Radical model info...loads of questions.

[philevo6]

Hi,first of all please excuse my total lack of knowledge about the radical...but everyones got to start somewhere.

Right,im a bit confused over the model differences...is an sr3 a 1300 hayabusa?....ive seen 1500 too??? confused

Does the 1300 radical have a turbo?,like the motorbike

Ive also heard of powertec 1300 etc etc..?

What are the major problems with them (engine rebuilds?)

Ive drove a 400bhp evo 6 on trackdays for years but looking for a change...a radical is surely that..lol

Thanks for any info.

Edited by philevo6 on Tuesday 17th August 22:52

[SportsLibre]

philevo6 said:

Does the 1300 radical have a turbo?,like the motorbike

What bike are you thinking of with a turbo? ...?

Powertec are Radical's engine builder arm.
They build varying specs of Suzuki engines from a relatively standard (bur according to them extremely powerful) 1300 to bored out 1500 or even 1600. You pay the money , they will do it.

There is also the SR8 engine (two 1300 blocks build in a V formation to make 2600cc.
Clubsport, discontinued, ZZR1100, best value fun car available anywhere.
Prosport, discontinued, Suzuki 1300, developement ofclubsport with centre locks etc.

SR4, track day possible road car,older versions unsed Kawasaki ZZR1200
SR3, more serious race car, larger and geniune 2 seater, also available road spec
PRO6, Suzuki engine (spec on request) reinvention of Prosport, centre driving serious race or track day car
SR5, car (duratec?) engine plus hewland.
SR8, carry a fire extinguiser
SR9, Le Mans prototype

Note: None of the above are seriously usable on the road!

[Official Radical]

Hi Phil, to clarify current and previous engine specifications:
Current:
SR4 CS, 1340cc 210bhp standard, 1500cc 260bhp optional
SR3 RS, 1340cc 210bhp standard, 150cc 260bhp optional (most people choose the 1500cc)
PR6, 1340cc 210bhp standard, 1500cc 260bhp optional
SR5, 1998cc Honda K20 V-TEC, 260-300bhp
SR8, 2600cc 380bhp or 2800cc 460bhp Powertec V8

Older Suzuki-Powertec engines are usually 1300cc 205bhp or 1500cc 252bhp, based around the older Suzuki K7 engine; Powertec now uses the K8. You'll also come across older Kawasaki ZZR1100 or 1200 cars; Clubsports and older SR4s mainly.

[splitpin]

As above.

As I like pictures as well as words, this also provides a useful outline > http://www.radicalownersclub.com/lowdown.php

If you're looking to come in at the lower price end, I'd say if you want two seats, focus on an SR4 (1200 Kwack is fine, 1300 Busa even better), if one seat will do, then it'll either be a Prosport (usually 1300 Busa) or a Clubsport (usually 1100 Kwack). In the same hands, the Prosport is easily the quickest of the three and probably the best buy of all if you can find a good one (it's a big if) if that's your top priority.

However the good news is that once you learn to drive any of them (all are free from turbo straightline shove and all manner of driver aids as standard) on virtually every track you'll ever drive, they'll be capable of posting better lap times than you could ever achieve in an EVO even if it does have 600bhp - it's the bendy bits that matter to lap times. Anyone can go fast in a straightline.

[philevo6]

Wow...thanks for all the info fellas,cheers!

It would HAVE to be the hayabusa engine...1500cc

Can i ask if there are any common problems with running these?

The evo is a money pit to run,fuel,tyres etc...im not saying a radical wouldnt be, but anything to watch out for.? (sr3)

Thanks again..

[superlight7]

Trev that's a Nice link to the SR4 - I'll have to charge you a royalty fee since I own it now!!!!



Is the jump to 1500 Busa the attraction of BHP?

I'm into my second Radical this year(SR4 1200) and to be honest unless you've driven one I would strongly advise you try before you dive too deeply....these cars are more about set-up - handling - aero rather than brute force.....a little measure of driver skill and tolerance of G Force also helps.

I came into Radical ownership from a R400 spec Caterham i starting with a 1100 Clubsport which was a real eye opener. I was lucky enough to be able to keep the Caterham but now I have a Radical its unlikely that the Caterham will see more track outings.

Last weekend at Rockingham there was only an XBow that came close to me - mind you I started my session in rain (hence on wets) and the track was just coming dry as he started out on slicks....

There were also many evo's on Saturday that even in the rain (and I mean heavy rain) were not on the pace of my SR4....it was rather fun following them round watching them twitch around down the straights as their traction controls came on.....evenually they got the message and yeilded.

[Simon T]

How often have you gone the sensible otption then after a while wish you have stretched yourself...? Once you get used to a smaller engine you'll be left wanting more...

JFDI! Get a 1500 at least or even better yet a 1600!

Simon

www.tillingmotorsport.com

[splitpin]

superlight7 said:

Trev that's a Nice link to the SR4 - I'll have to charge you a royalty fee since I own it now!!!!

Actually (didn't Nick mention it?), it works the other way round - do you want/need a full on VAT Invoice?

[splitpin]

Simon T said:

How often have you gone the sensible otption then after a while wish you have stretched yourself...? Once you get used to a smaller engine you'll be left wanting more...

JFDI! Get a 1500 at least or even better yet a 1600!

Simon

www.tillingmotorsport.com

There is of course much sense to this ......... but it rather depends on budget? If there's say £15K, I'd rather have a whole car rather than sit admiring a new from Powertec 1585 as a static conversation piece in my hallway; that said, at least it wouldn't go bang as many did last year.

The best approach is to make the number one priority buying the best you can i.e. a good one for the money available. I've seen a few people jump in and buy a piece of worn-out and neglected crap and have a nightmare start to Radical ownership, so bad that it's usually been a very shortlived experience. In other words, although I prefer a Busa, if I wanted two seats and my budget meant I could either buy a spot on 1200 Kwack SR4 or a 1300 Busa of an obvious inferior quality, I'd buy the former every time.

[philevo6]

Thanks for all the info chaps!

Ive heard the engines have to be rebuilt every 50-60 hours use,is that correct?...and how much ££££

If so,it sounds worse than it is,as 2-3 hours actual track time per trackday would see 25+ trackdays.

[splitpin]

philevo6 said:

Thanks for all the info chaps!

Ive heard the engines have to be rebuilt every 50-60 hours use,is that correct?...and how much ££££

If so,it sounds worse than it is,as 2-3 hours actual track time per trackday would see 25+ trackdays.

As a rule of thumb, I'd say it could easily be less than that if you're a hard charging racer (the reducing warranty for engines used to be 30 hours - still is for strokers - now 40 hours I think for K8 non-strokers) whereas a trackdayer could well do better - with regular fettling and not abusing it (there is no need to on a trackday i.e. revving it constantly to the red line or running huge amounts of kerb), our 1299 SR4 did way better than that.

Basically, the more standard an engine is (especially a non-stroker) IMHO the sweeter and stronger it is and the less a refresh will cost. Cost of same? Depends on what needs doing and what else if anything needs replacing, for example, clutch and gearbox parts. Best speak to Radical/Powertec and get an up to date idea; for example, you can take the engine out and take it to Powertec or you can take the whole car to Radical and they can do the taking out and putting back in.

The costs will look to be high on the face of it, but as you say, touchwood, when you factor that over loads of trackdays, who knows maybe three years, cost per event isn't too bad ............. compared to our SR4, I doubt we could have done trackdays any cheaper in anything else of anywhere the same pace. To my mind, this is the advantage of using a car designed to race in the considerably less aggressive environment of trackdays compared to using a car designed for the road in the considerably more aggressive environment of trackdays.

We used our pre-owned and very well looked after SR4 for about two and a half years of trackdays mainly at Silverstone GP and nothing broke or gave up and not once did we lose out on any tracktime - 1.5 hours each in a Radical was quite enough neck exercise for us! - when it left us, it was running just as sweetly and powerfully (with four identical compressions) as when we bought it. Just regular oil and filter changes, chain lube and adjustment, exhaust repack, discs/pads monitoring and such like, nut and bolt checks etc.