THUNDER DOWN UNDER
I, like all men, enjoy some thunder between my legs. But this time its form the supercharged ea81 Subaru Brat engine. That was after the video (at the end of this rant) was taken. The VW 1916 engine form Brazil never did run well. Like all vW stories it’s a long one and besides…I’ve moved on now.
The Brat engine (Brumby here in Oz) is an old fashioned engine being not OHC. The little engine would fire up easily. Mated to the VW auto transmission from a VW Fastback of circa 1970 and you have a nice drivetrain for a VW style trike. Then I wanted more.
Fast track 8 months and the Toyota SC12 supercharger was installed. 82hp on the dyno machine saw a rise of 23hp. And this is at 4-5 psi only, very modest boost. Then I added the water injection to keep things cool and add efficiency. I was ready but not for that thunder!
I knew I’d have extra power on the road but the extra herbs from take off startled me. The trike quickly accelerated to change into second on the “slush box” (hence my user name) and the front end wanted to rise off the tar. I was going to enjoy this!.
I tackled a mountain slope normally riding at 45mph flat out in second gear with the VW now in top gear going around 65mph and it felt more was there.
This was worth all the work I’d done. Powering out of a sweeper I gunned the throttle to get the kickdown to second I desired and “Tweety” the trike squatted its rear end down while the hot rod 600-16 nearly lost traction. Fun fun fun.
My wife and I hooked up the caravan and put Rosie our Foxy pup into her kennel- yes on the trike one side of the roof…yes roof. She got a warm ride there from the warm air from the heaters……I wont explain all of this lol. Off we went to the Stringybark Caravan Camping Ground near a place called Tolmie in Victoria Australia, the location of 3 murders of police in the late 1880’s by Ned Kelly, a world reknown killer that is warmly embraced by most real colonial Aussies. His steel body armour is legendary. His last words from the gallows “such is life”.
Many books are on the stories. A fourth cop ran and saved his life by hiding in a wombat hole. A large wombat is the size of a small bear. He lived to tell the account and eventually after a shootout at a place called Glenrowan he was captured and hung.
The trike towed the 500 kgm caravan (trailer) easily no effortlessly!!. 60mph was easy. Sun was shining through the windscreen, a little light rain so on went the wiper…..a little mist so on went the demister. Lol.
A great trip. Memorable for the thunder between my legs. And that’s what its all about….Smokey Dawson
I, like all men, enjoy some thunder between my legs. But this time its form the supercharged ea81 Subaru Brat engine. That was after the video (at the end of this rant) was taken. The VW 1916 engine form Brazil never did run well. Like all vW stories it’s a long one and besides…I’ve moved on now.
The Brat engine (Brumby here in Oz) is an old fashioned engine being not OHC. The little engine would fire up easily. Mated to the VW auto transmission from a VW Fastback of circa 1970 and you have a nice drivetrain for a VW style trike. Then I wanted more.
Fast track 8 months and the Toyota SC12 supercharger was installed. 82hp on the dyno machine saw a rise of 23hp. And this is at 4-5 psi only, very modest boost. Then I added the water injection to keep things cool and add efficiency. I was ready but not for that thunder!
I knew I’d have extra power on the road but the extra herbs from take off startled me. The trike quickly accelerated to change into second on the “slush box” (hence my user name) and the front end wanted to rise off the tar. I was going to enjoy this!.
I tackled a mountain slope normally riding at 45mph flat out in second gear with the VW now in top gear going around 65mph and it felt more was there.
This was worth all the work I’d done. Powering out of a sweeper I gunned the throttle to get the kickdown to second I desired and “Tweety” the trike squatted its rear end down while the hot rod 600-16 nearly lost traction. Fun fun fun.
My wife and I hooked up the caravan and put Rosie our Foxy pup into her kennel- yes on the trike one side of the roof…yes roof. She got a warm ride there from the warm air from the heaters……I wont explain all of this lol. Off we went to the Stringybark Caravan Camping Ground near a place called Tolmie in Victoria Australia, the location of 3 murders of police in the late 1880’s by Ned Kelly, a world reknown killer that is warmly embraced by most real colonial Aussies. His steel body armour is legendary. His last words from the gallows “such is life”.
Many books are on the stories. A fourth cop ran and saved his life by hiding in a wombat hole. A large wombat is the size of a small bear. He lived to tell the account and eventually after a shootout at a place called Glenrowan he was captured and hung.
The trike towed the 500 kgm caravan (trailer) easily no effortlessly!!. 60mph was easy. Sun was shining through the windscreen, a little light rain so on went the wiper…..a little mist so on went the demister. Lol.
A great trip. Memorable for the thunder between my legs. And that’s what its all about….Smokey Dawson
