Here we go!!!!

Not saying we are going to build it, but saying "what if" we were going to build it. There are hundreds of questions, which we know must be answered, and those answers will show us many more questions.

So where do we start? Do we want to start? Do we need to start? If we start, will we ever finish? Will there be any land to use it on, if we do finish?.......Wait a minute...that's five more questions….we’ll get back to those questions later.

What does everyone think about designing a totally new engine, starting with a blank piece of paper, in virtual space? It may never get built, but then again...who knows!

There would need to be guidelines, from the start that way we would establish the direction and refer back to from time to time....maybe even revise them if needed, we may need to add new guidelines as we go along.

This will not be able to be a 5 or 6 person project, or it may as well be a one-person project, and let the person that wants to build it, do it as a one-off special.
There will need to be involvement from many different people, in many different fields of expertise. In order for this to work out, we must be able to produce the engine with today’s technology, and we must be able to sell enough of them to justify the expense of building them. They can’t be so expensive as to limit our customer base to 4, and 3 of those may be from overseas.

We may find something like, if we build it we can use a “widget” out of a 1992 Kawmahonuki TYC-425, we can save hundreds in production, and we agree that it would not make any performance difference anyway, so why not use the “widget” that is already produced.

The key would be “we agree”.

I am not sure it would ever get off of the drawing board. I’m not even sure it would ever get to a drawing board, but the process would give us an opportunity to follow the process through from the start. Even if the thread fizzles out in a few weeks, or months, maybe we can each learn one or more things from the process.

Let me know your opinion, if we can’t get the interest needed to make the decision to start, we won’t get the interest to carry it through for any time at all.

Opinions Needed!

OK Calvin, First of all I would like to put in a suggestion that this motor must shift smooth and easily as the Hondas do, no need to have alot of power if it can't be shifted. I would also like to see a long broad powerband, not one of these motors that is real peaky with only a Top End Charge to it.

<bc edit for clarification >

Thanks BC. Friggin Edit Feature timed out on me. And what are u doing about editting a post instead of ummm lets see.....CALLING ME!!!!!

V-TWIN!!!!!!!!
V-4!!!!!!!!!!

Big big holes.....

How about one of these
500 v twin 180 hp Ti pipes
Ok maybe to peaky but add a turbo or two.... hmmm?
How about a big twin like the snowmobile stuff ....1000cc wouldn't be much heaver than a cranker' maybe v twin it to make it narrow, strong gear box to handle lots-o-torque

I think I know what Calvins getting at!
For awhile I've often thought about a rotary engine design in a sand machine
the rotation torque would thrust the front end down out of the hole
the sheer rpm's of a rotary is just asking to be in the sand.
small, light weight, can take allot of boost.
could take some ideas from Mazda.

I really like the idea, I don't think we need to go over board here and must stay feasible and be able to go either dune or drag (I may just build one of these in a year). It would be nice if it was in the 150hp + range and be able to keep the motor cost no more than 7K. What do you guys think?

Gotta love those cranker's.Lots of torque and reliable.

Man graves, when someone says ultimate, you jump right out there don't ya!!!!
Ease down there big fella........That would have to be my first limiter......if it takes more than 1 revolution to produce the power I wouldn’t want to build it, and if it doesn’t go up and down, I wouldn’t know the first thing about how to make it better.

We already have the chassis out there in the garage, so it needs to fit into a known envelope; otherwise we have to build a new frame. Does someone already have the motor mount locations for a Banshee, and a TRX frame? Is there any way an engine could be built with the ability to fit into both frames, to take advantage of the aftermarket frames we already have?

I am sure some will mod the thing out to the extreme, but I am thinking maybe 160 – 180 hp as it is bolted together. We already build twins with over 230hp on gas, so the 180 hp range should not be a problem. That’s only an 800 to 900cc motor, so it would not be a reach at all! Do we need more than that, or is it going to get hard to do anything else, other that a straight line if we do go bigger.

What about transmissions that are out there now, will they take 200+ hp, how about it you turbo guys, do we know? If we build it for 170, we know someone will mod it out past 200, and we don’t want it to shell the transmission right out of it. We need a trans that we can ride around with, as well as go through the gear set in a hurry, under load. Does that exist yet, or do we have to start over there to, (I hope not cause that could be the killer)!

Well…..let’s keep throwing it out there, and see what comes back.