The first made for racing outboards sold to the public were made by Caille in 1925. They were opposed twins with piston port intake. What set them apart from the Caille fishing motors was a streamlined lower unit.
The first made for racing outboards sold to the public were made by Caille in 1925. They were opposed twins with piston port intake. What set them apart from the Caille fishing motors was a streamlined lower unit.
Last edited by Mark75H; 01-22-2005 at 05:41 PM.
Since 1925, about 150 different racing outboards have been made.
The second generation Caille racer had a lower unit that could have the prop mounted on the back in the normal way - or on the front. Here is the prop on front, in the tractor postion
Last edited by Mark75H; 01-22-2005 at 05:36 PM.
Since 1925, about 150 different racing outboards have been made.
That lower unit on the left was typical of outboards in the 1920's.
This update of the Caille also featured an alternate spark plug location in the end of the cylinder instead of the top ... depending on which you thought worked better.
Caille wasn't the very first to make a smooth fully streamlined lower unit, but it was one of the earliest. In fact, they had stolen the idea from Johnson. Johnson had the patent on lower unit streamlining for high speed (in the 20+ mph range!) outboards. Seems unreal 80 years later that the idea of a smooth streamlined case would help an outboard go faster compared to a clunky bolt together with external flanged case, but in 1923 it wasn't obvious. Ignoring Johnson's patent would come back to haunt Caille in the 1930's.
Last edited by Mark75H; 12-27-2006 at 08:07 PM.
Since 1925, about 150 different racing outboards have been made.
The next maker to step up making racing outboards was not in the US, but England. Watermota was the name. I'm trying to find my image of the Watermota "Speedmodel". I'll post it when I find it in a few days, along with the specs of the motor.
Since 1925, about 150 different racing outboards have been made.
Here's the 1927~ Watermota Speed Model from England.
15 cubic inches (346cc)
3" bore X 3" stroke
single forward facing cylinder
Amal carb, ML magneto
Last edited by Mark75H; 01-27-2005 at 08:01 PM.
Since 1925, about 150 different racing outboards have been made.
I drove through Hampton wick this afternoon, sorry I saw no trace of the factory, so I don't think there currently being produced.
The Speed model was abandoned in 1930 and all outboard production stopped in 1935 when Fair saw the awesome production capacity of the US outboard companies during a trip to North America.
Here's Peter Hunn's picture of the Watermota Speed Model from the Antique Outboard Club's Magazine .... "The Outboarder", dated October 1997
Last edited by Mark75H; 03-14-2005 at 04:17 PM.
Since 1925, about 150 different racing outboards have been made.
Sorry 75H I was extracting the urine.
Walter D. Fair & Co. Pembroke Engineering Works, Hampton Wick, Kingston-on-Thames were an inporter of American Waterman outboards from 1912, in 1919 the British Admiralty asked Fair's company to manufacture a clone of the 1916 3.5hp single which they dubbed Watermota.
By the mid 1930's Fair felt he could not compete against the growing number of British manufacturers , let alone the might of the Americans, so they ceased outboard production, although I'm told they continued producing
inboards.
Thanks C. P.
Charles
1928 began the era that most antiquers would be familiar with. The Johnson brothers offered racing versions of 3 motors: The B class KR40
Last edited by Mark75H; 01-27-2005 at 08:05 PM.
Since 1925, about 150 different racing outboards have been made.
This first "KR" was unlike the KR's that would follow. It was a 19 cubic inch 10 horseposwer opposed twin .... increased from the standard Johnson model K's 7 1/8 horsepower ........wooooooo hoooooo!
The next motor up was the racing version of the 29 cubic inch 13.15 hp P40 "Big Twin". It became the PR40 with 16 hp. Again, this was an opposed twin.
Since 1925, about 150 different racing outboards have been made.
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