Not the whole car, just the engine.
I'm considering a new project using a specific donor that has an unsuitable enigne and gearbox as standard. It does seem that the other bits
would go nicely in a BEC, but as a complete newcomer to the whole bike thing (I've never been on a motorbike, and I'm not about to start
now) I have no idea what I would need to pay for a suitable engine.
I don't need the best, or most powerful engine, just something that would prove the concept and could maybe be changed for something fancier
later
TIA
[Edited on 30/8/08 by mr henderson]
How about something like a ZX9R?? I sold one to a fellow locostbuilder for £350 with loom, fuses, relays etc. Just needed clocks and i think ECU so maybe £400ish all in which seems to be about the going rate. Maybe £600 - £700 should get you an R1 package.
ZX9R and the older Honda Fireblade engines look to be a fairly cheap option
Malc recently had an R1 package for sale at £800. You can probably get cheaper, but his engines are generally very low mileage and come with all the
parts you need (and he's really helpful too).
Drop him a u2u (Yorkshire Engines) and he'll robably either have or be able to source what you need.
I suppose there is also the question of age and condition to consider. From the 'weight of an engine' thread it has been shown that bike
engines do not last as well as car engines, so is there a way of checking the condition of a bike engine?
John
Just checking for damage around the typical scratch/drop areas. Engine mount points etc and other fragile areas. On 'blade engines, the outlet
from the block just above the Oil Filter has a spur dropping down with a 1/2" rubber pipe attached. This casting is made of aluminium and is a
weak area on this bike. If it is mildy/badly corroded knock £90 off the price for a replacement. Apart from that generally - all bike engines are very
reliable. The lower the mileage the better. They are designed to be driven very hard afterall.
Honestly, the one's who have had problems with their bike engines (clutches/gear box's) are the engines that have probably been abused in
their former life. This is generally caused by the racers who not only clutchless shift up, but down also. This really nerfs the dogs. The same engine
in a Car is really going to find it's weakest area and result in a premature failure. As you cant look at the dogs on the g'box when you buy
it, it's a gamble. We had a problem with the 'blade g'box but the Kwak 12R not one problem - it really is built well. I would
personally go for a ZX9. You should pick one up for under £500.
Steve
i once bought a zx9 lump on ebay for £200.
i once bought a zx9 lump on ebay for £200.
just tried out our locost last week fitted with a ZX9R C2. I too have no prior experience with bikes. I was shocked how much grunt this little unit
supplies.
I paid £450 including wiring loom for a 5000 mile unit. I also had to replace the generator cover which had scrape marks on it (dealer part £90).
The general concensus is that the gearbox is weaker on the C model than the later E series engines, but the C is on carbs, and produces slightly more
power.
hope this helps
quote:
Originally posted by ginger ninja
just tried out our locost last week fitted with a ZX9R C2. I too have no prior experience with bikes. I was shocked how much grunt this little unit supplies.
I paid £450 including wiring loom for a 5000 mile unit. I also had to replace the generator cover which had scrape marks on it (dealer part £90).
The general concensus is that the gearbox is weaker on the C model than the later E series engines, but the C is on carbs, and produces slightly more power.
hope this helps
because he was an awfully nice chap I met in a pub and he told me so as he was lifting it out of his boot in a dark alley....said his name was
Smith......
Seriously, I cannot confirm this but bought it from a trustworthy? bike salvage company, who were willing to offer a rather limited guarantee ( dont
know if that was worth diddly squat if anything had been wrong ). But I didn't know anybody who happened to be selling one, and the only other
safe bet being a brand new one. The milage seemed plausible when I bought it since it was a max. of 18 months old. It also looked very clean - no
rust anywhere or signs of electrolytic froth.
If it is a clunker, i'd love to see what a good one goes like !!