I collaborated with a friend in order to properly modernize an early 80’s Honda Fl250 which had been modified over the years before we acquired it.

I tasked myself with designing and overseeing the fabrication of a new engine mount which would allow for the installation of a modified off-shelf OHV engine (roughly 11 horsepower). We chose this primarily because budget would not allow for the sourcing (and rebuild) of another original 248cc Honda engine (and all of the necessary components to make it run properly). This was not a simple feat, as the chassis was designed around the intended engine and mount assembly, along with a unique gear reduction unit and axle which we did not have in hand (nor could we justify buying due to cost and the fact that the engine being used had completely different characteristics than that of a high revving two cycle).

Some things I intentionally designed into the new assembly were proper axle clearance, the ability to easily mount different bigger engines (a 570cc Briggs V-Twin is being prepped as of now), and to keep the center of gravity as low as realistically possible (as the roll cage already adds significant weight up top) while packaging everything neatly. Most importantly, it had to be manufacturable in-house by someone other than myself, so simplicity was a big factor in the final product.

UPDATE: This car was raced wheel to wheel against other Fl250’s and Trophy Karts. Basic modifications to make it legal included a roof panel, side nets and number plates. The car was already compliant with everything else beforehand. Overall, the car surprised not only myself, but everyone when It outran several fully suspended (and astronomically more expensive) trophy karts driven by much more experienced drivers. Seeing a machine I built beat the corporates was honestly really fun to see.

Future plans include a challenger style trailing arm rear suspended setup, installing a bigger CVT and the installation of a big block or V twin depending on whether my 570 goes into a different car or not.