motorcycle engine

[bonedome]

It was brought up to me at a recent autocross that some 500 guys are putting 650 cc bike engines in the cars for autocross, but the guy wasn't sure where that came from. Anybody know if it's true and if so, where I can get the info on the conversion?
Thanks!
jerry

[Dave Gomberg]

There are several people working on 600cc engine projects for F500 chassis. The F500 guys hang out at eFormulaCars forums. Here is one thread that discusses the 600cc projects: http://eformulacarnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=1466

Dave

[iamuwere]

The important thing is that in Autox these are AM cars and in road racing they are FS only--these are not SCCA sanctioned activities.

[lancer360]

The research and experimenting with 600cc bike engines in F500 chassis is with the hope to eventually get them approved to run in F500. Even though I am new to the class, I live in the south so I'm crossing my fingers that they will be approved sooner rather than later. It is much easier to find a bike shop in Charlotte than a snowmobile shop!

[Xpit]

Bonedome,

Google Jay Novak and contact him . He may help you out. He is the Guru of F500`s.He experimented with this idea a few years ago.

[RussMcB]

Bonedome,

Google Jay Novak and contact him . He may help you out. He is the Guru of F500`s.He experimented with this idea a few years ago.

That's a great suggestion. Jay has also engineered a successful F1000 engine subframe (1000cc motorcycle drive train). He'd be the perfect guy to talk to.

[lancer360]

Jay has more than experimented with a 600cc in a F500 chassis. He was planning on having a completed car at the ARRC this year. He was trying to have it ready to display at the runoffs, but the timing didn't work out.

I know Clint McMahan plans on campaining a F600 in FS regionals next year also. I'm hoping I might be able to sweet talk Clint in letting me take a test drive.

[bonedome]

I'm just kinda looking around in this, and I haven't read the solo rules for anything but F5 yet...but I've seen pics of A-mod cars with engines bigger than my car and wings the size of a sliding glass patio door...so, um, how do you compete with that?

[teamfour]

I'm just kinda looking around in this, and I haven't read the solo rules for anything but F5 yet...but I've seen pics of A-mod cars with engines bigger than my car and wings the size of a sliding glass patio door...so, um, how do you compete with that?

You don't. At least not with a F500 chassis, no matter what size motor. The top Amods (i.e. Phnatom) have near $100k in development and production work.

[Evl]

I haven't read the solo rules for anything but F5 yet...so, um, how do you compete with that?

While you wouldn't be competitive in AM, if you keep the 2-stroke, you'll be competitive in FM. Always a good idea to read the rule-book _before_ building the car... I learned that one the hard/expensive way on my first car.

[bonedome]

I agree with reading the book first, I was just reacting to a suggtestion that came my way and I got interested in the concept until someone over on the eformulacar site stated that mc engined cars run with the Amod folks in autocross...I needed to hear a bit more on that before getting too involved.
j

[teamfour]

... mc engined cars run with the Amod folks in autocross...I needed to hear a bit more on that before getting too involved.
j

My post above was an opinion to your question about competing against true A-mod cars.

Most local and even regional events have very few a-mod cars. So don't let the competition thing scare you off. The main thing is to have fun and compete against yourself by improving your time over the course of the day.

Plus, setting FTD every event is kind of cool as well.

[Xpit]

I run a Xpit F4 with a Suzuki 750 Water Buffalo ( 2 stroke ) in AutoX. Its fun to drive one in AutoX and relatively cheap as well.I buy used, but good slicks.

The downside running a F car in AutoX is weather, pretty well toast if the track is wet unless you shell out for rains or, if it is raining, its damn hard to see.

The biggest is gear ratio. My car with the track ratio in it is useless on a tight short course.I cant get out of first gear. On the longer more open course giddy-up.

With this being said you will need to buy extra primary and rear sprockets. AutoX isn`t like RR where you pretty well know what ratio to run and with cars with gearboxes that you just remove a cover and re and re a gearset if you missed.

The one way I do it is I have a selection of primary gears and I leave the diff gear in.

You may want to reconsider taking out the snowmobile engine re shifting doing AutoX. I would love to be able to keep both hands on the wheel the whole course and left foot brake instead of grabbing gears.

Go on the SportRacer.net website. Those guys over there run the MC powered cars. I got some help on gearing from them. It will be a hit and miss the first few times but you will find one setup that will work on all types of courses.

Good Luck