Hi

Someone at work has put this in my head so i'll have to ask as i cant decide (or know enough to make a decision!)

If you had a choice in sticking a standard setup CBR1000 engine in a kitcar or a standard CBR400 with a T2 turbo (homemade manifold, using carbs + standard ignition etc) which would be more fun? im guessing using low boost in a standard 400 engine might get around the same sorta figures as a standard 1000cc but dont know if the gearbox would take it for long. but would sound awesome

any thoughts?!

cheers

It would not be my choice, the whole thing would lack grunt and be fragile.

Its easy sticking a turbo on an engine, you would need to manufacture a bespoke clutch to get near the power of a 1000cc lump, this will crucify the costs and as you have noted the gearbox would be a weak point.

Why not use the setup on a bigger engine, my blade engine is a £400 ebay special that makes 200bhp, the clutch alone doubled the purchase cost as another £400 without changing plates and steels...

So build with 1000cc, then add a turbo when funds allow.

CBR1000 every time. The clutch and probably gearbox of a turbo 400cc engine will last about 5 minutes in a BEC

Why not just stick the turbo on the CBR1000

The not mauch advantage with a smaller bike engine.
I doubt a CBR400RR engine is much lighter than a late 1000cc engine.
The turbo'd 400 would have to tripple it's power to match a Late R1.

The v4's are bloody heavy little engines. The bikes weigh the same as modern 1000cc bikes.

You'd have to be running some properly serious boost to get an old CBR400 up to Fireblade power levels. The newest Blade make well over 3 times the power of the standard CBR400. It would self destruct in seconds without huge amounts of money being thrown at it, so a complete non-starter IMO.

There is normally something like a x1.4 or x1.5 capacity handicap for turbo engines in sprints/hillclimbs

What this means is that your 400cc with turbo would be equivalent to a normally aspirated 600cc.

750cc with turbo versus litre-bike might be a fairer comparison.

right o so i'll leave thoughts of 400cc to the side then was hoping they might fit a little better than a physically larger engine but if its not worth it then thats that