What can cause an engine to explode?
 

Straight forward really. Watching WSB this morning and one of the bikes (BMW I think) shot oil all over the track resulting in a savage accident that must of taken out about 4 or 5 riders.

I'm just wondering what could cause an engine so much stress for it to give in and blow its clacker out?

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

Generally crank or conrod based failure. Something either snaps due to fatigue (they are running rather close to the limits on these things) and the resulting momentum hurls angry bits of metal out through the cases, or a bearing nips up, and the resulting stress snaps something and wangs it through the cases.

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

me or the man above
hth

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

Momentum of metal parts travelling at several thousand RPM and no-where to go due to a broken part would do it nicely...

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

A hand grenade would probably do it.

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

heavy handed riding.

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

Sabotage ;0]

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

Nah, they're designed for it.

Open throttle fackin poosy :)

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

Sticking a BMW badge on the side might do it...

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

LOL!! yc

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

LOL. Thats a FACT. :)

Anyway, bring back Hockenheim for even more slipstreaming fun.

Or the B7076.:cool:

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

What's all this BMW hatred about? lol

Forgive me if I'm wrong but I was thinking that BMW were pretty reliable and the BMW S1000RR is possibly my second most favourite bike in the world. After my Suzy of course.

Not that I've actually ridden one yet but God Damn I want one!

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

Speaking from experience.... an idiot pratting around with your oil filter!!!

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

Don't race one though they appear to have a habit of loosing gears when pushed hard. There were quite a few failures last season. Not that BMW want you to know it...

But race bikes have a hard life, doesn't equate to road use...

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

I've seen a few engines blow up as soon as the rider lets the throttle off after a long spell flat out. The only road engines I have seen going bang have been poorly beforehand in some way.

Re: What can cause an engine to explode?
 

When on the throttle three of the four strokes load the conrod in compression, (the material is far stronger in compression than in tension), the other is the intake stroke in which there is tension in the rod, but no significant intake vacuum, when the throttle is shut at high speed the conrod pulls very hard against the resulting vacuum in the intake and cylinder.

If something is going to let go, that's when it happens.