Related Pictures

i figured id share a couple pics i have in my archives that either inspired the gecko, or gave me guidance on key design principles. ill add more every now and then...

moving day

all packed up in teh back of my car--everything I own dedicated to the gecko project. nearly a thousand bucks worth of stuff already...

here's what i have now:

-1000cc four cylinder engine out of a Honda CBR1000RR sport bike
-ECU module for the engine
-two stock airboxes with dual stage fuel injection fuel rails
-ignition cylinder with keys
-8.8 posi differential
-kick stand sensor switch
-airbox inlet pipe

key components i need in the near future:

-STEEL!
-front uprights/hubs
-steering rack
-wiring harness for the engine
-jet power commander
-fuel pump/lines (and prolly a fuel tank for that matter)
-battery

All packed up and ready to go:

well....

interesting past couple days.

the redesign (now Gecko 3) is coming along alright. got a bit done while i was on vacation back home. due to recent events, i'll have more time to dedicate to the project, as well as some more funds as well. keep checking back for updates!

redesign? what?

well, i made a choice today.

the gecko is about to hit the surgery table, and i barely have any parts. i am starting over, maintaining the same concept, but a radical redesign for four main reasons:

a) the most important reason for me is room. as it is now, it is VERY tight for two people. i want to widen it up a bit and have room for a hand operated shifter instead of paddles.

b) a frame that allows for longer front suspension which = a better ride.

c) i want to build a frame that easily accepts a removable hard top or targa top

d) weight reduction. with newly acquired information, i have realized a few unnecessary frame components., and im gonna redesign the frame with narrower tubing. two inch tube is huge.

Posi differential

well i found a killer good deal on a Posi (limited slip) differential. only $50 instead of the normal $400+.

so now i have two of the most crucial parts of the car. the diff, and the engine, both of which i got great deals on.

check it out!



now for those of you wondering how the heck im going to make this work with a chain driven vehicle, try and follow me here.

i'll take the ring gear off (the largest gear visible in the pictures) and bolt a sprocket in its place. now i will have something that looks like this:


next up is to create a cylindrical housing to hold grease and protect the delicate internals of the differential. a sort of sleeve that spans from the inside edge of the sprocket, to the inside edge of the opposing bearing. something a bit like this:

notice the smooth housing to the right of the sprocket? the inside of that is filled with grease that would normally be contained withing the differential housing on a car.

next step is to make a carrier. this would be a triangular plate on either side of the differential, with holes that the CV axle splines and come through and attach to the differential. the top of this triangular formation will be held to the chassis with two threaded rods that can be tightened and loosened for chain tension adjustments. the whole housing comes out like so:
this particular example has a disc brake mounted to the caliper, instead of brakes out at the wheels.

in a nutshell, thats a chain drive limited slip differential! lots of work ahead of me on this one!

Color!

played on rach's photoshop for a couple mins earlier. nothing fancy, but it just makes it that much more real :-)

Thank you Tony Pashley

you, sir, rock.

i got the book "How to Build Motorcycle-engined Racecars" in the mail and guess what? it kicks ass. every suspension problem i had, now gone!

thank you 1.3:1 to 1.5:1.

Tony Pashley, if you're ever in Spring, TX, come hit me up. i'll buy you lunch for being my literary hero.