Rotary Engines in bikes.

Motorcycling
1

I was thinking about the Mazda RX-8 today and thought thatbit has a rotary engine in it.

Then I thought, if they act essentially as a 3 cyl engine and lighter then a conventional engine with multiple cylinders.
Would it workin bikes?

Would be a Triumph type thing to try.

Thoughts?

2

Close it was a Norton thing, mate has one, goes like a 600 sports bike wont let me try it though…

Mad Sunday, TT week he found that hastily fitted stickers come off and fly over your head at anything over 130, the bike was still pulling hard but somehow he lost interest after that:w00t:

http://www.nortonrotary.org.uk/

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/New-bikes/2010/March/mar2310-new-210bhp-norton-rotary/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48foOHK2tyA

3

Suzuki had a rotary engined bike in 1974,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_RE5

4

5

also Van Veen, never seen one outside of a book!

6

7

Wankel!

The engine that is. I think honda had one out in the late 70’s to.

Dont think you could make them today though due to emissions.

If they could work out a way round the low compression they are revvy and spin up very fast. Not sure if the giro motion of the engine would make it difficult to turn in thou.

8

You stole the only contribution I could have made to this thread … thanks for that.

Oh well.

Wankel

There … I feel better now :stuck_out_tongue:

9

Pronounced
‘Vankel’?

Or

‘Wankel’?

I never realised there was actually a few bikes that do have them.
Ohhh.
Shame no newer bikes have them.

10

You also need a girt big fuel tank.

These things are essentially two strokes and use up the expensive soup like there is no tomorrow.

(Borrowed one of the those lunatic Kawasaki three cylinder H2 750’s back before you were probably borne. Had to fill up on the way to Brighton and on the way back to South East London.)

I remember it worked out to about 6 miles per litre.

11

Ask yourself … how likely am I to find it funny if it is pronounced Vankel :laugh:

(I didn’t pay attention to/watch this video through - just far enough to see someone say wankel a few times … simple things simple minds eh?)

12

For some reason I had it in my head that the Speed Triple was a rotary, but wikipedia states otherwise and it’s an inline 3 cylinder. Nothing useful to add…

13

never got much more outa my old GT380 oh happy days in 2 stroke haze :D:D