Doin what they say cant be done.

[Shortie771]

Originally Posted by Sparkeysmall

I actually just got some panels today to start cleaning up under-aero. Hopefully find some time to do that soon. 6-10's Night shift sucks.

And that 14.7:1 number sounds familiar. I tried looking for info on that and diddnt get far. Diddnt really look much either.

Anyway what originally sold me on the ethenol idea was the koenigsegg whatever that made 1100 some odd horsepower running on it. Over the 900ish it made on gas. With massive turbos of course. (Another thought, one BIG turbo with the v10. Would make towing fun... Ya twins would spool up faster. But i dont want quick boost. Something you gotta lay into for a bit to get things going. Would make econo driving easier.)

I thought about raising my compression and running on E85, but after doing the math it just isn't worth it. Well not for me anyway. Is it cheaper? Yeah, but you have to run a lot more through the injectors due to it having less energy than regular gasoline. I'm the end you pay less for it, but have to use so much more that it completely offsets the cost. Then you run into the issue of availability. For me it's not terrible (30 miles) but like you said, what if you end up having to go out of state and E85 isn't available. You could run out of gas bfore finding a station that has it. Then what? Do you risk putting in 91 octane and crossing your fingers in the hopes that you don't blow your engine? After factoring everything in, it's a rather pricey trade-off. Is it worth it? To me it wasn't.

Btw the reason they were able to get so much more power out of the E85 is due to it being 105 (roughly) octane which greatly increases its resistance to detonation. Meaning they could tune much more aggressively and up their boost pressure for higher gains. Those cars have advanced tuning capabilities. If you want mpg, you are better off leaving your compression alone and running a leaner A/F mixture. I would only play with compression the engine absolutely needs to be rebuilt.

Just food for thought.

Not sure if I missed it when I was reading through this thread, but have you done an underbelly yet? I'm really curious the kind of gains you could achieve with one. I'm trying to convince my brother to do one on his truck, because he's always complaining about gas mileage, but doesn't want to change the look of his truck.

[gumby79]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I can see how full throttle in a motionless vehicle might lead to cooling problems.

The old Internationals and 1940s Buicks had side opening hoods that had a single handle and two combination latch/hinges. They open from either side or lift off.

An aluminum tube frame covered with boat wrap would be as light as the steel hood.

My Aero Tonto came in at 21 lbs for frame and skin. 35lbs v1.2 with 1/2"wight fome and some frame mods ,1.25 years on this covering. CG is center and 3'back from hinges ,so it balances across my shoulders for 1 man install with relative ease. I'm thinking of wsing fiberglass rods and Al cupplers, with the shrinking skin the birdcage fraime will be pre loaded and very ridged. 5-10lbs with Oratex Aircraft Fabric gussing. It can handle the heat of an airplane in flight and being in the hottest places in the world, it should handle your welder with ease in Death Valley running at max amps in August with enough air flow to keep the machine happy. The 10-12mill boat/ equipment shrink wrap is fire retardant . I did have the 12mill relax when in Las Vegas @117°F . As soon as I started driving it was back to tight as a drum...

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Sparkeysmall

I can't believe i forgot to mention i do have a motorcycle. Since its been warming up i got it registered again.

That's a good way to save funds for the project truck
BTW what motorcycle do you have?

[Sparkeysmall]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

That's a good way to save funds for the project truck
BTW what motorcycle do you have?

My thoughts exactly. $.04/mile vs $.17/mile adds up. And $75/year insurance means it's practically free transportation. I havent topped off the bike in 2 weeks and i still have half a tank. 7 gallon tank.

Its a '93 honda ST1100. Apart from the weight it is an awesome bike. And i average 50 or so on it. Im a real slow rider and prefer a smooth bike to look at the scenery with. I want to get rid of all the plastic on it to lighten it up (will do wheelies in any gear at that point.) but the drag isnt beneficial without. I stripped it down a few years ago to paint it and just had to go for a spin with nothing on it. Would spank a typical litre bike all week. Acceleration and economy. Kills me that a liter bike struggles to get passed 40 with the average rider going slow. Big camshafts and rev happy gearing.


Anyways. Im going to get the under aero done tomorrow. Them panels aint doin nothin just sitting there.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Quite a contrast in comparison to what is seen as an economy motorcycle in my country

[Sparkeysmall]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Quite a contrast in comparison to what is seen as an economy motorcycle in my country

Isnt it? My first motorcycle was a 2009 kawasaki ex500. I would average around 65-70 mpg on it. Awesome bike, but was just physically too small for me. Definitely a bike better suited for the 5'8" and under crowd.

On the st1100 the handlebars sit much higher and farther out. As well as a wider seat that i can move around on. My only complaint is the mid/rear set pegs. My knees get bound up after a while and all i want to do is get off. Another reason for ripping off the fairing is so i can fashion up some forward controls. Too bad the exhaust manifolds are right there. I like the "cruiser" seating style bike. But i really dont like the usual harley look they all have. (Dont get me started on h-d).

The other problem stripping it down is ive really come to like the windshield on it. A few years ago i said i would never have one on a bike. Then i rode an st1300 and fell in love. Found this st1100 for cheap and love it even more. Much softer ride than the st1300. And not as heavy. If i could (and anything is always possible if you put your mind to it.) set the pegs further forward without having to remove panels or just trim them out, and (maybe) make heat shields or a whole new exhaust routing i could set them further still. What i really need to do is some measuring to find the best spot. A few ticks over 90 degrees knee bend is the most comfortable bike i ever rode. If i remember right that was a honda vt1100.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Sparkeysmall

I like the "cruiser" seating style bike. But i really dont like the usual harley look they all have. (Dont get me started on h-d).

I have always prefered those dual-purpose (or "dual-sport", or just "dirt") motorcycles. When it comes to Harley-Davidson, the poor cooling of their engines bothers me more than its look in comparison to their Japanese counterparts.

[Sparkeysmall]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

I have always prefered those dual-purpose (or "dual-sport", or just "dirt") motorcycles. When it comes to Harley-Davidson, the poor cooling of their engines bothers me more than its look in comparison to their Japanese counterparts.

Ive been wanting to get a 4 stroke dirt bike and put street tires on it. I figure the massive suspension they put on those to fly on dirt has to be comfy on the street. And a flat seat to scoot around on.

Warning. Rant. (Just mentioning it to begin with was a bad idea)

Not only does the 1913 engine design bother me but the gearboxes as well. Noisy, clunky, heavy. No rear suspension. And how they keep the bolts to stay on with an all stroke 1700cc single pin 45* is beyond me. And the supposedly "maintenence free" belt drive that frays like a 200000 mile worn out tire if you put too much girlfriend on the back. Harleys are all paint, chrome, sleeveless leather, apehangers and pipes.

I read somewhere a while back that the rear cylinder got shut off to "cool it down".... then again fuel injection is the most technicalogical thing harley has ever played with since the knucklehead came out.

I will say (as a positive) that there new street line is a step in the right direction... Over head cams and liquid cooling?!?!? WHAAAT!?!?

Oh and lets not forget the vrod is the slowest "muscle bike" ever made. 0-60 in 4 and 130 mph? Please... A child on a 250 can beat that. I guess for a harley thats pretty darn quick.

Rant over.


I just grew up on Japanese bikes. And i always got a feeling of "the best bike for the price". Immaculate engines, smooth gearboxes. I wouldnt mind a 7th gear but ohwell. The oldest bike i had was a 1980 yamaha xj650. It was clapped out and i got it for $500. After reshimming the valves and cleaning the carburetors that thing would scoot. The odometer diddnt work on it but it looked like it rode around the world twice, but ran like it just fell off the assembly line. I averaged about 50mpg on it and probably couldve gotten much better haddnt i revved it to 10,000 rpm atleast twice a day. It was cheap and fun. What more could you ask for.

And yes ive ridden a newer harley. I will say it was torqey. But just an aweful experience overall.

[Sparkeysmall]

And i know its somewhat hypocritical to say "real slow rider, look at the trees" and mention words like "wheelies" and 10,000 rpm. I guess its my bipolar problems showing themselves.

[freebeard]

when I went looking, I fond this one too: