Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 M3W vs Blackjack Zero

The Guzzi on the other hand is a 90 degree v-twin and it is perfectly balanced internally for a MUCH SMOOTHER overall power band with greatly reduced torque pulses...……….. this is true and I can never understand why JAP did not keep to this angle , the engine in the blackjack im looking for is VW and I saw it a the Malvern show not stoneliegh (thanks for the correction)

Thanks Craig. Was it supercharged? Very interesting. Has anyone tried a BMW Boxer engine in the Morgan?

I think there were probably two reasons why most V twin motorcycle engines were narrow angle Vs. When they were developed the power and RPM were much lower so the vibration was not felt so much, also a narrow V gives a more compact engine. Don't forget that people were generally smaller than today and without some clever design a 90° V twin would have required a longer frame. The first motorcycles were really based on beefed up bicycle style frames with an engine in the middle. Many of the very first even had pedals like a moped that were used mainly to get the engine started but also so that one could use "light pedal assistance" on the hills



1913 Peugeot

1400 Guzzi should be amazing

Not a popular choice it seems. Have heard a rumour that MMC are looking at the Boxer engine for new M3W though, in keeping with their continued use of BMW powerplants. If so can see V twin re-sale values soaring.

I have a boxer engined Cayman and its a peach.
A bit surprised they are planning it for the M3W thought, it's large and heavy compared to the V twin.
From a design point of view, an engine designed for a mid-engined 4 wheel car is a long way from a motorcycle engine.

I think they are talking the boxer flat twin from the bike , grinnel (grinal) has already built at least one which I have seen , the most interesting v twin I have had was a matchless silver arrow , I have had a few and like them even Harley pre amf , shovels are a poor engine compared the there earlier models

Very much enjoyed your write-up Nick. Although I had a M3W on order before they first came out I never took delivery for a variety of reasons. It did give me the three wheeler bug though and I subsequently owner a 1920 Darmont then a 1934 Matchless MX2 Supersport.

The bug now firmly implanted I decided I wanted a performance 3W and went down the route of a modern re-incarnation of an F2 Sports and bought a substantially assembled Malone Skunk. This is an equally rare vehicle as the Blackjack with I think maybe less than 10 vehicles assembled by the Malone father and son team in Devon, and a similar number of kits being sold.

My particular vehicle has a Yamaha Fazer 1000 engine tuned to produce around 155bhp and the current weight, unpainted but with just about all finished components on-boeard, is 370kg. It's rear wheel drive with output from the engine going through a Quaife reverse box, then a short prop shaft to a bevel box and finally I chain from this bevel box to rear wheel. I hope to have it finished by the summer and will try and provide an honest appreciation of it then.

Cheers

Thank you for posting the photos Gambalunga; thank you US cousins for the quick education on torque differences between the Moto Guzzi and other V twins and thanks for alerting me to the Malone Skunk Philippo! And agree Red Leader, not "negatives" about the M3W...just differences!

The engineering on the Blackjack is superb but the aesthetics are somewhat of an acquired taste. The M3W is beautiful. That's why we can forgive them virtually anything.