Thumper Racing 340 kit with pics
#21
03-23-2007, 04:23 AM
RE: Thumper Racing 340 kit with pics
I am still undecided about what I think about the resleeve. If I had a cylinder that originaly had came with a sleeve design I would not have a problem with a qualified machinist doing a resleeve on it. I am with tremor38 on the expanision rate between the two metals. Thousands of hours were probably spent by kawasaki on the design of this cylinder. I am sure they factored in heat and stress when they designed this. There final design was a cylinder that used no sleeve. Mustang stated not to worry about the sleeve going in to the water jackets because cast iron V8 use that technology. That is true, but those motors were also designed from day one to be used with a sleeve. heat and stress were factored in with the design and they came up with a reliable design on a cylinder/block that used a sleeve, just as motorcycles that came with a sleeve from the factory did. The klx was never designed to have a sleeve in it, everything in it was based around a one piece aluminum design not a two piece. Boring and replating is the closest thing to the factory design and still get the extra displacement. I am not putting down Bill for doing this, it is a lot cheaper alternative to get to 331 and a must if you want to go beyond that. My only other question/concern would be the rebuild intervals on the sleeve, it will wear a lot faster then the niskal but what is a realistic rebuild time frame on the sleeve.
#22
03-23-2007, 05:02 AM
RE: Thumper Racing 340 kit with pics
The wear factor is about the same the stock plated cylinder wares out at the top of the stroke where the rings reach TDC. The plating on most of the stock cylinders is only about .003 thick. The sleeve wares in the same place but it last longer. The plating on a millenium re plated cylinder is about .007 thick lastmuch longer than stock.
Bill
Bill
#24
03-23-2007, 05:19 AM
RE: Thumper Racing 340 kit with pics
ORIGINAL: Finger Mullet
Hey Bill since you're online, can ya bore out and sleeve the stock klx cylinder bigger than 340..... just curious.
Hey Bill since you're online, can ya bore out and sleeve the stock klx cylinder bigger than 340..... just curious.
See if you can get a stroker crank - I've heard folks taking them up to 364 with a stroker. Some rumors of going up to 380 but those are as rare as Big Foot sightings and just about as reliable.
#26
03-23-2007, 05:31 AM
RE: Thumper Racing 340 kit with pics
What is the bore on the 340. Where will you get a piston? OK Weisco can make a piston any size that you want for a price.
A stroker motor will give you a lot more torque than a big bore cylinder. I will be assembeling my buddy's tt 500 flat tracker motor in a couple of weeks he just got his crank back from power roll. I dont know how much he had it stroked but we are also putting a big bore kit in it going to a 90 MM bore. Another place to have a crank stroked is Falicon they will stroke anything any amount you want.
Bill
A stroker motor will give you a lot more torque than a big bore cylinder. I will be assembeling my buddy's tt 500 flat tracker motor in a couple of weeks he just got his crank back from power roll. I dont know how much he had it stroked but we are also putting a big bore kit in it going to a 90 MM bore. Another place to have a crank stroked is Falicon they will stroke anything any amount you want.
Bill
#27
03-23-2007, 08:22 AM
RE: Thumper Racing 340 kit with pics
Just a thought about the sleeve in this 340 kit, I think if you can 331/340 a std 250 barrel with this approach, it's extremely cost effective. As I think Nobrakes has found out, these are not high performance/ revving engines, they'll last just as long with this type of boring, Kawasaki ( like most) use the platings because they have it, but this is not a 13000 rev WR or KTM, it's just overkill to plate such a basic engine. Also as far as I know, all barrels have a steel sleeve that's either plated or not, aluminum is used in cheap brush-gutters or chain saw motors. The different temps do not upset the seals as the top ( directly onto head gasket ring) and bottom of the sleeves are of the same steel, only softer metal surrounding the sleeve seals only oil/water galleries, they not needing high pressure seals, Or am I wrong ?. just my two cents worth. TREMOR38, I do like that TMR-MJN34 carb of yours.
#28
03-23-2007, 11:13 PM
RE: Thumper Racing 340 kit with pics
Super 331!
Guys, I'm writing an article on this subject, but I wanted to share a few of my experiences with my friends on this forum.
I just finished riding the bike after mods and it rips. I know that's subjective, so let me be a little more specific. I still run stock gearing. I have read several posts where some of you have reduced gearing in order to essentially lighten the front wheel. This bike will wheelie in third gear with only a slight tug on the bars and a whack of the throttle. Fourth only takes a little more of a tug and it's right up there. A shift to fifth will often bring the rear wheel back under the balance point to keep the wheelie going.This will happen at 40 plus mph.
Wheelie-ability is only one, seat-of-the-pants way of explaining power. The dyno is, of course, better. Once my bike is broken in, I will get it on a dyno and good numbers will be available.
I went a bit further than just boring the bike though. As with several of you, I had Bill Blue work my Mikuni TM 33. He bored it to 34mm, fit and jetted it for the 331. It fits and works fantastic as-is from Bill. I'll work more on fine tuning it if the dyno run calls for it. Bill was fast and his work, flawless. I would trust him with any part of my motorcycle.
Marvin at Kustom Kraft bored the cylinder and handled arrangements for recoating. Everything from ring gap to piston clearance was spot on. Again, very timely. The J&E piston was pretty much like the one in the picture on this forum for the 340 kit.
Now for the difference. Luke's Racing in West Middlesex, Pa worked the head over. His porting, polishing and combustion chamber work are a work of art. It seemed a shame to bolt it on and cover it all up...until I rode it.
Melissa at Web Cams handled the camshaft work. Trust me, those cams, combined with the other work make this bike a fire-breather. I seriously doubt that any DRZ 400 will even come close, but we'll see.
Final compression ratio, according to Luke, is around 13/1 before he works over the combustion chamber. His work there lowers it to around 12.5/1 where it runs fine on pump gas. It still starts fine with the electric starter too. As the engine breaks in, it is gaining more power, buteven now, it's the bike we all wanted when we bought the KLX. It's still at or near the price of a DRZ 400 and with the Muzzy, about 30 pounds lighter.
Don't sell the KLX short, guys. I've never owned a more fun bike in my 60 plus motorcycle history!
Bill Dragoo
Norman, Oklahoma
Guys, I'm writing an article on this subject, but I wanted to share a few of my experiences with my friends on this forum.
I just finished riding the bike after mods and it rips. I know that's subjective, so let me be a little more specific. I still run stock gearing. I have read several posts where some of you have reduced gearing in order to essentially lighten the front wheel. This bike will wheelie in third gear with only a slight tug on the bars and a whack of the throttle. Fourth only takes a little more of a tug and it's right up there. A shift to fifth will often bring the rear wheel back under the balance point to keep the wheelie going.This will happen at 40 plus mph.
Wheelie-ability is only one, seat-of-the-pants way of explaining power. The dyno is, of course, better. Once my bike is broken in, I will get it on a dyno and good numbers will be available.
I went a bit further than just boring the bike though. As with several of you, I had Bill Blue work my Mikuni TM 33. He bored it to 34mm, fit and jetted it for the 331. It fits and works fantastic as-is from Bill. I'll work more on fine tuning it if the dyno run calls for it. Bill was fast and his work, flawless. I would trust him with any part of my motorcycle.
Marvin at Kustom Kraft bored the cylinder and handled arrangements for recoating. Everything from ring gap to piston clearance was spot on. Again, very timely. The J&E piston was pretty much like the one in the picture on this forum for the 340 kit.
Now for the difference. Luke's Racing in West Middlesex, Pa worked the head over. His porting, polishing and combustion chamber work are a work of art. It seemed a shame to bolt it on and cover it all up...until I rode it.
Melissa at Web Cams handled the camshaft work. Trust me, those cams, combined with the other work make this bike a fire-breather. I seriously doubt that any DRZ 400 will even come close, but we'll see.
Final compression ratio, according to Luke, is around 13/1 before he works over the combustion chamber. His work there lowers it to around 12.5/1 where it runs fine on pump gas. It still starts fine with the electric starter too. As the engine breaks in, it is gaining more power, buteven now, it's the bike we all wanted when we bought the KLX. It's still at or near the price of a DRZ 400 and with the Muzzy, about 30 pounds lighter.
Don't sell the KLX short, guys. I've never owned a more fun bike in my 60 plus motorcycle history!
Bill Dragoo
Norman, Oklahoma
#29
03-23-2007, 11:59 PM
RE: Thumper Racing 340 kit with pics
ORIGINAL: Shadetree
Super 331!
Guys, I'm writing an article on this subject, but I wanted to share a few of my experiences with my friends on this forum.
I just finished riding the bike after mods and it rips. I know that's subjective, so let me be a little more specific. I still run stock gearing. I have read several posts where some of you have reduced gearing in order to essentially lighten the front wheel. This bike will wheelie in third gear with only a slight tug on the bars and a whack of the throttle. Fourth only takes a little more of a tug and it's right up there. A shift to fifth will often bring the rear wheel back under the balance point to keep the wheelie going.This will happen at 40 plus mph.
Wheelie-ability is only one, seat-of-the-pants way of explaining power. The dyno is, of course, better. Once my bike is broken in, I will get it on a dyno and good numbers will be available.
I went a bit further than just boring the bike though. As with several of you, I had Bill Blue work my Mikuni TM 33. He bored it to 34mm, fit and jetted it for the 331. It fits and works fantastic as-is from Bill. I'll work more on fine tuning it if the dyno run calls for it. Bill was fast and his work, flawless. I would trust him with any part of my motorcycle.
Marvin at Kustom Kraft bored the cylinder and handled arrangements for recoating. Everything from ring gap to piston clearance was spot on. Again, very timely. The J&E piston was pretty much like the one in the picture on this forum for the 340 kit.
Now for the difference. Luke's Racing in West Middlesex, Pa worked the head over. His porting, polishing and combustion chamber work are a work of art. It seemed a shame to bolt it on and cover it all up...until I rode it.
Melissa at Web Cams handled the camshaft work. Trust me, those cams, combined with the other work make this bike a fire-breather. I seriously doubt that any DRZ 400 will even come close, but we'll see.
Final compression ratio, according to Luke, is around 13/1 before he works over the combustion chamber. His work there lowers it to around 12.5/1 where it runs fine on pump gas. It still starts fine with the electric starter too. As the engine breaks in, it is gaining more power, buteven now, it's the bike we all wanted when we bought the KLX. It's still at or near the price of a DRZ 400 and with the Muzzy, about 30 pounds lighter.
Don't sell the KLX short, guys. I've never owned a more fun bike in my 60 plus motorcycle history!
Bill Dragoo
Norman, Oklahoma
Super 331!
Guys, I'm writing an article on this subject, but I wanted to share a few of my experiences with my friends on this forum.
I just finished riding the bike after mods and it rips. I know that's subjective, so let me be a little more specific. I still run stock gearing. I have read several posts where some of you have reduced gearing in order to essentially lighten the front wheel. This bike will wheelie in third gear with only a slight tug on the bars and a whack of the throttle. Fourth only takes a little more of a tug and it's right up there. A shift to fifth will often bring the rear wheel back under the balance point to keep the wheelie going.This will happen at 40 plus mph.
Wheelie-ability is only one, seat-of-the-pants way of explaining power. The dyno is, of course, better. Once my bike is broken in, I will get it on a dyno and good numbers will be available.
I went a bit further than just boring the bike though. As with several of you, I had Bill Blue work my Mikuni TM 33. He bored it to 34mm, fit and jetted it for the 331. It fits and works fantastic as-is from Bill. I'll work more on fine tuning it if the dyno run calls for it. Bill was fast and his work, flawless. I would trust him with any part of my motorcycle.
Marvin at Kustom Kraft bored the cylinder and handled arrangements for recoating. Everything from ring gap to piston clearance was spot on. Again, very timely. The J&E piston was pretty much like the one in the picture on this forum for the 340 kit.
Now for the difference. Luke's Racing in West Middlesex, Pa worked the head over. His porting, polishing and combustion chamber work are a work of art. It seemed a shame to bolt it on and cover it all up...until I rode it.
Melissa at Web Cams handled the camshaft work. Trust me, those cams, combined with the other work make this bike a fire-breather. I seriously doubt that any DRZ 400 will even come close, but we'll see.
Final compression ratio, according to Luke, is around 13/1 before he works over the combustion chamber. His work there lowers it to around 12.5/1 where it runs fine on pump gas. It still starts fine with the electric starter too. As the engine breaks in, it is gaining more power, buteven now, it's the bike we all wanted when we bought the KLX. It's still at or near the price of a DRZ 400 and with the Muzzy, about 30 pounds lighter.
Don't sell the KLX short, guys. I've never owned a more fun bike in my 60 plus motorcycle history!
Bill Dragoo
Norman, Oklahoma
#30
03-24-2007, 03:04 AM
RE: Thumper Racing 340 kit with pics
ORIGINAL: Shadetree
Melissa at Web Cams handled the camshaft work. Trust me, those cams, combined with the other work make this bike a fire-breather. I seriously doubt that any DRZ 400 will even come close, but we'll see.
Bill Dragoo
Norman, Oklahoma
Melissa at Web Cams handled the camshaft work. Trust me, those cams, combined with the other work make this bike a fire-breather. I seriously doubt that any DRZ 400 will even come close, but we'll see.
Bill Dragoo
Norman, Oklahoma
What caused your compression ration to increase over stock? Did they shave the head prior to the chamber work?