yet another clone question...
- Thread starter jeremys14
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Russ2251
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No clone will ever be as good as the genuine article.
I have not (yet) seen a clone without some casting flaws.
I have not (yet) seen a clone without some casting flaws.
Russ2251
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Let someone else chime in.
I'm very biased against Chinese anything.
I'm very biased against Chinese anything.
Russ2251
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Perhaps...
modelengineer
Lord of the noise
Seems like a waste. Should get a motorbike engine and never have to upgrade or modify (unless you're really crazy). It will be cheaper than a modded clone, have a gbox, more power, higher revs, etc. AND you usually get brakes, sprockets, chain, throttle cable, etc. with the bike.
Blazkowiez
Kart Aficionado
If you've got nothing but time and one of those amazing Harbor Freight warranties then go ahead, mod your clone. It will blow up and it will break. These things seem to fail even with you don't do anything to em significantly.
The only thing that you need to consider is that if you start changing out internal parts imo is that you'll have to undo and redo anything you've done to the new engine after you've messed up the first one. This will be time consuming. How important is your time?
The only thing that you need to consider is that if you start changing out internal parts imo is that you'll have to undo and redo anything you've done to the new engine after you've messed up the first one. This will be time consuming. How important is your time?
example of said motorbike engine?
I have 8 clones.. yes eight on various equipment. Not one single failure. I'm not sure why all the hate on this genuine Honda engine copy is out there. Most everyone agrees that a Red shroud GX series Honda engine is basically the best engine ever made. Now there is a copy available for $75-99 and everyone thinks they are junk. Possibly it could be because they are angry that this is really too good to be true. Or they just dont know how to work on engines. But the fact is that if left bone stock with regular oil changes this motor will last as long as a Honda that it was modeled after. There is absolutely no reason to think otherwise.
Even if the original poster was going to mod the engine to its breaking point (which most of the kids on this forum have no idea how to do in the first place) you would have to get into the 16hp-20hp range which is 3x the original power meant to flow through its block and internals anyway. Not too shabby for a $74 engine. That's assuming you are an experienced builder and you don't screw something up inside when you are "Modding" it. This is true for any engine though.. design can not make up for carelessness.
Even if the original poster was going to mod the engine to its breaking point (which most of the kids on this forum have no idea how to do in the first place) you would have to get into the 16hp-20hp range which is 3x the original power meant to flow through its block and internals anyway. Not too shabby for a $74 engine. That's assuming you are an experienced builder and you don't screw something up inside when you are "Modding" it. This is true for any engine though.. design can not make up for carelessness.
sideways
Unfinished projects king.
Any motorbike engine? Something around 250cc is going to have all the power you'll ever need need on a road kart (ie, power that clones can only dream of), it's MUCH cheaper to buy a bike engine than to buy a clone and mod it...
I rebuilt a 5.5hp clone and a 3hp briggs (both in the same month), both engines were quite new and I was simply giving them a freshen up, the clone won hands down for quality. I don't really see why people say they're so unreliable, its usually the equipment attached to them that fails.
Hayden
anderkart
Moderator
I think most of the clone engine hate stems from guys that just don't like the idea of any company simply copying an other's product. We used to call that a forgery but the modern term of clone makes it sound a lot better.
When Honda designed the GX series engines they copied several features from other small engine brands but they managed to come up with an overall design that was unique. Honda only owns patents to just a few of the GX series engine components so they could only bring law suits against the clone manufactures that were painting them red.
I've done quite a bit of research on the genuine GX Honda vs clone motor debate and feel if you contacted several different racekart engine Blueprinters you'd find most all would recommend starting out with a genuine Honda because they truly believe they're higher quality in every way.
I race karts with with lots of guys running both near-stock and highly modified 6.5 clone engines. I realise most any highly modified engine is running on the raged edge but my tracks had several Boxstock clone class crank shaft failures lately.
Blazkowiez
Kart Aficionado
I have no hate based on the fact that they copied a fantastic engine and are marketing it affordability. I admire the fact that this is affordable and several people have access to it. My problem with them stems from the fact that they do fail, randomly, from inferior parts. And this were stock engines, regular oil changed, regular people driving them around, not hotrodding.
We've seen engines that are brand new that only run on 1/2 choke, we've seen engines new that have bad power packs or bad keys or bad valves. Things happen, its just an issue of them not caring to inspect a number of these or have no ability to do so at this price, that's fine. There are a number of these that tend to run great too. I'm not full of hate, I'm full of concern
We've seen engines that are brand new that only run on 1/2 choke, we've seen engines new that have bad power packs or bad keys or bad valves. Things happen, its just an issue of them not caring to inspect a number of these or have no ability to do so at this price, that's fine. There are a number of these that tend to run great too. I'm not full of hate, I'm full of concern
Kaptain Krunch
Pro Junk Collector
Not as often as a clone.
However, modelengineer is correct, if its power, speed, and acceleration you want a motorcycle engine is where its at. My kz400 powered kart will smoke any 6.5 clone, or 16hp clone for that matter.
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