When overhead valve “Honda clone” engines started showing up on the market 15 years ago most people said they were crap and couldn’t possibly compete with the old faithful Honda. They weren’t necessarily wrong, because for every one of those engines that you heard about doing well, there were two that sucked. I installed a clone engine from Harbor Freight, before they were called Predators engines, on my mini bike back in the day and with a couple carb mods and a straight pipe it hauled ass and caused me zero issues. Since I paid $100 for the engine, I wouldn’t have been too disappointed in having to replace it at some point, and for me there just wasn’t an option to buy a Honda for $800 which is what they were going for then.
In recent years these clone engines have gotten better and better and Honda has lowered the prices on their engines as well. Win win. In fact, at the time of this blog item, we can buy this Honda engine locally for $399, but prices will vary.
But which one is really better? Is there a difference? Does the difference matter when the cheap one is only $150? Watch and decide.
Video Description:
Is the Honda clone just as good as the Honda? Is the Honda better than the Harbor Freight’s Predator and Briggs and Stratton Engines? All engines compared for fuel efficiency, oil consumption, noise and vibration during a 48-hour test. Used oil samples sent to an oil testing lab to provide information on wear metals. Engines also compared for torque and horsepower. I bought the engines, fuel to test the engines and all supplies to ensure an unbiased review. So, thank you for supporting the channel.
