In NZ here we have a new single seat racing formula:
http://www.formulasuzuki.co.nz/index.html
I had a good look at one of these cars last month and I noticed a lot of details that would be really useful in building a midi sportscar. They are
built using Suzuki production parts extensively including uprights from a common small hatch and a standard Hayabusa engine.
But the feature I was most impressed with was the way they have mounted the bike engine North-South and linked it to a front drive diff from the 4WD
Vitara (Escudo). The Vitara front diff has the diff off-set to one side, and this offset matches the way the drive comes off the motorcycle gearbox,
so that the engine itself becomes pretty much centrally placed in the car.
This is a tidy layout that enables a motorcycle engine to be used in a midi without a chain drive.
The resulting overall gear ratios might be a bit low for road use though, I guess.
your post is very interesting. do you have any pics of the engine layout and in particular the mating to the diff unit.
Plenty of pics in the gallery on the site.
These are the two best pics. Kind of hard to see, but it looks like they have a chain straight off the engine, running sideways to a traditional
differential. Interesting...
http://www.formulasuzuki.sportpromedia.com/090215_Pukeko
he/pages/PB9E0039_SGriffiths.htm
http://www.formulasuzuki.sportpromedia.com/090215_Pukeko
he/pages/PB9E0040_RRollinson.htm
[Edited on 1/2/10 by kb58]
I think it is a direct connection with some sort of joint to allow for minor misalignment. I am pretty sure that the disc that looks like a sprocket in the photo linked above is a ring gear for a starter motor to work on to give a reverse gear (required in some racing codes).
My mate sells a "drive box" for Autograss Specials. The input for these is a cup/socket machined to accept the sprocket of the relevant bike engine. May be something similar used on the diff here?
quote:
Originally posted by Ratman
I think it is a direct connection with some sort of joint to allow for minor misalignment. I am pretty sure that the disc that looks like a sprocket in the photo linked above is a ring gear for a starter motor to work on to give a reverse gear (required in some racing codes).