Coming Soon
Home > Forum


Author Topic: A little history  (Read 8568 times)

0 Members and 3 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline TMKIWI

  • Professional
  • *****
  • Posts: 1634
    • View Profile
Re: A little history
« Reply #15 on: November 22, 2010, 09:17:54 PM »
Since we are off subject has anyone here driven a 930 Porsche ? Thats a 911 turbo to those that dont know. Late 70's early 80's.
Try driving one fast on a country road and not turn white with fear. I have many times.
There was a reason they shoved massive rear wheels on them.
Massive oversteer caused by the motor being 'behind' the rear axle.
The offset pedels i never got used to either.
Now a Ferrari 365 B/B. Thats a car. The sound off 12 carb trumpets 6 inch's behind your head is very impressive. ;D

Quite partial to spyders as well Sachs.
If you don't fall off you are not going hard enough

Offline JETZcorp

  • Professional
  • *****
  • Posts: 1696
  • Life, Liberty, and Horsepower
    • View Profile
Re: A little history
« Reply #16 on: November 22, 2010, 10:03:49 PM »
The thing that makes the 911 great isn't the rear-engine thing, it's the fact that it's a Porsche.  But honestly, I've been hearing whisperings of 911 Carrera owners selling their cars and getting a Cayman S instead, because the little mid-engine is really laying it down and kicking some ass.  It would seem that, in making a Boxster coupe, Porsche accidentally came up with a car that has more potential than the 911, and that's why Caymans have traditionally been underpowered, and for many years didn't even come with a limited-slip differential (which is shocking, because the LSD was available on Dodge Challengers in the '70s).  I think if they were to make a "Porsche Cayman GT2," it'd be one of the best cars ever made.

As for rear-engined dirtbikes, I'd like the audience to consider the implications of making a front-engine dirtbike.  Our bikes are mid-engined, of course!
« Last Edit: November 22, 2010, 10:13:14 PM by JETZcorp »


Is this Maico a 440 or only a 400?  Well in all the confusion, I forgot myself.
But considering this is a 1978 Magnum, the best-handling bike in the world, you have to ask yourself one question.
Do you feel lucky, punk?

Offline SachsGS

  • Professional
  • *****
  • Posts: 1235
    • View Profile
Re: A little history
« Reply #17 on: November 23, 2010, 08:37:28 AM »
One of my all time favorite Porsches is the 904GTS and the Cayman S seems to be the reincarnation of that machine.

Now, as TMKIWI suggested, to return to the main topic imagine if Yamaha brought back the RD350LC? With a little Bombardier/Rotax direct injection technology and a 7 speed gearbox I wonder how many of those would sell?

Offline TMKIWI

  • Professional
  • *****
  • Posts: 1634
    • View Profile
Re: A little history
« Reply #18 on: November 23, 2010, 10:50:36 AM »

Now, as TMKIWI suggested, to return to the main topic imagine if Yamaha brought back the RD350LC? With a little Bombardier/Rotax direct injection technology and a 7 speed gearbox I wonder how many of those would sell?

I would buy one. ;D
I had a RZ350R back in the late 80's.
With a proper alloy frame,USD forks and brakes that work would be fun.
If you don't fall off you are not going hard enough

Offline JETZcorp

  • Professional
  • *****
  • Posts: 1696
  • Life, Liberty, and Horsepower
    • View Profile
Re: A little history
« Reply #19 on: November 24, 2010, 01:00:47 AM »
By "proper alloy frame," are we talking aluminum-alloy, or steel-alloy?  Because pretty much all the frames for the last 30+ years have been one of those kinds of "alloy," and there has been some limited controversy over which of these constitutes a "proper" frame-building material.


Is this Maico a 440 or only a 400?  Well in all the confusion, I forgot myself.
But considering this is a 1978 Magnum, the best-handling bike in the world, you have to ask yourself one question.
Do you feel lucky, punk?

Offline TMKIWI

  • Professional
  • *****
  • Posts: 1634
    • View Profile
Re: A little history
« Reply #20 on: November 24, 2010, 10:52:00 AM »
By "proper alloy frame," are we talking aluminum-alloy, or steel-alloy?  Because pretty much all the frames for the last 30+ years have been one of those kinds of "alloy," and there has been some limited controversy over which of these constitutes a "proper" frame-building material.


By "Proper frame" I mean a frame that doesnt flex like it was made from cardboard.  ::)
Dont care if its crome moly or Aluminium. But being Yamaha it would be "Alloy" , short for Aluminium.
Who uses alloy as a term for steel ?
If you don't fall off you are not going hard enough

Offline ford832

  • Professional
  • *****
  • Posts: 1532
  • I PITY THE FOOL THAT RIDES A FOURSTROKE
    • View Profile
Re: A little history
« Reply #21 on: November 24, 2010, 04:15:04 PM »

Now, as TMKIWI suggested, to return to the main topic imagine if Yamaha brought back the RD350LC? With a little Bombardier/Rotax direct injection technology and a 7 speed gearbox I wonder how many of those would sell?

I would buy one. ;D
I had a RZ350R back in the late 80's.
With a proper alloy frame,USD forks and brakes that work would be fun.

Sweet,me too-only two of them-and one of those hateful xs650 things-and I'm  still shaking from that.
I'd like a date with a red headed spyder as well-I'm even willing to take her after you're done Sachs :)
I'd rather a full bottle in front of me than a full frontal lobotomy.

Offline TotalNZ

  • Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 247
    • View Profile
Re: A little history
« Reply #22 on: November 24, 2010, 04:36:38 PM »
I've driven both Porsches and Corvettes and I can assure you that I am no idle armchair critic. Shall we compare the racing successes of the 911 to that of the Corvette? Or shall we examine companies in question's bottom  lines. Let me see now, was it Porsche or GM that declared bankruptcy? Porsche 911s also have a reputation for being very long lived.

From the design vantage point of vehicle weight management/cost and powertrain packaging the rear engine concept is one of the most efficient. That is why Porsche selected the design 80 years ago and is also why companies like Volkswagen and Tata are reintroducing rear engined cars now.

I've built many a small block Chevy, a design that dates back to 1955. Trust me, the Porsche engines are a little more sophisticated. ;)   
well said, dirty old pushrod V8's.

Offline JETZcorp

  • Professional
  • *****
  • Posts: 1696
  • Life, Liberty, and Horsepower
    • View Profile
Re: A little history
« Reply #23 on: November 24, 2010, 06:01:47 PM »
The second-fastest car in the world has a pushrod V8.  The only one that's faster requires 16 pistons, four turbos, and four camshafts pushing 64 valves, on an engine with a substantially higher displacement.  Those old pushrod engines just can't seem to keep up!


Is this Maico a 440 or only a 400?  Well in all the confusion, I forgot myself.
But considering this is a 1978 Magnum, the best-handling bike in the world, you have to ask yourself one question.
Do you feel lucky, punk?

Offline SachsGS

  • Professional
  • *****
  • Posts: 1235
    • View Profile
Re: A little history
« Reply #24 on: November 24, 2010, 07:58:46 PM »
One thing I'll say about the "old pushrod V8s" is that they are much more compact then the newer motors. My latest Ford pickup has a 4.6 ltr. OHC V8 that is gigantic compared to the 5.0 (302) pushrod V8 that my older Ford pickup had. Maintenance with the 4.6 is truly a nightmare as well, in spite of the fact that it is more fuel efficient, more powerful and quieter then the old 302.

I'm actually thinking of finding a newer Ford F150 with a manual transmission and a defective motor (of which there are lots) and installing a 4BT Cummins diesel. The 4BT was used in a lot of applications with a Ford or Chev transmission so its actually not that difficult. I may sound crazy but I've done diesel swaps in the past and they've always turned out really well.

Getting back to the main topic (again) I wonder if people at companies like Yamaha read forums such as this one?

Offline JETZcorp

  • Professional
  • *****
  • Posts: 1696
  • Life, Liberty, and Horsepower
    • View Profile
Re: A little history
« Reply #25 on: November 26, 2010, 12:29:43 AM »
There's only one company that we know for sure that they do. ;)


Is this Maico a 440 or only a 400?  Well in all the confusion, I forgot myself.
But considering this is a 1978 Magnum, the best-handling bike in the world, you have to ask yourself one question.
Do you feel lucky, punk?