Italianiron & Biggelaar Performance Using SmartCarb Flat-Slides with Ducati Engines
Posted by Scot Wilson on Nov 4th 2021
At Italianiron & Britiron Classics, we would like to thank all of our customers who have purchased your SmartCarbs and are enjoying the significant performance enhancements that these remarkable carburetors offer. I also appreciate all of the enquiries with regard to our massive successes we are having using SmartCarb flat-slide carbs by Technology Elevated. Do know that I have written now 13 blog posts on different subjects related to the significant performance gains realized using SC2's on our Ducati Bevel Drive, Ducati Pantah 750 engine and our Ducati Monster 1000 S2R engines. These blog posts are available on my Italianiron.com website for your review. Our conclusion is that there is no better fuel delivery system for this range of Ducati engines in the market today. We have found that we are getting better performance from our SC2's than even fuel injection. Do know that we are operating as US dealers shipping domestically and internationally. The value proposition shared by Technology Elevated is what we have been able to confirm with our different vintage and modern 4-stroke Ducati 2 valve and 3 valve engines. See blog post on why we prefer SC2's over fuel injection.
At Italianiron & Britiron Classics, we have been able to confirm the factory's claims of the technical benefits of the SmartCarbs as being a 30% saving in fuel consumption, 6 to 14% improvement in HP, adaptability to altitude and other atmospheric changes, ease of adjustment and 80% less in hydrocarbon emissions. We have also found that once we have set-up our SmartCarb2's, there has been no need to "fiddle" with those settings. Also worthy of note is the "real-world" benefit experienced riding up and down our mountain roads with no impact to our Ducati 900 ss MHR (shown above) maintaining linear power delivery. There was also no need to adjust these carbs at different elevations as they are self-adjusting. SC2's are truly remarkable!! In addition, as I have twelve Ducati's and Norton's, some do sit idle. With the bikes that use DellOrto's, for example, if the bike sits too long, I have to rebuild the carbs after a thorough cleaning. However, I also acknowledge that the quality of most pump gas is poor worldwide. The result is not the same for our Ducati engines that are equipped with the SmartCarbs. Those bikes start-up always on the first or second kick after sitting!! Please find the blog post on the significance of the design of the pressurized float bowl and what that means for performance and reliability.
https://www.italianiron.com/blogs/news/the-benefits-of-smartcarb-pressurized-float-bowls
These SmartCarb2's represent the pinnacle of technological advancements in fuel delivery systems. As such, many of the tuning issues and questions that we get just do not pertain to the SmartCarb2 series. Further, I do continue to get asked questions about why Technology Elevated, the manufacturer of the SmartCarb2 is primarily known in the 2-stroke and dirt bike world which is where they started. The fact that the SC2 is so successful in the 2-stroke world further supports my position that the 4-stroke Ducati and soon Norton engines will benefit more from this SC2 technology. However, whether discussing a 2 or a 4 stroke operating principal, fueling requirements are almost entirely dependent on the performance level desired of the engine. A two stroke engine uses the crankcase as an induction pump and as such it does not have as clearly defined intake volume as it is variable due to piston movement. Four strokes, contrarily, have a fixed intake volume and in this respect are usually able to “trap” the intake charge with less chance for fuel mixture losses according to Technology Elevated CEO, Corey Dyess. In this way, the 4-stroke engines have a more clearly defined intake process for greater efficiency and will benefit more significantly due to the precision of the SC2. Shown below is Mr Dyess and our team when we were putting my Ducati 900 ss MHR and my TT 1000 on the dyno at Evan Steel Performance here in Tucson, Arizona.
In an effort to export our successes using SmartCarb flat-slide technology we have been fortunate to work with Toine Biggelaar at Biggelaar Performance in the Netherlands on a TT 2 project. Not only have we supplied Toines's customer with a quality stainless steel 2:1 exhaust system, but we have also supplied a set of 38 mm SC2 carbs for this race prepped Ducati engine. Due to our collective and extensive research setting-up SC2's with various Ducati engines, in conjunction with assistance from the Technology Elevated engineers, we have established a very good baseline when recommending settings for our customers. Toine commented that straight out of the box, the set-up was "spot-on" as a very good baseline. Toine has also confirmed that what we have experienced in terms of achieving better performance (HP), better fuel consumption, ease in tuning, air density compensation, and less hydrocarbon emissions. Shown below is a video of the initial "start-up" of the TT 2 racer with specialty built race engine at the Biggelaar Performance shop. This engine already sounds very healthy and ready for the track!!
In contrast to the ease and efficiency of the SmartCarb2's is my experience with using other carburetors such as the "finicky" Keihin FCR which I found to be very challenging to set-up and to maintain when racing at different venues. At Italianiron & Britiron Classics and now Biggelaar Performance, we have both experienced the ease of tuning of our SmartCarb2 flat-slides. Just as importantly, we have consistently found that once the tuning is set, you can forget about additional "fiddling" with settings. As a former racer, I find this ease of operation in set-up and tuning to be a significant advantage for the SmartCarb2's over other brands and fuel injection for these Ducati Desmo vintage and modern engines. Further, the SC2 carb is not a "new" fuel delivery system as it has been evolving over the past 50 years. Since their initial creation, the SC2 represents the most technologically advanced carburetors in the industry, in our opinion. However, the proof is found additionally on the dyno at the Biggelaar Performance shop that illustrates so effectively what significant linear fuel delivery the SC2's offer up and down the rev range of this "flowed", race-prepped engine. For more information and dyno runs, please read from my collection of 13 different blog posts on our experience with the SmartCarbs as well as view the variety of publications offered on the Technology Elevated website.
https://www.italianiron.com/blogs/news/ducati-tt-1000-with-smartcarb-flat-slides-vs-keihins
We are also very excited at the potential of the SmartCarb2 in bringing reliability and performance enhancements to other vintage motorcycles to include MotoGuzzi's, BMW's, and our vintage British racers such as our Norton Commando's, Atlas, Dominator's, and other British marques. It is my plan to get my Norton 920 cc JPN up on her feet shortly and we will be using a single 36 mm SmartCarb2 in our application. Will post dyno results once we have the bike up and running. The value propositions of using the SmartCarb2's as stated by the engineers at Technology Elevated are to ride faster with 10% more power, ride further with 25-30% greater fuel economy and crisper, cleaner, linear throttle response from the bottom to the top of your engine's rev range. It is also easier to live with a SmartCarb2 flat-slide carbs due to the ease of tuning as all adjustments can be done by hand in seconds. Living in the mountains of the Sonoran Desert of the American Southwest, I continue to be utterly amazed at the consistent air:fuel ratios at any elevation and our ever varying temperatures due to the SC2 system's complete air density compensation. Now our SC2's accept all modern stock throttle cables!! Life is simpler with the SC2's single circuit design offering "set it and forget" tuning!! I believe that this level of performance and reliability will be very welcome for racers and owners of British Iron!!
At Italianiron & BritIron Classics, we offer a wide spectrum of race quality spares for the Ducati TT, Pantah, F1 racers as well as for the Norton Manx and Norton Commando racers. We also have a large amount of OEM items for vintage Ducati's and Nortons. Check out our Italianiron.com website for Ducati, TT, Molnar Manx and BritIron bits. We remain committed to supporting the world of Vintage Motorcycle Racing as well as to supporting those specialty bike builders as a supplier of quality chassis, bodywork and specialty racing spare parts. As mentioned before, at Italianiron.com, let us "Fuel Your Race Passions" is not just a slogan but a commitment whether you are building a vintage TT racer for competition, a Ducati F1 vintage street bike or a classic Norton Commando or Manx.
