Gidday I'm gatch and I have a dream.. Na I just killed the engine in my spada and couldn't bear to biff the chassis as I think it looks pretty cool, so after some discussion and people calling me an idiot I decided that I'd look for a big bore dirt bike single to re-power my spada and will throw it down the race track for kicks (f3 and maybe pre 89 post classic). I am still kind of un-decided as to what engine just yet but I don't want anything under 650 for a 4stroke or under 500 for a smoker.. There is still quite alot of options, xr650, cr500, dr650-750-800, rm500, kx500 etc. It would be cool to keep it all honda but the dr motor would be awesome for penis extension purposes. If anyone has experience with any of these motors any feedback would be awesome, also if anyone knows where one is for sale or whatever that would be awesome too. All the work will be done by myself (mayhaps my old man will do a little tig welding), the first priority is to find a motor, make sure it is tip top and fit it to the chassis, everything at this point is secondary. Work completed to date - engine, loom, lights, brackets, instrument cluster, battery, catch bottles, ignition, under-seat unit, plastics, grab handles, passenger pegs mounts all removed, some parts have been disposed of, some kept for possible road going use. At the moment the brakes are off for a tidy up, have made some little bushes for them and will get some braided lines made up. Suspension won't be looked at until the motor is in, neither will seating/foot pegs and other cosmetic bits. Donations will not be turned down cheers Gatch
Good luck. Sorry currently I can't help with the motor but if something suitable comes across my path I will keep you in mind.
Well well well. the xr spada experiment was canned. Government budget cuts spelled doom for an otherwise perfectly retarded project. The chassis was retained however, as it has too much sentimental value locked away in it's beautiful castec frame, to just throw away with the rest of the aluminium recycling.. So another secret government faction has come forward with the concept of a spada chassised bucket racer WEAPON. Still have no dollars in the kitty.. But definitely odds on to get a brand new loncin 150cc 4 smoke. Got the bike nearly fully nyloned, clean, new chromoly subframe etc. Will start doing some real work when I get some bucks back.
I had a look at them bucket rules a while ago, I reckon an awesome engine to tinker with would be a twin cylinder 200cc, as you can use one cylinder to supercharge the other thus meeting the 100cc forced induction rule. Can only think of one engine though, a inline twin from a CM200, or maybe CN200, which is a bike with only slightly more power than a GN to begin with, but if you could find a well balanced heaps of valves twin 200, I reckon you could make an absolute bucket weapon
