Text Ummm, still learning how to drive this board so if it is all t*ts up it's me!
Robin - heard about the calamity from the boyz at the BMF do
Really soz to hear about it. Any info' I'll try and help. Not home very often due to work, but questions re 888SPS kit I'll see what I can sort out.
In general:
First up SP4S and SPS are the same bike. The Italians called them SP4S's Brit's called them SPS. 001 belonged to the son of the Police Chief in Rome. Bet he got stopped often - not.
A word of warning though. Some SPS are hotted up SP4's (that's a small s). As the genuine tucker did sell out so quickly, rumour has it that a second batch were put together but the engine was a standard SP4 and hot cams were put in. I read on an earlier post that a smaller valve size were mentioned. They were sold as SPS's maybe that's it. But I do not know if they were UK only. Real SPS's, originally 15 came to the UK, 25 stayed in Italy, None went to the States.
The plaque on the top stock has enamelled green laurels around the circumference at the top 1991 underneith that 'Superbike World Champion' then 'SP4' and next to that in square blocks with black punched-in script '0xx' where xx is the bikes number. 001 to 100 were original SPS's anything else isn't.
The plaque is also silver as in Sterling, if you look extremely closely under the bow at the bottom you can see little hall marks.
SP5 and SPS engines are supposed to be the same engine. But 115 v 122+ BHP would say other wise. 91 Corsa with a calmed down exhaust cam to make them better for the road. Full chat versions had G cams all round. How d'yer tell the difference? Stalls when cold and has no tick over, and no power below 4000rpm blurs your vision at 8000 and your there for the ride over 9500 it'll go round to 11500, that's when the rev ltdr cuts in on mine and it's still pulling. A few years back at Croft it stayed with the press 916 Foggy Rep ridden by a journo along the pit straight in a straight drag.
Valves were 1mm bigger on the SPS than the SP4 I have a feeling mine are 36/31 (SPS) but it was modded for race work by MotoBurali in Milan 1992. SPS and SP5 heads are supposed to have the same valve sizes. SP4 run smaller valves.
I am not sure about the bottom end (crank and stuff) from memory but I'm confident it is not the same as the SP4. I would also suggest that if you're spinning a V twin at above 10000rpm the crank and rods on the SPS are going to be different to the SP5 too.
The other thing to remember about them is they were built by hand and what was at hand in the parts bin re running gear. So there are variations in the kit they wear. E.g. Mine has under slung back brake caliper, but I have seen another which had an OTT caliper at the back. The engine obviously was the important part and had the most attention applied to it.
Contrary to popular belief the lack of rad fan is not a problem. In fact it's a bloody pain. I have to gaffer tape 1/3rd of the rad up to get it to show 68C even in mild weather on the road. Other wise it'll sit at 55C and not come off rich mixture. I can run it for 1/2hr at a standstill in the garage and it will just crawl above 90C.
Track wise it needs that rad.
Umm, I've twittered on enough here now. If you guys have got any questions I'll try and answer them.
Oh as a post script mine is used and abused, took a spill at Cadwell going into Charlies a couple of years back, did a fair amount of damage but as you say. They are not there to be ponced about on. Use 'em or lose 'em.
With a bit of time I'll see if I can't get to a track day.
Later then.
Ains
888SP4S No#037