One of the particularly cool things about sports racers is that, due to their incredibly light weight for a four-wheeled vehicle, builders have a wide range of power train options to choose from. The lack of mass means that low-end torque isn’t a top priority, so designers often turn to motorcycle engines for motivation, as this dyno test at Radical Performance Engines in Peterborough, UK illustrates.
While the fireworks shot off by the exhaust system during the dyno pull are reason enough to justify the task, the engineers here are conducting baseline tuning tests for a Geartronics GCU, which talks to the motor through a Life Racing F88 engine ECU.
Geatronics points out that while a dynometer can’t replicate the real loads the transmission will experience on the race track, it does offer enough information to establish some general parameters for tuning before the car hits the tarmac. The company also notes that they do not make claims about shift times based on dyno testing, as ”this would give a false impression of what is possible on track”.
Although it’s anyone’s guess how this turbocharged Hayabusa engine is precisely configured, a stock 1.3-liter Hayabusa four cylinder makes nearly 200 horsepower at over 10,000 rpm. With the addition of the turbocharger it’s likely that peak output comes in at a lower RPM, but with a substantially higher horsepower and torque figures.
But it’s the sound and fury this thing puts out at wide open throttle that really gets our blood pumping – see for yourself in the clip above.