Top Speed on CA95
 

1.) I have a CA95 150. What kind of top end can I expect if I ever get it running?

2.) Can I make any rear sprocket changes and increase the speed and if so what sprocket would be best?

Thanks,
Dick Evins

Stock engine, full frame as delivered.

Cruise 45mph

Top end 65 max-flat road-no wind-180lb rider, bent forward to reduce wind resistance.

I think it would be easier to put a larger drive sprocket on the engine rather than fiddle with the rear sprocket. Frankly, there is not enough power to cruise on the highway. Just a fun to ride bike around town.

top speed
 

The top speed of 65 seemed like flying In 1965 after riding a 50 cc cub for 2 years. At that time I used my red one s an only vehicle for about 3 years. Curt

I took my road test on a '65 Super Cub, and I still have that bike in the garage. It gets maybe 100 miles a year, and still runs like a champ. Electric start, too. 35mph on level road. Can hardly wait until my CA95 is finished so I can break 50.

http://www.forths.com/blog/wp-conten...65SuperCub.jpg

Oh well:
I was certainly hoping for more than that.
Perhaps I should stop working on the darn thing and put my Ossa 250 Pioneer back together. As I recall, it would do an easy 65 on paved roads.

Careful with those old 2-strokes ... many older ones didn't like being ridden at constant speeds on the street, especially at 55 mph or above.

Check out this article...

http://www.dansmc.com/seizure.htm

My father had a 1965 CA95. He bought it brand new. The "Interstate" just opened up in North Dakota. Him and his two brothers all bought Benly's. They decided it would be fun to drive to Bismarck 100 miles away on the new Interstate. But they did it drafting behind a semi. They call could keep 55mph on their bikes.

Of course now dad would say that was really stupid. But it was a blast back in the day when he was young...

I guess if I told you what speed a Benly could really reach you would never beleive me.:rolleyes:

Here are a few quick ones. http://www.fourwheelforum.com/forum/...read.php?t=977

Sam.;)

Haha hey guys this thread made me laugh. :) Yeah you really need some trick engine work (well not very trick just more effort involved) and a bigger carb to get some higher speed out of these little engines. I recommend a CA160 engine and a little custom work for some higher speed. The 160 engine is much better suited for smoother operation at higher RPM and is stronger. Heck if you are going to go through that much trouble you might as well put in a larger engine and not have to modify it at all.

At a bike show last year I saw a CB160 that had a 250 engine in it! It looked great and many people walked right on by it not suspecting anything. But it stopped me in my tracks. It just looked "odd" so I had to stop and my eyes got big instantly as I starter thinking engine swap in to a CA95 I have. :D

Bythelake: Super Cub! Those are the perfect hunting motorcycle aren't they? Super easy automatic operation and I have a red one with the super reduction massive sprocket as well as the small street sprocket. Yours is super nice Japanese style right there I love it. I have an extra fuel tank in storage for the day I restore the original red/orange bike I have. I would climb out my second story window at 2am when I was a young rebel and go into the barn and push the Super Cub down the road 1/8 of a mile at which I could jump start it and be off riding into the night to meet up with friends in town to go night riding! They would ride CT70s, little dirtbikes of any type or anything they could get with 2 wheels and a motor. Now if some kids were caught doing that there would be huge fines and a big intervention and all that BS. Hah things are so ridiculous now. Anyhow it's all about riding.

I have a lot of seat time on the ol YSR50 Yamaha motorcycle. I restored one and rode it EVERYWHERE when I was a kid. I doubt there is anyone with more seat time on a YSR50 anywhere. That engine ran sooo good it's amazing. I would ride it to work, to parties, to my girlfriends house 25 miles away all the time in the middle of the night... all over the place. And you know that the throttle was maxxed out 95% of the time. It was good for 60mph in a normal straight line before it would stop accelerating with that great powerband. I had a brand new jet kit in it and a race pipe made here by Toomey racing and that thing ran so good for a long time but then at some point during one summer it began to seize up on the long straights during the summer. I would just roll off the throttle and let the engine cool down without stopping. Then I could get back on it and get moving again. That's when I stopped riding it so much and eventually someone really wanted it and gave me too much money. :D

I wouldn't trust todays fuels to run a two-stroke bike like that again though. Fuel, sadly, is totally different now. I remember the smell, the consistency and color of how fuel used to be. Now it's just watered down with alcohol and fillers... not much oil in there anymore. It's depressing really. I'm sure there are some great oils out there now to help out though. I good rebuild and some high quality fuel treatment and oil and you should be ready to go on those long high speed runs in my opinion. I wouldn't trust any 2 stroke engine that I didn't rebuild though! Ahhh I love 2 strokes!

wow i just luv my Passport goes for ever on a gallon of gas 12V.

OK. I'll just keep right on tinkering with my Benly until I get it going and hope it will keep up with the Model A's and T's on the road, if I can ever catch one. I'm just being facetious in this response. I will just be satisfied that it finally runs and at whatever slow speed it was designed for.
I suppose if I wanted highway cruising speeds, I should look for a highway cruising bike and not badmouth the little Benly for being in the slow lane.
Thanks for the words of wisdom to all who replied.

Good call. These little machines are a lot of fun on the back roads and around the subdivisions.

For long distance I ride my Triumph, but for rides around the lakes and woods I usually grab a small Honda from the fleet in the garage. Today it was unseasonably warm for northern Michigan ... 39 degrees, so I took my CB175 for a 20 mile ride, topping out around 60 mph. These little twin cylinder bikes are very therapeutic.

top speed
 

If you keep it off the interstates and other hi speed expressways, I think you will be plesantly surprised. The bike has plenty of low speed grunt and will keep up with traffic around town and on back roads.
Curt

I agree. They move around town and the back roads just fine. I would ride to the surrounding towns here on the back roads to visit friends and they couldn't believe I drove my old bike that far. It's a motorcycle made for riding! Why would they be surprised?!

I know this thread is a little old but I am curious of what kind of top speed you all are getting. I have been riding the benly to work and there is a long stretch. I weigh 175 and the bike tops out at 45 with wot, but on the way to work it just so happens that as soon as I am finally keeping up with the other cars at 45 the next light turns red...pfft.. I have hit 50 mph once, but it was quite a long stretch. I have since changed carb jets, main 92 to main 100 but there was no change in the top speed. I dont see how you could ever get the bike up to 65 unless you are out at the bonneville salt flats with your body shaved and riding naked....

Scott, my experiences are similar to yours. My bike only has 120 miles on it since being restored, but I can reach 45 without issue, and 50 if I wait a minute more. I was able to sustain 55 once when I reached that speed after a short downhill surge.

For me, I'm not seeking more speed from the Benly. It gets used for casual treks around town in the evenings, so I am content.

I agree with Lake. 55-60mph wide open is max for these little bikes. One of the main reasons the stamped frame Honda's were discontinued was the fact that they were unstable at high speeds. Although, if your doggin off the line and seem to take forever to get up to 50 mph, you may want to advance the timing a bit, make sure the brakes are not draggin, the chain is adjusted and lubed, the carb is snug and adjusted.

I've had mine up to 65, although it felt pretty scary at that speed. 55 is the fastest I'm really comfortable going on it. It's a great little bike for getting around town as I've found out since the transmission in my Jeep went poof.

I think I may have said this before in a similar thread about the speed of these bikes.
Although the weight, arodynamics, and speedometer are the same on both the C95 and CA95 one would think that the CA would be a little quicker due to it having a few more BHP.
From what you are all saying, this seems to be far from the truth.
The C95 would run up to 75mph on the speedo in 3rd gear and drop back to 70 in top gear due to the wide ratio gearbox and it not having enough power to pull top.
The CA has a closer ratio gearbox with top gear being closer to 3rd and top being a little less than the C which should result in less of a drop off in revs and consiquently more speed as the extra 3bhp and extra 500rpm would allow the motor to pull top gear with ease.
3 things would cause the CA to only do 65mph.
1. As Chip said, the motor is not in tip top shape, brakes are binding or the drive chain is to tight.
2. The rider is to big for the bike.:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
3. The final gearing is to high. (geabox and rear wheel sprockets)
Incidentley, what are the teeth counts on those two sprockets ? (CA95)
The C95 has 15/36 (stock) final drive which is good for 87mph at 9500rpm with a big enough weight reduction. When my bike ran this speed, I weighed in at 157lbs and the bike weighed a little less at around 150lbs.

Sam.:)

I knew Sam the serious would chime in with his racing background and have the final say on this one! This is temping me to put the ol' GoPro on mine and do some top speed runs! >:-] I need to put it back together though...

I have been riding the little bike to work everyday this week with the encouragement of the CA gas prices....Thanks for all the insight. I have no interest in getting the bike much past 50, but would like to be able to get up to 50 a lil quicker, I can feel the bumpers of the cars behind me threatening to push me along...every now and then I get some ahole that will go around me and give me a dirty look, like I am not pushing the bike hard enough, and the benly is giving all she has..I have noticed there is not much accelertion once in 4th gear, once I shift from 3rd to 4th the speed is just maintained, with a suttle rise..but then like I said the light turns red haha..it is a blast to ride some motorist rubberneck and really check out the bike, others dont know what they are looking at and I am just in their way....

I like sams idea of changing sprokets...are there any real options, it could really make the 4th gear more usable, plus it would help my acceleration...jet black I am sure has some ideas....

I think I have a dyno graph at home showing 70mph in third gear, at these revs, the speedo would have been showing 75mph.
I don't have a scanner so will try to photograph it along with a certificate of it running 87mph.

Sam.:)

Ordered a 12T front drive gear after visiting the following website. I may have to order a 13T or 14T. heck with the 12T I may just be able to do burn outs and wheelies haha. will see what happens, but having fun with it...

http://www.motorcycleanchor.com/moto...ocketmath.html

Will report back, but hoping the gearing will free up some hp and if my calculations are correct I should have a top speed of 62.5 mph at 10,000 rpm making 50 mph much easier to achieve...

I took pics but not very good from my cell phone, I'll post them in the morning as the lead to put them in the computer is at work.

Sam.:(

Scott, it will certainly do what you expect but I have my doubts if it will fit.
You might find that the chain will foul on the retaining bolts, not a lot of room when you go that small.
I run 14/44 for a ratio of 3.142 final drive for 1/8 mile tracks and still don't get out of third gear, not sure what speed it reaches.

Sam.:)

ca 95
 

Guys, I think you need to do some looking at your bikes. I had a63 CA95 back when they were new. It would consistently do 65 plus on the roads of Central Pa. I dont have my 62 quite ready for the road yet so I dont know how much It will do. One thing though back then I weighed 135 lbs and now top 200 so I expect some loss. Curt

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D I did say that a few posts back, we have all put on a few pounds since then.:rolleyes:

I agree with Sam that the 12T sprocket will eat up the sprocket retainer bolts. You can retrofit a larger rear sprocket, if you don't mind running without a chain guard (or fab one up)

Back in the dark ages (late 60's) I had a small 125cc, 2 cycle, Italian made Harley that could to 85mph easy...but took a long time. I put a rather large sprocket on the back..wheelies in 2nd gear, but top end was only 60mph.

I do have a spare CA160 drive sprocket which is larger than the CA95. It will let you wind out 1st & 2nd a little longer...LOL

You might try a socket head screw on those retainer bolts if you insist on the smaller sprocket.

I will post pictures of the install as soon as it arrives in the mail.

My recently restored CA95 is a real cruiser......it cruises around the neighborhood and gets waves from all the walking folks.......top end? I would say that will remain an unknown fact. I put way to many hours in restoration to worry about how fast it can go......just like to ride it and watch the smiles. Square shocks, whitewalls, flares, chrome, and solid as a rock and never stops admiring glances from non-riders as well. Gets as much attention as my '02 torch red Thunderbird! And that is saying a lot!

Do whitewalls exist that aren't three times the value of the bike?

Done.

I have not recieved the 12T yet. I am not running a chain guard and maybe would like to try the CA160 rear sprocket. I counted the teath on my front sprocket and I am currently running 36/14 = 2.57. I found one on ebay and I think I am counting 37 teeth, does that sound right which would equal 37/14= 2.64 or a 2.87% improvement, not much, but maybe it is enough to get me up to 50 mph consistently. what do you guys think?

Got my Ca160 to 50 in third this morning. I don't like to disrespect my neighbors by doing too many high speed runs. I wish this motor had a tach. I'm so used to bigger engines. For instance the "redline" on many small aircraft piston engines are limited to 2700-3000.

Now there's a question...what's redline? When the valves float?

Done.

I received the 12 t you guys are right it will not work. However it did get me thinking this engine has to make more power so I decided to do a compression check . I only have 95 psi . So there is something leaking since the rebuild either the valves or the head gasket....:(

Ask me how I knew, :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D I made the same mistake with a 13 tooth, even that didn't clear. :rolleyes:

Sam.:D