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Motus KMV4 Engine Gets Hot Rod Attention

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Katech Motus KMV4 powered dune buggy
Katech Motus KMV4 powered dune buggy

In previous write ups on the Motus, we’ve mentioned how this little pushrod KMV4 engine has all the makings of becoming a real favorite of garage hot rodders who see lots of potential in the little beast. It’s built to take advantage of well known techniques for getting perfomance far beyond what comes from the factory. Looks like Hot Rod magazine is noticing, too, because in the September issue, they have an article about the engine that looks no different than something they would write when reporting on the powerplant in the latest Corvette.

I remember a discussion with Brian Case when he mentioned their test mule. I had never seen a photo, but in the article in Hot Rod, there it was. Katech pulled the 40 hp VW engine from an old dune buggy and replaced it with the 160 hp KMV4. Nothing like your basic engine swap to boost performance!

This points out an advantage Motus has that some other new bike makers might lack, they have a market for crate engines and as they’ve indicated, there’s a lot of interest in the engine for applications of all types. I’ll be really curious to see what builders do with it.

Posted on Filed Under: Engines

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Comments

  3. A Manx is kind of a hoot at 40hp. At 160hp….I start thinking about actual seatbelts.

  5. Back when the Manx was the dune buggy everybody wanted, owners were putting everything from Corvair engines to Chevy small-blocks in them, using the wide selection of engine-swap kits available at the time. The Motus is a perfect fit in a long tradition of rodding the fun little fiberglass buggy, and probably will make it run better than anything they did in the 60s. I would install a good, “real” roll cage and racing harnesses, though. As light as a Manx is, it’s still more than your neck can hold up.

  6. That looks fun. 140hp isn’t outrageous these days for a 1.6L engine, but 120 ftlb of torque is pretty nice for an engine that size. I’d love this in something as light as a Manx.

  7. I’d like to see this motor make it’s way into the NHRA junior dragster classes.

  8. I think a Lotus 7 replica and first gen Miata would rock with the Motus engine. They say its been designed to enabled a fairly large overbore as well. Both would be awesome!

  10. They needed to plumb a radiator for it, likely. Looks silly fun but for some weird reason I’d still prefer the VW motor. It’s easy enough to get 3 times the original 40-50hp out of them and it would retain the authentic look. Otherwise great to see the choice of a forgotten icon.

    I’d keep the KMV4 in the motorcycle.

    -todd

  11. I think some car guys will be all over this. Like Shawn mentioned, a Lotus 7 or Miata would be great, but the possibilities are endless. The improvement in sound alone over most any of the little engines this would replace would be worth the effort. You wouldn’t have to hot rod the heck out of it either, it would make for a satisfying ride as is plus it would have a great exhaust note.

    Homebuilt airplanes, boats, just look around and ideas will come to you.

    I’m waiting for a custom bike of some sort, it doesn’t have to be a “comfortable sport bike” like Motus is building, the KMV4 has lots of power in a compact package so it could be a nice touring bike, too. The engine is a strong product all by itself.

  12. I wonder how amenable this little engine would be to boost, either from a supercharger or turbo. Hopefully it is offered as a crate engine for a reasonable cost.

    • Cost will depend on if they go by motorcycle crate engine prices, or car crate engine prices. Can get 4x the engine as an S&S for half the price, so I guess we have to wait and see what direction they go in.

  14. I want one for my Blackjack Zero trike. Any idea what a crate engine might cost?

  15. This engine is perfect for the crate engine scene. Much too big for a bike, in my opinion. I’d much prefer a smaller displacement (400 to 600 cc’s) for a motorcycle. They could have a huge crate engine following even in that size. I can’t wait to see who puts this crate engine in an aircraft first.

  16. I would love to see this mill popped in a small formula or sports racing car. The torque numbers are really sweet, and putting this in a small formula car like a Jedi or a sports racer like a Stohr would be so cool, though I’m sure sporting regulations would need to be re-written to allow it to race.

  17. How about getting a lil more hp…say 200hp and then dropping it into a stripped out 914 street car, backed up with a 915 trans so that it can shift reasonably well? This motor has caught my eye for some time now. Also my buddy is an advid off-roader. He would like to drop one into a tube buggy backed up with an GM auto of some kind. Built Toyota axles and no more than 35″ tires. XRRA here we come!! Now where is that trans adapter at…

    • Mugsy, as in Mr Mike! I knew you’d be all over this motor! The 914 reference gave it away!

  18. I did a Hayabusa conversion for my Baby Grand National about 6 years ago that turned out really well.

    I am thinking that this would be the ultimate engine for that car!

    Mark L.

  19. Maybe I’m thinking not so out of the box, like Honda… but a market exists for generators, and you could make a heck of a generator with that sort of power.

  20. Azzy has the idea — if Motus can build a version for relatively low cost; detuned for generators, pumps, air compressors, and other portable power, there would be a huge market. The engine is simple and easy to repair if it ever needs fixing, and in a lesser stage of tune it would run forever and provide good economy. Think backup generators powered by natural gas for homes in areas prone to power outages (sure to be more prevalent as the climate heats up) — there’s a huge untapped market right there. The portable-power segment is big enough that the tooling and manufacturing costs would quickly be amortized, and with volume production, prices would be low as well. The boys at Motus have a power-to-the people mentality, and this fits right in. Remember Colin Chapman’s first engine was adapted from a unit used to pump water for firefighting; Powell Crosley bought a bunch of surplus engines used during WWII to operate gun turrets on Air Force bombers; and Triumph recycled engines it built to run generator sets on RAF bombers. Motus can do a similar thing in reverse — get its engines out there in quantity and make lots of money to build bikes.

  21. The first thing that comes to mind for me when talking about putting this engine in a car, is the new Subaru/Toyota collaboration. A small, light, FR sports car. I’d LOVE to see the KMV4 in a little sports car.

  22. I agree with a lot of these comments.

    I’d like to see a lot more V4 engines. I’d like to see a small 500-600cc motorcycle V4 and I’d like to see a bruiser of a V4 (2.5-3.0 liters). All with the same simple valvetrain design and fancy direct injection.

  23. For the amount of money that this engine would have probably cost, the buggy owner could’ve built an air-cooled VW engine up to make 160hp, either Type 1 or Type 4. Having said that, this is a very exciting engine. I would love to own one some day. Mine would go into a small hot rod, probably based on an Austin or similar 1930s English car. If they could sell these V4s as a crate engine for the same price as a 350 Chevy small block crate engine then I would be all over it. Only half the cylinders but you save a considerable amount of weight and keep it nice and compact.

  24. I’d love to be able to buy one of these engines. A FSAE car with a hot rod style would be perfect for this engine. I’d turbo it, and possibly look at boring it out as well. With moderate boost you could get over 200 hp and the torque is ridiculous to start with.

    I’d also want to do a bobber with one of those engines, with sportbike suspension. They need to have somebody make a big muscley raw bike with this engine.

  25. this engine as already posted here started as a car engine, it is a spin off from a SCAT V4 used in USAC midget cars….basically half a chevy v8….i’d like to see a Kenyon V8 in a street car, its two suzuki gsxr engines mated together to make a aircooled v8…someone did a ‘busa engine on here too.

    • Pretty sure you’re thinking of the Hartley V8. 400-500 hp NA from less than 3 liters. Only problem is that it becomes a $35K engine at that point. Oh, but the SOUND.

      • So what about two Motus V4s mated inline to run as a V8? Would it be equivalent to a flat-plane crank I wonder… I’d like a small flat-plane crank V8 in my 1969 Kombi.