Comments on: Radial Engine Motorcycle #2

By: 1966norton boy

1966norton boy — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:28:14 +0000

man this is an engeneering marval…
u can fix head both vertically & horizontally…
its cool…
iam not lucky like you guys …
but some day i will catch u…….

By: Mark McCausland

Mark McCausland — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:11:30 +0000

I believe that those engines are made to spin in an aiplane but on these bikes they stay where they are and the shaft spins. Is this correct? Also, would they be using only a few of the cylinders or all of them?

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 20:20:33 +0000

These Radial powered bikes are great. My own fantasy is to build a monster airboat with an R-2800, R-3350, or incredibly a R-4360 on it and blast down the Sacramento River from Sacramento to San Francisco. The sound would probably give me a coronary!

By: Tim

Tim — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 22:59:31 +0000

The question about the 6 O clock cyl and the oil build up.

The Cyls. on a radial engine have a long skirt and the scavenge pump picks up the oil leftovers while running.

If the engine is left Idle for a long time, the oil will drain past the pistons in the lower cyls, and can cause a hydraulic lock on start up.
Aircraft engines of this type must be turned over by hand before starting.

By: Phil Marks

Phil Marks — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 23:50:31 +0000

Response to Scott, May 20th:
Jay Leno thinks you guys were on the RIGHT track and wrote a cheque to back it up! He runs a bike with a helicopter turbine power plant. I’m not sure if it’s a P&W, Allison or what, but according to his column in Octane magazine, it is fully functional and road-legal. Hot exhaust tends to melt plastic bumpers on cars behind him at the lights. YAHOO!