Engine power limited by mfg?

I'm curious as to whether manufacturers do things (or don't do do things) to limit engine power in order to keep the government off their backs. I can repair and rebuild 2 cycle engines, but don't really know any fancy tricks to upgrade power without basically making the engine bigger. The reason I ask this is because my bike has 50 cc and is rated at 1.8 horsepower and I was looking at a 50cc Husqvarna chain saw the other day that was rated at 4.4 horsepower.

That's a pretty big chunk a change for the same engine size. I know that in NC a moped (unregistered and uninsured, etc) is only sposed to be able to go 20 mph. Ever try to go 20mph on a Friday afternoon? Talk about kamikaze!!!

Anyways, any ideas or thoughts on this would be appreciated...

Swarm and Destroy,

Lane

US Government

You know what the biggest problem with ped (and scooter) performance, don't you?

Our government rules...that's what.

The US Gov. rules say a ped can only have 49cc, 2HP, and 30mph.

The manufacturers already have fast (50 MPH), powerful ( 7 HP), durable 50cc scooters for almost the same price as the 2HP US government mandated peds... really only the better brakes they would need would make them cost more.

Derbi, Aprilia, and Yamaha (and others) make and sell the fast scooters,

But the US gov says you have to have a full motorcycle drivers license for them.

(and scooters and peds aren't all that different mechanically)

Good or bad policy??... That depends on your point of view... But it's obvious from the percentage of people who want to make their stuff faster, what the general public wants.

An old rule of thumb for easy reliable 2 stroke performance was 1 HP for every 10cc.

So it was very very easy for them to make 5 HP 50cc motors (and this was true 25 years ago).

Now they can make them make 7HP easily.

If a manufacturer wants to go for maximum performance and have a gearbox... they can make racing 50cc 2 strokes that make as much as 20 HP and go around 100 MPH

And by the way... The government has in mind plans to eliminate ALL 2 strokes.

California and their goofy tree hugging idiots have already put that into motion out there.

California tree hugger logic from 15 years ago >>

... Hey... we don't like polution..

... Does a power plant produce polution?

....Yes...

....OK... we won't build any more power plants.

15 years later some of the old power plants are shut down and now the idiots have no power.

So... they buy power from other states.

So the truth is that the polution amount is the same.

It is just out of state...

.......................................AND 10 TIMES AS EXPENSIVE !!!

A bunch of total genius's.

And they are going to kill 2 strokes for no good reason also.

Re: Engine power limited by mfg?

I know of a couple of tricks that make an engine a little more powerful.

On many mopeds there is a gasket between the head and the piston that limits it in some way. I don

Re: Engine power limited by mfg?

Yeah you can try putting a thinner head gasket or no gasket at all, but be careful that the piston doesnt start kissing the head when it gets warmed up..

Re: Engine power limited by mfg?

Hi, all you guys are correct, most peds are detuned with the timing also, to do it correct...you need a dial indicator and some techinical skill in degreing ignition, But to shorten it it!!! and go faster....you want to advance your timing to be about 2 to 2 1/2 degrees BTDC and this can be done buy using a offset woodruff (moon) key that can be bought at most bearing supply stores, BEWARE this takes time and skill to get correct! advance too much and you melt a motor, but have a big smile.. Doug D.

Re: Engine power limited by mfg?

Hi, all you guys are correct, most peds are detuned with the timing also, to do it correct...you need a dial indicator and some techinical skill in degreing ignition, But to shorten it it!!! and go faster....you want to advance your timing to be about 2 to 2 1/2 degrees BTDC and this can be done buy using a offset woodruff (moon) key that can be bought at most bearing supply stores, BEWARE this takes time and skill to get correct! advance too much and you melt a motor, but have a big smile.. Doug D.

Re: Engine power limited by mfg?

Can you explain this a little more ? It sounds very interesting, perhaps as a new topic. Thanx

Re: Engine power limited by mfg?

Ray, will post soon after I find my parts. Doug

Re: Engine power limited by mfg?

Ray, will post soon after I find my parts. SORRY FOR THE MULTI POST, MY UNITE ACTING UP..DOUG D.

Want to post in this forum? We'd love to have you join the discussion, but first:

Login or Create Account