Sylva J15 - Hayabusa

[padrc66]

i've been building this J15 for nearly 4 years from an un-started kit that was originally built in 2010. it's a one-off chassis extended behind the rear suspension to allow the chain drive diff to be mounted further rearwards to make room for the 'busa engine. The engine bay was just an empty hole and i had to add extra chassis members to support the engine and diff. The engine is a 2010 gen2 Hayabusa. I was hoping to get it on the road in July but after a few delays with IVA, finally got it registered and on the road last weekend. It's done about 200 miles so far with no new issues yet!











i think i's the only bike engined J15 on a standard wheelbase, there's at least one other Hayabusa car (in the states) and a Fireblade engined car but they're both on longer wheelbases and stretched bodies.



let me know if you want any more details

thanks for looking

[padrc66]

thanks for the interest. I've got 100s of pics, i'll add some up soon (taking the car to france at 3am so probably when i get back).

[padrc66]

yes, stock engine running the standard ECU, intake, catalyst and exhaust silencers so should be around 190. Measured weight at IVA was 530kg, i was hoping for nearer 500 but haven't made any particular effort to fit lightweight parts so not bad, it's not exactly slow!

Reverse is electric motor with integral reduction gearbox driving onto a gear on the end of the gearbox sprocket:





Yes, i did lower the gearing with the chain drive, I wanted to give the clutch a chance of pulling away with twice the weight. I've geared it for about 130mph max speed which does make it a bit busy at speed. Having said that, i've just fuelled it up and got 37mpg over the last 150 miles which isn't bad.

As i said above, getting ready to shoot off to france for a few days tomorrow - its done a couple of hundred miles since i first drove it 3 weeks ago with no problems so far - what's the worst that could happen!

Weather doesn't look too good though

[padrc66]

Thanks for all the positive feedback. Back from France now, it was a bit wet (understatement!) but the car performed flawlessly (apart from the tacho taking in water) and did 750 miles over 5 days averaging 43mpg which i was pleasantly surprised at for a car with around 350bhp/tonne!

that means the car has now done over a thousand miles in a month since it was first registered, think i may have to revise my 3000 miles per year on the insurance.

anyway, here's some pics from the trip:

leaving at 3am to go to Poole for the ferry



breakfast stop at 04.30 in a closed petrol station to avoid the rain



at the ferry port, first in line having allowed time for potential breakdowns



arriving at first campsite, an apple orchard in the grounds of a manor house




first day trip to Le Mans, typical deserted french D roads



arriving at Le Mans for a visit to the very good museum and a wander around the track, car now a bit dirty and clothes a bit wet!







driving on part of the circuit that's public roads



car is quite small!



definitely a different class of McD's in France



arriving at second campsite, car now quite dirty






quick trip to Pointe du Hoc, site of a D-Day Rangers assault on a gun battery. well worth visiting if you're in Normandy, huge site that's just abandoned and free to walk around and explore



trip to the american airborne museum in Sainte-Mère-Église, very well done museum commemorating one of the most famous sites of glider and parachute drops on D-Day




rain finally stopped on last evening so a quick trip to the beach



lunch before the ferry trip. yes that's proper cups and a knife in McD's, so much more civilised!



Thanks for looking, i'll try to get around to putting up some more build pics soon

[padrc66]

Thank you so much for all the interest. I've just started a retrospective build thread:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...