668 in an alpino frame.

P

peter holden

Full member
Can anyone tell me if a 668 motor will fit into an Alpino frame. And if any mods have to be made.
They look pretty much the same, but i have no 668 engines to measure up.
Pretty sure some one has already looked at this option.
                                                            Thanks Peter.
 
It's been done, I'm pretty sure Lothar has a pic, but you will need to decide if you want to keep the FI or swap to carbs..... keeping the FI will mean serious re-working of the fuel tank!  The basic mounting points are all the same, I think even the added oil filter housing clears the Alpino frame ok.

piet
 
Hi Peter,

my brother has done that roughly 15 years ago. All I know is that it was PITA to get the engine into the frame...

5006680003.jpg


The drum-brakes have been changed to disks on the front later on. Uphill, this baby was damn fast and a real flicker ...

You best take downdraft carbs; though the PHM40 did work great, I am not sure the float bowl always had enough fuel in it...

HTH
 
Hi Lothar, can you remember why it was difficuly to fit the engine in the frame? Was it the indoction/ fuel injection or was it that the engine was physically larger?
The crankcases look similar and on the face of it the conversion looks like an attractive mod, especially if you convert the motor to carbs .
Bob
 
I would have thought you'd go the other way and put an Alpino motor in the modern chassis. Anyone gone that way yet?

Chris
 
Peter, I must admit I'm a bit curious as to the motivation behind the modern in old ?

The single loop cradle frame was good in the day, but the Nicco Baker frame on the 668 is a gem.
 
What a great looking bike, Lothar.
To end up with something like that must be motivation enough.
I guess it is from Germany. You guys are so good at finishing off projects I think I will have to send my bikes down there to Finishing School. 
 
Thanks for all the replies.
I have the chance to buy an Alpino that is basically a rolling chasis.
I also know of a low mileage tatty 668 that has been robbed of to many parts to make it viable to put back on the road.
I am considering this as a project and  would be using carbs instead of injectors.
I would prefer to buy a formula 500 but there not easy to get.

                                                  cheers Pete.
 
bob said:
Hi Lothar, can you remember why it was difficuly to fit the engine in the frame? Was it the indoction/ fuel injection or was it that the engine was physically larger?
The crankcases look similar and on the face of it the conversion looks like an attractive mod, especially if you convert the motor to carbs .
Bob
Click to expand...

Hi Bob,

I think it was getting the engine into the frame if I remember right. Robert did not disclose it to me, he just said it took him several attempts. One thing might be that the oil-filter interferes with the frame down-tube. Also the oil-cooler location is not the best, gets a lot of stones thrown at while driving.

I can't take credit for the bikes look, it's all Robert's work. He also did a "Cafe-Racer" based on a 3 CL which was just great looking. I think I only have a black/white picture of it, but currently my scanner does not work properly. It won a 3rd place in a custom bike competition. Was basically a 3CL with a white flake powder-coated frame and black tank with - I think - a Ducati (or was it Guzzi?) single seat and the same "fairing" as this one, OR-Atlas instruments (I think) and some nice other features. Very nice...

Unfortunately, my brother tends to get bored when ever a bike is finished and he starts of a new project and sells the bike. I can't count how many bikes he had anymore, but the "collection" included:

3C/1 with SFC fairing and seat, painted in orange
180? Jota in black/red smoked
120? RGS
120? Jota
120? SFC
500 with 650/668 engine
OR Atlas
3CL "Cafe-Racer"

I think that's it mainly, but I am sure he had several others, too... besides Laverda, he had Suzuki's, Yamaha's, Bimota (SB6) and several others. All very interesting bikes, but I think non stayed longer than a year or two - just like his ladies...  ;)
 
Jotaman said:
Peter, I must admit I'm a bit curious as to the motivation behind the modern in old ?

The single loop cradle frame was good in the day, but the Nicco Baker frame on the 668 is a gem.
Click to expand...

I agree the 668 frame is a superb design but the standard 500 frame is also a very good unit and can be modified to be very good indeed. A 668 on carbs would make a very competitive historic racer. I'm fairly certain the crankcase pick-up points are identical between the 50/Atlas/668 but it looks to me as if the cam cover might be a bit taller on the 668. Even if it is I can't see too many issues arising from that. The angle of the fuel injection bodies is clearly more acute than the carbs but I'm guessing it wouldn't be too hard to convert one to run on Dellortos.
 
Bob,

Physically, the 500 and 668 engines are identical in size, so actual fitting shouldn't be such a great problem, unless the oil filter housing fouls the front frame, as Lothar mentioned.  It's getting the FI to fit under the tank with all the FI sundries strewn around the chassis that might pose a real problem.  Converting to carbs would be the easier route, (only) need to make suitable inlet stubs.....

piet
 
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