HOLY HELL!!! radial aircraft motor in a BIKE!! O/T

This bike looks amazing - with the engine orientation maintained (unlike the Jesse bike) it still has a really nice flow - if I had a clue how I'd build one!

Steve

 

These engines are so cool. I saw a dissected engine in San Diego and thought it was ingenious how the crank and ONE of the con. rods were a single piece. The rest of the rods were hung on typical bearings on the journal. I think it HAD to be this way so the pistons didn't take a set, and basically, lock the engine. A picture is worth a thousand of my bumbling words. Anyone have this pic or a diagram?

 

For one of several good radial engine descriptions try http://science.howstuffworks.com/radial-engine2.htm

This linked page even has a cutaway animation - leaves little to the imagination.

Radial engines are always made with odd number of cylinders. They fire every other cylinder as crank goes around, so each cylinder fires every 2 revolutions. Power strokes overlap. Big problem is balance & vibration, as all pistons are always moving with the single crank journal, so a LOT of weight is swinging "in a circle".

A FANTASTIC day trip for us midwesterners is the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They showcase aircraft from the Wright bros through the space shuttle, with many climb in and touch 'em exhibits. Several radial and other aircraft engines, many (including radial)with cutaway sections so you can see how they work.

The guys designing and building these old airplane engines were real hot rodders, always trying to find a way to squeeze a little more performance out of their machines, so our guys could outrun and outperform the other guys. You will feel like you are a**** old buddies.

 

I'd like to believe that the radial in the first pic is an R-2800. Ok, airplane fans, stop spitting up beer on your screen, I don't mean the Pratt & Whitney monster. It's a new design with 2800 cc. Anything else that small would most likly be a Jacobs or a Warner and they don't look like that. What I really want to know is how bad the cooling is on the "rear" cylinders?

 

With 7 cylinders it's most likely a Jacobs.

IIRC Continental made a 5-cylinder at one time but I could be wrong. I've been out of the business for 3 years now and I'm forgetting this stuff now that I don't use it every day.

The PW R2800 is 18 cylinders.

Even an R985 Wasp JR would be too big for a bike.

The heat is probably awful since those motors need a fair bit of airflow to cool them, decent airspeed and cuffs on the propller help but you don't have either on a bike.

I wonder if someone could build a crankcase to take 9 Harley cylinder and build an actual motorcycle radial. HD's and Radials operate on the same principle, if it doesn't leak oil it's out of oil.

Didn't Arlen Ness's kid come up with a 3 jug HD based motor at one time?

Shawn

 

Im not positive but i think the bike might be the one built by legend cycles or lowlife here in rapid city, sd. ill ask my uncle if it is cause he did the seat on legends and he'd know for sure.
​

 

Sorry i meant to say Independent cycle who manufactures legend air ride kits for bikes.
​

 

Those bikes are cool. I read an article and I think they used a Rotec engine, the five cylinder is about 110 HP, and the seven cylinder does 150 HP. Check it out: http://www.rotecradialengines.com/

 

Funny thing, i was standing behind the pic taker at EAA in oshkosh, this bike rode up and he wanted a shot with the warbird.
it does run and ride,sounds wild. i asked them if cooling was an issue and they didnt seam to have a problem with it. HMM anyway this is a repop engine and they are trying diff applications so is said. great fabrication

 

I bet all that heat off the motor makes cooling him a very big issue

 

Yeah it runs, you can even buy one if you have about 70k to blow;
http://www.jrlcycles.com/page/page/4187437.htm

 

Has anybody tried to start a lawn mower engine without the blade on it, it'll rip the rope right outa your hand. The blade serves as the flywheel. I. would think the prop would act as the flywheel on this engine. i say it dont run.

 

See my previous post...

 

Can you run bias ply tires on a bike with a radial engine?
I know you can't on a ****4.

 

Pretty dam cool.

 

I like the 1st bike best because it flows better.Cars have had aircraft/space themes for years.Looks great!

Wtf is KNUX!

 

That's terrible! What a waste of a nice Jake. I think I could probably take it off his hands though and put it on a Great Lakes.

Hmm..Repop Engine? This aint a '69 camaro.


Mike

 

A neighbor of mine when I was a kid had a 3wheeled car called a Mesurschmit(not sure about the spelling). It looked like a plane with no wings. No doors. The engine was on the front,just like a plane.

 

You could put a small prop on there , make it cooler .

 

I wonder how it rides? those Jake's aren't light! Dont lean too far when going slow. Weebles wobble and they WILL fall down!

 

I saw this bike in american iron. It is a functional bike may not be practical but it is a bike.

 

I wonder how the stress on the frame is?

 

Hmmmmm. KNUX is short for Kan Not Use Xrays?

 

Here you go:

http://www.jrlcycles.com/page/page/4267944.htm

It reminds me of the video / sound clip of a certain Hemi coupe from southern California

 

It runs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP9eGw9lq6E&mode=user&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129GhVcw6bc&mode=related&search=

Sorry about the video quality or lack of.

 

hey moonglow whats a ****4 ...

 

I read an article about a year ago on one with it mounted sideways and I believe he said it was a motor built for a model airplane (I would ***ume reproportioned, but I guess they are building some monsterous sized r/c planes). I think it was a company out of Australia.

Cool idea, but I'd like to see something not so glam.

 

Practical no but too freaking cool