There are British hillclimb and sprint(hillclimb on a level
track) cars being built with 97" long WB and 255 HP MC motors that
only weigh about 550# w/out driver. A kaw motor is about 100 pounds
lighter than the bike motors going in those cars. Add 18 pounds for a
primary and secondary clutch and that's still 80 pounds lighter.
No coil springs and heavy 'ol shock absorbers either :->
I would be extremely embarassed if I could not modifiy or build a
new Kaw powered car to 700# complete with fire system and 5 gal fuel
cell.
There were 250 Zinks built and most had to run considerable
ballast(30+ lbs.) to road race with lightweight drivers in the 150
pound category to meet 700#.
Those old cars did not have the advantage of present day lightweight
CNC'd billlet uprights ,hubs, or hollow steel rear axles, either.
Bulding a lightweight car is about the most technically
non-challenging thing one could ever do.
If you haven't got the skill or you weigh 300 pounds, then stick with
a 494 or 493.
As to high compression Kaws, I know the guys that built and road raced
motors like that.
The AMW's still kicked their rumps like they were tied to a
tree when they came on the scene.
As to Solo, in my personal opinion, the current min Kaw weight
probably will not change.
Chuck Voboril
______________________________________________________________
From: "Jay Novak" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: [F500] 440 vs 494
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2006 23:58:26 -0400
>I agree that it will be very difficult to do a 700 Lb Kawasaki
powered car.
>It could be done with a 150 to 170 lb driver but still not
easy. I think
>the 494 or the 493 will be very tough to beat because they have a
very wide
>powerband & a ton more torque than the Kawasaki.
>
>My 1st 80" wheelbase car weighed 715 with me in it & I weighed
about 165 at
>the time with no real effort at trying to make the car light, just
a super
>simple car.
>
>If I do design a new car & I am thinking about it, the target
weight will be
>550 lbs without driver & fuel. I know this is very do-able with a
lot of
>design integration. A couple of my older cars were right there so
I know it
>can be done.
>
>Way to much on my plate right now but maybe next year.
>
>
>Thanks ... Jay Novak
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf
Of Richard
>Schmidt
>Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 9:24 PM
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: Re: [F500] 440 vs 494
>
>This is great news, but (you just knew there would be a but), I
still don't
>think it will even the playing field in road racing.
>
>First of all, it is not that easy to lose 50 lbs. Just ask anyone
on a diet
>! All of the cars out there are designed to weigh 750 with a
reasonable
>weight driver. I don't see how you can get a car down to the 700
lb mark
>and not reduce the structural integrity. When I first raced my
F500 with the
>Kawasaki, I had to add ballast. That all changed with the change
over to
>four link suspension and the added bodywork to get the aero
working.
>
>I am not the familiar with the new chassis, but I suspect they are
all being
>designed for the 493 engine and thus would not be able to get down
to the
>700 lb min.
>
>Just one more small change, allow increasing the compression ratio
to about
>9:1 on the Kawasaki. This would be so easy, just mill some metal
off the
>head, reshape the dome, and presto, a 90 HP Kawasaki !
>
>Ofcourse some clever chassis designer, Jay are you listing
?, could build a
>new chassis just for the Kawasaki using all the improvements
learned over
>the years, but apply it to a car designed for a engine from
yesteryear.
>
>Richard
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Stan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: <[email protected]>
>Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 3:13 PM
>Subject: Re: [F500] 440 vs 494
>
>
> > Effective May 1st, Kawi's can run at 700 lbs for even more fun!
> >
> >
> > Stan
> >
> >
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