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500CC 10-CYLINDER TWO-STROKE ENGINE

Where else but in the Netherlands, where the 50cc class is at a very high level, could two motorcycle enthusiasts come up with the idea of ​​connecting 10 Itom engines together to create a special 500cc power unit?

Two and a half years ago, 27-year-old electrical engineer Leo van Dijk came up with the idea; together with his friend, 28-year-old electrical engineer André Moolenaar, he realized his dream. A dream that often threatened to turn into a nightmare in recent years, because anyone who has seen the complicated construction understands the enormous problems this Rotterdam duo had to solve. They also faced setbacks.

but with the perseverance of sidecar champion Helmut Fath in mind, André and Leo persevered until the glorious moment when the sidecar combination could be pushed into the courtyard of a new housing estate in Rotterdam.

To everyone's surprise, and perhaps even more so to Leo and André, the 10-liter engine fired right up, producing such a deafening racket from its five open exhaust pipes that even the most respectable neighborhood residents immediately gathered to protest. "Yeah, and then you try explaining that you've spent two and a half years tinkering with a dream every evening, and now you finally want to…

know if the UZI-10 actually runs

The UZI-10 did indeed run, but the first teething problems with the construction soon became apparent. Regardless of whether the construction is a feasible design, one must have deep respect for the perseverance of these motorcycle enthusiasts and, no less so, for the care with which both the engine and the entire kneeler system were constructed.

combination finished. Leo van Dijk initially chose Puch components for his design, but on André's advice, they switched to Itom engines because the crankshaft construction

was more suitable. In racing version the 50

12,000 rpm. Leo and André, of course, realize that the simple calculation of 10 x 12 = 120 hp doesn't work, because a lot of power is consumed by the engine's coupling, while the 10-cylinder engine isn't equipped with tuned expansion exhausts, but with five straight pipes without mufflers. 3000

Nevertheless, the UZI-10 appears to be running well, as André and Leo have already achieved a top speed of approximately 180 km/h during test drives. The 10-cylinder engine is constructed from five separate units, mounted against each other. The cylinders are V-shaped on the units. Each unit has two crankcases, between which the auxiliary shaft is mounted, and to which the crankshafts are connected by spur gears. Using the original crankcases, a mold was made for the units, which were then cast by a company in Schiedam for the modest price of €25 per unit. The machining of the rough castings was done by André and Leo themselves.

Working on the engine is quite complicated because the units can only be separated vertically, meaning that if one of the crankshafts fails, the entire engine must be disassembled. This takes approximately two hours, including removal; reassembly takes about four times as long, namely eight hours.

Viewed in the direction of travel, the 10-cylinder engine is assembled from left to right. The leftmost unit, which also houses two base plates for the custom ignition, can be removed to the left; all other units can only be removed from the right side.

The power is taken between the fourth and fifth unit

by a duplex chain. The transmission also consists of a 4-speed Triumph gearbox.

Carburetion is provided by five Bing carburetors with a 26 mm bore. The star-shaped manifolds can be quickly removed and installed using rubber hoses. The 10-cylinder engine has a conventional ignition system with five sets of ignition points on each base plate, controlled by a central cam. The cams are mounted on the crankpins of the left-hand engine.

Right: Cast using Itom crankcase halves. Mid-bore for the auxiliary shaft, which will be connected to it.

Center bottom: The power supply between the fourth and fifth duplex chain units, which goes to a 4-speed gearbox. Below: Each unit has 5 sets of chains. The UZI-10 has battery-coil ignition.

To allow for a compact ignition system, both DIY enthusiasts designed two special base plates, which, like the units, were cast in Schiedam.

Finding the correct firing order presented problems, but after the spark plugs zigzagged from left to right and back again, the 10-cylinder ran surprisingly vibration-free and exceptionally smoothly.

The bicycle part of the knee-ler was also designed and built by Leo

More info and pictures here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HJct3EJrC/

Cheers!