Oddball engines and prototypes

[WilDun]

Yes Ken, I hope you are recovering well - we all like to hear from you and your measured reply to our "friend" would have taken some doing!
However the message will fall on deaf ears and things like friendship etc. are obviously concepts totally alien to him and which he has never experienced.
Aussies and Kiwis are usually good mates and normally get along well, (with the odd 'dig' now and again of course).
I would like to see the thread continue and get back on track again, as it was (ie just a lighthearted exchange of views on unusual mechanical stuff etc.) and without any unnecessary controversy.
Hope everything is well with you.

[mr bucketracer]

He we go

[WilDun]

He we go

I like it, or at least like the concept!
Cam track and rollers could be a bit of a challenge to do, but then there's the bonus of zero sidethrust on the piston, just linear forces on the piston and of course slow shaft speed.
The old man didn't mind then?

[mr bucketracer]

I like it, or at least like the concept!
Cam track and rollers could be a bit of a challenge to do, but then there's the bonus of zero sidethrust on the piston, just linear forces on the piston and of course slow shaft speed.
The old man didn't mind then?

i was worryed is would take him forever to find but he put his hands straight on it , just got a phone that takes pitures so now i'm in the 21st century

[Grumph]

He we go

Tell me Ricky Main never saw that article - one of the main selling points of his Geneva wheel motor was the torque multiplication via multiple power strokes per revolution.

i was worryed is would take him forever to find but he put his hands straight on it , just got a phone that takes pitures so now i'm in the 21st century

We old guys with a magazine collection know where everything is - give him my regards. And no, youre not in the 21st century, you still work with your hands rather than doing everything in the virtual world....

[mr bucketracer]

Tell me Ricky Main never saw that article - one of the main selling points of his Geneva wheel motor was the torque multiplication via multiple power strokes per revolution.



We old guys with a magazine collection know where everything is - give him my regards. And no, youre not in the 21st century, you still work with your hands rather than doing everything in the virtual world....

lol thanks , will had that message to him , would be a fun thing to make though

[WilDun]

I have never actually found a decent drawing or description of Rick Mayne's engine - I remember seeing it at the time it was being publicised but didn't go into the details and forgot it because I was a bit busy at work.
Can some of you guys come up with something from your archives with some details? - there doesn't seem to be much available on the net anymore!

[Grumph]

I have never actually found a decent drawing or description of Rick Mayne's engine - I remember seeing it at the time it was being publicised but didn't go into the details and forgot it because I was a bit busy at work.
Can some of you guys come up with something from your archives with some details? - there doesn't seem to be much available on the net anymore!

I remember the general details but like you, don't have anything in writing on it. Most of the publicity was TV based with supporting videos. His aim of course was to sell it asap...Either as a going concern or shares. From what i heard at the time, he sold all the shares - or very close to all - and walked.
Memory says that one of the Aussie car mags may have done a write up - with drawings.
The aftermath was enjoyable to watch if you weren't involved. A mutual friend negotiated with IRD to get outstanding tax paid so he could come back to NZ.
It was almost as much fun as his departure for Oz several years earlier. Once IRD realsed he'd skipped, they came down hard on those he'd sold his goods to - at very low prices so as to make a run for it - There were a couple of court cases where IRD seized stuff to try and recover outstanding tax - and the "owners" fought. Mainly they lost...

edit - Google Split Cycle engines Will, someone with better internet than me can follow it up and maybe post a link. I'd forgotten what he called it, it's always known as Ricky's scam around here....I'd doubt if anyone I know has kept the "investors pack" which had all the bumf.

Further edit Another couple of neurons have collided and i remembered where I got the term "investors pack" from. Going North to a National round at Manfield we stopped in to see the guy arranging Ricky's return. He was also Ricky's agent in NZ and was keen to press the packs on us...Knowing RM slightly, we both declined politely. Our friend was sweating on the negotiations with IRD and was jumping at any noise at night as he was half expecting to see Ricky wade ashore from a fishing boat...It was the same bit of Kaikoura coast where Ronald Jorgenson "disappeared"....

[WilDun]

I remember the general details but like you, don't have anything in writing on it. Most of the publicity was TV based with supporting videos. His aim of course was to sell it asap...Either as a going concern or shares. From what i heard at the time, he sold all the shares - or very close to all - and walked.

I do remember the documentary with his flash new "factory" with "CAD stations" through the workshop. The CNC mills etc running, manned by people who didn't seem too sure about what they were making! - and seeing as the design was still not finalised, what could they have been making?
Everything looked to me like it was completely staged - I wasn't convinced at all!
Pity he managed to suck in some rich and famous guys.( who really should have looked into it).

[Grumph]

I do remember the documentary with his flash new "factory" with "CAD stations" through the workshop. The CNC mills etc running, manned by people who didn't seem too sure about what they were making! - and seeing as the design was still not finalised, what could they have been making?
Everything looked to me like it was completely staged - I wasn't convinced at all!
Pity he managed to suck in some rich and famous guys.( who really should have looked into it).

When the publicity started, there was some amazement in ChCh bike circles - general opinion was that he couldn't even build decent trailers. That had been his business here. Once it became apparent he was raking in the money - from Australians - there was some approval. After all, conning Aussies out of money is regarded by a lot of Kiwis as perfectly legitimate business...

[ken seeber]

After all, conning Aussies out of money is regarded by a lot of Kiwis as perfectly legitimate business...

Probably the case Grumph, we’re such a nice, naive, innocent, gullible lot over here. However I’ll have to apologize in advance from hereon after. Australia is broke. Have a goodie fellas.

[Grumph]

Probably the case Grumph, we’re such a nice, naive, innocent, gullible lot over here. However I’ll have to apologize in advance from hereon after. Australia is broke. Have a goodie fellas.

Ho, Ho, Ho...I actually met Jack Brabham, he didn't strike me as naive or gullible. How the f... Ricky took him in I'll never know.
Yeah, have a good and fireproof one Ken.

[F5 Dave]

There's always sibling rivalry as we try to poke the older brother in the ribs and run away.
But in a pub fight in London it'll be the Aussies and Kiwis back to back.
Merry Christmas.

[WilDun]

Yep, that's exactly how it is! - and a Merry Christmas to you all.

[G Jones]

I would like to try a 90 degree crank in my twin. Others already have I believe, but little or no "this is the way ahead" feedback have I heard.

Sorry to drag this up again - but only just found this thread (probably got too much time on my hands over the "festive" season) - thought it might interest someone...

My experience of running a (near) 90 degree TZ350....
No other reason than curiosity - I'd had the idea in my head for a long time - so - I'd intended using an RD 12 spline crank - but when I came to build the crank up - I'd ordered the wrong centre main bearings - so - Plan B - I'll get it as close as I can with the 13 splined TZ crank - built the crank - made a new ignition backplate for the new firing oder & put it all together.
We ran that motor for most of a season...
Thoughts on whether it works...
First time start up - real difficult to know if it's running on both cylinders - sounds as flat as a....

Vibrates like a bastard - my missus hated the thing - she could feel the vibes through the chassis - can't be sure it was the motor - but i did have a couple of cracks in the frame that season.

Not at all exciting to ride - felt flat & slow - but - we did a back to back engine change from Sat to Sun - lap times were near enough identical - and the 90 degree motor was not built with the best parts - if anything it was worn out - compared to the other "normal" engine - which I considered reasonably quick.

Thing that stood out for me was that you could get away with running into & exiting a corner in the wrong gear - it would just pull away a little easier.

I do intend building it up again when I've got time - this time I'll build it up with a good barrel, pistons & head I've been too busy with chassis work for a while to get back to it....

The main reason not to do this years ago - was most ignitions available to us peasants were fixed 180 - we use a Pro-digital now - which is real easy to put the spark wherever you want it