HGT not so quick

[Graham]

My friend bought a HGT on the weekend, granted a 147 not the 155 and I know I'm opening myself up to a barrage of abuse from HGT devotees but I thought it was lacking the urgency that I was expecting. Great once you get it spun up but only then. Although what a great noise! He's looking for exhaust and filter (the obvious choice) assuming you HGT owners have done this, any ideas whats best and where to get it from!?

Cheers

Graham

 

[Martin]

The 147 does indeed lack urgency, a fault that I have grown accustomed to (I have had my 147 for 5 years). The thing you have to remember about the 147 is that she is around about 7 years old now (design wise), so for an old girl she's still pretty damn sprightly
As for exhaust and filter, mine is bog standard so someone else will have to do that.
From what I have read the Powerflow unit is pretty good, they do a cat back and they can also do one where they remove the cat, not too sure if they can make it so you can slip the cat back in for a MOT.
As for filter, to be honest I have never really looked into it.

 

[Graham]

Re: Re: HGT not so quick

Cheers for the advice, I'll look into it. I keep forgetting the 2.0 20V is actually getting on a bit now, still seems rather fresh. My problem is I keep comparing them to my Sedicivalvole, and that is an old timer now, but the engine even in standard form seemed to have more willingness than that of the 147bhp 20v and it weighed in at nearly 1200Kg's, not sure on the bravo but wouldnt imagine it to be too much heavier!?

 

[Martin]

Re: Re: Re: HGT not so quick

I couldn't agree more, the older 16valve unit I believe was a derivitive of the Lancia Delta rally unit (also used in the early 16v Coupe Turbo's) And as such was a more of a easier revving engine.
I had a tweaked Uno turbo before my HGT and was sooooo dissapointed with the HGT's performance.
The Bravo more a GT than a GTi if that makes any sense. A car that is more suited to a long distance tour rather than a short hooligan blast around the lanes. I also think that the Bravo is a rather sanitised car, in as much as it's very solid and well put together so it doesn't seem fast, you are sorta cosseted in the cabin and insulated from the harshness of the outside world.
I ride a motorbike to work all week and then use the HGT at weekends, and the missus is constantly telling me to slow down. On my bike I have a total sense of the speed I am doing, yet in the HGT I am generally surprised to be doing 100 and not even feeling it.

 

[Graham]

Re: Re: Re: Re: HGT not so quick

Couldn't agree more about the smoothness! It was a derivative of the lancia Twin Cam and certainly had a harsh edge to it which the 20V seems to have smoothed out therefore appearing too slow I guess. I had an uno turbo dynod at 174bhp and it was substantially quicker than my tipo even after that was running 170bhp. The Uno was a cornflake packet and you knew you were doing 100mph, tipo was SOLID yet not very refined and could be deceptive of speed but the bravo in my opinion very well built car and must admit i was surprised when we were doing 115mph. But I like the raw edge, at least that way you have more chance of hanging onto your licence for a little while longer!!! So your into your bikes!? I was looking at getting a Ducatti 748, any views?

 

[Martin]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: HGT not so quick

Ah Bikes, well I currently ride a TDM850, I call it a tractor bike, she chugs along, drinks oil quicker than petorl, but I do love her. I commute from Kent to London every day (65 miles each way) it's so much quicker by bike, takes 1hr 15 mins and I get into work @ 8:45, by car it'll take 2.5hours

I digress though, the 748 is a superb if touchy bike, 3000mile service intervals, ouch. The newer 749 is a much, much better bike, although I prefer the 916 style of the 748 over the the newer 999 style. I wouldn't turn one down though. They are not an everyday bike, I am 5'11" and having ridden a 748 on a Ducati test day (1.5 hour ride out) I can honestly say I have never been so glad to get off a bike, they are fecking uncomfortable.

What are you after in a bike? If it's just for a weekend sunny day tool then a 748 is ideal, having said they are uncomfy I would still have one, although I think I would go for a 998, you need the extra power

If it's a first bike then a Suzook SV650 is an ideal first bike (after your Direct Access of course), pretty good looks, nice 'v' twin engine, decent handling, 125mph top end no probs.

I think though that ultimatly it's all down to personal choice, we all have our preferred makers, for me I would have a Yamaha over another Japanese bike, followed by Kawasaki.
The R6 is a great bike, the new ZXR6RR is astounding as well. The new Honda CBR600RR is again pretty good looking.
Best bet is to go to a few dealers and try and blag a test ride. With bikes it is a case of heart ruling head

 

[Graham]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: HGT not so quick

unfortunately for my pocket my heart rules my head for cars too! I have ridden a lot of bikes but never owned one myself for any substantial amount of time to say Im a good rider or particularly experienced, given that I aint the sort of fool who would just jump on and thrash at every given opportunity. I do prefer the 916 over them all but yeh the 3k service is expensive and they are very touchy motorbikes, having said that I really am bias towards my italian machines and would only really consider aprilla, ducatti and the likes...
It is only for weekends, I do 130 mile a day to taunton from bristol and dont fancy doing it on any bike!
I was warned about drilled sump plugs on 748's from racing, no idea what it was about!?!?

 

[Roger Ramjet]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: HGT not so quick

I too was disappointed with the HGT's power; mine is a 155 with 36k and I dont find it amazingly quick. I much preferred the older 4 pot 16v's. With regatd to exhausts and induction kits, I wouldn'y bother as you can spend £100's and get maybe 10bhp back in return.

Having said that, I am used to 500 square 4 two strokes that rev to crazy limits.

Try the 20v Turbo Coupe model - that is pure aggression.

 

[Martin]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: HGT not so quick

Drilled sump plug, measn it will have been wired up to stop the plug falling out on the track and dumping oil everywhere.
One of the guys I work with has just swapped a RSV Mille for a Yam R6, and is really pleased. He found the RSV too twitchy, the steering geometry is too race biased ont eh RSV and he said it made it tip into corners far too easy and thus easy to lose the front end.
My fave bike of all time is the Senna Mv Agusta, such a beautiful bike. Designed by the guy who designed the Ducati 916.
The newer (post 95) Ducatis are far more reliable than the early ones, the electrics are better. The thing with Ducatis is a lot of them are bought by people with too much money, and as such good low mileage ones can be bought. Also they are bought buy people who do track days, so yes drilled sump plugs are a give away, also the hero blobs on the end of the foot pegs have to taken off to do a track day, so look out for that as well.
Never ever by a Ducati without service history, a bit like buying a HGT without a cambelt change.

 

[Graham]

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Appreciate the advice, thanks.
where i used to work in bristol there was a garage next door which serviced ducattis and claimed to have trained staff by ducatti, they were charging 570 quid a service! to me that sounds a hell of a lot when you consider it needs doing every 3,000 miles!? granted as a weekend bike that wont come round quite so often as if it were an every day bike but even stil....
I have read that the post 95 models were markably better so one of those it is...

 

[Roger Ramjet]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: HGT not so quick

I bought my HGT without a cambelt change.

 

[Martin]

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Depends on the mileage Roger, I was really talking about the 147 model as that is what I have, and as they are all over 4 years old now would be requiring a belt change. To be honest though I would be getting a bit edgy if the car were over 40K miles and not had it done.

I too am a big fan of 2 strokes, my first 4 bikes were all strokers. The last one being an RD250. I'd love and old KH750, dunno if I've got the bottle to ride one full pelt, especially around a corner, but the sound and the smell of a stroker is amazing, well to me anyway
It's such a shame that the Bimota V-Due never made the impact it should have.
If you have never seen a V-Due then go to this link:
http://community.webshots.com/album/24676286glrDQIxcjL
A real beauty, just a dog to run

 

[Si]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: HGT not so quick

For filters you really can't beat the Pipercross:

(not the best pic, but it's attached to that great big blue bit of Samco silicone hosing that comes with the filter)
Everyone thats heard an HGT with one will tell you what a glorious noise it makes! Doesn't half make the 5-cylinders roar!

As for an exhaust, your better off having a custom one made. That way you can choose the tailpipe of your choice and how quiet/loud you want it. Heres mine:

 

[Martin]

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Here is a 748 Biposto, it's done 15K in KM's so it'll be an import.
http://www.cheaper.to/showroom/details.asp?bike=1207
Best bet would be to get a copy of MCN, it's out today, always loads of bikes for sale in there.
Most 748's are yellow, some are a matt graphite grey which is not too bad, and a rare few are in the red.
There are 3 models in power order BP, S, R, I think they also did an SPS, which are hella expensive as they are the supersport homologation bikes. I know they did a SPS in the 996, and 998 not too sure on the 748's though. But then again you most prolly know all this

 

[Roger Ramjet]

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36k Martin.

An RD250 - what colour was it, Yellow/Black or Red/White?

I had the X7 250, Remember them?

I graduated to the RD 350LC (just before the YPVS came out), them I got a Kawasaki Mach3 500, sold that and got a Suzuki RG 500 Gamma, which I still own today.

It's been very heavily tweaked since I got it, and will leave the majority of 750's wondering where it cam from and where it went. All the riders can see is four faint whisps of blue smoke; then they'll no doubt get the smell of burned Castrol R.

 

[pete]

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my mate at wok has got a 97 hgt 147 and to be honest i was very dissapointed in its performance. he has a k&n on and a performance exhaust and the car still felt like you had to screw it to get it going. the brakes were amazing as was the engine note. thought it would be quick. what are the quoted times for these things 0-60, 0-100, 1/4 mile

 

[Anonymous]

hgt

Mine has been clocked 0-62 in 7.6 sec and went through a speed gun at a local circuit doin 142

 

[pete]

Re: hgt

standard or moddified. the one i drove, if i had to guess 0-60 i would say around 8 secs. felt nippy but not quick

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re: hgt

it`s got a 57i on it but that is going to be changed to a cossie rally version