Page 77 of 213 FirstFirst ... 2767757677787987127177 ... LastLast
Results 1,141 to 1,155 of 3183

Thread: Oddball engines and prototypes

  1. #1141
    Join Date
    13th June 2010 - 17:47
    Bike
    Exercycle
    Location
    Out in the cold
    Posts
    5,624
    I'd be surprised if that survives. Probably re-engined in period.
    Lyster's next step was an 8 valve head for the CB450 - which was a much better package and easier to do.
    The one he did do became the property of the American who paid the bills - he got the patterns too.
    At the time of Colin's death he was working on patterns to recreate the 8V honda heads.

  2. #1142
    Join Date
    10th February 2005 - 20:25
    Bike
    1944 RE 1
    Location
    Auckland, New Zealand.
    Posts
    2,243
    Quote Originally Posted by Grumph View Post
    I'd be surprised if that survives. Probably re-engined in period.
    Lyster's next step was an 8 valve head for the CB450.
    At the time of Colin's death he was working on patterns to recreate the 8V honda heads.
    I remember Colin Lyster came to live in NZ, when was that? however I didn't know that he had died - probably through my not being active in the bike scene for a period of about 25 years. - I more or less lost track of bikes after the seventies up till around 2000, (coverage of European stuff and in fact anything outside NZ was really quite poor in the eighties and nineties) also trying to bring up a family and make ends meet etc. took precedence!
    Strokers Galore!

  3. #1143
    Join Date
    20th January 2010 - 14:41
    Bike
    husaberg
    Location
    The Wild Wild West
    Posts
    11,823
    Quote Originally Posted by Grumph View Post
    I'd be surprised if that survives. Probably re-engined in period.
    Lyster's next step was an 8 valve head for the CB450 - which was a much better package and easier to do.
    The one he did do became the property of the American who paid the bills - he got the patterns too.
    At the time of Colin's death he was working on patterns to recreate the 8V honda heads.
    Er it was rebuilt in 2016

    here is some more other stuff
    http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.co....ter-frame.html
    http://myclassicmotorcycle.blogspot....mph-racer.html

    The Lyster 500 half an imp was covered in cycleworld july 1968.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	CWLD196807.JPG 
Views:	54 
Size:	54.5 KB 
ID:	327694Click image for larger version. 

Name:	s-l1600n.jpg 
Views:	63 
Size:	460.1 KB 
ID:	327695
    No i don't have it or have accesss to it. All the cycle world web scans on the net only go back to the mid 70's thus far.

    there was a picture of it in a two page spead of odd projects in Classic racer mag from the late 80's or early 90's they likely Wooley wrongly called it a half Cosworth from memory

    In the 1970's piper did a 8 valve head for the Honda CB350 twin, as well as the better known 16 valve heads for or the 750 fours
    I do have a pic of that somewhere.
    Quote Originally Posted by Katman View Post
    I reminder distinctly .




    Kinky is using a feather. Perverted is using the whole chicken

  4. #1144
    Join Date
    13th June 2010 - 17:47
    Bike
    Exercycle
    Location
    Out in the cold
    Posts
    5,624
    Quote Originally Posted by WilDun View Post
    I remember Colin Lyster came to live in NZ, when was that? however I didn't know that he had died - probably through my not being active in the bike scene for a period of about 25 years. - I more or less lost track of bikes after the seventies up till around 2000, (coverage of European stuff and in fact anything outside NZ was really quite poor in the eighties and nineties) also trying to bring up a family and make ends meet etc. took precedence!
    Colin lived in Nelson for some years. I think he came here when his wife - kiwi ballerina Gillian Francis - retired. He was an engineer for hire for a long time , going to europe frequently to sort out prototypes etc. Heavily involved with the Cawthron Institute in nelson too.
    Did a lot of freelance design work.
    Shortly before his death a batch of the Honda frames - pretty well identical to the Imp one - were made under his supervision. As husa knows, there's one in my shed...

    Well, yes i am surprised the Imp survived....I think the original Honda is in a collection in the US somewhere.

  5. #1145
    Join Date
    20th January 2010 - 14:41
    Bike
    husaberg
    Location
    The Wild Wild West
    Posts
    11,823
    Quote Originally Posted by Grumph View Post
    Colin lived in Nelson for some years. I think he came here when his wife - kiwi ballerina Gillian Francis - retired. He was an engineer for hire for a long time , going to europe frequently to sort out prototypes etc. Heavily involved with the Cawthron Institute in nelson too.
    Did a lot of freelance design work.
    Shortly before his death a batch of the Honda frames - pretty well identical to the Imp one - were made under his supervision. As husa knows, there's one in my shed...

    Well, yes i am surprised the Imp survived....I think the original Honda is in a collection in the US somewhere.
    He also made frames for Nortons i have a picture here somewhere. Easier maybe to steal them off mike Moore
    Not sure if they are still kicking around.
    As Grumph knows the Patton frames are similar in the dual headstock detail very small tube design.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	lysteng.jpg 
Views:	38 
Size:	31.4 KB 
ID:	327696Click image for larger version. 

Name:	lystmnx1.jpg 
Views:	43 
Size:	71.3 KB 
ID:	327697Click image for larger version. 

Name:	lystmnx2.jpg 
Views:	45 
Size:	55.9 KB 
ID:	327698Click image for larger version. 

Name:	lancem1.jpg 
Views:	44 
Size:	62.1 KB 
ID:	327699Click image for larger version. 

Name:	motopaton.jpg 
Views:	63 
Size:	33.6 KB 
ID:	327700
    Quote Originally Posted by Katman View Post
    I reminder distinctly .




    Kinky is using a feather. Perverted is using the whole chicken

  6. #1146
    Join Date
    13th June 2010 - 17:47
    Bike
    Exercycle
    Location
    Out in the cold
    Posts
    5,624
    The Lyster G50 which won NZ500 titles for 2 different riders still survives in ChCh. Got a 7R in it now apparently - and i'm told it's cracked badly so not a runner. Colin wanted to do a couple of frames the same as that one so asked if he could borrow it to copy. Payment was to be a new frame for them so it could be run again. Turned down flat I heard. Pity...

  7. #1147
    Join Date
    3rd February 2004 - 08:11
    Bike
    1982 Suzuki GS1100GK, 2008 KLR650
    Location
    Wallaceville, Upper hutt
    Posts
    5,049
    Blog Entries
    4
    "It was Kuzmicki who... moved to the Rootes Group, and designed the extremely reliable and very fast Imp motor."
    Really? I thought the Imp motor was a Coventry-Climax design for a lightweight fire pump. And "reliable"? My Imp used to eat head gaskets for lunch. Still a better car overall than the equivalent 850 mini though.
    it's not a bad thing till you throw a KLR into the mix.
    those cheap ass bitches can do anything with ductape.
    (PostalDave on ADVrider)

  8. #1148
    Join Date
    20th January 2010 - 14:41
    Bike
    husaberg
    Location
    The Wild Wild West
    Posts
    11,823
    Quote Originally Posted by pete376403 View Post
    "It was Kuzmicki who... moved to the Rootes Group, and designed the extremely reliable and very fast Imp motor."
    Really? I thought the Imp motor was a Coventry-Climax design for a lightweight fire pump. And "reliable"? My Imp used to eat head gaskets for lunch. Still a better car overall than the equivalent 850 mini though.
    http://www.imps4ever.info/tech/fw_imp.html
    http://www.imps4ever.info/tech/kuzmicki.html
    Another detail from the original blog, it wasn't actually Joe Craig that discovered Leo
    An intetesting story is that of Leo Kuzmicki. He was Polish, and escaped Poland to Britain and served in WW2 as a fighter pilot. He stayed on after the war but could only find employ as a cleaner at Bracebridge Street. Works mechanic, Charlie Edwards happened to be in conversation with Kuzmicki one day,and found out, that before the war, Leo was a lecturer on internal combustion engines at Warsaw University. Well, one thing led to another and Joe Craig put Leo to work on developing the 350 Manx, which up until then was as useful as a cast iron parachute.
    Then Geoff Duke began winning on the Junior Manx. Geoff Duke was pretty impressed with Kuzmicki, who he reckoned expkained the theories of " squish " combustion chambers to him.
    Joe Craig became jealous of Kuzmicki, which is why his work at Norton was never publicly acknowkedged.
    Then Leo Kuzmicki went on to work on the Vanwall racing cars, but that is another story.........
    The squish head Leo designed actually made the works 350 faster than the customer Manx 500.
    Also missing from the above, is i believe it was Hele who convinced Craig to let Leo work on the bike.
    Also the Vanwall was basically 4 works norton squish heads on a RR/Austin champ bottom end made in alloy.
    Vanwall were part of the same ownership group (old boys directors network) as Norton so it was an inside project.
    All the parts were valves etc were norton works parts obtained from Norton or via norton from their outside suppliers so not to arouse suspicion from potential competitors.
    Quote Originally Posted by Katman View Post
    I reminder distinctly .




    Kinky is using a feather. Perverted is using the whole chicken

  9. #1149
    Join Date
    3rd February 2004 - 08:11
    Bike
    1982 Suzuki GS1100GK, 2008 KLR650
    Location
    Wallaceville, Upper hutt
    Posts
    5,049
    Blog Entries
    4
    ok -REdesigned. devil is in the details.
    it's not a bad thing till you throw a KLR into the mix.
    those cheap ass bitches can do anything with ductape.
    (PostalDave on ADVrider)

  10. #1150
    Join Date
    10th February 2005 - 20:25
    Bike
    1944 RE 1
    Location
    Auckland, New Zealand.
    Posts
    2,243
    Sorry if this has already been posted, but this Polish guy (Kuzmicki) who was a real development engineer (as opposed to the official ones) deserves to be honoured!
    http://thevintagent.blogspot.co.nz/2...on-squish.html

    UPDATE :-This is the full article on Kuzmicki, (the guy Husa mentioned).
    Strokers Galore!

  11. #1151
    Join Date
    19th October 2014 - 17:49
    Bike
    whatever I can get running - dirt/track/
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    382
    Here's the Piper 8v head

    http://www.eurospares.com/graphics/piperhonda2.jpg

    and here is the Lyster Honda

    http://www.eurospares.com/graphics/H...ysterHonda.jpg
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	piperhonda2.jpg 
Views:	65 
Size:	322.2 KB 
ID:	327732   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	LysterHonda.jpg 
Views:	93 
Size:	377.7 KB 
ID:	327733  

  12. #1152
    Join Date
    19th October 2014 - 17:49
    Bike
    whatever I can get running - dirt/track/
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    382
    You may like this article on the Zimmerman rotary valve 250
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Zimmerman250CycleMar1966001a2a.jpg 
Views:	74 
Size:	749.0 KB 
ID:	327734   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Zimmerman250CycleMar1966003a.jpg 
Views:	67 
Size:	433.2 KB 
ID:	327735   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Zimmerman250CycleMar1966004a.jpg 
Views:	67 
Size:	511.0 KB 
ID:	327736   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Zimmerman250CycleMar1966005a.jpg 
Views:	50 
Size:	460.9 KB 
ID:	327737  

  13. #1153
    Join Date
    13th June 2010 - 17:47
    Bike
    Exercycle
    Location
    Out in the cold
    Posts
    5,624
    Thanks for that pic of the Lyster Honda Michael. I thought I'd seen all the pics on your site but I'd never seen that one.
    I also didn't know the bike had ever made it past testing...but that's obviously a meeting.
    Shows up two things I'd already struck. The frame is long enough to fit damm near anything - probably is to the same dimensions as the Imp with it's separate gearbox. Note the big gap behind the motor...I think I can fit a small battery in there.
    And although that version has low pipes, the frame downtubes are in the wrong place...It's even more difficult with a standard head casting.

    As for the Piper Honda heads, you do wonder how many were made...Given the CB twins were flavour of the decade for UK Classic racing, you'd think at least one of those heads would have appeared - if only for sale.

  14. #1154
    Join Date
    10th February 2005 - 20:25
    Bike
    1944 RE 1
    Location
    Auckland, New Zealand.
    Posts
    2,243
    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Moore View Post
    You may like this article on the Zimmerman rotary valve 250
    Why was that Zimmerman machine not publicized more in the sixties?
    Seems to me that it was at least 98% successful (as an engineering feat) but why did he not take advantage of it's success at competition? - maybe he was just happy to say that he had built a successful machine!
    Of course the whole package, ie manufacture, presentation / marketing, sales and of course establishing a name etc. had to be considered to make it a success.
    Seems to have been a great machine but in the wrong place and the wrong time - Americans then were just starting to take a real interest in bikes other than HD - (who incidentally were actually racing HD V twins at British meetings with Cal Rayborn etc on board) and the Japanese were also starting to make real inroads!
    Pity that this one couldn't have shown it's paces!

    Update : I now see that this machine was probably made in the late fifties, that's well before Japanese machines started to arrive in America, I don't believe many Americans would have been interested in small capacity machines at that time!
    Strokers Galore!

  15. #1155
    Join Date
    4th June 2013 - 10:03
    Bike
    2010, specialised bike
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    289
    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Moore View Post
    You may like this article on the Zimmerman rotary valve 250
    Yes, I liked it, thanks.

    I thought it would be about the Daniel Zimmermann disc valve!

    Didn't know about Merritt before, but wonder what became of his engine.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •