Post 17: Why the Canyon Lightning™ is Going 4-Stroke

April 24, 2026

I've gotten a lot of questions about what power I'll be using. I originally planned to go for the Polini Thor 303. It's a beast of an engine, but let's be real: it's an Italian racing motor with a $5,000+ price tag, long lead times, and a supply chain that can be a nightmare for a builder in the States.

For most guys, that's where the dream of an affordable ultralight ends. The wait is over!

The Pivot: The "Maverick" 4-Stroke Evolution

I am officially designing the Canyon Lightning™ engine cradle to be a universal platform for the industrial V-Twin - specifically the Preadator 670cc.

Why this changes the game for the ultralight community:

1. Accessibility: You can walk into a local Harbor Freight today and walk out with a powerplant for under $1,000.

2. Reliability: It's a 4-stroke. No mixing oil, no ticking time bomb 2-stroke seizures. It's built to run for a thousand hours and can be fixed with a 10mm wrench.

3. The "hot rod" factor: With my high performance modification instructions for the Predator engine (dual Mikuni carbs, advanced timing, custom straight-pipe exhaust), we're bumping that tool-store motor into a 35-40HP bush plane beast!

"But Jake, isn't it too heavy?"

Traditional tube-and-bolt ultralights can't carry this engine -- they're too heavy to begin with. But because the Canyon Lightning™ uses a lightweight carbon-hybrid frame, I have a massive weight rebate.

By the time I'm done with the "aviation strip", this motor will end up being only a few pounds heavier than the Polini, but nearly $4,000 cheaper. I'm trading dead weight in the airframe for reliable muscle in the nose. This airframe will be so light and stiff it makes an industrial V-twin "heavy iron" engine look like a high-performance choice.

Coming Soon: The Full Breakdown

I'm picking up a Predator this week to start the mockup. I'll drop a video soon showing:

• The strip-down: Shaving over 15lbs of industrial junk off the block

• The IM2 carbon "lashed" mount: How I'll bond the engine to the frame without a single steel bracket

• The 40HP roadmap: The specific parts list to turn this into a mountain-spec predator.

Whether you want a high-strung racer or a reliable 4-stroke cruiser, the Canyon Lightning™ is designed to take you there. ⚡