Other Motorcycle Powered Mini Desert Lite

[TutTech]

I thought this would be a good way to introduce myself.
I am building a Motorcycle powered single seat buggy with the look and feel of a full size buggy like the Desert Lites but smaller and able to race with a couple of the current rules and organizations that are racing out there.

I have several years of racing knowledge and have podium finished with my class 3000 size buggy. Last year with my wife driving the entire season she just won the Class championship in 1300 with MORE and received an Iron Woman award for driving every mile of every race without the help of any co-drivers in my old car.

With what I have learned I set out to build a Mini Desert Racer.
Small enough to race in short course, big enough to hit some deserts etc.
With some of the current rules I decide on the pro class just under the unlimited class. So I have to stay under a 95 inch wheelbase under 72 inches wide and under 800cc's

Pretty much the rules in a nut shell. Everything else is open and you must meet all safety of course.

Well let me show you some current pics of where I am at on it.
Here you go.

I like this pic because I think it helps show the scale of the car a little better.

The buggy at approx. ride height and then showing full compression of 1 of the tires.. at full compression of both tires the front end will still have 4.5 inches of ground clearance under it.

And of course this is a UTV forum so how about some custom body fitting just for it if I want to run a body??

and some of my mig welding work. The tubing I could move right a long and nice.. the mount is thick and I really burned it in.

The specs:
-Car is under 9 feet long front bumper to back.
-70 inches wide, outside of the tires.. must not be wider then 72"
-95 inch wheel base which is the max for class
-Engine... not purchased yet but must not be greater then 800cc
street bike engine.. so looking into GSXR-750 motor?
-18 inches of wheel travel at all four corners
- 4.5 inches of ground clearance at full compression
-running a spool and sprocket for now.. need more cash flow to uprgrade to a full rear diff set up and FNR... But built in room to upgrade later.
-Full 930 race gear and rear micro stubs.
-26.5 inch tall BFG all terrains.. after motor and set up I may go larger in the rear as I think I will have the power.
-DOM 1 1/4 lower .120 wall A-arms with 3/4 outer heims & 5/8 inner heims at the bulkhead
-Top arms are 1" DOM with all 5/8 heims
-Chromoly 1" with 5/8 heim tie rods
-Rear traling arms are 1 1/4 by .120 wall with 3/4 heims and 3/4 outer bolts and 7/8s inner pivot bolts.
-Front end weight at each wheel 220 lbs each.
-Rear (without motor) 210 lbs per wheel. (no motor)
-Total Weight as a full roller minus motor/battery/wiring/brake & clutch/throttle lines and computer cpu etc.
860 lbs currently as a full roller. Thats a complete roller with wheels/tires/brakes/floors/pedals/seat/body/6 shocks & coils springs/Hid front lights/rear brake lights/brakes/bumpstops/fuel cell (no fuel)/front rack and steering with shafts and well everything you see and then some.

I have the complete build log from when I started bending tubing tell now. I have my own website and don't want to brake the rules of the site so I didn't link to it. But if its ok I can.. or I can post any pics you guys are interested in seeing or info.

I built the entire frame, front and rear arms and set up everything myself. Body and rear spool I had done for me.

My goal is to build it on a budget of a side by side with long travel on it and all the race and safety gear and be at the same price as that would cost to do. But instead I am going to have this guy.
So far I am on track and doing good.. Big purchase of motor still to go.
I don't think I have to much that will have to be say re done etc. as I am building my parts and using designs I currently use on my race car and other cars. The only difference will be dialing the suspension on this light and small of a car.

Things to still do. Install the motor, radiater, limit straps, wiring, plumbing of brake lines, clutch lines, shifter cable and then valving shocks and dialing in the car. Then all the little details.

I would appreciate any questions or comments you guys may have.

Thanks for looking and reading my post.

Tut.

 

[MAGNUM OFFROAD]

Look's fun! Great work!!

 

[mosslager]

I Like it

 

[StrRacerX]

i look forward to this build

 

[TutTech]

Thanks everyone.
I will keep everyone updated.. now its just time to work some more and get some more cash saved up to get an engine..
Then final details and well off to see what she can do after that.
I will keep everyone updated.
Thanks again.

 

[megadesertdiesel]

what do you estimate the build cost will be, minus labor?

 

[TutTech]

I don't have exacts just yet... But a good guess... $8,000 in parts no labor.
Then body and powder coat was done by outside sources. So then you have to add that to it.
Body was 1,500 and powder coat was 500.. so another 2,000.

Then still to go, motor, chain, radiater and plumbing, limit straps, brake lines, clutch line, throttle cable, shifter cable, window nets, switches & gauges, wiring, battery and its cables.
All that if I get a good deal on the engine shouldn't be more then lets say 2,500... ( I have seen plenty of complete engines for 1,200.. if so then the rest is doable for 1,300 easy.)

So then I will be at around the price of a UTV new.. 12,500

Everything else is on and accounted for in that price.
Brakes, axles, cvs, pedals, rims, tires, rack, steering, seat, frame, suspension front and back, heims, nuts and bolts, shocks, bypass shocks, lights hid and tail, amber, rear carrier with rotor and sprocket, floor, skid plate, rubber coating, tabs, gussets, shock mounts, bungs, rear microstubs, 930 cvs, sheesh.. everything else is purchased in that 8,000 that I can think of other then the list of stuff still to go.

So I think fully done I am going to be at the cost of a new utv or worse case a utv with a suspension kit. But I will have this buggy instead.
But I will have 18 inches of wheel travel, full size automotive parts, 100 horse motor, 6 shocks and hydraulic bumpstops, large rack and pinion, 930 cvs and microstubs and all race gear from fuel cell to window nets etc. Plus pretty light weight so far.. and could be lighter with aluminum rims and utv tires like the 27" maxxis tires. The weight savings is something like 12-17 lbs less then this set up.. each tire and rim.
Future things to work on. so I could be another 85 lbs lighter.
(counting spare)

Also stay tuned after this build for my 2 seat version of this one but more for play for my wife.


Well that is my best guess for now.. I will update with that info when I finish.

 

[trc]

Tut, the new car is looking great!

 

[Xmotorcr]

Tut, keep up the good work the car looks awesome.

 

[TutTech]

Hey thanks guys!


So Xmoto when are we going to meet up and when you going to race at AVE? I have been at the last few and looking forward to meeting you.

The next race on March 19th I can't make as I will be at the MORE race with my wife Pepper and everyone.. dang.. 2 races on the same weekend.. bummer....

Anyways looking forward to meeting up and soon being out there racing with you.
Thanks again everyone I appreciate the great feedback.

 

[Xmotorcr]

Hey thanks guys!


So Xmoto when are we going to meet up and when you going to race at AVE? I have been at the last few and looking forward to meeting you.

The next race on March 19th I can't make as I will be at the MORE race with my wife Pepper and everyone.. dang.. 2 races on the same weekend.. bummer....

Anyways looking forward to meeting up and soon being out there racing with you.
Thanks again everyone I appreciate the great feedback.

Tut, I'm working on getting my rhino done. Hopefully everything will be ready soon.

 

[brevndeb]

Tut it's good to hear from ya, nice build.

 

[ageekwithajeep]

Tut whats up buddy how you been?

 

[TutTech]

Hey brevndeb,
I look forward to meeting up with you and your dad and doing some riding again.. especially in this little guy should make it a bit more interesting... As you can see I am doing great just busy and working a lot. Hope your doing good also?
Take care.


Hey Geek!
Whats up man?
I posted on buggy news etc. and was wondering if you would see my new buggy.. cool I am glad you saw it. I was planning this build way back at the bash. It's taken a while to get this far.. working saving etc. but ya its coming a long. Should have it all wrapped up this year and actually start racing it.

I hope to make the buggy bash and not have to work again out of state.. sheesh I was in Vegas last time.. dang.. that sucked.

Anyways hope your doing good talk to you soon and hopefully be able to meet up this year and bring this buggy out.

 

[ageekwithajeep]

ya we missed you this year at the bash. The guys are heading to jawbone next month. not sure if i am going to that one. most likely not. little to far of a drive for me.

But even though i have no buggy any more ill probably still be planning the buggy bash. Gottan keep good things going right

 

[TutTech]

Ok well nothing to big but I wanted to put an update on.

I reinforced my front arms and also just to make me feel better I changed my outer lower heims out from 5/8's to 3/4 size heims.. Ya we actually used to run 3/4 on our 3,000 pound Mosebuilt cars we built and jumped and played with them. But for racing I really will feel better knowing that I have a 3/4 heim holding my spindle on. So for a couple bucks more I switched the bungs and heims out.

Added my reinforcement bars etc. and pretty much finished up my front arms.
I am going to try 1 1/4 by .120 wall dom for my front a-arms for now and see.. if I have any problems I will straight edge them after some testing etc.. and if I see anything starting to bend I will switch those out for chromoly. Same with the back.
Currently at 850 pounds.. and having 18 inches of wheel travel to soak up the course I think for size and weight and wheel travel I am going to be fine.
Especially with bypass shocks slowing me and then hydraulic bumpstops so my arms shouldn't ever feel any really hard impacts etc. But again you never know, so we will see.

I have added more bracing, mounts and started setting about installing things like the battery box under the hood and pedals mounts etc.
Soon I will take the car back a part and fully weld it. After that some paint and start assembly of the car.

Still to do.. Motor.
Ya that one is all about money.. so it maybe a while or you never know.

I also set up the car on the coil springs to get an idea of how its sitting and feels on the actual ground.. The front is so nice. It almost comes back up all the way without me in it. But with me in it squats right down to a good ride height. Its neat how light this little guy is compared to what I am used to. I can squat the entire front with my weight and it just comes all the way back up. Pretty cool. It's a little firmer then the back so I am already going to plan on increasing the back coils main spring rate by another 50 pounds.. especially once the motor goes in. But it holds me in the car and everything on nicely at a good ride height so far.
Also not really used for holding up a car but the bypass shocks are not on and they will have 180 psi of nitrogen and so will the coils, they were not filled when I was in it.. so that will actually firm up the car too.
Anyways just a quick update... here is a pick of it on the ground.. of course me out of it the front climbs right back up.. ha ha

Thanks for looking
FYI... The jack stands are not holding up the car and are let all the way down but I left them under just in case when I got in I squashed the car to far.. .. but all was good.

 

[ageekwithajeep]

looking good

 

[TutTech]

Buggy is coming a long good and I was able to roll it out of the shop and get some new pics of it.

Thanks for looking.

 

[FBT]

Tut you do nice work and that thing looks like it is going to be a blast. I doubt it will take much seat time to get you excited about the 2-seat build. Something like that would be a smile-making machine for sure!

 

[TutTech]

Thank FBT,
Ya with this one able to roll out and actually be seen outside and me next to it for scale etc. a lot of people were surprised by it's size.. in all the pics everyone said it looked like a full size buggy.

So that's cool. Ya it is a mini that's for sure.
As for the 2 seat my wife actually is digging on this little buggy a lot and is talking of selling her race car to build a mini 2 seat racer.. so maybe I will be building that 2 seater for her to race.
Only time will tell but for sure this little guy is going to be a blast!
I am sure once my wife drives it she will be sold... Oh and she already asked if she could race this one.. and at Lucas in the short course of all places.. dang going to get some body damage for sure.. ha ha.. well we will see I told her.

Thanks again and everyone for looking.