Not mine, of course. What a tremendous bike!
https://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/mcy/d/wrentham-1985-harris-performance-uk/7764230141.html
oh man thats sweet :olaf:
Agreed! Super cool race bike.
Mark, It's got your name on it! Go Go Go!
already gone
:cool:
I didn't buy it but I'm 99% sure who did, and I'll probably be able to spend some time with it. :cheerleader:
:whistle:
Very nice indeed
Whoa,cool!
few mor epics. next step is trying to figure out a way to get some sort of a starter on it. no, a battery drill or impact will not do it (or an air one). Ive tired and nope, no way. needs a tire roller to start now. some versions of tandem rotax twins for other applications had one off the clutch, so , seeing what i can do maybe..? if that goes nowhere, i'll prob put a ring gear off the nose of the cdi i wind up with and go from there. im not doing anything none reversible.
I just got the info pack/paperwork on it a few days ago, looked through it for an hour or 2. Neat thing is it did bonneville in 04 and recorded a 130.89 mine time. not too shabby for a road-racer 250.
:bacon: so cool!
I had the 125 version of that engine in my Enduro shifter kart back in the early 90's. They rip!
A guy named Terry Ives was running the 250 in his karts. They were FAST! Lapping Sears Point in the low 1:40's in practice. Very close to the track record then. He had tons of money invested in them. The 250s were in the range of 80 hp stock.
IR8D8R
That's an absolute beauty. I have something a bit like it, but with a JJ Cobas copy frame, commissioned by Tony Murphy back in 1983. Really need to get around to rebuilding it! Have you got anything other than the parts list for the motor? The version I have is not particularly informative...
Here's a pic of mine.
Looking at some of the papers I got, it apparently set a speed record of 148.104 in the AGS class at World of Speed in 1989 (whatever that is!)
(https://i.postimg.cc/tZcLxZTN/3-DEF9466-67-CA-408-F-B0-AD-3308072-B90-D1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/tZcLxZTN)
I have the manual for the motor, but mostly a parts list. stoll haven't gotten it fired off yet. is tony Murphy still around? his name came up a lot in the paperwork but have bern hitting dead ends. I assume he's out or no longer around. :huh:
He's still around but in his mid 80s and long retired - I went out to say hello to him a bit over a year ago and he told me all about my bike. Proper old legend. He has a couple of these motors stuffed into enduro chassis that he built with an idea to race Baja. His strategy was to swap knobblies for street rubber for the long tarmac sections and rip through them at 130....
I think I must have the same parts list you do - it's good in the sense it gives dimensions for all the oil seals, so you can buy appropriate replacements from seal suppliers but there's not a lot other than the exploded diagrams to help with reconditioning. I got mine started but need to have the engine out for new seals and a general refresh before it turns a wheel properly. They sound like super angry singles, much different to the 180 twins.
There's a couple of companies in the UK that are very familiar with them - Viper Racing UK worth a call but let me know if you find anyone local!
finally. this kicked my ass for 2 days trying to get it to fire up. BUT, HPI w lighting coil installed. it was revving really high because there's no idle adjustment right now and i guessed on the cable slack.
last time it ran was in 2004 at Bonneville ( i would imagine).
:cheerleader: :celebrate: :toot:
Nice, excellent to see it making noise again! Are you going to give it a strip down for seals, etc?
moat are externally changeable, so probably will adress all that. crank seal behind the ign was nice and soft.
(https://i.postimg.cc/bdks7tGf/20241027-123633.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/bdks7tGf)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7J9Dxw80/20241027-145524.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7J9Dxw80)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Yj6Q1VzF/20241027-170823.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Yj6Q1VzF)
Nice, I'll keep following this one. Hopefully inspiration to sort mine...
Cheers.
i have a line on 2 new carbs out of the UK... im going to rebuild the ones i have w the bike but they are near impossible to fond complete.
Hopefully can get it to idle this weekend and sort out the charging system. then to try to locate reproduction Decorite Bodywork.. whish i have a feeling will be nearly impossible.
here we go. fires right up now, rebuilt original carbs. actually idles pretty good.. and yes, now has a charging system. :devil:
:metal: :metal:
Nice! A 2 stroke race bike that idles, whatever next? :)
on board starter and lights :toot:
Your neighbors gotta love you!
Quote from: m in sc on November 03, 2024, 06:00:59 PMhere we go. fires right up now, rebuilt original carbs. actually idles pretty good.. and yes, now has a charging system. :devil:
:clap: Awesome!! :olaf:
neighbors dont mind, i dont do this late or super early.
Quote from: m in sc on November 04, 2024, 01:31:47 PMon board starter and lights :toot:
Haha - amazing. :clap: What a blast that would be in the canyons...albeit a bit thirsty in pistons!
where did this one end up?
still in garage. Just got the starter stuff 2? weeks ago and a right hand sidestand just showed up a few days ago. I've been taking g ot easy w bigger projects temporarily (I'm ok now) but had surgery and had to take ot easy, so focused in smaller jobs till I was back 100%, which is like this week. it's def a long term one.
I have some cad work to to to make an adapter plate and adapter spool for the clutch, Cartier bearing and convert to a hydraulic actuator. needs to all be reversible, buy it's on track. :afro:
Very nice 250 race bike.
Cool :cool: Hope it wasn't anything too serious. Raise a glass to a speedy full recovery :guinness:
That HPI ignition is interesting. Is it programmable ?
not this one, but you can get a programmable box for it from them
something similar...
https://www.vintagemx.us/cgi-bin/racephoto.cgi?3ee0d6965c134c90b8b8e223549259fa
doesn't seem like a huge step forward, but it is. Will make working on it much easier to deal with.
:patriot: :patriot:
:thumbs:
Quote from: RDnuTZ on May 12, 2025, 10:25:34 AMsomething similar...
https://www.vintagemx.us/cgi-bin/racephoto.cgi?3ee0d6965c134c90b8b8e223549259fa
@RDnuTZ,
the bike in your link is a very different breed. 1 Cylinder 4stroke engine.
Regards Uwe
Nice catch. I did not know Rotax even made 4 stroke cycle motors :vroom:
got an adapter 3d printed up. test fit, now on to the internal gear carrier and support bearings.
Quote from: RDnuTZ on June 03, 2025, 09:49:50 PMNice catch. I did not know Rotax even made 4 stroke cycle motors :vroom:
Rotax made a lot of 4-stroke engines (BMW, KTM, Aprilia, Buell, etc)
more deep dives into modeling the prototype adapters before getting it made. too much to explsin at this point. but it's coming along.
finally got the prototype stuff printed and test fit.
Wow! Sweet! It really pops in RED! :clap: :cheerleader: