Suggestion for Suzuki, that I think could sell them a lot of bikes, ...
Build a V4 and meld two 805cc engines together with the left/right halves offset on the crank to smooth things out, and put a second set of exhaust pipes down the left side.
Add a 6-speed gearbox, (there would be room as the engine would be 4-6 inches wider).
With a higher 3rd member to make the bike smooth, fast, and have horrendous torque.
It would still look like a V-twin, and compete against all the competition in the range of 1300cc-1800cc, with a 1610cc bike.
Use the same pistons, rods, cam assembly(mirrored on left side). Keep the same geometry in the crank, just each have 180deg out from each other. Using the same parts from the 805cc would keep the tooling costs down.
It would also be a fantastic engine for a trike.
Shouldn't take much redesign of the existing 805 to do this, just a slightly wider frame and engine.
Ahhh, but I'm probably preaching to the choir and no-one from Suzuki will take notice.
I have never been accused of being an engineer....but I think this is an awesome idea. Seems to me that the amount of people who have moved on to other bikes and still hang here is evidence to Suzuki that they really struck a cord with this line of bikes.
Great idea pcdoctorcom!
The problem with this engine is you want to use the same engine parts that are currently being used. Don't these engines have rings and timing chains that wear out prematurely. Now you want to double that?
Not double, it would still use the same number of chains, the rocker shafts would handle two cyclinders, not one, on each bank. I agree Suzuki could use a better chain and tightening mechanism for the camshafts. They could also make it easier to inspect the valve adjustments by adding a bigger gas tank. 5+ gallons would make it a much better cruiser.
Not trying to re-invent the wheel, just an idea for a V4 that looks like an air cooled v-twin, only water cooled, smoother running(on par with a CTX), and will require much less maintenance than a Harley, and a little more maintenance than a CTX(valves).
Keep in mind, I'm talking about a daily rider, 2000+ miles per month that will fit right in with the weekend cruiser set.
Yep, just like that, only in Suzuki mode. The Royal Star was a very smooth bike to ride. Unlike the twins. But I think a Suzuki model would have better technology, stronger and be a better bike.
Not to knock the Yamaha, it was designed to compete against the Goldwings, but was pricey, as well. I think a Suzuki C100 would compete with the CTX and could be built and sold to do so.
You do realize that you're talking about a motorcycle that represents .00003% of the total number of bikes on the road, right? No, Suzuki is not going to invest millions of dollars to build a bike that will realistically see sales in the hundreds every year. The V-4 is a niche motorcycle at best and there are already 6 other models on the market, so it isn't going to happen.
You always can do like the guys at Motus did and build your own. Though the bike is $34,000 to start and they've sold only a few...
You do realize that you're talking about a motorcycle that represents .00003% of the total number of bikes on the road, right? No, Suzuki is not going to invest millions of dollars to build a bike that will realistically see sales in the hundreds every year. The V-4 is a niche motorcycle at best and there are already 6 other models on the market, so it isn't going to happen.
I think some folks have missed the original idea. If I wanted a V4 that looked like a car engine, I'd buy a model like the Modus, the CTX, or anything else that had a V4 transversly mounted in a motorcycle frame.
The original idea was to make it look like a C50, not a sport bike, not a custom bike, but a v-twin looking bike, similar to the Yamaha Royal Star. The whole idea of a C100/V4 was to eliminate a significant amount of the vibrations generated from the way the two cylinders fire. Two additional cylinders at 180 deg out from the first two would help each set of cylinders to counter the vibrations generated from the firing of the other. Suzuki could, at their discretion, setup the cylinders to fire at opposite 90 degree intervals, reducing the vibrations that are generated by the V-twin.
Seems like many folks would give up the style of the C50 and move to another brand and style of bike to get something that is more smooth running, more comfortable with 4 cylinders.
I think Suzuki is missing the point, and the window of opportunity.
I think some folks have missed the original idea. If I wanted a V4 that looked like a car engine, I'd buy a model like the Modus, the CTX, or anything else that had a V4 transversly mounted in a motorcycle frame.
The original idea was to make it look like a C50, not a sport bike, not a custom bike, but a v-twin looking bike, similar to the Yamaha Royal Star. The whole idea of a C100/V4 was to eliminate a significant amount of the vibrations generated from the way the two cylinders fire. Two additional cylinders at 180 deg out from the first two would help each set of cylinders to counter the vibrations generated from the firing of the other. Suzuki could, at their discretion, setup the cylinders to fire at opposite 90 degree intervals, reducing the vibrations that are generated by the V-twin.
Seems like many folks would give up the style of the C50 and move to another brand and style of bike to get something that is more smooth running, more comfortable with 4 cylinders.
I think Suzuki is missing the point, and the window of opportunity.
Ya know. Since we're wishing pie in the sky sort of stuff, I really think that Harley should release a 1000-1100cc mid size cruiser to fill the gap between their Sportster lineup and the big bikes. But it ain't ever going to happen, so pining for the impossible is just a waste of time.
If you want smoother, get a different bike. Probably the smoothest bike I've ever ridden was the Indian Chief Deluxe and it wasn't a complicated V-4.... It was a perfectly balanced Vtwin. Rode any of the Harley line lately? Shakes like an epileptic at idle but once you twist the throttle, it smooths right out.
Of course, you can always go on to found your own company and build your own dream bike! I wish you luck in that. You might sell as many as 20.
There are some guys making some pretty cool bikes on a small scale. In today's marketplace, it is really difficult to bring a concept of a motorcycle to national distribution. The money needed in building the first bike is dwarfed by the advertising costs alone, not to mention other costs, needed to go national.
I have an idea for a new model: how about having a bicycle-type crank, to which you can quickly attach pedals, in case you break down. Sure, it would look ridiculous, pedaling a big v-twin, but still less ridiculous than pushing it....
It looks like DJ already installed himself on the bike and driving it just fine, on the way to his forest gig. He's just not spinning any records, but the glasses and funky socks are all there...
Compression sleeves. Developed to help improve lower leg circulation in diabetic patients. They are extremely effective at preventing cramps and delaying the onset of fatigue during long endurance events.
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