| The EiCoH |
Kazuo Honda from Japan was one of the family
members involved in the development of the Kyokuto Speedway
engine, but also produced his own speedway engine in the mid-sixties under the brand name
"EiCoH", the name being derived from Engine Company Honda.
The name
The EiCoH differed from the Kyokuto in many ways and in others, was similar to the Hedlund. A tensioned chain from the crankshaft drove the inlet cam, which in turn worked a series of gears to operate the exhaust cam. The cams had a fierce square profile and were actuated via steel rollers on the rockers, which ran in needle rollers themselves. For a 1967 speedway engine this was quite advanced technology. The Mitsubishi magneto was also gear driven and provided one hell of a spark.
In typical speedway fashion, the engine worked on a total loss lubrication system. A much more efficient oil pump was sourced to combat overheating, which sometime affected the Kyokuto. Everything apart from the head and barrel were cased in alloy to keep weight down. Even the piston was very lightweight, with a very short skirt and only two rings, (no oil ring is needed in a total loss system).