Custom scooter: Black "82 hp" Beauty
If you want to see Jesco grinning from ear to ear, then you've come to the right place. A man at the end of the rainbow, a man at the destination of his dreams, a man in a horsepower and Newton metre paradise. And all thanks to a 407 cc cylinder from the tuning workshop in South Tyrol: EGIG Performance. "Jesco, why do you build engines like this?" asks the curious layman. "Because I can," replies the mechanic.
Performance & hubris?
We remember: Jesco described the assembly of the 306 BFA engine in a detailed series, based on our 25-year SIP custom scooter "Something Special". With 71 hp at the rear wheel, the limit of what was possible seemed to have been reached. But then the "devil from South Tyrol", Erich "Egig" Oberpertinger, came up with the wild idea of designing a 407 cc cylinder that would fit the 306 BFA engine casing. Jesco couldn’t resist this object of temptation and set to work again. But the cylinder doesn’t fit quite so easily on the casing: in order to be able to mount the larger cylinder base, the engine casing has to be spindled accordingly. No problem thanks to the perfect work of Michael Dirsch. The cylinder outlet is slightly tilted downwards for optimised power output. This means that installations for the SIP-BFA 306 will not work without specific adjustments. Although the stud bolting is designed for the original size of the SIP-BFA block, bolting still requires skill and the use of a shortened spanner.
But not only that, another visit to our favourite welder Sebastian Attenberger, was on the agenda to reinforce the frame and the intermediate strut. You might remember Sebastian from other videos, as he also let the sparks fly on the Cross Vespa and the BFA Sprinter. To ensure that the visit to his workshop was also educational, Jesco had to lend a hand himself.
The piston for the 407 also needed adjustments. While the 306 piston weighed 280 g, the 407 piston came in at 455 g. That was too heavy! So, Michael Dirsch's expertise was called upon once again, and the piston was milled down until only 330 g remained. Now, it's a perfect fit! (By the way, it's in series production for the currently available 407 kits.) However, another expert was called to the mix: Jürgen Posch, known for his sensational exhaust systems. POSCH Performance delivered once more, producing a compact, nifty exhaust that Jesco describes as "sweet". With that sorted, it's time to move forward with the assembly and head to the test bench.
First ridiculed, then feared
But before that, the pitch-black vehicle had to be fired up in the dark of night in the yard of SIP Scootershop. It succeeded after some effort, and the sound promised horsepower in completely new dimensions. A monster was born, one hardly tamed even by its master. A lot of detail work, tuning, and over 100 runs on the test bench followed. Jesco explains everything about Newton metres and wide power bands. What starts with just under 60 hp eventually ends with 81.6 hp, putting a blissful smile on the face of the daredevil builder.
To prove that the Black Beauty isn't just for show in the garage, Jesco took it on a little trip to Berlin for the "Race 61 Annual Rock'n'Race Festival". There, he consistently showed the bikers his rear wheel. A story that can be summarised with: first ridiculed, then feared. Undefeated, the Black Beauty left the grounds with its rider. Fucking awesome!
Anyway, we hope you enjoy and marvel at the video linked below. Only one question remains: What will Jesco assemble next? Rumour has it he's considering purchasing an aircraft turbine. Rest assured, we'll keep you updated.
Photos: Ryo Tsuchiyama
Video: Black "82 hp" Beauty
