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This was an interesting place to work! Lots of engines being tested (S1000RR, SP2, ZX6R, XT660, plus some massive diesel unit out of an HGV). The ZX6R motor was bolted to a bench, plugged into a coolant supply, a fuel supply, and exhaust extractor and a very clever sir supply that can be set to a specific temperature, humidity and barometric pressure, plus a whole bundle of sensors. As far as the engine was concerned, it was doing six days (100 hrs) non-stop of being thrashed round Brands Hatch on a warm sunny day. Sort of like The Matrix for motors.

They tend to favour Honda engines for testing as they are so well built, but apparently that will be changing due to 'political' reasons. Bang for buck, the manager showing me round rated BMW engines. They're not the most reliable, but they are the best balancing reliability with the amount of power Bee-Emm squeeze out of them.

Occasionally one will blow up on the test bed, a K1200 put a rod through it's sump one time making hell of a bang as it split the case, and was then engulfed in a fireball as hot oil sprayed onto the glowing down pipes. The test rooms are all sealed though, with copious amounts of fire fighting devices and nozzles everywhere in them.

The bike below had been parked outside for two years before I got to it and was covered in dust, pollen and tree sap. Came up almost like new, shows what damage road salt does to a bike as this had seen none.

I like that paintwork.

Ha ha - that brings back memories.

My Dad worked there for quite a long time and when I was at uni I worked there for a summer job building and stripping engines for engine test.
They tried to persuade me not to go back to uni but to continue spannering for them - and although I was good at it and enjoyed it, knew it was better to go and get my degree.

Yes it's a nice facility they've got there - probably even better these days. Doubt there are many (maybe any) who are there when I was though.

I take it that's not the bike you cleaned? I really can't imagine anyone leaving that outside for two years (and it still being there when they finally remembered)...

sounds like a nice place to go play

mangocrazy wrote:I take it that's not the bike you cleaned? I really can't imagine anyone leaving that outside for two years (and it still being there when they finally remembered)...

That was one of them yes, the other was another 600RR that had been used as a dyno donkey.

There were quite a few auld fellas there Andy, reckon a few of them would have been there when you were.

Didn't realise Castrol were owned by BP (who are in turn owned by Exxon). They have some very nice offices, very posh coffee machine in reception! To get the test engines they buy a bike, strip the engine out and scrap the rest, so obviously not short of a few quid!