Interesting “Use” of an FJ Head

[fj1289]

I've been poking around on 750Turbo.com - site for Kawasaki 750 turbos.  The moderator there is the rider for a compound turbo funny bike named Storm.  While looking at the website found this:



From the website (https://stormdragbike.co.uk/blog/?page_id=2)
Storm uses a Top Fuel style engine with a Puma crank and a custom made 16 valve cylinder head. The head is made from a special alloy stronger than valve seat material, so needs no seat inserts or skulls.

A little background - Puma engines are common in top fuel - they are based on FJ bore centers.  This is the first one I've seen running a four valve head.  Cool they used the cam towers from the FJ.  Really freaking cool no need for valve seats - no seats to "drop" or other issues.   Wonder how much one would cost .....!

[ribbert]

.....Even with all of their flaws, I can admire the rotary piston engines (such as the WW-1 Le Rhone) where every piece of the engine moves in a perfect circle, and no part of the engine ever reverses direction.  

Problem is Red, the flaws were inherent in the design. You say only electric motors have achieved that, what about turbines?

I like this snippet:

"During one hour of flight time, the Le Rhône engine sprayed over two gallons of castor oil into the air. With the engine rotating and open cockpits, pilots found themselves covered in oil and often sick from the laxative effects of castor oil."


Noel

[Motofun]

A little background - Puma engines are common in top fuel - they are based on FJ bore centers.  This is the first one I've seen running a four valve head.  Cool they used the cam towers from the FJ.  Really freaking cool no need for valve seats - no seats to "drop" or other issues.   Wonder how much one would cost .....!

As the saying goes, "If you have to ask....."

[red]

Red - ought to get you in touch with Frank (Frank06 on suzukihayabusa.org) - he's been dabbling a "little" in electric conversions: https://www.dragbike.com/lta-electric-street-bike-breaks-200-mph/
I'm interested in the electrics too!  Have two motors picked up on the cheap locally - but not really suitable for the speeds I was hoping to work up to - but would be an awesome replacement for the 250cc scooter motor in the little dune buggy....  Either way - I really appreciate the ingenuity and craftsmanship in all these endeavors!
But, I'm not sure I really want to try a fixed crankshaft/spinning engine case/cylinders in ANYTHING!  The torque reaction is a bit too much to deal with!  Except for maybe in a tractor ...  Yeah - the cost thing - that slowed my roll on the electrics too!  Controllers and batteries (good ones) are pricey!

Noel,

Yeah, I know about the castor oil issue, but I believe we could design that problem away, now.

FJ1289,

Yeah, the gyroscopic effects would need some help, maybe as two smaller, counter-rotating engines, light in weight, and (for a bike) maybe gimbal-mounted.  I have seen a design for a motor speed-controller made from junkyard parts, just an old starter and a generator, to do the job.  Semiconductors are neat, but as you say, pricey.  In the near future, the new Solid-State batteries going into VW and Toyota hybrids are a new way forward.  Check out the Briggs & Stratton electric pancake motors, too.

I like ingenuity and craftsmanship as much as anybody, but dangling some unreachable toy in front of good people is not fun, to me.  YMMV.

[Pat Conlon]

The electric's are running high 6's in the 1/4 ....Chris, are you building for the standing mile?

[fj1289]

Pat - sorta long story.  Got interested in the EV thing from the Plasma Boy White Zombie project - then looked for motorcycle DIY conversions.  About the same time my son was finishing up high school and trying to figure out what he was doing next.  Tesla offered (assume they still do) internships for EV service - I figured what better application/resume than an EV conversion project.  He wasn't ready to take that step and leave everyone/everything to go after an internship like that - oh well.  Costs of a good controller and batteries have stalled the project for now - the race bike and street bike are bigger priorities now. 

To circle around - the bike project would have been a daily driver and weekend racer mostly.  Now the EV conversion will probably be for a little Joyner 2 seat buggy project that's been setting for a while. 

[giantkiller]

Tons of tesla drives. But still too expensive.