Exotic powerplants of the 60s

[T.W.R]

Mostly we know of the Guzzi V8 of the 50s and the Honda 500/4, 125/4, 125/5 etc

But have a nosey at these wee beasts

Suzuki
1) 50cc water cooled twin 17000rpm & 105mph
2) 125cc water cooled twin
3) 250cc square 4 diagonally opposed twin firing sequence 52hp @ 12500rpm

Yamaha
1) 125cc water cooled twin 14000rpm 9spd box (these finished 1st,2nd, & 4th in the 66 IOM) (piccy #1)
2) 250cc twin 56hp 140+mph 7spd box
3) 250cc V4 water cooled

[T.W.R]

Some home built jobs

WWII Indian with a Chevy flat 6 (Honda GL1500 inspiration maybe?)
BMW with VW engine, apparently only 50lbs heavier than standard
Harley with a V8 and Indian girder forks (BossHoss grand pappy?)
Indian straight 6 120cu
Yamaha 500/4 (GP sidechair unit inspiration)

[98tls]

Bloody hell,nice work posting them up Bill....

[AllanB]

Very cool. Where is the fuel tank on the V8?


I still think the Japanese could make a very cool North South orientated power cruiser. Imagine it - spin the basis of a Busa engine 90 degrees, slam it so it looks low and long, make the exhaust a exotic looking piece of engineering, 17 inch wheels so they can run sticky rubber ........

[T.W.R]

A couple more

E.J Potter's Royal Enfield Chev V8 drag bike
Norm Grabowski's Indian 841 chey corvair flat 6
Raoul Martineau's Triumph Thunderbird Saimese
Shigeo Nozaki riding the 500 yamaha

[T.W.R]

Bloody hell,nice work posting them up Bill....

I was digging around looking for some other stuff, thought they'd be worth a look though :yes:


Very cool. Where is the fuel tank on the V8?

Dunno?? :scratch: probably got a mini tanker on a trailer out of shot :lol:


I still think the Japanese could make a very cool North South orientated power cruiser. Imagine it - spin the basis of a Busa engine 90 degrees, slam it so it looks low and long, make the exhaust a exotic looking piece of engineering, 17 inch wheels so they can run sticky rubber ........[/QUOTE]

mmm?

Or two Triumph Rocket III motors spliced together :shit:

[98tls]

Alans post made me think of the CBX motor,the things they could have done with that eh...

[T.W.R]

Alans post made me think of the CBX motor,the things they could have done with that eh...

$200000 takes one out to 1.7lt gives it twin turbos & nitrous clamps a hollinger F1 gearbox on it to make 1000hp and throws it in a EGLI frame :shifty: so yeah Honda could've done something :yes: probably like a leen Valkirie :shutup:

[AllanB]

Alans post made me think of the CBX motor,the things they could have done with that eh...

Now you are talking!!! I have seen pictures of a V12 version - two CBX engines mated.

[AllanB]

Still debating if the one above is a Photoshop jobbies or real.

The two below are real.

[avgas]

285996285997285998285999

Would be pretty cool to drive a car for 50 years.

[unstuck]

Still debating if the one above is a Photoshop jobbies or real.

The two below are real.

Imagine the broken plugs on the 48 cyl rotary if you dropped it on its side.:crazy:

[Voltaire]

MZ did a lot of pioneering work on the 2 stroke, from memory Walter Kaaden who worked on the V1 pulse motor during the war managed to get the 1961 MZ 125 to 150 HP per litre. The defection of one of the riders to Japan changed all that.

[T.W.R]

MZ did a lot of pioneering work on the 2 stroke, from memory Walter Kaaden who worked on the V1 pulse motor during the war managed to get the 1961 MZ 125 to 150 HP per litre. The defection of one of the riders to Japan changed all that.

They were the square dimension engines built until 1961, went to water cooling in 1962, Walter Kaaden introduced the rotary disc valve allowing them to effectively use tuned exhaust systems :yes: In 1959 the 250 was producing 160hp per litre & increased to 216hp per litre.
It wasn't that they lost a rider to japan it was the fact that the factory didn't pay retainers to it's riders like the other European factories. Mike Hailwood rode for them placing 2nd in 1962 behind Jim Redman, winning in 1963, crashed out in 1964 whilst leading -- all in the East German GP.

[pete376403]

Still debating if the one above is a Photoshop jobbies or real.

The two below are real.

So is this:

Alan Milyards v12 Kawasaki

[nudemetalz]

Of course there is Suzuki's 3-cylinder 50cc 1968,..well there would have been had they not changed the rules. 19hp....
http://www.elsberg-tuning.dk/suzuki.html#rp68


Apparently, there was talk of Honda developing a 50 triple, 125 -6 and a 250-V8 also....madness !!!!!

[AllanB]

I read a very good article couple years back about Hondas six cylinder race engines of the 60's (?). The stated that the metal technology used in cams etc is difficult to understand and replicate today. Amazing work. The engine took into account flex on the outer cylinders cam.

[AllanB]

Benelli info here, interesting reading.

http://www.mybenellis.com/BB4.pdf

[T.W.R]

Got some pics of the 125/5 & Taveri's 125/4 and a couple of shots of the 500/4 :lol: should see how they're doing the timing.
Plenty of talk about the main players of the time then there's a couple of shots of a privateer built 500/4 West German Fath Special and bits talking about the Guzzi V8 (they actually say that apart from one engine still at Mondello one existing bike was with Berliner Corporation in the US)
MV gets a mention with the 500/4 & 350/3, Kriedler with their twin rotary valve 50, Benelli 250/4 8 speed

really makes current stuff look rather nothing new ;)

[T.W.R]

The two below are real.




So is this:

Alan Milyards v12 Kawasaki

That's the thing that makes me wonder a bit seeing guys do that, and outfits like Morbidelli making big V8 & V12 bikes; why hasn't anyone done a modern 500cc V8 splicing two 250/4s together or 1200 V8 from two 600/4s ??
There's guys out there making V8 motors for gas RC cars & beautiful V12 engines like the Artus

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mutb7KgA9NM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[pete376403]

Did Morbidelli do a v12? I have only ever seen articles about the v8. And that was built largely as a demonstration of what their woodworking machines (ie making patterns for casting, etc) could do

[T.W.R]

Did Morbidelli do a v12? I have only ever seen articles about the v8. And that was built largely as a demonstration of what their woodworking machines (ie making patterns for casting, etc) could do

lol nah it's just the way it's worded...my bad but their 1st production model may as well have been makes the common one look nice :laugh:

[hayd3n]

Now you are talking!!! I have seen pictures of a V12 version - two CBX engines mated.
v 12 cbx :)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfguM8Og-1A

[pete-blen]

unable to find a pic on the net...
Suzuki played around with a 125cc rotery MX bike
in the mid 70s.. about the same time the RE5 was in production..
Only ever seen a pic in a mag way back then..

[T.W.R]

unable to find a pic on the net...
Suzuki played around with a 125cc rotery MX bike
in the mid 70s.. about the same time the RE5 was in production..
Only ever seen a pic in a mag way back then..

Nothing mentioned in the Petersen's Motorcycle Buyers Guide 1975 :no: ; It's got the test release for RE5 including photos from the October 74 press release in Phoneix for 24 motorcyle journos and a comprehensive rundown on the RE5 development :yes: the opening sentence is a beaut " Dawn...The rotary wake up! as of February 1, we're all members of the antique club of America" :laugh:
Got 1100 mile test report of a RE5

Here's a few more interesting pics though

1) Torao Yamaba 500cc 1908 1st japanese bike
2) Suzuki's 1st attempt 1952 50cc 2 stroke
3) Daihatsu sidevalve 1920s
4) Mazda 700cc
5) Mikuni engine (started life on electric generators then put on bikes)

[T.W.R]

Few more ;)

1) Japan's most popular bike of the 50s; Cabton 500 ohv twin
2) Meguro type 97 The Great Grandad of Kawasaki
3) Marusho 250cc ohv V-twin
4) Honda's 1st complete bike 100cc type D 2 stroke (circa early 1950s)
5) Katayama Sangyo 250cc 2 stroke boxer
6) Honda's 1st 4 stroke 150cc type E

[pete-blen]

you most lightly wouldn't find it in a buyer's guide
as it was never put into production...
from memory it looked like a TM/RM motor
with a rotery houseing in place of the barrel..
But it went and was being raced / tested as in the pic it
was on a stand in the pits somewhere...

[T.W.R]

you most lightly wouldn't find it in a buyer's guide

3 pages of the RE5 engine development inside a 12 page test , it isn't just a buyers guide ;)