H16 engine by Andreas Georgeades from 4 YZF600 engine top ends
Andreas Georgeades, our favorite example of old school garage wizardry, the man behind the V12 CBX, as well as several Ferrari engined motorcycles, is at it again. Working in the same small garage workshop, he's building a new engine, an H16, a 16 cylinder engine consisting of two flat 8 cylinder boxers engines stacked on top of one another and joined by a common drive gear linking the two crankshafts. Its design is much like the old Formula One engines built by BRM in the 1960s.
H16 engine by Andreas Georgeades placed to check position and measurements with frame
The new engine is using cylinders and heads from four Yamaha YZF600 engines attached to custom machined crankcases. It will run four Dellorto carburetors. He's using pieces from a CBX clutch and a slipper clutch from a Honda VF1000R. The frame will be a much modified GSX-R with a 58 inch wheelbase, only a few inches more than stock.
Old school mark and measure before machining
He is strictly old school, measuring, marking and machining, no computer controlled anything. He thinks it through, sketches it out and goes to work. I can't begin to get my head around this. If he was any other guy who said he was going to build an H16 in his garage, everyone would roll their eyes and walk away, but Andreas, whose V12 CBX was constructed exactly the same way is already well along in the process. Absolutely astounding.
Crankcase after initial machining
There are no predictions about when the bike will be finished, but judging from what we can see here, we can expect steady progress in the coming months and one day another amazing engine will come to life and then a spectacular bike will hit the road. I am in awe of this man's skill.
Thank you Rémi for the tip.
Be sure to watch the videos below to see Andreas explaining what he's doing:
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow. I have trouble sorting out whether something like this would even be possible THEORETICALLY and this guy goes out and does it over and over.
And here I was feeling pretty good about my mechanical abilities, because I’m about to replace my fork springs.
My mind, it is blown.
Sometimes I pull up the old BRM 16 cyl youtube videos just to cheer myself up. This is awesome!
Funny, I do just the same! The sound of a 16 cylinder is just amazing.
I wonder if this “double-boxer” sounds the same.
Sort of a punched up version of a Brough Superior Golden Dream. It would be incredibly smooth and I don’t know if you could ever really get out of the power band with 16 cylinders. I would assume that he is going to time the cranks so that each cylinder bank on the upper and lower will be opposed diagonally to one another to cancel out vibration. Another thing that comes to mind would be the bed of snakes the exhaust system is going to be. Overall, quite a concept and at 2400cc I don’t think many would be able to compete in the straights.
Un- freakin believable… Now, lets see… I already have two Kawi ZG1000, an unheated storage unit, no electricity… Yep, I could do it!
come to think of it, just a boxer 8 in its own right would be awesome
I thought the same (I’d prefer it). It appears going beyond the V12 project in terms of cylinders is one of the goals.
“Boxer” is mentioned. Does each cylinder have its own crank pin or is this a pair of 180-degree 8′s in keeping with Ferrari’s approach with their flat 12?
The crank case shows one of the crankshafts, and it has four journals… driving 8 pistons, that would make it a 180-degree Vee, which is not a true boxer, and in common with a Ferrari flat 12.
Opposed pistons do not rise or fall together, the are inverse, joined to the same crank journal.
This thing is going to be a complex beast. Where is all of the induction, all of the ignition coils and wires, all of the exhaust, and all of the fuel this thing will burn, going to go?
This would be an ambitious space-planning issue in a CAR, let alone on a bike.
A flat 8 would have been impressive enough. A V12 CBX is very cool, and I hope someone like this, or maybe Hartley (of Hayabusa-based V8 fame) could join two BMW K1600 inline 6 engines together into a flat or V12.
But re-creating the H16, like the aforementioned BRM open-wheel race car, but on a BIKE… is way, way over the top. If he gets it working… more kudos to him for it!
You’re both correct, it’s not a boxer. I was a incorrect on my terminology.
That’s just wicked. I want one. I would be scared to ride it, but it would be fun to fire it up and rev it.
Damn, now I want a flat 8 for my VW Beetle. (Nuts I just realized that to make a Boxer I would need a custom crank, oh well, I can dream.)
The H is abso-friggin-lutely insane, I hope it works out.
That block in “machinist’s blue” is friggin awesome, I wonder if it was spray painted on?
And I thought the Aerial Square Four was innovative ….
Tsk, tsk, only 16 cylinders? See http://www.khulsey.com/masters/napier-sabre-24-aero-engine-m-ouchi.jpeg and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napier_Sabre
A fantastic project and I wish him all the best. There is a certain madness about it – a flat 8 would be ample, but as they say you never know when you’ve got enough until you’ve got too much.
The BRM H16 for the new 3 litre formula one rules was not a success – although very powerful at 420bhp it was heavy and plagued by vibration problems. jackie Stewart once said of this engine ” as a Formula One engine it makes a great boat anchor”
The first year of the new formula was won by the Repco Brabham which was based on an Oldsmobile stock block and had 300bhp and about a quarter the number of components.
The Napier Sabre H24 was also not a success and took a massive amount of development before reliability problems were overcome.
Best of luck with this project even though it takes excess to a new level of madness!
This is insane – in a good way. I am chuckling and quite impressed at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClGtSj2iLeU&list=PLACB8B3E44D0C1085&index=6&feature=plpp_video
And here
So what exactly constitutes a boxer? 180-degree opposed pistons that rise and fall together?
Meaning a 180-degree Vee, as mentioned by BoxerFanatic, is a “flat” or “pancake” engine but not necessarily a boxer?
At 180 degrees it’s not a “V” anymore?
The engine is called “H” because of two stacked 180* opposed banks of four connected by the crank, right?
boxer: each piston has its own crank pin so the pistons opposite one another move in the same stroke.
flat: pairs of pistons share a single crank pin, so there is no way they rise and fall together. I believe the “v” designation is due to many early v engines sharing a crank pin.
A flat engine should be narrower than a boxer
clarification…
the boxer’s pistons move together in their opposite cylinders, always equal distances from TDC or BDC, but a single crank pin can’t do that in a flattened v (180)
Google the two and look at the images/simulations
WW2 era Zündapp twins were also considered boxers, even though technicaly it’s a very flat V design of 170 degrees.
It’s quite an amazing project, if successful it might get the Greeks out of their economic slump
I wonder if a 16 cyl 2,4L monster engine isn’t a bit over the top; of course as a one-off project it’s more than impressive.
But try using the Honda 250cc inline four instead – a 1000cc H16 would be smaller, lighter and thus enable the builder to create a more controllable bike with better handling which should still be able to produce 180 hp+.
After seeing this H16 it should be child’s play for Triumph to build a 1350cc 90* V6 based on the 675 triple?
I like the way you think Klaus. A 1000cc H16! A 1350cc V6… a Triumph version of the Laverda! I would like to see that mounted longitudinally in a sporty frame.
Someone please tell me he’s at least using a manual mill or lathe.
This reminds me of the Napier Sabre H-24 sleeve valve engine for the Tempest.
It will be exciting to watch this come together. I intend to keep track of it.
@ Klaus…A small correction…Andreas Georgeades is South African, although I believe he lives in the States now, San Diego I think.
Yes he does.
as I said in a previous post, this is the same guy who built a 4 cylinder honda racebike (honda car engine) about 2 years before the first CB750. still at it 40 years later!
p.s.: unless he’s moved, still in toronto. dunno.
just saw youtube on his V-12. no palm trees in toronto. my bad!
The H16 engine is fascinating but what I really want to see is how he’s gonna mount that engine, incorporate all the plumbing, intake and exhaust plus suspension and still leave enough room to squeeze in a reasonable riding position
If you’ve seen his other work, you shouldn’t be concerned.
Not concerned, just curious
I’ve seen his work in person when he built the Ferrari Bike in the late 80′s. Not a concern.