|
The story so far... |
|
A Passion for Racing Motorcycles |
Maxsym GP600 engine(claimed weight <40kg,output 90+ HP) |
Aprilia 550cc V-twin engine
|
.JPG)
Kawasaki 650cc parallel twin engine
|
|
The 95Racer Project |
|
The idea to build this motorcycle started to take shape in September of 2005. It was the result of quite a bit of soul searching about how to replace the 1998 Ducati AMA bike. Considered replacements ranged from getting another RS bike to the ubiquitous 1000cc 4-cylinder bike such as the GSXR-1000, R1, etc. to a 600cc Supersport bike, to ZXR-400 and 250cc 2-stroke. In the end the decision was entirely a personal one as we have the luxury not to be bound by a spreadsheet based pro-con analysis. One thing we can say, especially now that the first results are in, is that we’ve made the right one. It has been a very gratifying journey so far. Once the decision to build 4-stroke equivalent of a 250cc GP bike, or as near to it as our very limited resources would allow, the most immediate question was which motor to use. It turned out that our eventual choice, the Kawasaki 650cc parallel twin, was not our first choice but certainly not a bad one. Our first choice for engines was one under development at the time by a company called Maxsym whose aim was to produce purpose built racing engines. These engines were to be available in 500cc and 600cc capacities. The attraction was that they were claimed to be very light and still have a well above average specific horsepower output. Our second choice was the then brand new Aprilia engine that was to be used in their new Supermotard and motocross bike, the RXV450 and SXV550. This engine is little jewel. It is tiny and weighs below 30kg. Another engine we considered for only short while was the Suzuki SV650 engine, but we want something fresher. In the end we chose the ER-6 engine because: · Our first choice, the Maxsym engine was deemed far too risky and this proved to be the correct decision because a full year later, this engine is still under development and it’s projected cost doesn’t leave much change from £10,000! · The Aprilia engine, after consultation with Aprilia’s racing division was not likely going to give us anywhere near the engine output we were ultimately looking for. Even the factory racers are only just breaking the 70 HP mark. Plus, at that time it was a brand new engine with some significant teething problems. · The SV650 engine while certainly capable was deemed too big and too heavy to meet our packaging and weight goals. · The Kawasaki engine was new as well but being a mass produced engine for a commuter bike, it seemed a fairly low risk path. After initial inspection it seemed to offer plenty of tuning potential and even sports a cassette gearbox. |
The Full Story |
|
Early days |