Honda
CBR929RR Setup Tips
Kurtis Robert's 2000 Formula Extreme Championship Winning Bike
Setup tips with Kevin Erion and Rick
Hobbs of Erion Racing
When
it comes to performance modifications and upgrades for Honda's
Open Class CBRs, no one on the planet knows more about racing
and modifications for the in-line four cylinder sportbike than race
team owner Kevin Erion and his crew chief Rick Hobbs.
Erion Racing has dominated the AMA's Formula Extreme Championship
since its inception in '97, a no holds bared battleground for modified
Open class superbikes. Curtis Roberts took the team to it's
1999 Champiosnip win with the 2nd generation 900RR, which was then
replaced for the 2000 race season by the all-new design 3rd generation
CBR929RR. Kurtis then took the new bike to his 2nd successive
Formula Exteme title.
The new generation 929 was designed by Honda from the ground up to be
the ultimate street sportbike, being extreamely lightweight at just
374 pounds dry, on a very short 54.9 inch wheelbase thanks to the engine
mounted swingarm pivot. Erion Racing told us that no special fabrication
or modeifications were necessary to make the bike competitive. But of
course, the actual
Team Erion 929RR racebikes sport a lot of big ticket goodies like the
$7,000 Ohlins Forks, the Brembo Superbike Brakes and Performance Machine
magnesium wheels. Every optional component on the bike is available
from Erion Racing right out of their catalog, or from the resprective
component manufacturer. With the $9,999 base price of the CBR929, you
can duplicate Kurtis' bike for about another $22,000. But for street
use the most expensive components like the Ohlins Superbike Forks and
Brembo Monoblock brake calipers and rotors aren't really needed except
for the curb appeal at the Rock Store. The stock forks and brakes are
just fine for canyon bashing.
929RR
HANDLING IMPROVEMENTS
As we already mentioned, unless your married to Julia Roberts and
money is no object, we'll forgo the $10,000 you'll need to purchase
the bolt-on Ohlins Superbike forks and the special Brembo Monoblock
Superbike brakes. Although, like Julia, they sure do look good and
are guaranteed to stop traffic. And they really do make a difference
if you're trying to garner an Academy Award or a Formula Extreme Championship.
Ohlins also offers
its more affordable production fork tubes, which for about $3,500
slip into the Honda's stock triple clamps and bolt up with the stock
Nissin brakes. You can also cop a better feel with the Goodrich steel
braided brake line kit which Erion offers..
A worthwhile
and very cost effective suspension upgrade, though is the Ohlins rear
shock. The Japanese have never built a worthwhile production rear
shock on a sportbike, and Ohlins is the sport's standard for tuneability
and handling performance. We've never riden a stock revalved shock
that is as good as a bolt-on Ohlins or Fox Factory Shox.
Another serious
handling improvement is a set of magnesium racing wheels. Erion uses
the new Performance Machine cast magnesium wheels on Kurtis 'bike,
duplicating the stock wheel sizes of 3.50 x 17 front, 6.00 x 17 rear.
You can expect to save some 5 pounds with the front wheel, and 10
pounds at the rear. Mag wheels are an important performance gain on
any sportbike because they not only reduce weight for better handling,
but they also improve braking and acceleration.
And the improved
power-to-weight performance gain that magnesium wheels provide are
better than any internal engine modifications which always come at
the cost of engine reliability and rideability.
926RR POWER IMPROVEMENTS for the Street
The first place to begin any engine improvement is with a free flowing
tuned exhaust system and a matching fuel induction recalibration.
Erion only offers just one, their tested and proven Complete Exhaust
System for the 929RR which susposedly is the same pipe Kurtis runs.
Their system comes in stainless steel with either an epoxy-coated
black aluminum or brushed titanium silencer. It's worth it to spring
for the complete Erion System if you are going racing because peak
power gain is considerable and the stock system is very restricted
at the collector pipe. Plus it is lighter.
Individual replacement
Silencers for the stock 929RR muffler are also available from Erion
if you're on a tight budget again, but for most riders this might
be a better choice for the street. The 929's unique Honda Titanium
Exhaust Valve (HTEV(tm)) located in the stock exhaust collector provides
the scavenging and power benefits of a 180-degree exhaust collector
design at 0-3000 rpm, and transitions exhaust flow to a 360-degree
collector design at 3000-7000 rpm, then combines 180-degree and 360-degree
configurations at engine speeds above 7000 rpm to maintain maximum
power output. This will make the bike much more rideable on the street.
With a complete Erion tuned header system you can expect to gain more
peak power, but at the expense of mid-range rideability offered by
the stock HTEV system at 4,500 rpm and below.
• On the
Erion dyno, the CBR929RR's Stock Exhaust System cranks out
124.2 peak HP at 12.000 RPM
• The Erion Complete Exhaust System shows a 12 hp loss
under 4,500 RPM compared to stock, but from 4,500 to 10,000 there
is a straight 5 HP gain, and then over 10,000 there's a gain of 12.6
HP, showing a peak horsepower ratiing of 136.8 HP at
11,900 RPM.
• The Erion Slip-On Silencer shows no power loss under
4,500 RPM. and a noticable 5 HP gain from 4-6,000 RM, and then a big
6 HP gain at 12,000 RPM for a peak power rating of 130.2 HP.
FUEL INDUCTION
RECALIBRATION
Either way, with
the less restrictive Slip-on Silencer or a complete Erion Exhaust
System, you'll need to recalibrate the fuel induction sytem or the
929RR will sound louder than stock, but it will run slower than last
year's 900RR model. Fuel mixture induction
on the 929 is provided by a new Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI)
system with automatic choke. The only way to calibrate this
computer module controlled induction system is with a Dyno-Jet Power
Comander computer recalibration module available from Erion which
clips into the stock wiring harness. It's the exact same system used
on Kurtis' race bike
Rick says the stock airbox
and Honda airfilter are fine for any street and race applications
and should be left intact. In fact, Erion uses the complete stock
pressurized airbox system on Kurtis' race bike, complete with air
filter.
926RR
POWER IMPROVEMENTS for the Track Kevin and Rick will be happy to duplicate for you the exact
same bike or engine that took Kurtis to the AMA Formula Extremetitle again in 2000, with the engine cranking out in excess of
180 horsepower.
The first place
to start is with higher compression Erion / JE Piston which bump the
compression up to 12.5:1 from the stock 11.3:1 compression. Erion
offers both a stock bore 74 mm drop-in piston set, or big bore 75mm
set requiring cylinder boring and replating that increases displacement
to 955cc. The big bore kit is a must have for the track to run with
the other, larger displacement bikes.
From there, Erion
offers their own special camshaft grind done at Crane Cams on an exchange
basis. Plus a full race head porting job by Rick, complete with titanium
valves. And if money is no object, the Panki titanium connecting rid
kit is a must have for quick reving engine response and a higher rpm
rev limit to make that 180+ horsepower that helped put Kurtis in the
winner's circle week after week.
• On the
Erion dyno, the CBR929RR's Stock Exhaust System cranks out
124.2 peak HP at 12.000 RPM
• The Erion Complete Exhaust System shows a 12 hp loss
under 4,500 RPM compared to stock, but from 4,500 to 10,000 there
is a straight 5 HP gain, and then over 10,000 there's a gain of 12.6
HP, showing a peak horsepower ratiing of 136.8 HP at
11,900 RPM.
• The Erion Slip-On Silencer shows no power loss under
4,500 RPM. and a noticable 5 HP gain from 4-6,000 RM, and then a big
6 HP gain at 12,000 RPM for a peak power rating of 130.2 HP.
