Several custom bikes have recently shown up with 4 cylinder V-Quad engines, essentially 2 Harley Davidson V-Twins joined at the hip. OCC built their Intel chopper, Carl Brouhard built a twin turbo version and there are probably a few others.
Got a note yesterday from Tim, who sent me the link to Nelson Engineering, makers of the particular V-Quad used in these bikes. Greg Nelson is a former HD engineer who decided to bolt a couple of engines together and after machining a few parts, did exactly that. He said the first one fired right up and he has since refined the engine a bit, set up a supply chain and you can order one if you have the desire to put a really big engine in your own custom, bike, go kart, or whatever else you might have in mind.
Specs are 214 cubic inches, 250 horse power, dual 45mm Mikuni carbs, 225 lb. ft. of torque and the prototype, which was a mere 160 inches, gets 40 mpg.
I’m a little unsure how well air cooled V4s work, though Greg says he has one in a bike he rides all the time. It may not be really practical but it looks interesting.
Thanks for the tip, Tim.
Link: Nelson Engineering
Related:Harley Davidson V4 Nova
Related:Twindian
Related: Peregrine V4
{ 17 comments… add yours below ... }
I have something VERY similar on my Interceptor.
I need to get 2 of these , make a V8 out of it and put it in a modern trike .
SWEET..
Wow, a V4! What a novel idea…
YOU KNOW, THE HARLEY GUYS WILL CALL THIS A REVOLUION, BUT JAPAN ALREADY CALLS THIS THE V-MAX
heat won’t be much of a problem, neither will reliability if you don’t get on the throtle very often (hence the 40mpg claim). My neighbor’s old ‘69 Saab had a motor like this in it though a little smaller and without all the made-in-china looking chrome.
-todd
As correctly pointed out ny Kneeslider, there have been variants of the V-quad motors. I have been looking at the possibility of mating two Feuling W-3 motors,
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2005/03/31/jim-feuling/
I’m a Harley guy, and I call it nothing new. There is not much that has not been done or tried one time or another. Hence the Feuling W3,Busa V8, Radial engine, ever see the CBX V12! I guess it’s just your lame attemp to try and knock Harelys huh OTTAMAN?
Okay, for the true harley lovers, it is not a v-Quad motor, but two harley motors:
http://www.twintrax.de/
250 hp from 3.5 liters really isn’t that impressive, especially for an engine not subject to regular emissions.
Somebody just built it for fun. It is pretty cool on a chopper—especially a non-metric chopper. After all they did sell one to OCC and like it or not, those guys are milloinaires with their craziness. Speaking of craziness, how about the Viper bike that has four wheels. Now is that really a bike? Actually no. It’s a skinny quad runner that happens to go faster than anyone wants to drive it.
HEY JUSTPETE, RELAX AND DONT TAKE IT SO PERSONAL, IAM ALSO A HARLEY GUY ALSO A YAMAHA GUY, ABIG DOG GUY , AND AV.W.TRIKE GUY . IT WAS DEFENALLY MENT IT AS A JOKE .
P.S.S HAS ANY ONE HEARD WHAT HARLEY HAS DONE WITH THE NOVA?
I always liked the sound and power of a V4 (V65 Magna, VMax, Interceptor etc) and I would like to hear this Harley Quad !
In my opinon this is the direction that Harley should go. I quit riding Harleys ’cause they don’t run with the fast bunch anymore.
Ottoman: If I take up a collection, could we buy you a keyboard with lowercase?
FORGIVE ME, JASON . I,AM VERY NEW TO COMPUTERS. ALSO TYPING I HAVE KNOW IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.
In one word “Awesome” and 250 of HP that will certainly launch you up!!
Is there no video of hearing the sound??
that is the coolest motor ever.
GO KAWASAKI!
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