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I've always wanted to participate in the land-speed-record runs - to have an excuse to watch 'em - but I don't really feel like spending huge amounts and running at ludicrous speeds. So I thought, "Huh, I wonder what the 50cc class looks like?" Turns out it's only 67mph.
P'shah! I can do better than that! My 50cc scooter (when it was only 49cc, that is) was able to run nearly 50mph in stock trim... what would a turbo (or nitrous) do for that? Well, nothing responds as well to turbocharging as a 2-stroke engine, usually boosting power by 50% (though absolutely ruining fuel economy... as if that's a concern for a land-speed-record scooter!).
So I've been looking at eBay, and it seems there are a lot of tiny turbos out there for under a hundred bucks. A turbo would need to have pressurized oil, something a 2-stroke does not supply, so I'd also need an electric oil pump to keep it spinning.
Alternately, I could pipe in a hit of nitrous using a teeny-tiny nozzle squirting into the intake manifold. Say, a 5-10 horsepower hit when the engine reaches top RPM. This would be a pretty simple thing to set up and less likely to explode the engine than turbocharging a high-compression engine (though doing so works pretty reliably on small-displacement engines like those in motorcycles). Nitrous has the added advantage that it's only "on" when turned on, as opposed to a turbo.
Sounds like fun, no? The nice thing about aiming for a 70mph speed record is that it's pretty simple to test it on public roads *g*
So, gearheads: Ideas?
Best,
Chris
P'shah! I can do better than that! My 50cc scooter (when it was only 49cc, that is) was able to run nearly 50mph in stock trim... what would a turbo (or nitrous) do for that? Well, nothing responds as well to turbocharging as a 2-stroke engine, usually boosting power by 50% (though absolutely ruining fuel economy... as if that's a concern for a land-speed-record scooter!).
So I've been looking at eBay, and it seems there are a lot of tiny turbos out there for under a hundred bucks. A turbo would need to have pressurized oil, something a 2-stroke does not supply, so I'd also need an electric oil pump to keep it spinning.
Alternately, I could pipe in a hit of nitrous using a teeny-tiny nozzle squirting into the intake manifold. Say, a 5-10 horsepower hit when the engine reaches top RPM. This would be a pretty simple thing to set up and less likely to explode the engine than turbocharging a high-compression engine (though doing so works pretty reliably on small-displacement engines like those in motorcycles). Nitrous has the added advantage that it's only "on" when turned on, as opposed to a turbo.
Sounds like fun, no? The nice thing about aiming for a 70mph speed record is that it's pretty simple to test it on public roads *g*
So, gearheads: Ideas?
Best,
Chris
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You'd have to be part of the pit crew and come watch the attempt. That would be your excuse to spend a day at Bonneville (or the Flying Mile).
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Y'know, building a teeny-tiny streamliner would be another hugely fun thing to do. Build an engine and drop it into a variety of vehicles at the site (the engine is pretty simple to pick up, single-handedly, really): cycle class, streamliner class, power-adder and not power-adder....
Look at you: You've gotten me all excited about this!
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Land Speed Record. 70 mph. ::boggle::
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How would you pressurize the oil? An electric pump would be good -- and how would you run that? Does the scooter's alternator put out enough juice to spin an oil pump too?
What kind of aerodynamic mods are you allowed to make? It would be wise to remove all unnecessary weight -- shave the rims, eliminate blinkers/relays/etc. Select the lightest possible rider.
What kind of cooling would you use for the engine? Most 50cc engines are air-cooled, but turbocharging and nitrous both generate a large amount of heat. This would melt your cylinder rather easily, I suspect.
You'd probably want to think about enlarging the jets on the carburetor and running, of course, with a minimum fuel load. Once I made a supercharger from an old electric leaf blower. I don't think that would work here though.
This could be way fun. If you're serious about this and want some help, I have no formal training in mechanical engineering but have a gearhead streak a kilometer wide. Oil runs deep in my veins and I'd love to help out!
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I'd need a bigger battery, because the scoot doesn't make much power to run a high-pressure pump, but it only needs to run for a few minutes!
I'd like to run in two classes: Stock (no mods at all except removing mirrors, blinkers, etc.) and Streamliner (I'll need to make a second chassis/body, something like a little bullet with wheels). The streamliner class has a MUCH higher speed to beat - in the 90's - but should be much easier to reach. However, I couldn't run power-adders there unless I want to beat the record: 200mph+ ... Seriously, someone's gone 200 using only 50cc. Wow.
Yep, a much bigger carb, better reeds, a much-ported cylinder, and other mods. Should be mucho fun!
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ooh, ya gotta try it.
Just watched The World's Fastest Indian last week. Love, love, loved it.
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I just picked up that movie, too, and am looking forward to a reason to watch it