For the RIOT the bulk of the items needed to build the car are available from Sylva Autokits, such as the chassis, suspension components, fuel tank etc. But it is up to the builder to source other major components like the;

1. The Engine and Gearbox

2. The Braking system

3. The wheel Hubs, Front and Rear

Other parts needed to build such as Engine Management, instrumentation, trim etc is left to the builders own discretion

The Yamaha R1 engine designed by Yamaha and funnily enough is used in the FIREBLADE eating Yamaha R1 motorbike which became the must have big-bore sportsbike when it was introduced in 1998. This was the first choice engine used in the RIOT and is where it gets it's name from R1 engine OT hence RIOT. The RIOT was designed with a longer engine bay to accept the motor bike engine and an adapted Ford FWD differential driving the rear wheels. For me the choice of engine I would use is the 1998 to 2000 engine. This is due to mainly the engine running with carbs so negating the need for an engine management system.

The advantages to use a bike engine is mainly the weight of the unit thus keeping the curb weight of the RIOT low giving a better power-to-weight ratio. The engine develops 140BHP at 9900rpm and 79lb ft of torque at 7300rpm.With a race style six speed sequential gearbox you would feel like a racing driver. A complete running package can be purchased for around 1400GBP and they are not as rare as you may think. So you can get a lot of bang for your bucks and the sound..ooh..would be lovely.

Some of the disadvantages, as I see it. Bike engines develop their power through the rev range so they have to be revved to get the full benefit of 140BHP so you may be cruising down the motorway at 70mph with the engine running at 9000rpm behind you, it could be tiring after while. Bike engines don't like to “labour” at a fixed rpm for long so they need to be worked through the gears so again this could be tiring, fun on the track but not on the road. Having no reverse gear would mean you spent a lot of time pushing the car out of parking spaces and people may think you have broken down all the time or you are a bit of a spud. Finally the bike engine was designed to carry the 198Kgs of the bike not 400Kgs of car so the clutch, under heavy use may not last long and they are expensive to fix. The clutch can be saved by reducing the final drive ratio but that would kill the top end speed.

The Ford Zetec SE engine was also co-designed by Yamaha under the code name of Sigma. It is an all alloy engine unlike its predecessor the Zetec which has a cast iron block. I was introduced in 1995 and includes many unique features such as plastic inlet manifold. It is used in the Mk4 onwards Fiesta and it was used in the Puma. It comes in 1.25L, 1.4L and 1.6L. It also comes in 1.7L with Ti-VCT (Twin independent Variable Camshaft Timing) which might be a difficult engine to control with a aftermarket ECU. For the RIOT the engine of choice for me would be 1.6 L, 1595 cc which develops 99 hp at 6000 rpm and 104 ft.lbf of torque at 4000 rpm. This engine can be easily tuned to develop around 130ish BHP when combined with an aftermarket ECU. The RIOT also uses the iB5 gearbox which is the standard 5 speed gearbox fitted to the ZETEC-SE engine. Interestingly enough the iB5 gearbox is not fully rated for the 1.7L engine and requires a torque limiting ECU to prevent the engine from damaging the gearbox

The advantages for using the ZETEC-SE include that it was designed to haul a production car around so the 470Kgs of the RIOT will make the engine a lively choice of power plant. Being a production engine parts for it can be sourced from Ford (at a cost) or from Motor Factors (at less cost).Due to the availability of aftermarket ECU's its not necessary to junk the injection system and with the strict emission rules in the SVA would keep the engine within its emission limits. Unlike other twin cams for example the Vauxhall 16V engines which work best at their upper end of their rev range the ZETEC-SE has the bulk of it's torque lower down in the rev range. Making the engine more responsive with smoother acceleration and not having to cane it to get the best out of it.

For me my first choice was R1 power thinking that it would be the obvious choice of power plant to give the car the performance it deserves. After driving the Sylva RIOT-SE Test Car my choice was swayed. For a car that I would like to use as much as possible the Ford engine would give me reliable and strong package and have a reverse gear, which I think I would miss. Plus with availability of aftermarket tuning parts and spares makes the ZETEC-SE engine an attractive option.

The braking System on the RIOT is identical to the same system as used on the Sylva MOJO2

The front brakes use Ford Capri front solid discs and calipers. Nuff said really.

The rear brakes use Ford Fiesta Solid discs combined with Ford Sierra rear brake calipers. The Ford Sierra calipers are used because they have a mechanical handbrake function on them allowing a hydraulic braking system to be used combined with a mechanical handbrake system, thus keeping it simple. They also need to be modified to allow them to fit the XR2 hubs.

The obvious choice here is to get them from a breakers yard. But then you may have to spend hours overhauling the calipers replacing the seals, getting rid of rust etc, if that's your bag then it's up to you. The second option is to take the calipers straight to a Motor Factors and exchange them for refurbished items. This costs a little more but you will have the peace of mind that they are okay and have been tested properly.

I personally believe it's a false economy to re-use pads and discs. They are cheap enough to buy from a Motor Factors and after all they are responsible for stopping your pride and joy and re-using old pads/discs may be a decision you live to regret.

The front hubs and uprights are again from the Ford Capri and do not require modification

The rear hubs are from the Fiesta XR2 and need to be modified by sawing off the steering arms. Remember that this is FWD system driving the back wheels.

Again the front and rear hubs can be sourced from a breakers yard. Again the choice is yours to overhaul or exchange for refurbished items. For those of you who are paranoid about saving weight, companies such as RACELEDA can supply you with alloy hubs which could be used instead, at your discretion.

This website has no affiliation whatsoever with Sylva Autokits Ltd any technical information must be verified with Sylva Autokits Ltd first