Maybe it's because I have a 650 Suzuki that has no title, or maybe it's the cold weather outside, or maybe because this forum is about the possible uses of some incredible power plants, but I got the urge to try something like a tracked personal vehicle like some I have seen in videos on youtube recently.
My little 650 Suzuki is an inheritance from my late brother, but no title was ever found, and it is missing so many lighting pieces that it would cost more to restore and title than it would be worth, so I have considered parting it out. Also, on my bucket-list of favorite projects is to build what is known as a Gixxer-kart. Those are large-displacement-bike-engine-powered go-karts with 140+hp, capable of 150+mph. My brother also had a KZ1000 ex-police bike (chain-drive) that I wanted badly to use for this project, but my stupid SIL sold it out from under me. These karts need a chain-drive power system so the 650 won't work.
Enter, the personal tracked vehicle! Most of these are hydraulic-motor driven, so the 650 motor would work fine to drive the pump. Most of these little vehicles are also based on 18-21hp motors, or some are even using 350 and 450 quad drives. Howe and Howe Engineering makes some incredible vehicles for the Army and law enforcement and they just came out with their mini-Ripsaw, a quad-based tracked vehicle to go anywhere, FAST! OK, let's step it up a bit and use a 650 engine, or, wait for it,.........wait for it,...........a 1300 six cylinder engine!
My first thoughts were to use one 1300 engine for each track, using variable throttle to steer with, but control issues quickly overcame my enthusiasm and reason. But, just hook a hydraulic pump (a really BIG one!) to the output flange of the tranny of a KZ1300 or even better yet, a ZN1300 (fuel injected, will work better in the cold!) and drive a set of valves to control two hydraulic motors for the tracks. For slow moving through the woods, or pulling freight trains out of snow banks, you would just use first gear. But, for some 80-90mph blasts you could shift through the gears!
Racing snowmobiles are faster than this, but in the rough they won't go as many places.
Anybody else up for such a project? Kawboy, this should be right up your Canadian, snow-bound alley! During the winter you could swap that 1300 motor into the tracked vehicle and then back to the bike for spring/summer riding.
Below are just a couple of the videos that have inspired me!
