#FEATURETHIS: YAMAHA R1-POWERED MINI
While I’ll be the first to admit that motorcycles are unfamiliar territory to me, the idea of motorcycle engines swapped into cars has always been exciting. Of course you can’t really just toss a bike motor into any old car – it should be something very small and very light. Something like this Mini built by Speedhunters reader Robert Valk.
Robert has owned the Mini for eight years now and during that time he’s transformed it into quite the pocket rocket.
We’ve seen a number of different motors swapped into Minis, and the Yamaha R1 engine is a perfect choice. The motor is mated to an R1 sequential gearbox, both of which were installed by Robert himself.
Robert says the motor setup is good for 160 high winding NA horsepower. Other work includes twin radiators, adjustable suspension, a full cage, and more.
The 10 inch steel wheels have been widened to 7 inches at each corner and mounted with 160/490-10 slick tires. You can also see the custom side exit exhaust in this shot.
Further shedding kilograms from the car is a complete fiberglass front end and trunklid. To say that the car is a lightweight would be a huge understatement. Robert says that the complete car weighs in at just 550 kilograms, or 1,200 pounds.
I’m guessing there aren’t too many 160 horsepower cars out there that are as fun to drive as Robert’s Mini.
Thanks for sharing!
If you have a cool car or build story that you think is worthy of being featured on Speedhunters, drop us a line at featurethis@speedhunters.com . Please make sure to include your name and location, as well as some basic details and specs, along with at least 5-10 photographs. Photos should be no less than 800 pixels wide and in .JPG format.
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-Mike
Imangine a Hayabusa engine in that thing. Would be completely nuts. And for the "WHY NOT HONDA MOTOR!" crowd.. Sportbike engines are nothing to laugh at.Modern sportbike engines in the liter category pump out as much, or more horsepower then most sub compacts roaming the streets. They spin up to 14k rpms and scream like Formula One cars while doing it. All the power is in the midrange from 6000-10000rpm, Top end comes on from 10k to redline and is quite vicious. Lightweight old school mini+ small engine that weighs hardly anything but produces as much power as a civic motor sounds like a winner
Nice car mate,,, well done,,, cool colour too (My favourite)
cheers & thanks for sharing too
That thing has gotta be absolutely BONKERS to drive!!
Hey everyone, these early "carby" type R1 engines have about 130hp std (if you get a good one) ,,, so at the listed 160hp ??? well he`d have to have some serious cams & timing & inlet & exhaust work done to it,,, the early carby engines were not that good... the later 06-07 & onwards injected ones had some decent power above 160 for sure.
I`ve been running an R1 powered front-wheel-drive spaceframe buggy for quite a few years now so i know what they`re like with a total of 290kgs... so this mini at 550kgs it`s quite heavy really,,, a std R1 motorbike is at about 180kgs, so you do the math,,, that`s like trying to have 4 or 5 people ontop of an R1 motorbike ,,, it`s not that good hey? & gearboxes won`t last too long either because of the weight/abuse/fatigue
i certainly don`t mean to bag this guy cause i think it`s a cool car for sure,,, it`s just not out as wild as everyone is saying... but if you could get down to 250kgs & have maybe 300hp+,,,then you`re talking bonkers
@MadMatttheminiman he didn't build a shifter-kart. it's a mini. 300hp at 250kg in a mini is pure fantasy.
Now put a B-20 in a 70's Honda cycle...
Cool car but why not just use a Honda B. It fits better no need to have it stick outside the bonnet and makes far more torque and power with the benefit of a flywheel so you can actually drive it on the street. Sure it weighs more but outside of being unique I just don't see why one would go to so much trouble.
I dont know much about Portugal, but perhaps b series are very rare and expensive there. And maybe he had a R1 motor laying around/got it for cheap, or maybe its cheaper for parts over there. Maybe its for a class of racing that has a limited capacity. Maybe its just something he always wanted to do? This is all just speculation, but there are hundreds of potential reasons why he might have chosen this motor.
Vilko B series are not rare in Portugal, if anything they are a bit too comon, i saw people putting them in citroens, peugeots you name it. Also most of the people turbocharges them over here at Portugal. A widebody Bike-powered mini is a lot more comon over here, the winner of the time attack Portuguese Championship won with one of those!
like you said, cause of the weight ofcourse.
and cause of being as compact as it is.
aaaand because of the sequantial gearbox, lot of possibilties with :)
@DCS a big part of motorsport is the sound. very few car engines can wail like a bike motor.
is there any videos of this thing?
(owner) it is such a nice suprise too see this being posted, thanks a lot guys from speedhunters!!
and thanks guys for all the positif reactions!!
Booster Nice car Booster, Got any videos of it? Upload something to youtube please =)
Like mentioned elsewhere, can you explain exactly how you connect the engine to the diff?
the sprocket of the gearbox is driving a differential using a chain, the differential is hanging in selflubricated bearings.
the sprocket of the gearbox is driving a differential using a chain, the differential is hanging in selflubricated bearings.
Sick!! Love this little car! o_O
What did he use for a transmission?
KeithCharvonia "The motor is mated to an R1 sequential gearbox, both of which were installed by Robert himself."
datsunsss Right, but doesn't a motorcycle gearbox have one output and a FWD car have two? I hope he's not driving one front wheel!
KeithCharvonia datsunsss On most modern bikes, R1 included, the transmission housing is incorporated into the engine casting. I would assume he's using a chain from the output sprocket to drive a jackshaft with an enclosed differential.
Gorgeous car! Id love to race you. Hehe.
Amazing!!!
1200 lbs?? haha wow
how's the sound?? any video of this?
koknyol Like an R-1..... Seeing as how it is one
I would love to have a fang around in this
i want to see somebody put a hayabusa engine in a del sol.
zamm333 I think there are videos of a 'Busa Beat on YouTube. I think a Del Slow is too heavy still, you need a kei/micro car.
Golightly yeah but they're funny. and it would be cool to smoke people in a rwd del sel.
The first bike engined car I ever drove was a Blackbird engined Mini, it was hilarious. Remind me to show you the video sometime Mike. This is ace...
Now thats cool!
How does it stack up against a honda engine swap?
Amazing how much in common a motorcycle and a fwd engine have in common.
Gives me a few ideas.
Black Gaffa Tape to Cover the rust on the drivers Door - looks even better than the Brake line on the right frontbrake...
Hopefully that had changed when the Dampers where fitted.
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