"Nicosil" cylinder plating
The History & Advantages
Electro-plated cylinders are now used on all competition engines and most road-bike engines. In the early days chrome plating was used but for the last approx. 15 years the bike manufacturers have used various types of nickel-silicon-ceramic-carbide or "Nicosil".
Approximately 50 years ago cylinders were cast-iron, over the next 20 years alloy-cylinders with cast-iron liners evolved. The introduction of chrome-plated alloy cylinders revolutionised two-stroke engine performance. The advantages were numerous, lower friction from the smoother harder finish and greatly reduced wear. The main advantage being at last the cylinder and piston were made of the same material and expanded at the same rate allowing far closer piston to bore clearances.The benefit of this is that the piston is able to transfer its heat to the cylinder and the cylinder to the water-cooling, keeping the piston cool and giving improved performance and greater reliability.
Don't let anyone fit a liner to your cylinder, you will be throwing away 30 years of race developement!
Nicosil replating service
In future, other than for the engines I am rebuilding, i will not be offering a nicosil replating service.
I have organised with Sean from "The Tuning Works" to continue with the RGV/RS250 exchange barrel service and the 300cc spares and exchange service.
Sean "The Tuning Works" Tel. 07766 835053
For all other Nicosil replating contact "Langcourt Ltd" Tel. 01934 612226