Mailbag #3: New engine in old frame?

Hello rearset, fantastic blog you have up. It's always a pleasure visiting your site.

I had a small query, wondering if you would know something about it..

Can one change the engine of a bike into a higher capacity one? For eg. : Please consider a Classic Pulsar 150. Is it possible to fit an engine of the 200cc or 220 cc Pulsar on that same chassis? Is it going to be the same cost as buying a new bike itself?

Hey if you feel like putting up a post about something like this it would be great..

Thanks..
Aditya

Thanks for the compliments about the blog. But, I'm sorry it isn't possible.

1. The chasses are completely different, so the engine will not directly bolt on to your 150 chassis.
   
   
2. The chasses are also built to handle two different loads. Since the 200 and 220 engines produce much more power, they have stronger (and longer) chasses. Which could mean two things – your 150 chassis could break under the stress and cause a fairly serious accident, or you will need to brace the chassis to handle the extra loads. Bracing a chassis is no walk in the park, so you will either have to learn what amounts to a black art, or you will have to find someone who knows, and they will probably charge you a hefty sum to do this for you.
   
   
3. Where will you get the engine? Bajaj, without a doubt, will not sell you an engine, so you will have to browse chor bazaars, look in insurance salvage yards and so forth to locate a new motor, with carb and airbox. Since the 200 and 220 use a much larger airbox, said airbox will also not fit in and you will end up having to run an open air filter, which means fiddling with jets to get it to run right.
   
   
4. All of the above will cost a fair bit, which may actually turn out to be way more than your 150 is worth.
   
   
5. I've so far not even touched upon the legality of the mod. Technically, I suspect that it would void your registration and everything a cop stops you, you'll be in fairly thick gravy.
   
   
6. Is it really worth the hassle?
   
   
7. If you're just looking for a naked headlamp on the 200, buy one and throw the fairing away
   
   
8. If you're looking for save money on the upgrade to a 200, this isn't going to be a good way to go about it.