RE: oilheads-digest V1 #62

["Mike Eyre" <meyre@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> in a motorcycle, no? Think of the new Corvette engine.. Still 
> a pushrod engine, but a damned nice one at that. 

> Yes it has its uses. In a car or truck.

	Ah! Closemindedness! (Is that a word!?) Many thought the pushrod
motor was dead a decade ago.. (and I know this brings us back to
autos..) but GM stuck with the pushrod engine in the corvette and proved
that a quality, powerful, worldclass engine /could/ be made with 'old
technology'. I'm not pushing pushrods here (no pun intended..), because
I love a good OHC just as much as the next fellow, but I don't believe
just because this design has been around for a while means it's time to
roll it over and call it dead. 

> > engine.. Still a pushrod engine, but a damned nice one at that.
> 
> Well lets not confuse a massive V8 with a motorcycle powerplant.

	All depends on what your intention is, my friend.. A four
cylinder OHC can be huge in a diesel payloader, or it can be small as in
a motorcycle. Depends on it's intended purpose.

> If the pushrod motor offers such a weight advantage, why is the sport 
> bike world not using them? Answer:  I don't think a pushrod 
> engine will rev to 14,000 RPMs.

	Not all of us ride sportbikes, either. Go ahead and put that
150hp OHC screamer in your brothers Harley and gauge his reaction for
us.. Granted, BMW's tend to be more on the sporty side of things than a
Harley, but there's still that odd lookin' laid back BMW cruiser out
there that some of us ride.. 

> Also compact does not necessarily mean less weight.

	Perhaps not.. But more weight *down low* in the chassis may even
out a little less weight /up high/ in the frame. Again, depends on what
you're looking for in the engineering of the machine.

Mike

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