You want the truth?

[mscuddy]

The facts are in. And they point to a clear link between Honda, and the exploding expensive four stroke MX bike.

And we haven't stopped yet. If you can handle the truth, as told by one of the leading experts on all things dirt bike, here it is:

http://articles.superhunkyforum.com/4/106

Also included are phone numbers to the players in the biggest rip-off scheme in dirt bike history. Call them up, and ask a few pointed questions, after reading the article. Get involved, and turn this fiasco into a victory for all the dirt riders out there.

The two stroke will rise again!

[Kenneth_Moore]

Originally Posted by mscuddy

The two stroke will rise again!

Interesting stuff, Matt. I think you're right, if KTM and others keep building 2 strokes that outperform and outlast the 4's, the maket will force Honda and others to change. Whatever shennaigans Honda and others may pull in racing circles isn't going to make people buy their bikes if they blow up every 10 hours.

The same thing happened in large outboards. Honda was pushing 4 stroke outboards really hard for decades. Yamaha and others started builing their own 4's. When I bought my last boat, I could get a direct-injected Yamaha "HPDI" 250hp that was 1/3 lighter, had better fuel economy, and just as quiet at the same 250 four stroke. Then Evinrude came out with their high-tech 2 stroke, which was even better. They're selling so well they finally got OMC back in competition with Yamaha and Suzuki.

[mscuddy]

Ken, did you know that Outboard Marine Corp is one of the oldest producers of marine-related motors and out-drives? Before it was OMC it was named Cushman, who if you look inside a Cushman motor, took marine technology and incorporated it into the scooter motors. In 1908 Cushman/OMC produced the 1st four cycle outboard motor. I had an OMC in my Galaxy that used a 2.8 liter GM V6 as the engine. I think OMC is on par with anything Mercury produces now days. Especially salt water stuff.

[Kenneth_Moore]

Originally Posted by mscuddy

Ken, did you know that Outboard Marine Corp is one of the oldest producers of marine-related motors and out-drives? Before it was OMC it was named Cushman, who if you look inside a Cushman motor, took marine technology and incorporated it into the scooter motors. In 1908 Cushman/OMC produced the 1st four cycle outboard motor. I had an OMC in my Galaxy that used a 2.8 liter GM V6 as the engine. I think OMC is on par with anything Mercury produces now days. Especially salt water stuff.

I did know that; I used to ride with a guy who had a hot dog cart, and the motor was OMC.

Mercury is big on the lakes here, but they never made it in the salt water market, at least in FL. OMC was doing ok until Suzuki and Yamaha came along. Today Yamaha has 60 percent or better...my guesstimate. They deserve it, their motors made OMC and Mercury look ridiculous. I bought a 18' oston Whaler back in the 80's. The choice was a huge V-4 Johnson 100, or a Yamaha inline triple rated 90, at the prop, that was about 1/2 the size. OMC rated at the powerhead, btw. I ran that Yamaha 30 miles offshore fishing for years, it never once had a hiccup. My Dad's Johnson 15 spent more time in the shop than it ever did on the water, and all he did was putz around on the Indian River.

[mscuddy]

I was going to stick an OMC 500cc opposed twin in a Cusham Eagle frame, but never got around to it, make a mini-beemer.

Cushman motors rode on tapered roller bearings for the crank, with a pressure fed babbit/steel bearing insert for the con rod, and a piston-cooler that squirted a jet of oil underside the piston at TDC out of the oil pump.

Also little gizmos on the valve stems that rotated the valves around so they wouldn't get the seat imbedded. The oil pup pick-up screen was about 1/4 of an inch off the bottom of the oil pan, and because of the roller bearing crank, you could run it almost out of oil, and it didn't miss a beat.

Ah, flathead technology...

That OHV Lincoln-OMC (Lincoln Nebraska) opposed twin was a sweet motor. Don't know why someone didn't pick it up for a USA built mid-size street bike.

[sarnali2]

Originally Posted by mscuddy

I was going to stick an OMC 500cc opposed twin in a Cusham Eagle frame, but never got around to it, make a mini-beemer.

Cushman motors rode on tapered roller bearings for the crank, with a pressure fed babbit/steel bearing insert for the con rod, and a piston-cooler that squirted a jet of oil underside the piston at TDC out of the oil pump.

Also little gizmos on the valve stems that rotated the valves around so they wouldn't get the seat imbedded. The oil pup pick-up screen was about 1/4 of an inch off the bottom of the oil pan, and because of the roller bearing crank, you could run it almost out of oil, and it didn't miss a beat.

Ah, flathead technology...

That OHV Lincoln-OMC (Lincoln Nebraska) opposed twin was a sweet motor. Don't know why someone didn't pick it up for a USA built mid-size street bike.

Well I don't know much about outboards but the history of Motorcycle manufacturing in the USA boiled down to Harley-Davidson and Indian beating down ACE, Excelsior-Henderson and Crocker to control the market up until 1940. Harley got the lions share of war contracts with the WLA and Indian withered on the vine with no money to develop an OHV. They paired with Royal Enfield for a vertical OHV twin but buy then it was too late, H-D owned the market and still does to this day.

That's my guess why no one picked up the Lincoln OMC