Big Changfa - Small Car?

[rbodell]

Well, with the third, leave the wife at home.
If it comes the time when you have to worry about number four or five, it's time to convert it to a single seater anyhow.

Hey now! I actually like my wife... ;-)

I liked mine too as long as she did as she was told.

never could understand why she left me.

[rcavictim]

Woops!  Earlier in this thread  spoke that I had an idea festering about putting a diesel engine, perhaps a VW 1.6 litre turbo diesel out of a 91 Jetta into a large format motorcycle frame.  Well funny how life flows in eddies, currents and vortices.  I just discovered a late 1984 (December),  Yamaha Virago XV1000 with a blown engine in otherwise excellent condition and bought it for a song.  This bike is a sweet looking ride, alloy wheels front and rear, 70 HP @ 6500 RPM powerplant, dual front disc brakes, driveshaft, no chain.  Big 5.75 inch wide rear tire like the modern crotch rockets have.  The turbo'd VW engine would have about the same horsepressure rating as the original bike engine.

See one identical, same color too, here...

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery%2520%2520A/Yamaha%2520XV1000%252084.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/yamaha/yamaha_xv1000%252084.htm&h=367&w=600&sz=40&hl=en&start=11&um=1&tbnid=HCTXQM8BFekQjM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dyamaha%2B1000%2B1984%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7GWYE%26sa%3DN

This acquisition guarantees that I'll have no shortage of fun projects.   

[MeanListerGreen]

I too have long been thinking about this.  I have been on the lookout for a small 3 or 4 cylinder to put on a motorcycle.  The hardest part that I can see with a project like this is transfering enrgy from the drive shaft to the rear wheel.  It seems to me a right angle transmission would be necessary.  That will probably cost more then the engine and bike alone.  What ideas did you have about transferring power?  I have seen a few bikes built with a diesel engine out of a Polaris ATV and they just used the centrifical clutch to transmit power but the drive shaft is a completely different configuration then the inline 3 or 4 cyl. engines I am considering.

[rcavictim]

I too have long been thinking about this.  I have been on the lookout for a small 3 or 4 cylinder to put on a motorcycle.  The hardest part that I can see with a project like this is transfering enrgy from the drive shaft to the rear wheel.  It seems to me a right angle transmission would be necessary.  That will probably cost more then the engine and bike alone.  What ideas did you have about transferring power?  I have seen a few bikes built with a diesel engine out of a Polaris ATV and they just used the centrifical clutch to transmit power but the drive shaft is a completely different configuration then the inline 3 or 4 cyl. engines I am considering.

In the case of the VW 4-cyl diesel engine one might use the original car transmission.  Being a front wheel drive there are differential outputs to hook a drive shaft available parallel to the engine crankshaft or long dimension.  One of these would provide a driveshaft path pretty much in the right location to intercept the left side driveshaft linkage of the original on the motorcycle I have.  The engine would be tucked closest to the rear wheel in this scenario for best weight distribution and the lighter, alloy case transmission/transaxle unit would project furthestmost forward.  I suppose the necessary liquid filled radiator and electric fan might find room above the transaxle unit.  This power plant installed that way (lengthwise) would be a long package and require stretching the motorcycle's wheelbase by at least a foot.

To get power from only one axle output the transaxle must be opened and the 'spider' gears welded up to immobilize the differential action. 

What I do not have determined yet is if the rotation of what I just described is in the correct sense, or would it yield a motorcycle with 5 speeds in reverse and one foreward in case they attack from the rear!      Don't have the vehicle GVW and powerplant weights figured either.  It is clear that such a mod would turn what is a bike designed to carry a second person as passenger would have 200 lbs extra 'payload' capacity to handle a heavier engine and I would be relying on this fact.  The end result is certainly then a one person ride unless a sidecar was attached.  I just grabbed this nice bike because such opportunity almost never knocks twice.

[jzeeff]

I think it would be much easier to build a diesel pusher trailer.  Put a small diesel on a trailer, couple it to the trailer wheels (or perhaps single wheel drive) and turn off the main car engine when you want.