The Beaver... interesting performance claims...

[hydromike]

Hey Moderator_Mike,

I just read the scanned article you posted up of the Beaver. (Great scan, by the way). The performance claims of the manufacturer are downright ambitious! It'll climb a 60% grade? That's pretty amazing, really. As you point out, they claim it'll reach 50mph (50mph in the top advertisement, 40mph in the lower explanation?). The largest engine they offered was a 200cc, but with a 4-speed gearbox, I suppose it was attainable. You could get turn signals, floor mats, etc. Looks like a pretty fun machine to take to the supermarket, but I'm not convinced of its off road prowess . Great info. nonetheless!

~m

[Mike]

All thanks go to Don on those scans. I just uploaded them. As for the performance, I laughed at that myself.

Maybe it can climb that 60% grade at 50mph in 4th gear

Here's the direct link for anybody that hasn't seen it: http://www.6x6world.com/forums/aatv-...72-beaver.html

[Don]

I thought the same thing about the claims of speed and climbing ability. I've seen only one of these machines in the "flesh", and it was in very poor shape. One thing that stuck in my head about it was the narrow, long footprint of the beast (it's looks wider in the pic than I remember). I can't imagine going very fast in one of these things- it just doesn't look stable. Cool little machine, though!

[whipper-ag]

Ward, you were a little hard on the beaver last night.

Whipper

[George]

[QUOTE=Don;7384]I thought the same thing about the claims of speed. I can't imagine going very fast in one of these things- it just doesn't look stable.[QUOTE]


It's just as well. It's been my experience that you really are better off taking your time with a beaver.

[hydromike]

OK, I'll chime back in. It seems obligatory at this point.

If there's one thing I was always taught as a youngster, it was to steer clear of high performance Beavers. While quite a few folks may have had experience taking them to the limit, I'm more for the steady, slow approach like George. Too often, when you push these things as much as some of us do, they tend to break.

Nobody wants a broken Beaver.

~m

[Don]

Quite possibly the little machines didn't become more popular because of the air-cooled engine. They may have been better off trying to fit a liquid-cooled model.

Nothin' worse than an overheated Beaver.

[Kevin Percy]

Not sure why it is described as a three wheeler since there are actually 4 wheels, the front two are close together. I have recently seen photos of a a group of factory sponsored racing Beavers. Pics are from 1970. I own a 200cc Beaver that was a factory demonstrator. It has carpet and floormats. No turn signals though. I don't think I have ever had it in fourth gear and held the throttle wide open to see how fast it will go on 50 year old tires. It is pretty stable though and less "twitchy" at speed than the Penguins.

[1963 pengor penguin]

I’m swapping a GY6 150 longshaft into my penguin for now because I’ve taken the villiers to multiple “experts” over the past 6 years or so. If anyone knows how to build these 197cc Norton villiers engines, let me know. 94O 2O6 3I96

[Kevin Percy]

I’m swapping a GY6 150 longshaft into my penguin for now because I’ve taken the villiers to multiple “experts” over the past 6 years or so. If anyone knows how to build these 197cc Norton villiers engines, let me know. 94O 2O6 3I96

I have rebuilt a few.