's pretty hard to see this location in casual bike observation):
1948

Another project was a custom boost gauge mounting bracket designed by the customer. This was highly visible, mounting in a central, focal point of the bike's instruments. Originally the customer just wanted me to weld the side fillets of this 304 stainless assembly he brought in jigged up "ready to weld". Since he was going to polish it down afterwards, I encouraged him to let me weld the front and rear faces as well, being very careful not to undercut at all, so he could grind/sand the weld bead down and make the two pieces disappear into one. That's what we ended up doing, and I'd say it turned out pretty good!
Ready for welding:
1944

TIG welded:
1943

After smoothing, polishing, and installation:
1946
He seems to be really good at polishing stainless steel. When I first saw it, I though it was chrome plated it was so reflective!

A third small project on this bike (that I haven't seen installed yet) is some sort of low-mounted stainless steel sheetmetal bracket or cover, about .065" thick 304 stainless material. I just welded the pieces he gave me together in the way he had them arranged, all lap welds. I can weld these without oxidizing the back side very badly with low heat input (DC low frequency pulsing is helpful.) He said he was going to polish it out before installing it also, so I am looking forward to eventually seeing the end result. Here is what it looked like after welding:
1945

I generally used a #8 gas lens cup with 15 cfh argon on these.

[sportbike]

Now you are speaking my language :-)

I have a Procharger Harley to tune likely next weekend at my buddies shop. Hope o have my turbo bike back up and running soon as well.

John

[jakeru]

Here is a picture of the turbocharger area; but I don't know what brand it is. He said he has an intercooler for it he installs on it for summer/warm weather operation.

[scootarida1]

Thats rediculous lol, do you have any sound clips of it? What kind of power is it making

[Haywire]

That's one thing I didn't like about my Harley... all the dang chrome to polish. I washed it regularly, but that 1 can of Mother's I bought is still here someplace, 10 years after purchase and 5 after the bike was sold.

Ian

[jakeru]

scoota - I don't have a vid or sound clips of it, but I should take one next time I see it. I did hear it start and drive (down the street), and it had some very "unique" turbine whine sounds superimposed over the old school harley tones. Never heard anything else like it.

He told me the horsepower numbers (stock and with the turbo; he said he had dyno'ed it), and although I can't remember the specifics at this time, I do recall the power roughly doubled from the turbo.

Ian - This guy was really good at polishing! It sounded like he had access to the polishing setup at his work. I couldn't believe how deep that same piece of stainless reflected, which I saw with my own eyes was just a somewhat oxidized, matte finished after I welded it. I barely even recognized it the first time I saw it polished; I thought it was chrome plated.

I've polished some metal before (aluminum and a little stainless), but nowhere near to this deep level of "color"/reflection.

I educated him not to use abrasives that had been used previously on ferrous (non-stainless) previously, to prevent rusting from embedded steel. And also to use only stainless steel wire brushes. He didn't know. Hopefully he didn't polish some areas that are going to rust! :O He could be in for an unpleasant surprise.

[scootarida1]

Yeah I'm a turbo guy so thats why I think its awsome and yeah im hoping to have some awsome turbo spool sounds on my forester turbo build. Going to get tuned on the 31st i believe. When it happens ill let you know