XR80 With GC160

[ghost civic]

Im trying to put a GC160 pressure washer motor into a 1985 honda XR80 frame. I have a torque converter on the way, but the mock up I just did shows some issues. The foot brake is too close to the motor. And I'm worried the torque convert may hit the frame. Other similar builds on youtube used the predator 212, which is at least a shorter engine and those builds were pretty straight forward. I'm trying to use a motor I already had.

I figure I could run a hand brake to the rear, not sure, I would assume the bike had a foot brake because the left handle bar was used for the clutch? I know mopeds have a band brake in the rear and use a hand lever and work fine.

Any thoughts?

 

[Crash87]

Cool! Don’t think you will see anyone else rolling around with the same setup! I look forward to seeing the progress

 

[ghost civic]

I got the torque converter...it is a VERY tight fit. I need to make a rig to hold the bike (can't lean on the kick stand as I need it vertical) but basically the motor has to go very far forward and out toward the foot brake side. Videos where people put the 212 motor makes it look a lot easier...not sure if the 212 is thinner than the GC160, the layout of the 2 motors is very different. I think a 212 could go higher in the frame, thus allowing the torque converter to be at an angle.

Another issue with the GC160, it has no throttle. It is made to start up, go to full revs and stay there until you shut it off. I can setup a throttle for it, it will just take more work than if I had a 212.

I'm on the fence if I want to try and work around all these problems or just go buy a 212. The only upside to using the GC160 is that it was free (does need a $13 carb) and that it is a honda...so I'd be powering a honda with a honda. But it does look like a 212 would be much easier to fab up. I'm going to stare at the problem some more tomorrow.

 

[ghost civic]

Kinda stuck now, I have a lower engine brace, put the motor on...have only maybe 1 inch of clearance on the top of the motor, 0 clearance on the front and 1/2 inch around the torque convert

But of the 2 possible positions to angle the torque converter, neither work. One way, the chain will rub on the top side of the control arm...and the other way it will rub the bottom side (and hard hard)

any thoughts?

 

[Budget GoKart]

If you can make a bolt on chain tensioner the side it rubs on use a thing to move it away which might require a longer chain

 

[Shep1970]

You need to have your front sprocket in the same relative location as it was with the stock engine. Also you need to think about when the rear suspension travels too (up/down.) You’ll need to figure out the chain rub (swingarm) top and bottom and also as the rear susp travels the chain “will” get tighter or looser depending on your front sprocket location. (Needs to be kinda precise)
I suppose you could remove the rear shock (piece of Steel) in its place and not worry about chain rub or it tightening/loosening...
Yes a chain tensioner would work but it looks like you don’t have much room to play with.
The front sprocket needs to be in the correct location for it all to work.
Good luck-
Shep

 

[ghost civic]

I stared at it long and hard today, considered all the options.
It is technically possible, but the clearance of the chain on the frame is super tight, as is the engine to the top of the frame. And with the squat you would get from a 200 pound rider, the chain still might rub a little.
And the only way to achieve that was to angle the motor, with the back of it up about and inch higher than the front.
Add to that the issue of making a full throttle linkage for the GC160, since it is set to only run at full revs, having to build a custom exhaust and intake filter...well i decided that it was just too much work.
If I had more money, a 212 would probably work much better...other in performance and easy of installation.

So I decided today to just part out the bike. The parts alone are worth almost 3 times what I paid for the bike.

And I can always throw the GC160 on a cheap kart frame down the road.