30 bhp whats it feel like

[Special X]

These figures just keep rising eh!

Yes and what a bloody shame! when someone really has a powerful engine no one will believe it because of all the spurious claims encouraged by unscrupulous dyno operators/tuners. I could tell you where to go to get 35bhp from a bolt on RB22 but I'd get a load of hassle again. Scootering mag and the LCGB will have the info though.

[drunkmunkey6969]

These figures just keep rising eh!

Yes and what a bloody shame! when someone really has a powerful engine no one will believe it because of all the spurious claims encouraged by unscrupulous dyno operators/tuners. I could tell you where to go to get 35bhp from a bolt on RB22 but I'd get a load of hassle again. Scootering mag and the LCGB will have the info though.

Can you expand on that last comment.....the 35bhp bit?

[Knowledge]

I think Spec X is implying that one mans 22bhp is another man's 35bhp. It is just a matter of which dyno you believe.

I think all it really teaches us is that if you use a dyno to do your engine development, use the same dyno throughout the development. I'd much rather people quoted the post-tune % increase in performance (bhp and torque) over the base-line dyno test of the engine before work started. But who does a base-line test of an engine before work starts?

[Avantone]

40BHP should give you 100MPH on a standard bodied scooter.

Therefore you would expect mid 90's with 35?

[100mphlambrettaclub]

My sprint bike had a genuine 34 bhp and 25lb torque and that was proved on several dyno systems and at the time (2001) was as powerful as you were going to get . Its best 1/8 of a mile was 87 mph in 7.5 seconds. If you listen to the figures banded around now it is masivley out dated now.I know it did have other advantages like much reduced weight and less roling resistance but the acceleration was un-beleivable.im sure there are none of these current bikes doing that even though they supposidly create more power. How come these modern day engines dont get anywhere near that, makes you think. My RB demonstrator produces 26.5 bhp with 22 lbs torque and most that have ago cant beleive its power .Push it up to just 30 bhp and thats a 12% power increase which would throw you off the bike .I think its a case of ego boosting sometimes.

[cezeta]

40BHP should give you 100MPH on a standard bodied scooter.

Therefore you would expect mid 90's with 35?

this is interesting, where was in sourced from?

[drunkmunkey6969]

I took my TS1 for a spin on Sat....it was dynoed at Diablos last year at 27bhp, we've made some mods since then and are expecting 28-30bhp now....and we're a LONG way off taking it to peak power (as i couldnt use peak power on the track because im a wobbly learner) and can easily expand its potential when i feel i can do something worthwhile with it on the track.....but point being (sorry for the ramble) its fast as fcuk....and the power band is a bitch. I know its a lightweight cut down....but seriously...its fcuking rapid, it screams like a bitch.

It rears its head coming out of corners......gearchange is desperate to jump at every opportunity, the suspension and brakes are as good as you can get on a Lambo...but fookin scary compared to modern machines, it pulls like a roller coaster through every gear, slowing down for corners and roundabouts is a gamble, throttle is alike a trigger on a bazooka......and quite frankly it feels like a death trap........which is great.....on a track...with full leathers, back protector, motorcycle boots, St Johns ambulance on stand by (arent they?) smooth tarmac track, no cars coming the other way, no junctions, cats eyes or manhole covers....and i only have to hang on for about 6 minutes at a time (per race).

So when i hear 35-40bhp being banded about for road going rally type scoots i do raise an eyebrow and wonder.....am i just gay, or are the dynos a bit optamistic?

OK........i'll get me handbag...anyone seen my lipstick?

[davidblythe]

that sounds more like it, having ridden many Cagiva and Aprillia 125's over the years a lot of people are kidding themselves with the power figures being bandied about, the first 350lc only produced 32bhp at the rear wheel, yamaha claimed 44bhp but that was hogwash

[Avantone]

This is interesting, where was in sourced from?

It was something I posted about aerodynamics on the old forum - The curves show the relationship between power and speed when trying to overcome wind resistance. i.e. to double your speed you need 800% more power.

I could never understand why people fitted vega legshields from a performance point of view on racers (apart from the fact they look wicked sorry Dan )

http://www.phpbb88.com/scooterotica/vie ... tica#12319

I think it’s fairly well accepted that compared to modern day bikes and scooters, Lambretta’s (and Vespa’s) are pretty brick-like and heavy which makes getting significantly better performance both difficult and expensive.

I’ve also been thinking for a while, how fast a standard engined scooter could go with the benefit of some wind tunnel modelling. Now the challenge here is to do something that helps the aero profile of the scooter whilst still retaining it’s clear identity.

If you go down the power route to increase speed, doubling the maximum speed requires an 800% increase in power!



I’ve based the table above on the power required to increase the top speed of a 65MPH/11HP scooter. As you can see, to hit 90MPH needs an almost 300% power increase.

Wouldn’t it be easier to improve aero dynamics? (Mostly talking racers here for the purists). We see cutdowns, but does that really help? It generally doesn’t improve the frontal area, and actually hinders the way airflow is managed round the rider.

So any thoughts? Any budding aerodynamicists out their? Anyone want to lend me a wind tunnel?……………….

[drunkmunkey6969]

I could never understand why people fitted vega legshields from a performance point of view on racers (apart from the fact they look wicked sorry Dan )

They do look wicked.....thats for sure !

Presumably its also because they have less frontal area than standard leggies - thus less wind resistance, they also enable you to cut down the front end to shift weight over the front wheel, and are also a Lambretta item that can be obtained easily as opposed to fabricating a one-off race fairing etc??

Dunno....but ill just settle for looking good!