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The
R21 Solo may look familiar to some of you. The chassis is identical to the
model it supersedes, the R15, but the suspension is all new and ready to go! The R15 suffered
problems with availability of suspension parts, well I'm happy to say the
entire front and rear suspensions have been redesigned and all the supply
problems have been ironed out.
Many of
the R21 Solo's components are now mainstream off-road parts available from
your local off-road shop. The custom laser cut and machined parts are
now available from one reliable source, Mini Buggy Supply Inc, who have
worked with me to provide first class beautifully made parts and a first
class mail order service.
MBS'
details are contained in the manual and although their web site isn't up
yet, all the parts are available and can be purchased if you drop them an
email.
The Solo is
a small and nimble single-seater buggy just at home on the trails and in
the woods as it is in short course racing. Aimed fairly and squarely at the
American market - as evidenced by its use of US sourced components - this
little rocket will instantly thrill and entertain all off-road enthusiasts.
The
immensely strong chassis is constructed from 1.25" DOM tube and the all
A-arm suspension is a mixture of alloy and carbon steel tube. Rack & pinion
steering combined with air shocks and rated off-road tyres provide pinpoint
accurate handling.
The Solo
can be powered by virtually any motorcycle or snowmobile engine up to
1,000cc. Gear selection is by hand operated shifter, although the Rorty
Paddle Shifter (a mechanical gear shift paddle situated directly behind the
steering wheel) is a simple bolt-on conversion.
The foot
controls are quite straightforward in the Solo; biased brake pedals provide
tuneable braking to the front and rear wheels and an hydraulic clutch pedal will
suit the majority of modern streetbike engine units.
There is
ample space in the Solo's cockpit for adults up to 6' 6" tall and the
pedals are fully adjustable. A
pattern to
build an
aluminium
bucket seat is included in the
manual and can be upholstered to accommodate just about anyone.
I have
consulted Dan Roberto from RPM to come up with the best reverse box set-ups
for the Rorty buggies and an RPM Forward-Neutral-Reverse box is recommended for the
Solo with an
inboard brake disc that is without a doubt, the best, most reliable final
drive that money can buy.
Other types of final drive will fit in the ample space provided.
The standard
off-road parts are available from all the usual off-road shops and auto
stores. Custom components such as the front and rear uprights and hubs are
available for purchase from Mini Buggy Supply Inc. within the US – full
details are listed in the Supplier's List. Mini Buggy Supply are happy to
ship overseas too.
All up there
are 64 technical and working drawings which will print onto US standard 11"
x 17" paper. The construction manual contains further colour illustrations
throughout the text and as usual there are full fastener, material and
parts lists all of which will print onto standard US 8.5" x 11" Letter size
paper.
Any updates
to the Parts List or additions to the Supplier's List will be announced
here, so drop in periodically to check.
Rorty
R21 Solo Specifications
Brakes
Front –
Wilwood PS-1 callipers with 227.3mm [8.95"] diameter discs.
Rear –
CNC twin piston calliper
with 203.2mm [8"] diameter disc.
Chassis
Tubular spaceframe constructed from 1.25" OD DOM steel tube.
Engine
Any 2, 3 or 4 cylinder, chain-drive, motorbike or snowmobile engine.
Steering
Aftermarket rack and pinion with 1.3 turns lock to lock.
Suspension
Front: Double, unequal length, tubular A-arms, with Fox air shocks. Travel;
420mm [16.5"].
Rear: Double, unequal length, tubular A-arms, with Fox air shocks. Travel;
352mm [13.9"].
Tyres
Front: Mickey Thompson
Mini Mag.
Rear: BF Goodrich
LT2 15-75R 15-C All Terrain.
Wheels
Front: 15" x 5.5".
Rear: 15" x 5.5".
Rorty
R21 Solo Dimensions
Ground
clearance – 368mm [14.5"].
Overall
height – 1518mm [59,75"].
Overall
length – 2845mm [112"].
Overall
width – 1727mm [68"].
Wheelbase
– 1981mm [78"].
Weight –
approximately 360 kg [800 lbs] (depending on engine size, wheels etc.).
These plans have been carefully produced to enable competent
fabricators and machinists to construct a superb buggy for themselves
by following highly detailed and easy to read drawings.
NOTE:
The R21 Solo cannot be built from just the manual alone no matter how well
equipped your shop is! The purchase of some proprietary parts is essential
to complete the R21.
The R21
Solo PDF manual consists of the
following:
Be warned! The Rorty
R21 Solo is
not for the feint of heart. An
R21 Solo
fitted with a
large 4 cylinder bike engine can punch out over 400
BHP per tonne, and can
accelerate to 100 kph (62 MPH) in under 4 seconds, with speeds approaching 200 kph
(124 MPH)!
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