dirtbike/atv/motorcycle engine vs clone

[Themurraykart]

Honda clones are everywhere. But there are really only two options for transmissions when buying them. 1. A centrifugal clutch or 2. A torque converter. A centrifugal clutch is only one speed and in my experience unreliable for high speed karts. A torque converter is great but it is around 180-200$. So a Honda clone gx200 is around 130$ new, with a centrifugal clutch its about 165$. A Honda clone with a torque converter is at least 310$ new. From what I've read across the forum a dirt-bike/ATV/motorcycle engine has more hp per cc. They are also cheaper than a clone with a torque converter with as much as twice the hp. Here is the engine that I am interested in http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-150cc-H...Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item25693f0eaa.

What do you think is better? Clone or Dirt-bike/ ATV/ motorcycle engines???

 

[Doc Sprocket]

If,

1)You're not competing in a sanctioned event that demands a specific engine, and
2)You have the necessary fab skills and tools to do it, then-

A bike engine, hands down. That said,

Who told you C-clutches are "unreliable for high speed karts".

What do you think ALL the racers use???

AND- Personally, I would NOT buy some crappy chinese knockoff bike engine off EvilBay- Talk about rolling the dice. Save your nickels, buy a name brand motorcycle for a good price (condition based on your skills and budget). Fix (if necessary) the engine up, install on kart, sell off remaining bike parts to recoup cost. If you do this thoughtfully, not only could your engine end up free, you could well end up making money on the deal. Generally, parts are worth more than whole units. I have broken down a couple of bikes and made more than I paid. Do this, and you get the real McCoy, a quality unit that once fine tuned will last a long time.

For the record, a bike engine is not just about HP/cc- it's also about having a multispeed transmission to best take advantage of the engine's power band.

 

[Themurraykart]

Centrifugal clutches are great for street karts but not so much on a off road kart that wants to go 50mph on rough terrain.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Agreed- but then again, a CVT may not even meet that need for you. IF you have the skills and tools, go with a bike/ATV engine, or even a snowmobile engine/CVT.

And, that still doesn't tell me where there's a high-speed reliability problem.

 

[speedshopmike]

$149 for the motor you're looking at, plus a carb, pipe, ignition boxes, wiring harness, clutch cable, and so on...plus they're inferior grade parts.
by the time you're done you'd be much better off buying a used bike or atv (japanese, not chinese), having everything you need already hooked up and in-hand so it's easy to swap, then part the rest out like Mister Canadia said above.
i've got a cm400 honda, a 600cc radian, a 500cc v-twin, a 250 single and a 125 single all sitting around looking for homes, for example.
older, basically worthless bikes are everywhere for cheap.
an atv setup could be much superior if it's got reverse and a semi-auto clutch (aka centrifugal).