Post some pictures when you get it! I just emailed RCC about the installation process and what exactly is left out of the basic Stage 1 kit. It turns out that fueling and tuning are the only things not included. Like you, I’m considering going the full DIY route, but given my location, I don’t think I can justify skipping an intercooler. That bumps the cost of the Stage 1 kit with an intercooler to around $8,000—at which point, I might as well just go for the Ultimate kit. Suddenly, I’m looking at dropping 10 grand, LOL.

I’m also really curious about the specifics of the Ultimate kit. The online descriptions aren’t very clear, especially for someone who isn’t already experienced with turbocharging a motorcycle. Have you come across any detailed breakdowns of what’s actually included? Also, what’s your plan for fueling and tuning—are you handling it yourself or looking into a specific setup?

And yessir. I am new. I’ve read this forum a thousand times already but I never made an account or contributed. My reply to you was my first ever. You have my V card

* Last updated by: danmin on 3/21/2025 @ 3:05 PM *

given my location, I don’t think I can justify skipping an intercooler. That bumps the cost of the Stage 1 kit with an intercooler to around $8,000—at which point, I might as well just go for the Ultimate kit.

It never occurred to me to run the turbo without the intercooler. From conversations with my two other forum buddies I've communicated with, it just seemed like the intercooler was necessary for optimum performance. Stands to reason, I know this bike makes a huge amount of heat. The exhaust is running through the turbine that pulls the air in so I can't see that not increasing the intake air temp way over what a naturally aspirated engine gets. This makes me wonder about water/meth and nitrous for low end/low boost performance. It might be splitting hairs. Even if the low speed intake is hot, the pressurization is probably superior to NA air. I'm sure RCC would have addressed all of this a long time ago if it were worthwhile but I'm curious anyway. That's all way down the road for me. For now, I'm going with what I know works and I'll do any possible improvements on that once I become an expert.

I’m also really curious about the specifics of the Ultimate kit. The online descriptions aren’t very clear, especially for someone who isn’t already experienced with turbocharging a motorcycle.

I'm just like you. I'm familiar with what the main assembly looks like and I've seen a couple other pieces like the scavenge pump but I only have a vague idea of what they do. There's a bunch of that stuff, I don't have the slightest idea what it is. It's going to be a lot of fun finding out though! I suspect the only practical way to find out what every piece does is to install the kit. I think Richard would need to start charging me tuition at some point. He's already spent a lot of time answering my questions. I have faith in RCC Turbos. I've been on this forum since 2008. If Romans recommends it, I'll grab it and run. It's way too complex to understand everything before I take the first step. --BTW dan, Romans is a longtime member who predates me. He was on the old forums that went back to 2006. I think it's safe to say he was/is among the preeminent turbo pioneers of the ZX-14 having built a number of them himself. He pops in to see what's going on every now and then.

Also, what’s your plan for fueling and tuning—are you handling it yourself or looking into a specific setup?

Fueling is handled by the secondary ECU included in the Stage 2 Ultra kit. I think the regular Stage kit 2 includes the secondary ECU too. As for timing and all other aspects of tuning, I will probably rely on RCC Turbos' flash. At some point, I might want to do some tweaking (although RCC Turbos assures me that is unnecessary) so I may go with Woolich software to do that. Fordtech58 is using a Power Commander 5 with PTI for fueling with is RCC turbo and he's very happy with it.

I see Fordtech58 has basically assembled a Stage 2 Ultra kit from a Stage 1 by adding an intercooler and the PC5 with PTI. I'm just going all in from the start. .....and we'll see what I do from there!!..... ....definitely engine building and other mods, possibly some other interesting power enhancements.

Post some pictures when you get it!

Oh yeah!! ...first step will be to weigh everything that comes off and everything that goes on. There will be a Rook's Turbo Install thread here in the Turbo section.

I'm planning to order soon. ...got the money, just need to find space to do this. I know it's going to take months but it will be quite an education.

* Last updated by: Rook on 3/22/2025 @ 4:35 AM *

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Yeah these Texas summers can be no joke. If air temps are already 100+, and I’m going to throw a turbo on, I’ll be sucking in some pretty warm air for 6-9 months of the year. And the other 3 months of the year will be pretty unusable motorcycle-wise. Like you said- the intercooler is 100% needed for efficiency.

Meth is a good idea if you’re at the strip. A lot of buddies of mine run it in their corvettes and whatnot to help with detonation and to keep things cool, but they will need to refill a gallon of meth mixture for every tank of gas (depending on how spirited the drive was). And unless you have race shops with meth at every gas station or two, I wouldn’t risk it. Your tune will make you reliant on meth. Bad things happen if you run out on a drive. If you will be living on the strip- meth and race gas make sense. You could save a ton of weight without the intercooler too since those fuels can help keep things cool and fight detonation a lot better than pump 93. E-85 is also a great fuel for boosted applications but that is a whole different can of worms. I did see a video of a non-intercooled turbo ZX14R on E85 make north of 310 at the wheel with turbo pistons. This might be something I investigate on doing since I live by a lot of E pumps.

I found you on a thread regarding turbo kit details. Someone shared what the “Stage 2” fuel system is. I did some digging and it’s a pretty trick setup. I think the benefit of the $2,000 system versus PC5 would be the resolution of the tune. Very fast-acting fuel management ‘brain’ and the addition of some kind of billet fuel rail system would look cool and would work better than a PC5. It’s the same idea as the fuel systems on race bikes and race cars. Just piggybacked onto what we already have. Not sure if it’s necessary though. If I could scrape by with the stock fuel system and turbo pistons around the mid 300’s I’d be happy with a PC5. Pretty nice setup either way.

I wish I could get my hands on the installation process for the stage 2 ultimate kit. Then I could gauge whether or not this is something I want to get into this summer, or this winter.

Your tune will make you reliant on meth.

It's easy enough to change maps with Dynojet. I'd be going Woolich on this bike but I
ll bet they have some kind of system to hold multiple maps. I agree though, it's a lot safer to keep things as simple as possible.

You could save a ton of weight without the intercooler too since those fuels can help keep things cool and fight detonation a lot better than pump 93. E-85 is also a great fuel for boosted applications but that is a whole different can of worms....

I'm all about shaving off as much weight as possible but I think this one will be a lot heavier than my modded Gen1 was. The intercooler will probably add about ten lbs. It seems like the most practical thing for street use but Fordtech is using it on his race only bike. I see mine as being a race only bike at some point. If I can get the same effect as an intercooler with race gas and water/meth, I'd shelf the intercooler for the day the bike retires back to street use.

I wish I could get my hands on the installation process for the stage 2 ultimate kit. Then I could gauge whether or not this is something I want to get into this summer, or this winter.

Ask Richard to email you a pdf of the install instructions. Although a rather complex project, it looks pretty straightforward. The only part that gives me some pause is the drilling of the airbox in order to mount the fuel rail. Fly removal is a little dicey too but I've done that before and it is possible to do with almost zero risk. I might just remove the throttle bodies to pull the flies this time. There's enough other things to do to justify taking that extra step.

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I placed my order last night. I'll be getting a call from Richard in a few hours to get my card info. Here are a couple of questions I asked:

Q: Does this kit include everything needed to run this turbo?
A: This turbo system is basically plug and play, it does not include a power commander, so that is something you will have to source if you do not already have it. The power commander map is included with the kit, but for higher levels of boost dyno tuning is recommended.

Q: Can I add the intercooler to my Stage 1 kit later?
A: Yes the intercooler can be added on later. The stage 1 can support up to 280hp as it comes, we do offer the intercooler in many versions, the stage 1 kit with intercooler starts at $8000. Adding the intercooler later costs more because additional piping would need to be made.

Q: Your listing describes a max of 260whp for the Stage 1 on the stock engine and a max of 280whp for the Ultimate kit. Is the intercooler where the extra ~20hp is coming from? And would your supplied Power Command Map and flash still work for the Intercooler Stage 1 kit?
A: The 260hp to the 280hp, the increase with the intercooler is due to the cooler intake charge allowing for more power before detonation on pump fuel. The intercooler will actually allow you to get to 380hp on pump fuel, yes we provide a map for 260hp, and for 280hp, but it is highly recommended that the map is checked on a dyno.

Q: I don’t plan on running anything but 93. In your opinion, do I need to get the fuel system with the additional 2 injectors you supply if I don’t ever go above maybe 15 PSI? Or will the Power Commander and stock injectors work with a proper dyno tune?
A: Max boost on the stage 1 is 8-10psi, more than that pushes the fuel pressure too high for the pump, which is why we offer the 4 additional injectors and fuel controller.

Q: Are you able to split up payments between 2 cards?
A: Yes

Q: Do you offer Service member or First Responder Discounts?
A: Yes

Q: Do you think I could get a copy of the Stage 2 ultimate kit installation guide?
A: File is too large to email I would have to ship you a flash drive. So here is how we usually handle our instructions, we have a lot of time into creating the installation manuals, and as such we typically charge $200 plus the shipping. However the $200 is refundable towards the turbo system if or when you decide to purchase it.

Something I noticed that RCC offers is water-injecetion kits for the huyabusa. No such option for the ZX14.

Update:
Richard called me to collect payment. While not exactly a social butterfly- he was helpful with the last few questions I had.

Q: Is your ECU flash included in the Price?
A: No. It is an additional fee for the tune and licensing. The in-house flash is a wollich flash which includes safety measures.

Q: Are the instructions on a USB or DVD?
A: USB.

Q: Do you supply PCV-PTI maps?
A: No. It is a standard PCV map based on RPM and Throttle Position. PTI can be used for further dyno tuning.

Q: Is getting the kit without the Blow off valve dangerous?
A: Not for Stage 1. Boost is limited to about 10psi, without the fuel system, which isn't a significant amount of stress upon throttle-close, under pressure.

Q: Does the intercooler include a heat exchanger?
A: Yes. The intercooler kit includes the intercooler, heat exchanger, lines, electric water pump, additional hardware. Including the intercooler costs extra to ship versus just the Stage 1 kit.

I ended up opting for:
- Stage 1 turbo kit
- Intercooler kit
- 50mm BOV
- Wossner Piston kit

* Last updated by: danmin on 3/27/2025 @ 1:59 PM *

Wow! Thanks for sharing all of that great info, danmin. I think you have more background knowledge that enables you to make some choices. I think I'll just be going lock, stock and barrel. Hopefully the Stage 2 Ultra kit includes the best of everything without much need to upgrade the turbo system.

Something I noticed that RCC offers is water-injecetion kits for the huyabusa. No such option for the ZX14.

I asked about water/meth injection and it seemed that Richard felt there was no great benefit to it when using the intercooler. ....but why then do they offer it for the Hayabusa?

It looks like what you ordered basically equates to a Stage 2 Ultra kit without the secondary ECU. You put the secondary ECU money toward a set of turbo pistons instead and plan to go with Dynojet for fuel management, am I right?

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It looks like what you ordered basically equates to a Stage 2 Ultra kit without the secondary ECU. You put the secondary ECU money toward a set of turbo pistons instead and plan to go with Dynojet for fuel management, am I right?

Righto.

Saved about two grand by going without the fuel system. Since the BOV and Pistons were about a grand combined and the PCV was $500, I will consider it a good tradeoff, especially when you consider the power potential of a thicker (0.060) headgasket, studs, and turbo pistons. I am limited to about 10 PSI however. But I am not chasing 400hp- something tells me low 300's will be enough to get my rocks off and stay reliable as well as alive. Its not like I am going to get the tires to hook up on the streets anyways. I can always swap injectors for a few hundred bucks if I so desire to make extra power. The factory rods are good to sub-400hp levels so rods seemed like overkill. I will be installing main bearing studs however. Similar to head studs but for the crank where the case splits. Extra insurance.

Fuel management will be handled by the PCV-PTI system I bought was $500 flat from 58 Cycle. I'll need to get it dyno-tuned whether I picked the ultimate kit or not, so the appeal of the most popular interface (Power Commander) mapping fueling based on RPM, throttle position, air temp and manifold pressure is appealing.

Going to request the tuner implement safeties for high temps like making it run dog-rich at high temps and at high RPMs instead of a fuel-cut which is known to hurt cylinder #3.

asked about water/meth injection and it seemed that Richard felt there was no great benefit to it when using the intercooler. ....but why then do they offer it for the Hayabusa?

I found a video of an RCC kit WITH a water/meth system on his channel. This was a non-intercooled bike that made about 320 hp with turbo pistons and head studs rocking a Stage 1 kit. Maybe there isn't enough money in selling the kit, or too much risk compared to an intercooler.

I'll likely be making a video showing my installation process.

All in all- I am excited and nervous. I am hoping this isn't the can of worms my diesel sportscar was.....

Not sure when you are going to make the call to Richard to order- but don't expect a parade or smile from him over the phone..... He seemed uninterested in any kind of conversation despite him telling me he picked up a new Porsche 911 Turbo today.

I think you have more background knowledge that enables you to make some choices. I think I'll just be going lock, stock and barrel.

I don't know much but if you'd like I can help with what I do know

* Last updated by: danmin on 3/27/2025 @ 4:38 PM *

Fuel management will be handled by the PCV-PTI system I bought was $500 flat from 58 Cycle. I'll need to get it dyno-tuned whether I picked the ultimate kit or not, so the appeal of the most popular interface (Power Commander) mapping fueling based on RPM, throttle position, air temp and manifold pressure is appealing.

Other than Mass Air Pressure, I don't know what if any other parameters the secondary ECU included with RCC kits takes into consideration. You might get a tune that makes your bike stronger over a wider variety of conditions if you go with DJ.

I would think by now most tuners are familiar with Woolich as much as DJ. ....but you're not relying on Woolich for the fueling provided in the RCC kits, you're relying on the secondary ECU. I'm pretty sure the secondary ECU is dependent on the stock fuel tables which must be shooting for a very safe stock AFR. The Gen1 ZX-14 had no stock O2 sensor to measure AFR, I don't know if the Gen2 does. No matter, I'm sure the stock fueling is meant to hit fairly conservative AFRs. You want best power at high rpm, you go leaner. Does the RCC secondary ECU know this and compensate accordingly? I don't know, that's starting to get way too far into theoretical land without ever trying the secondary ECU. I do know this, you have complete control over your AFR with Dynojet. You want added safety at high ambient temps and that's just one reason the ability to tune, regardless of whether its DJ or Woolich, might be very important. I trust Richard but it gives me pause that he would question anyone's desire to adjust his flash.

I think I will just go ahead and spend the 2000 on on the secondary ECU. I just have this little feeling it won't cover all the bases if I want to extract the maximum power possible or if I have other special considerations like you do. For that, you need a custom tune be it Woolich or DJ.

I had so much fun tuning my Gen1 with PC5 and Autotune. I can't see doing that anymore. It was incredibly dangerous. I had one horrific crash just riding a little fast like I normally did. You road tune your bike, you open up all kinds of possibilities for trouble and crashing is just one. I could see AFR tuning on a drag strip or an LSR course, not out on the open road. A dyno tune is money well spent as long as you bring the bike somewhere where they know what they're doing.

I found a video of an RCC kit WITH a water/meth system on his channel. This was a non-intercooled bike that made about 320 hp with turbo pistons and head studs rocking a Stage 1 kit. Maybe there isn't enough money in selling the kit, or too much risk compared to an intercooler.

Romans did it on at least one of his 14Rs. He like it a lot. Steam cleans the engine and actually builds power like a steam engine as he put it. It's not too expensive. I'll probably try it. I don't know of any risk other than running out of meth and all you have is your meth map. If you're going with DJ, you can hold a second map in the PC5. Flip over to map B with the POD300 or whatever DJ is selling now. I had the LCD 200 from back in 2012 and it held two maps.

I'll likely be making a video showing my installation process.
All in all- I am excited and nervous. I am hoping this isn't the can of worms my diesel sportscar was.....

on the video! I don't think it will be a can of worms. Romans was giving it high praises over a decade ago.

Not sure when you are going to make the call to Richard to order- but don't expect a parade or smile from him over the phone..... He seemed uninterested in any kind of conversation despite him telling me he picked up a new Porsche 911 Turbo today.

I talked to him by phone once and that was at his suggestion. All I'm looking for is information.

I don't know much but if you'd like I can help with what I do know

Thanks danmin, I hope you will stick around.

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Holy smokes. i just reread this thread to see if there were any new posts. i just realized my bike has been in pieces for almost a year. sheesh.

* Last updated by: danmin on 2/20/2026 @ 6:28 PM *

I wish a year could be a long time again. There's no point in rushing.

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