pacomotorstuff
Coast to Coast
Hi everybody,
A few of you might remember a couple of months back I started a post regarding bikes that used car engines and maybe this is just a follow-on to that post. Anyway, I wonder how many of your have seen or heard of hybrids - aside from the Triton, the Vinton and to a lesser extent, the Beeton - ie, one make's motor in another mfg's chassis? I'm not talking about CB1100 motors in 750 frames or RD200 motors in Twin Jet 100 frames (maybe that could be another thread) but real cross-pollination stuff.
Some examples I've seen:
Tricati - the first hybrid bike I ever saw, in a Brit bike mag, around 1965. Ducati 200cc with jelly mould tank, clip-ons, rearsets and a full-on pre-unit 500cc Triumph twin. About 40 years after I saw that one, got offered a Duke 250 / 500 Triumph unit twin project as part payment for a job, but the deal fell through.
Ducda - the ones I've seen were usually a 250 frame with a 250 / 350 Honda twin, though I heard of - but never saw - a 350 Sebring with a Honda 450 DOHC motor (would it even fit?). I think a 160 Duke with a CB175 / 200 motor would be cool.
Grumph - this was a fairly popular conversion for enduro guys here in Canada in the '60's / early '70's. They used a Greeves chassis (various models) with a 500cc Triumph twin. The ones I saw, were all unit motors and don't know if anybody ever used a pre-unit engine in one. One or 2 kept the leading link forks but most changed to telescopics.
Yawumph - I've seen a couple different spins on these, including a guy in my 'hood who put a 500 Triumph unit twin into a mid-sixties 250 Big Bear. Going at it from the other end, I heard of a drag bike being built that used a couple of Yamaha two-stroke twins in a Bonneville frame somehow (but why?). Never saw it, though.
Hondaka - various small single cylinder Honda motors stuffed into Hodaka frames, both sloper and vertical.
Suzda (or is it Honzuki?) - A friend rode enduros years ago on an XR200 and no matter how tricked out he made it, it always lacked a bit in the rough stuff. His solution was to transplant the XR motor into an '83 RM125 frame.
Yamda (Honaha?) - I put a small Honda sloper motor with the centrifugal clutch and 3 speed tranny in a girlfriend's Yamaha 60 street bike as she was an abject failure with the clutch. Turned out she an abject failure on bikes in general, among other things...
Hocati(?) - 160cc Ducati stuffed into a Hodaka frame. Major frame work but neat looking bike when it was finished.
CZumph - a Triumph 500 twin in a CZ endure / motocross chassis. Probably has a cousin in the MZumph.
Hontaco - CB72 in a Bultaco Pursang.
There must be a ton of other pairings that have been done, some resulting in a great ride and with others, I'm sure the question is still being asked, "Why?"
Update my list with what you've seen, heard about, built or owned.
Pat
A few of you might remember a couple of months back I started a post regarding bikes that used car engines and maybe this is just a follow-on to that post. Anyway, I wonder how many of your have seen or heard of hybrids - aside from the Triton, the Vinton and to a lesser extent, the Beeton - ie, one make's motor in another mfg's chassis? I'm not talking about CB1100 motors in 750 frames or RD200 motors in Twin Jet 100 frames (maybe that could be another thread) but real cross-pollination stuff.
Some examples I've seen:
Tricati - the first hybrid bike I ever saw, in a Brit bike mag, around 1965. Ducati 200cc with jelly mould tank, clip-ons, rearsets and a full-on pre-unit 500cc Triumph twin. About 40 years after I saw that one, got offered a Duke 250 / 500 Triumph unit twin project as part payment for a job, but the deal fell through.
Ducda - the ones I've seen were usually a 250 frame with a 250 / 350 Honda twin, though I heard of - but never saw - a 350 Sebring with a Honda 450 DOHC motor (would it even fit?). I think a 160 Duke with a CB175 / 200 motor would be cool.
Grumph - this was a fairly popular conversion for enduro guys here in Canada in the '60's / early '70's. They used a Greeves chassis (various models) with a 500cc Triumph twin. The ones I saw, were all unit motors and don't know if anybody ever used a pre-unit engine in one. One or 2 kept the leading link forks but most changed to telescopics.
Yawumph - I've seen a couple different spins on these, including a guy in my 'hood who put a 500 Triumph unit twin into a mid-sixties 250 Big Bear. Going at it from the other end, I heard of a drag bike being built that used a couple of Yamaha two-stroke twins in a Bonneville frame somehow (but why?). Never saw it, though.
Hondaka - various small single cylinder Honda motors stuffed into Hodaka frames, both sloper and vertical.
Suzda (or is it Honzuki?) - A friend rode enduros years ago on an XR200 and no matter how tricked out he made it, it always lacked a bit in the rough stuff. His solution was to transplant the XR motor into an '83 RM125 frame.
Yamda (Honaha?) - I put a small Honda sloper motor with the centrifugal clutch and 3 speed tranny in a girlfriend's Yamaha 60 street bike as she was an abject failure with the clutch. Turned out she an abject failure on bikes in general, among other things...
Hocati(?) - 160cc Ducati stuffed into a Hodaka frame. Major frame work but neat looking bike when it was finished.
CZumph - a Triumph 500 twin in a CZ endure / motocross chassis. Probably has a cousin in the MZumph.
Hontaco - CB72 in a Bultaco Pursang.
There must be a ton of other pairings that have been done, some resulting in a great ride and with others, I'm sure the question is still being asked, "Why?"
Update my list with what you've seen, heard about, built or owned.
Pat