Does the Moroni engine keep up with traffic?

[professor]

I have been thinking about power top weight ratios. My old Prisim (toyota) weighs around 2700# (with me and tools) and has 110hp= 24.5 lbs/hp.
No problem keeping ahead of traffic if I want, but still an economy car output.

Let's say bike weight at 80#+rider@180 gives 260 total "Race wt."
Add the 9.6 hp to the bike and what do you get? 27 lbs/hp.
Not even as good as the old toyota, and no gears. (Am I right about the gears?)
So the flash of 9hp doesn't look so dazzling to me, am I missing something here?

 

[Virginian]

OK, I'm a physicist and I have looked at the equations for bike speed.

First, weight on the flat at typical MB sdpeeds is almost totally irrelevant. Almost the entire resistance is due to wind resistance, which depends on cross-sectional area and "smoothness."

With 9.4 hp and a reasonably efficient system to get the power to the wheel, a bike should go 60 to 70 mph on the flat. To get the higher number you need a good racer's tuck and nothing sticking out to create drag (think of the look of a fancy racing bike).

 

[RedBaronX]

a big difference between the two vehicles would be-- how much total weight the Toyota can haul and still maintain highway speeds, and that the Toyota can reach highway speeds at all.

I don't think the Maroni would have trouble keeping up with street traffic, so it's a matter of whether or not the bike it is on can handle the rigors of sustaining speeds above 30 mph.

Note-- I am not speaking from experience with this engine, but I know that my HT 66cc can go close to 30 mph with me on it, and I weigh more than you do.

 

[professor]

The power to weight has everything to do with acceleration. Remember- this is to keep up with traffic, not eventually to get to speed.
I went over to dragtimes.com and a toyota like my own runs the quarter mile in the high 17 second bracket at around 77 mph. Not bad at all. Of course, this is launching correctly and winding out gears.
Even if the Moroni had multiple gears, I doubt it would do that.