HONDA 4-Stroke Update?

[17W]

Has this project been scrapped? Last news I heard was Steve French had it making some progress...& it was found out if the rev limiter is by-passed the unit goes into fixed timing...

I know HOT-ROD is going to be our saving grace & I am very thankful for the HOT-ROD Teams effort.

Wasn't the intention of this project so anyone would be able to go into a dealership & purchase an engine which could be converted to race. I bring this subject up not wanting to ruffle feathers but to see if the project has scrapped. If so who gets the engine? Between the amount of time Steve had in testing & T.J. had in converting it, one of those 2 should just keep it.

[John Read]

Honda 4 stroke future

It hasn't had time to be tried because of the rev limiter, and will be tested this year. The purchace agreement, bought by Mod , helped by stock to make it race ready also had a clause from APBA that if the motor fails to be a viable race motor, it will be restored to original "fishing condition" and sold to reimburse the Mod category and the Stock category. I had to put insurance (personal) on it to be sure it doesn't vanish.
We will see what we learn by the Franklin memorial day race, but I think deep down that is not going to work. Too top heavy and so far ,
way behind a 2 cycle in terms or rpm potential.
John Read Modified Chairman

[17W]

Ok...

Well the question of what happens to the unit if the plug is pulled w/the project.

How much more testing does the MOD/STOCK Categories plan on doing? The issue of the timing affixing it's self when the rpm limiter is disabled needs to be addressed. I hate to be negative but... When does the plug get pulled?

Brent Backus
Service Rep. (For a Major Outboard Manufacturer)

[STEVE FRENCH]

TJ has been in touch with Rapair Inc. about the rev limiter and they are working on it.

Will it find a class? Well if it goes like the effort I and several others put into A-mod--(rule change allowing two more motors) .....................

Yesterday I got to spend time (took another vacation day from work) to test my new OMC A-mod (on a 25SS tower) and Archies 15 stock Hot-Rod "B" on my Arltralite.
The numbers are encouraging. Hot-Rod 61.1MPH, OMC 59.6MPH. Got two more wheels to try and adjust timing....
Ready to run the second OMC A-MOD powerhead I had built, on the 15 Hot-Rod tower and adapter plate I bought at the Zanesville swap meet, as soon as gear case comes back from Mike schmitt for repair and long scag.

I changed out the mag on my Merc kg/20H A-mod and it is ready to go. Scintilla mag took a crap a Loch Haven last year---went to Phaelon mag.

(Was) Looking forward to giving George Stillwell, Mike Marsh (bought Chuck Z's A-MOD Hot-Rod) Sutherland, Hearn, and anyone else that put the effort in building motors for this this class a run for it..........................

Today I got the Schedule for Franklin....................
"classes with 4 boats or less run 1 heat or will be combined at race committee's discretion"-----
OK, I can live with that.........
what bugs me is not even having the chance to get 4 A-MODS to show or run at all.............................


So much for those efforts...........................

19P

Maybe the Bsh class will need a 4th rig.....(Wish I could spell probationaree Motor?) Motor might have a snowball's chance here............

[G Stillwill]

Hey Steve APBA keeps aproving more motors for AMOD ( 5 different legal motors now) and still no one wants to put them on the secdule. They wasnt on the Lochaven secdule but was added and we had 8 boats on Sat and 5 on Sunday. Was looking forward to running with you at Franklin will still be there though with the AXSH and BSH and always keep the AMOD in the trailer just in case...lol....

[STEVE FRENCH]

I'll have all 3 in motor box and BSH/AMH Webster rig along just in case......

19P

[jsilvestri]

What some people are forgetting here, is that in order for a race comittee to run all the classes within a day, they must restrict the number of classes scheduled. This issue has come up several times and 36 heats of racing within one day seems to be the number to aim for, especially when you factor in flips, ambulance leaving, etc... Its impossible to race all stock and all mod, if all the classes show, within one day. It has nothing to do with the efforts put forth by racers to build up classes.

[STEVE FRENCH]

Point understood Joe.

Glad I didn't drop $4800 on the BMR/(CMR) I was looking at.

Beth also pointed out that without all those boats and motors on trailer, there's room for a couple kyacks, bicycles/on-off road dirt bikes, fishing poles... and other "we" things to play with..................yes Dear!
She's been talking more of that the closer the wedding date gets

One boat. One motor......can do.

19P "Does not play well with others"

She forgot to mension the extra room for more beer coolers!, go-kart, maybe a legend car!!

[John Read]

Honda 4 Stroke

The motor hasn't been used at all, so the question of when will the plug be pulled is really premature. We will have to give the timing issue and other problems a chance to be cured. It is an effort in the long run to learn about the small 4 stroke motors in a racing environment in general. Whether this one ends up as a viable race motor is not as important as learning about their particular problems and judging the ability for us to get 4 strokes "converted" easily to allow ,in the future, a driver to purchase power heads from a local dealer. We don't know yet what we are facing. I don't see any plug pulling this year. John

[17W]

Rapair...

Probably need to call TJ about this... is & if when is Rapair going to provide a prototype ignition module?

I hate to say this but once the Rev limiter & fixed timing issue is resolved...but the testing results achieved up to this point is going to be inaccurate.

I am sure Steve is not going to mind starting to test over again. I have never officially met him but commend his passion for the sport.

[STEVE FRENCH]

Bump for Ron Hill...........

Please note this is from 2005......

19P

[Ron Hill]

John Read...

Is John Read the Mod Chairman that passed away?

If someone would get me the HONDA, DAWE and I could work on it...Sean Hill, I think that is his name, (no realtion) at RAPAIR, can and will do wonders with electronics at RAPAIR....Sometime all those boxes need is a hole drilled to cut a wire and waxed back up...

Is this HONDA on a a racing gearcase???

[Tomtall]

Honda

Ron - Tom Johnson has been working on the project as far as I know he has also worked with Repair on the RPM limiter problem. It has a OMC 15 foot on it. T.J. would probably be the one to talk to about taking any further work on it.I know all the time put in the motor was on T.J.'s personal time which is limited.

[bh/]

honda

Is this HONDA on a a racing gearcase???[/QUOTE]

Ron; -here are some pix from the Nats @Ocoee,2004
If thats Hondas FNR case, i would like to see their racing unit. [looks like an OMC case to me] Nice adaptation.

[Mike Schmidt]

4-Stroke Race Motors

For the past several years my sons have raced motocross. They have run Kawaski 85, 100 and 125 two strokes. Last year we got a brand new "state of the art" 4 stroke KX 250 F. Mikey won a bunch of races on it. Knowing that the 4 stokes were expensive, it got fresh filter and oil every ride, along with all the normal stuff. With less than 40 hours on it it blew up BIG. (Worse than ANY Konig I have killed)

List price on the parts to fix it came to $2400. Single cylinder. We fixed it and bought a new 125 two stoke.

You do NOT want to go down the 4 stroke path !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If we are interested in playing the "enviromental card" convert everything to Ethanol.

Just my two cents worth ( More like $2400 worth.....)

Michael D-1