Getting better all the time!!!
Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 2:58 am
Well - I had an interesting Thursday. As many of you know, I've been working on a new pipe for the 'dale. It was completed and ready for testing. We put my moto on the dyno to compare the new pipe performance to the FMF Titanium system that came originally on the quad.
My moto has a WWE race 450cc kit in it, and a ported head with re-angled injectors. Everything else is pretty much stock. I ran the stock moto map on premium no-lead. The testing was done at about sea-level on a 70 degree day. With the FMF system we were putting out 42 HP to the wheels. With the new pipe we put 42 HP to the wheels with the open pipe, and 40 with the quiet core.
Here's where it got interesting. The last two times that this dyno was used with a Cannondale was three years ago. They put a motorcycle on it and it seized on the first pull. Then they put a Trinity race-prepped quad on it. After three pulls (31 average HP) the engine detonated. Let me explain what a 'pull' is... The quad is warmed up and then it is placed in 4th gear, wheels spinning on the acceleration drum at 3000 RPM. When ready, the throttle is held wide open until the rev limiter is hit at 11700 RPM. The computer then calculates the HP from the speed at which the drum accelerates. As you can guess, it is VERY hard on an engine!
Over the course of the afternoon we did 43 pulls! The engine came off the stand running as smoothly as it went on! The dyno operators were amazed - and a little scared! Normally 4 straps are used to hold a quad on the dyno. After the first three pulls, they added two more straps and a large brace at the front of the quad. Even then, no one would stand in front of the quad during a pull. It accelerated so hard that it looked like it was about to come off the stand every time the throttle was hit!
The operators were VERY impressed with how solid the 'dale motor was (My thanks to Cord at ATK - he built this engine for me!) Like I said, these 'dales are getting better all the time!
My moto has a WWE race 450cc kit in it, and a ported head with re-angled injectors. Everything else is pretty much stock. I ran the stock moto map on premium no-lead. The testing was done at about sea-level on a 70 degree day. With the FMF system we were putting out 42 HP to the wheels. With the new pipe we put 42 HP to the wheels with the open pipe, and 40 with the quiet core.
Here's where it got interesting. The last two times that this dyno was used with a Cannondale was three years ago. They put a motorcycle on it and it seized on the first pull. Then they put a Trinity race-prepped quad on it. After three pulls (31 average HP) the engine detonated. Let me explain what a 'pull' is... The quad is warmed up and then it is placed in 4th gear, wheels spinning on the acceleration drum at 3000 RPM. When ready, the throttle is held wide open until the rev limiter is hit at 11700 RPM. The computer then calculates the HP from the speed at which the drum accelerates. As you can guess, it is VERY hard on an engine!
Over the course of the afternoon we did 43 pulls! The engine came off the stand running as smoothly as it went on! The dyno operators were amazed - and a little scared! Normally 4 straps are used to hold a quad on the dyno. After the first three pulls, they added two more straps and a large brace at the front of the quad. Even then, no one would stand in front of the quad during a pull. It accelerated so hard that it looked like it was about to come off the stand every time the throttle was hit!
The operators were VERY impressed with how solid the 'dale motor was (My thanks to Cord at ATK - he built this engine for me!) Like I said, these 'dales are getting better all the time!
Nice lawnmower tires!