Our engines SUCK
 

by comparison to real engines. I was just looking over some specs for model aircraft engines. Here are the specs on one small engine:

Model: OS MG0532
Displacement: 5.2cc
Bore: 19.6mm
Stroke: 17.5mm
RPM: 2,000-22,000
Weight: 270 g
Power Output: 1.2 hp (895 W) @ 18,000 rpm

This is a tiny engine, about 1/3 the size of a string trimmer engine, weighing in at 270 g, yet it puts out a continuous 895W.

WE SUCK

Yeah, but do they run on Clif bars and Gatorade?

No, they run on Nitromethane.

Damn good response Namenda!!

Do they test for that??

Yes. But instead of providing a urine sample, you break wind into a beaker.

You suck. I really suck.

I'm sure you'd beat me in a TT - I've only been back on the bike 5 months.

I wonder what kind of torque that tiny motor gets. I wonder if its 1/100 of what I can output.

If we could just rev up to 18,000 rpm, I bet we'd blow the wings off those wussy!

No - you can produce much more torque, but you can only do it at around 100 RPMs. A strong man can produce as much torque as an average car engine, but can't apply it any appreciable rate of rotation.

And who wouldn't want a motor that gets its maximum torque at 100 rpm?

Honestly, Ill admit my rotational physics is a bit poor. No, actually all my physics is pretty poor. But I can point out another overlooked fact. That number is the maximum power output for the motor. It is only fair to compare to a human rider going "all out".

Don't be so sure. In my last TT my time would have landed me 25th out of 52 Cat 4/5's. I'm sure some of the guys faster than me were riding 34lb. Schwinns.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/s...port-white.gif

I was on my state of the art Slice TT bike with Zipps.

That number is the rated sustained output for the engine; it can produce that power as long as it has fuel until it wears out. In that respect, it's really most fair to compare it to a human's power output in the all-day aerobic range.

It is both the sustained and the maximum power output, so it depends on what comparison one is inclined to make (sprinting potential or endurance potential). As long as we are comparing man to machine, heres a good one.
I can remember about 12 random digits. Does that mean I have 12 bytes of memory? I can barely remember the word remember.

No, it only means you can reliably access 12 units of your memory.

Fine, heres a good question for you physicsally (not physically) or mechanically inclined.
If you mated the motor to a road bike and adjusted the transmission and whatnot to match, would it be faster than a human outputting way less power?

Correct. The power rating for IC engines is both the maximum and maximum sustained power b/c of the power curve inherent to IC engines. This is not true for all engine types (turbine for example).

Weight and drag being normalized, yes, it would be faster than whatever was powering a bike and producing less power. Power is power, no matter what mechanism is producing it. Our muscles are, at the small scale, powered by bio-mechanical micro motors, after all.

.352 lb-ft @ 1.2hp @ 18k rpm

PCAD, you'll be thrilled to know I plan on racing my vintage Schwinn at least once next year. :D

it'd be waaaaaaaay faster. I think the human is something like 60% of the drag. If you put that motor on there, you wouldn't need a human. It would go a great deal faster.

Just for comparison, the Sun (an average yellow dwarf star) outputs about 386 billion billion MegaWatts, or nearly as much power as Ryanf.

About 90% as much as RyanF. The kid was born in 1990. :eek: I feel very old.

I've been back on the bike 18 months (12 years off). It's a good feeling ..... Gonna kick some butt next year