The High-Revving Engine is Dead, Long Live the High-Revving Engine

"Sterling Sackey" (sterlingsackey) 04/07/2016 at 23:13 • Filed to: None

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The Honda S2000's F20C engine revved to 9,000 RPM when it debuted in 1999. Thanks to Honda reliability, mine still happily reaches that number in 2016. Well, actually a little less in my AP2 version, but you get the point.

We now live in a sea of high-torque, long-stroke, often turbocharged engines. Today’s Honda Motor Company doesn’t produce a road car engine that breaches 7,000 RPM, so far as I’m aware. Yes, high-revving engines are available in some of the world’s most expensive supercars, but I thought Honda represented high-revs for the masses...

Am I wrong?

bob and john > Sterling Sackey 04/07/2016 at 23:15

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in a car, maybe.

go into the bike world. 14k+ 4 cylinders are abundant.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > bob and john 04/07/2016 at 23:18

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I want to put a bike motor in a Trabant. Or a Mini.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Sterling Sackey 04/07/2016 at 23:19

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The use of turbos kind of kills the need for 8-9k redlines....

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Sterling Sackey 04/07/2016 at 23:19

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The thing is high revving cars tend to feel rather gutless down low. That leads to keyboard racers complaining about “hur due there’s no torque, you’ll get overtaken by a minivan.” Combine that with the rise of automatic transmission take rates, they’ll rarely ever get into the peak power region leading to people just complaining about how slow they are.

I do love me some high revving screamers though. I’ve ridden in an e30 M3 and AP1 S2000 before. They were anything but slow as all the keyboard racers drone on about. Although I do have a bias for high revving cars as well. The e30 M3, e46 M3, e9x M3, s2000, RX-8. I love all of those and they all rev to high heaven.

GhostZ > Sterling Sackey 04/07/2016 at 23:23

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Aftermarket/crate engines are revving higher than ever now. The long stroke +turbo movement is only for fuel savings.

bob and john > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 04/07/2016 at 23:27

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lots of dudes from in Busa motors into mini. there is a whole are several companys for it.

they make it mid engine, RWD too.

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > Sterling Sackey 04/07/2016 at 23:27

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Not quite yet...

I wouldn’t say it’s exotic expensive either.

Probenja > Sterling Sackey 04/07/2016 at 23:36

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Hnggg so smooth:

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > bob and john 04/07/2016 at 23:50

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I think it would be a good daily. Motorcycles are kinda reliable right?

Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ > Sterling Sackey 04/07/2016 at 23:53

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Yep, don’t think my Speed3 has ever seen 7k.

bob and john > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 04/07/2016 at 23:53

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its a lot more maintenance intensive (I do oil changes every 3K miles, spark plugs every 15, valve checks every 30) but i’ve seen dudes with my engine hit 300K miles.

JasonStern911 > bob and john 04/07/2016 at 23:58

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intense maintenance is oil changes every 3k miles? we live in a spoiled age...

JasonStern911 > Probenja 04/08/2016 at 00:01

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the craziest thing about that video isn’t nearly hitting 10k RPM but what appears to be 220k miles on an RX-8.

bob and john > JasonStern911 04/08/2016 at 00:05

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no. but plugs every 15, valve check every 30 IS.

not to emntion, clutchs wear out a lot faster. (thought they are also MUCH easier to replace

JasonStern911 > bob and john 04/08/2016 at 00:27

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not sure what bike you are talking about, so I’ll just take the SV part and incorrectly guess an SV650/SV1000...

Ducatis have 3k valve adjustment intervals - that’s (likely neglected) high maintenance.

if 15k miles is too short for a plug change, then I’m guessing you’ve never owned a two stroke - especially one modified in the slightest way.

and more often than not, clutch life is determined by the owner and not the bike. rev match as best you can, don’t abuse the bike, and you’ll probably get a lot of life out of it. but I understand if it’s much more fun not to.

off the top of my head, the biggest general maintenance downsides to motorcycle ownership are:
1) easily avoidable for people with money - carbs on bikes suck and are black magic that nobody under 40 understands - especially in a “good luck” configuration like single cylinder two carbs or four+ cylinders four+ must be synchronized carbs
2) if your bike has a chain or belt instead of a drive shaft, you’ve got added maintenance there
3) your choice of maintaining a battery during winter or dealing with the consequences of not maintaining a battery during winter

but whatever. you get motorcycles or you don’t. cheers to those who do, very likely including yourself! :)

Sneaky Pete > bob and john 04/08/2016 at 00:31

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Butt plugs every 15...

JasonStern911 > bob and john 04/08/2016 at 00:33

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second drunken rant - if you’re concerned about maintenance, Honda made “The Honda Accord of Motorcycles”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Pac…

...but few people bought them. bikes tend to be about the experience or the perceived reputation of owning one. make sure you’re doing it for you and not how others perceive you.

bob and john > JasonStern911 04/08/2016 at 00:33

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yea, SV650.

Fi is a fantastic bit of kit. LOVE IT.

I actually did 30K miles on my OEM plugs. but recommened interval is 15k. oops.

as soon as I get back to toronto (2 weeks) I need to tear the bike apart and check the valves....

bob and john > JasonStern911 04/08/2016 at 00:35

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also, this is all relative to a car. cars do 100k on a set of plugs?

its easier maintenance thats for sure

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > JasonStern911 04/08/2016 at 02:27

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it’s 220.000 km though, since the speedo is in km/h. But still, whoa!
Must be the 3rd set of apex seals.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > bob and john 04/08/2016 at 08:56

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That’s no so bad.