legacycentral bbs

So since the body on my sport wagon is falling apart and I wanted to build a custom motorcycle and I saw one of those crazy v8 motorcycles today I had a light bulb moment...... Build a custom motorcycle with my subaru engine as a powerplant.

Thoughts?

its been done before, but unless ur a welding god. i wouldnt attempt that.

damn, that looks like a lot more work than i was thinking lol

although I was thinking something more along these lines...

That looks like a little bit of fabrication (says the guy building his own car).

You probably wouldn't want anything like those Boss Hosses or whatever the chassis are supposed to be shit. That design project looks cool, but like a lot of pretty heady engineering, especially if you go with that front suspension. Even my unconventional vehicle utilizes more well-established ideas. Last I read of that design study, there were issues that still needed to be resolved. Maybe you could use a BMW or Goldwing chassis as a starting point—especially the latter in terms of space and engineering for the weight. Too bad the relatively decent handling newer 1800 chassis aren't likely to be found cheap.

or just get this.

Subaru HS500
Subaru Sportsbike
By Ben Purvis
New bikes
18 November 2007 15:00






This new single-cylinder sportsbike features a Subaru-badged engine and could be on sale next year at a bargain price.

The engine for the HS500sa comes directly from Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru. It’s a 499cc, water-cooled, DOHC single, originally developed to be used in quad bikes and used by Polaris. The motor is notable for its lightweight design – it tips the scales at 43kg – and its ability to meet American and European emissions restrictions, a vital part of Sasaki’s plan as he intends to sell the machine worldwide.

With 50bhp at 8000rpm, the motor is on a par with engines from more familiar manufacturers, and its 33lbft of torque, peaking at 7000rpm, should be enough to give the lightweight HS500sa decent acceleration.

The bike’s chassis is built in China to keep costs down. Like most of the latest Japanese sportsbikes, it’s made from cast aluminium – although the hefty-looking frame rails look over-engineered for a 50bhp single. The swingarm is also cast aluminium, and heavily braced – giving the look of a much more powerful bike.

Sasaki has tried to produce a single cylinder sports bike before with the Horex 644 Osca, powered by a Dominator engine. Trouble was it cost £22,000 so never really caught on. Check out this link to see the history of the motorcycle and it running in someone’s garage.



ENGINE:
Type: SUBARU ES50, Water cooled, 4stroke,1-cylinder
Bore x stroke (mm): 96x 64.6
Compression Ratio: 10.8: 1
Max. power (kW/rpm): 37.5kw/8000rpm,50.0HP
Max. torque: 39.6N.m/8000rpm
Carburetion: Mikuni BSR42
Ignition: CDI
Starting: Electric/kick
Transmission: 1-N-2-3-4-5
Drive Train: Chain
CHASSIS
Suspension/Front: Telescopic
Suspension/Rear:Single swing arm
Brakes/Front:Dual ventilated hydraulic disc
Brakes/Rear:Ventilated hydraulic disc
Tires/Front: AT110/70-17 radial
Tire/Rear: AT160/70-17 radial

DIMENSIONS:
L x W x H (mm): 2,025 x 660 x 1,060
Seat Height(mm):830
Wheel base (mm): 1,395
Ground clearance(mm):208
Fuel Capacity(L):13.5
Dry Weight (kg): 168kg

OTHER:
Lighting : 12V35W/35W x 2(front):12V.5W/21W x 1(rear)

notice the engine cover....

Install the engine in an old VW bus for the ultimate sleeper?

Really, what you want to do isn't too far from my project if you go by certain states' vehicle classification of trike=motorcycle. I'll be using an EJ22 with a fwd transmission turned backwards (with a reverse cut ring and pinion) to run the front wheels. I thought of the turbo, but it will be fast enough and I'd only bother to move up to a DI setup so the mileage goes up as well as the power.

I guess its back to my electric motorcycle project instead

That could be pretty badass—silent but deadly.

I'd be going for commuter speeds not ultimate drag race machine.

Yeah, but that wouldn't work with the SbD slogan unless you weren't going to wear a helmet or something.

I've wondered this myself, using a BMW platform since those are 2 cylinder boxer motors already!

The Honda Goldwing used to be a 4cyl boxer - good inspiration!

And the new ones are flat 6's.

Hell, now I wonder if you could carb your EJ18 with those GoldWing carbs! LOL

A friend has a Honda Rune. Awesome bike.

how do you set up a transmission? couple ideas:
1. crankshaft aligned transverse, primary sprocket attached to crank, driving a baker 6sp(price those out ) and then it might not even hold the power
2. subaru motor longitudinal mounted and adapted to some sort of shaft drive bike trans/chassis, ie bmw or gold wing, probably also wont hold the power

both of those options kind of suck, and for a bike it would end up crazy fast, heavy, poor fuel economy, unmaneuverable etc. basically the antithesis of a commuter bike. if you want one of those get a supermoto.

get the kennedy adapter and put the ej22t into a VW of some kind, porsche 914, sandrail, trike, generator kit, etc.

What do they do for transmissions on those Boss Hoss things?

How about a fwd tranny with the diff welded? Pull the axle stub out of one side and cap the hole. Then find a way to attach a pinion gear to the diff on the other side?