Thread: Konig History

  1. #451
    Sam Cullis Mark75H's Avatar
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    Yes, there was a VA. It was the least successful variant of the 4 cylinder "V" family.
    Since 1925, about 150 different racing outboards have been made.


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    David Weaver David Weaver's Avatar
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    I bought a VA around 1992. It was probably the last 4-cylinder 250 Konig sold new in the USA. We ran a ton of heats on it, but it was realistically outclassed by newer models at that time. I believe that these engines were introduced around 1978-1980. If you watch the OA/OB UIM video's from Dayton in 1982, you see several racing. I believe that I recall seeing two at the PRO Eastern Divisionals in Constantine in 1980. A couple were punched-out and used as 350's. Some 350's used the lighter cranks from the 250's to increase RPMs.

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    The Va was first used in 1983 I think but really 1984. Yes it was 38 mm bore and 54 stroke. Ralph Donald and I ran the first two in USA at Lakeland Fl in 84. The Va was a screamer but had near zero torque which made it very tough to drive. During testing before Lakeland, I think I used a 9" pitch wheel to get it up and over to where I could use the pipes, but it still was very tempermental to drive. Ralph on the other hand put his Konig unit with 16:21 gears on his and away he went. Deiter did not know at that time Ralph had 16:21 gears in his unit, But learned this later during our tests. By late 84 we had 11:15 gears introduced. This motor was meant to be ran full speed at all times for it's lack of torque would make the motor fall off the powerband. Only a few drivers could master the 38x54 VA. Before Deiters death and one of my last visits at the factory before his death, he showed me how he made the nearly square motor like the one Dan Kirts has. The motor Dan has is like the last invention of Deiter and like also the motor that his son Peter won the 0250 World championship with. Steve

  4. #454
    Team Member smittythewelder's Avatar
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    Interesting. Steve, are you saying that Dan Kirts has a square bore:stroke 250cc, or that the 350 he ran recently is "square" in this way?

  5. #455
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    He has a "A "(250) that is nearly square. I don't think he ever ran the A, don't remember, but I do know that it was a produced motor and the last invention of Deiter. Very soon after Deiters Death, peter his son introduced the ZA two cylinder opposed motor loosely based on Rotax cylinders. Casting was pretty crude as compaired to what Deiter had at the time. I think this motor was peter graduation project from school he did.

  6. #456
    Tim Small
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    Steve, We ran the 4 cylinder 250 in Bakersfield in 82 when I drove for Elmer. I got 2nd to Denny. He was running one of the first opposed yamatos. If I remember, he beat me on time. We had to run a fuel pump on it to keep it from surging. Denny was running a piston port yamato. Bobby Wilson from Lakeland also had a 4 banger 250 the following year. I had won the 250 Nationals the previous year in Akworth with the 2 piper konig, but switched to the 4 cylinder the next year. I remember testing the 4 cylinder with Dieter and Elmer at lake matty on Friday before lakeland. Couldnt get any of our props to work so Deiter puts his wheel on and it was a rocket. I never really had much luck with the early 4 cylinder A.

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    Well Tim, The years they go by quick ya know and you may be right but for some reason 83 sticks in my mind. Damn things were pipey wern't they? Steve

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    Team Member epugh66's Avatar
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    My brother Gary won the 250 nationals in 1987 with a diecast VA. In '88 or '89 Dieter gave me and Kirts the "new" VA to run at the nationals. I admired Dieter Konig, but I struggled with that engine. It wouldn't get going off of the corner's. With my ''parked" factory Yamato, I was on the pipe immediatly of the corner and had faster lap and sector times. I ran a Harrison mid section that allowed me to interchange powerheads and lower units in a matter of minutes, so we could do back to back comparisons. Dieter assured me that if I pulled the pipe in slowly, I could match the engines power to the boats need to accelerate. I said if I did that, all the Yamato drivers will be in the next turn before I'm on the pipe.

    I quit.

    Dieter came back and convinced me to run his engine and I would. However, my deal was that I had to share it with a dugout driver. I believe they stuck the engine in one of the heats, they may have even won a heat, I don't remember.

    I believe I struggled through in 5-6 or 7.
    Had I known 1984 was going to be my peak year, I would have tried harder

  9. #459
    Team Member epugh66's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jackie wilson View Post
    I used to smuggle parts from Dieter for W.S.Holland, who tonked drums for Johnny Cash,
    usually held on the Wannasee
    'Ol Fluke ! my Dad built him a couple of boats to run some Twister's or C6's on.
    The Wannsee, long live "The Shark boat" it's a tourist boat that cruises by.
    Had I known 1984 was going to be my peak year, I would have tried harder

  10. #460
    Team Member epugh66's Avatar
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    Anyway, back on topic. It was an honor to race against and with the Konig's. Dieter allowed us to stay in his house and work out of the factory on several occaisions and Peter used a Pugh Boat Works boat in 250cc when he raced in the USA. That's the same boat Dan Kirts raced in the 1993 0-250 WC and was a front runner after day one. He recieved a DQ because the team took the boat out of "Parc Ferme" over night for repairs.... gotta love rule book racing! Kirts was using the opposed twin 250cc with Rotax power valves for that event.
    Had I known 1984 was going to be my peak year, I would have tried harder

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