Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 HERE WE GO............tuning the S&S

Paul,

I've managed 500 miles in mine now and on anything other than a dry road it is impossible to get the power the car has down without lighting up the rear, and this is while the engine rev limited.

Unlike a lot of the kit cars you see it doesn't have super sticky tyres so this is always going to be problem. I'm sure if you put skinny tyres on your Caterham you wouldn't be wanting to run it on full power.

High speed cornering in the 3 wheeler is best described as different. Then you realise you've got a wheel missing and it explains a lot, you can feel the rear end drifting.

With more time and a larger set of b**ls I might support you in saying it needs more power, but at the moment for road use it has plenty.

If it's pure power you require then maybe the 3 wheeler isn't for you, if its a totally different driving experience then it probably is.

you can always put a sticky tire at the back
I won't: the fun is to learn how to steer the back with the throttle

I can see what Krod is getting at. I tend to treat Mogwire with a bit of caution. They do provide a lot of good information but in my view there is an underlying feel to their site of a negativity towards Morgan for some reason.

Having done a similar mileage I must agree with you John, it has more than enough performance for me; for now. My limiter now comes in as a soft one at 5000rpm, but even so the car has more than adequate performance, in what is a fun car rather than a track car.

I understand that MMC/S&S have a 125 bhp - 150 ft/lbs of torque conversion ready, but will not be offering this until they have worked off the bulk of the backlog of orders. In a vehicle weighing some 525 kgs, the same as a Classic Caterham, this should give it more than enough go for most 3W owners.

Like you I don't really see the weight/performance being an issue for most of us, personally I like the substantial feel of the car, if you want a track day special it's highly unlikely that you'll be buying a M3W anyway!

That reason is known, but probably best not gone into on an internet forum...

This makes perfect sense to me. No matter what the more testicularly endowed might like to suggest, it's actually very easily to completely ruin a car by giving it too much power.

I would think that if one wants to go fast, then the best thing is to buy a fast car, whereas if one wants to have fun, then the best strategy is to buy a fun car. I've not driven an MTW yet, but a single glance at those front tyres tells me that (a) it's likely to be a complete hoot to drive and (b) If one does get it all horribly wrong, then I'd rather be heading backwards into a hedge at 60 mph than 90...

One really shouldn't obsess too much about horsepower figures, it's the way that the power is delivered that counts on the road. It's the treestump pulling torque figures of the M3W that make it's performance what it is. If I may use a motorcycle analogy, my old Yamaha RD350LC in absolute bhp terms was about on a par with my Ducati 600 Pantah, but the thumping torque delivery of the Ducati engine made it an absolute flier on a twisty road, whereas the LC you had to keep it in the power band the whole time & absolutely wring it's nuts to ride it fast.

My understanding is that the S & S engine used in the M3W is 115 bhp, but once you mate it to the drive train, and bolt on various devices to meet the EU noise and emission regulations the power drops to 81 bhp at the rear wheel.

Morgan have not gone out and bought a lower rated engine. All the machines featured on You Tube, motor magazines and most recently Top Gear were all 81 bhp.

I also understand that Aero Racing will be able to supply an upgrade to the S & S engine that will take the BHP up to 150 bhp (presumably with a corresponding increase at the rear wheel). The Aero Racing upgrade will retain the MMC warranty, whereas other modifications carried out by others might not.

I have driven several M3Ws, but out of respect to those who loan me the cars I do not thrash them. However, I have taken one (used at Top Gear Live) to just under the limit where you will lose your licence in the UK, and even though there is plenty of power left, I find it hard to believe how anyone would want to go any quicker.

I agree with Brian and John that the current power is quite sufficient for road use, especially as the speed limit is technically 70 mph, and you have a duty of care to other road users.

Just out of interest - what is the fastest speed anyone is hoping to achieve in a M3W, assuming it is on a track and not being driven on the open road?

If you are going backwards at 60mph doesn't it then assume the stability of a Reliant Robin and if turning sharply, stands a good chance of turning over?