07/03/2022
Here are some build details of the 1992,1240 Clone bike i built and had at this years 2022 Wetbike Rally. The bike as it is now is still a work in progress. I didn't plan on bringing it until it was closer to the bike that it hopefully one day will be, but i've sat on this build for 7 years without telling anyone about it, and who knows when i'll ever get around to further development so i figured it was time to share it.
I have to thank John Rogers for the help with the rear ski. I shipped him the pump and a rear ski and he worked his magic making the two fit.
A 1994 Bayliner Jazz popped up in my home town for $1800 (interestingly in the same color as the 1992 Wetbike) and i knew it had the 90hp motor Ultranautics was trying to use in the 1992 Wetbike. It used the SportJet pump which is similar to the Wetbike pump, but has a different nozzle (smaller) and a wider base where it would meet the ski. A custom ski had to be made. John did an amazing job as always and you really don't know how different it is now that its painted and under the bike.
The 90hp Merc used a totally different exhaust which would also have to be modified to include a P-Trap just like the Wetbike so water wouldn't flood the engine when you climbed on.
The 3 cylinder fits in the hull exceptionally well, and clearance to the seat is not an issue. The Wetbike hull i was using already had some of the foam carved out to fit a WPS pipe that it used to have in it so that made the conversion even easier. The top of the pump is an exact fit to the Wetbike hull.
I built my own exhaust system, and had a local welder weld all the pieces together once i had the right shape. Initially the exhaust would get too hot since it's not a water jacketed system. The only thing i could do was to inject water into the exhaust which helps, but the section before the injection still gets VERY hot. This is still something i'm working on.
Initial tests proved this engine and pump would work and worked well. All the negative things i'd read in the past weren't a problem at all. The bike doesn't do anything wierd and the mass of the bigger motor doesn't cause any weirdness. BTW, the 3 cyl. Merc. engine weighs 130lb. Not too much more than the 60hp Suzuki.
I was able to make the twist throttle work both the carbs and the mechanical advance with the creation of a couple special brackets although it is a heavier pull.
The bike runs out to about 42-43 mph. If you lean the bike at WOT you can hear the motor pick up rpm and feel it pull you even faster. The next struggle is trying to feed the pump more efficiently. I think once that is sorted, this should be a high 40's bike.
