OB_Dirty Pete
Registered
I certainly agree on the reciprocating weight prediction, Ducmanic. This can be extended to piston, conrod and crank materials & design as well.
I'm almost reluctant to mention ceramics, but that's in the cooker, too. And not just for cylinder and piston coating either. The hope for ceramics is that, because it doesn't expand with heat and is a non-conductor, they will one day be able to make the short block from it, and the engine will be able to run at metal-melting temperatures with incomparable fuel burning efficiency and no cooling system. Seems to me the Wankel rotary engine would be the right config for ceramics. Long way off, though.
Unsprung weight is another area that will go mainstream. Today's Dymags and carbon fibre braking systems are tomorrow's standard equipment on hi-performance bikes. Tires may learn to weigh even less, as well.
With conservationist pressure on fossil fuels, we may soon see the advent of readily available alternative fuels with higher energy potential. Then we could run much more compression and horsepower would take a big leap.
And what about 2-strokes? Why are they dead? They're sure not dead in the water...Mercury is selling 350hp 3.4 litre big-grunt 2-stroke V-6 outboards that last forever under very hard use. If the emissions/noise challenge is solved for land use, we could see 1500 cc 2-stroke bikes throwing off 300 hp at 15,000 rpm (with 9 ft/lb of torque of course, but who's counting?)
More realistically speaking, where's the turbo and blower (supercharger) for bikes? That technology has achieved yawn status in the car world. Everyboy's got'em and they're utterly reliable. Why can't we have these before 2005...why not next year? Waaaaaaaa!
The first bike maker that offers a RELIABLE turbo (was it Honda that blew the first run at it 10 years ago?) will be able to walk away with the power trophy. Buicks have turbos. Skaters and Fountains like them. Cessnas and Pipers, too....for 20 years! Fergawdsake every baffed-out 1985 crudpile class 8 Mack gravel truck has one!
Why has this not been solved for bikes?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am NOT going to pay ATS $6,000 for a turbo that may not hold together for a riding season. Let's get mass-produced here.
We're still riding in the naturally-aspirated 70s like Trans Am 400 Shaker Scoop drivers with our hopes pinned on ram air tubes that have no effect until you're going 40,000 mph.
[This message has been edited by Dirty Pete (edited 25 September 1999).]
I'm almost reluctant to mention ceramics, but that's in the cooker, too. And not just for cylinder and piston coating either. The hope for ceramics is that, because it doesn't expand with heat and is a non-conductor, they will one day be able to make the short block from it, and the engine will be able to run at metal-melting temperatures with incomparable fuel burning efficiency and no cooling system. Seems to me the Wankel rotary engine would be the right config for ceramics. Long way off, though.
Unsprung weight is another area that will go mainstream. Today's Dymags and carbon fibre braking systems are tomorrow's standard equipment on hi-performance bikes. Tires may learn to weigh even less, as well.
With conservationist pressure on fossil fuels, we may soon see the advent of readily available alternative fuels with higher energy potential. Then we could run much more compression and horsepower would take a big leap.
And what about 2-strokes? Why are they dead? They're sure not dead in the water...Mercury is selling 350hp 3.4 litre big-grunt 2-stroke V-6 outboards that last forever under very hard use. If the emissions/noise challenge is solved for land use, we could see 1500 cc 2-stroke bikes throwing off 300 hp at 15,000 rpm (with 9 ft/lb of torque of course, but who's counting?)
More realistically speaking, where's the turbo and blower (supercharger) for bikes? That technology has achieved yawn status in the car world. Everyboy's got'em and they're utterly reliable. Why can't we have these before 2005...why not next year? Waaaaaaaa!
The first bike maker that offers a RELIABLE turbo (was it Honda that blew the first run at it 10 years ago?) will be able to walk away with the power trophy. Buicks have turbos. Skaters and Fountains like them. Cessnas and Pipers, too....for 20 years! Fergawdsake every baffed-out 1985 crudpile class 8 Mack gravel truck has one!
Why has this not been solved for bikes?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am NOT going to pay ATS $6,000 for a turbo that may not hold together for a riding season. Let's get mass-produced here.
We're still riding in the naturally-aspirated 70s like Trans Am 400 Shaker Scoop drivers with our hopes pinned on ram air tubes that have no effect until you're going 40,000 mph.
[This message has been edited by Dirty Pete (edited 25 September 1999).]
