Radical Extreme Sports Cars started building race cars powered by superbike engines back in 1996. They began using Suzuki engines and it looks like they have been fairly successful. Their latest creation, the SR8, goes a step farther. Instead of just dropping in a complete engine, they built a V8 by grafting two Hayabusa engines together. So far the figures are 372hp and the … [Read more...]
Most powerful diesel
I have to mention engines again since I saw this. This turbo diesel comes in multiple versions from 6 to 14 cylinders and is a bit larger than most. Bore 38 inches, stroke 98 inches, each cylinder displaces 111,143 cubic inches. Each cylinder produces 7780 horsepower. The pictures are amazing, the photo on the right here shows a section of the crankshaft and that little green … [Read more...]
The universal engine
Over the last week or so I've been thinking and writing about motorcycle engines and I came across this series of columns by Marc Cook over at AVweb. Being an aviation web site his columns look at engines from that perspective and he examines the actual differences between motorcycle and airplane engines and the reasons why they're different. It's good information. As I … [Read more...]
Old motorcycles and motorcycle engines
It's probably apparent that I like motorcycle engines. Old motorcycles and motorcycle engines are especially neat because there was such a wide variation in their design and appearance. Today, many engines are hard to distinguish from one another. As I was looking for something else I came across this web site, the Wolverhampton Museum of Industry in England. Now I admit I … [Read more...]
48 cylinder motorcycle engine
No sooner do I mention motorcycle engines up to 8 cylinders and someone points out a 12 cylinder made from two inline sixes. OK, today I come across this, this ... oh heck I don't know what this is. 48 cylinders! I would chalk this up to Photoshop but there's a video on the website. Hmm... … [Read more...]
Hydrogen engines
Yesterday's post about engines led to a comment by Doug Staab who wondered what a hydrogen engine would sound like. Well, it might sound a lot like the engines we already run. Some college students, way back in 1972, converted a Gremlin to run on hydrogen and the engine they used was a transplanted Boss 351 from Ford. The exhaust was water vapor and it actually was cleaner than … [Read more...]