Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Do the cases have to be welded up to accept this cylinder?

A: No, the cases do not need welding. As a matter of fact, with the 72mm Heavy Duty crank, the cases do not need any machining at all to accept the rod. However, slight machining is required to accept the 70mm Super Duty crank, which is done at Saber Racing.

Q: Besides the obvious difference in stroke, what are the differences between the 70mm Super Duty crank and the 72 mm Heavy duty crank?

A: The 70 mm crank uses a giant over engineered rod with a 24mm wrist pin and a 31mm lower pin that was chosen for those interested in using Nitrous, Turbochargers, or Superchargers in the future. Those power enhancers apply a tremendous load on a connecting rod and bearings and this is definitely the configuration that will take it. Because of the size of the lower end rod bearing the crank had to be de-stroked to clear the cases. But don't let that discourage you, the loss in 2 mm of stroke results in NO loss of power with this kit.

The 72mm Heavy-duty crank uses a 21mm wrist pin and a 26mm lower pin. While not quite as large as the Super duty crank it is much heavier duty then the stock oem set up which uses a small 18mm wrist pin and a 24mm lower pin.

Q: Does it vibrate much?

A: The crank is weighted and balanced to the extra weight of the rod and piston. It’s surprisingly smooth. It doesn’t vibrate anymore than a 370 kit…and maybe less.  

Q: I currently have a Honda TRX big bore kit from another manufacturer, and when I switched to Methanol it started cracking pistons on the intake side. I still want to run Methanol, but will I have the same problems with this kit?

A: NO, you will not have a problem with the pistons. The reason you had a problem with your big bore kit from another manufacturer is due to the fact that it used the stock 130mm connecting rod. That short rod placed the upward stroke against the piston at a very aggressive angle, as the crank would rotate past BDC (bottom dead center) and cause tremendous stresses (called thrust or slapping) on the intake face of the piston. As you added more stoke to the crank the rod length remained the same but increased the rod angle even more, and compounded the problem. Then you added Methanol to the mix, which is cooling the face of an already hot piston, and it became brittle from the slapping.

Both the 70mm and 72mm cranks for the Sabertooth kit were designed using a very long rod to keep an optimal angle for minimal piston wear and maximum performance. As a matter of fact, its now late November and I'm still using the same original piston I installed in May when I assembled the first kit. Since then I've been on 4 long dune trips, over 650 dyno pulls, 3 weekends at the drag track, and all full throttle runs on Methanol. The piston looks great with no signs of thrusting (intake wear).

Q: How difficult is the kit to put together?

A: If you can install a new crank in your cases you can put this kit together. We assume you have the basic knowledge of motor assembly. If not arrangements can be made for complete engine assembly here at our shop.

Q: Will I be able to just bolt it together and go?

A: We have extensively tested all components to achieve optimal performance and ease of tuning. The motor will be fairly simple to tune however just like any other motor out there it will require specific jetting tailored to your riding environment. For instance hill racing will require different gearing and jetting then 300 ft drags. Tuning is the owner’s responsibility and good judgment is always encouraged. The carb should be close when sent but will need fine-tuning of course. It’s also very important to confirm the internal integrity of your motor before assembly. A worn out and tired bottom end will certainly show it’s weak spots when bolting on a near 100 hp kit. We suggest you have your transmission magnafluxed to look for cracks and replace any worn gears before assembly.