hi all, i,ve asked this question on Haynes roadster forum also & would just like your idea,s etc if this would work ok.

i have a tatty honda vfr750 that i,ve owned for a few years as a runabout, as said, bike is tatty but engine is spot on, so would this go into a Haynes Roadster?
building said car on a budget so as i have the bike already it would "free" to me, i know its not got the bhp of blades etc & being a v4 the engine/exhaust layout would be a challenge so your advice & input would be greatly welcomed.
cheers
andy

there is a guy from greece or somewhere that is on here a lot, he built one with that engine and it seems to work fine.

exhaust will be expensive, as you will need two manifold (v4 configuration)

also you will need to budget for the electric reverse a bec requires to get throught the new IVA (unless you finish it before april 09??)

[Edited on 12/1/09 by Dangle_kt]

Do it, specially for free, but you could be slightly dissapointed at the result, it's going to have to work very hard to keep up with other BEC's.
Some have used the pan euro v4 , more power but less revs, so no reason why not.

thanks for input.
forgot about elec reverse, how much would i need to budget for that?
as for the exhaust, i thought i could use the original down pipes( with extensions scratch built) into original collector box then with scratch built pipe to the original end can, i used to race bikes so know firms that fabricate one - off bike exhausts, basically v4 exhaust= 4into2 into 1.
smiles. i don,t think i,d ever keep up with other bec,s but as the engine is renowned for reliability but not high bhp thought it might be ok? my train of thought is this..
similar bhp to a pinto/cvh but half the weight & its free( alas reverse cost query ).
thanks
andy

Good torque and mid range, should make it a very good engine in a BEC. BHP isn't everything.

Do a search on electric reverse, you will need to fabricate some sort of system for engaging and disegaging a starter motor or similar electric motor. Could be done cheaply, if you have the skills, it will be a bit feeble, but will get you through the IVA test.

I dont, so if I miss the april deadline it will cost me a good few hundred for the parts, and then a few more to get someone to fit it - mine is a live axle config, which makes it all a lot harder - sierra diff would make it easier for fitting reverse

hi, just been gathering info on specs of the vfr engine, 100-104 bhp & 53ftlb torque

a blade engine subject to year ranges from 124bhp with 65ftlb torque to 175bhp with 85ftlb torque.

i,m being honest with myself, if i use my vfr engine it won,t set tarmac on fire but i think it,ll be fairly quick & also as its not as high revving as superbike engines should be less stressed, honda got it right with this v4 engine, gear driven cams etc, nice carb layout in the V of the engine & strong gearbox.
lol i,ve just persuaded myself to use it in my car.
now start looking at electric reverse thingy.
cheers
andy

Of course you should go for it.

(53lbft and a lack of high-revvyness means you wont be able to get up hills and youll need a mate to push you to get it going off your drive)

But if you build it from carbon and only drive it down hill then itll be great fun

craig are you saying this engine doesn,t have enough power? honestly i,m not sure if this would work in the roadster, i,m only 11 stone so with weight of car & me would it be too slow & too sluggish to make it worth while.
thanks
andy

Nah I'm only teasing you mate. I'm putting a big vauxhall lump in mine so what would I know.

BECs will always generally suffer from low torque, and you may well have problems with hill starts but so does everyone else (unless youve got a turboed hayabusa or something ).

Make sure you save weight wherever you can and it'll be fine. You're not after 0-60 in 1 second, and it'll definitely be a giggle once its on the road.

cheers craig, no not looking for 0-60 in 1 sec just this is my first build & working to a tight budget, i have this vfr 750 in my garage that i,ve used for a few years & would be happy to donate the engine into my roadster ( the bikes tatty but engine is spot on ) but only if its worth doing just to get a car completed & on the road within my budget, once car is on the road i could always upgrade to a better engine in the future as funds allow.
cheers
andy

Have a look at this car using VFR750

http://www.briery.com/vortex/index.html

If you use the engine I would be interested in your old frame and rear end. Bent mine!

designer
thanks for that link, unusual vehicle, not sure if i,d leave the airbox in the original place, poss create seperate air box / ram air to pressurise the air box as it would be a distance from the carbs, might be a challenge for me but the idea of a BEC V4 Roadster sounds quite appealing.
if i do use the engine then you can have first option on the chassis / rest of the bike. to be honest its only the bodywork that is tatty, mechanicals all work ok.
cheers
andy