READ THIS FIRST: I design scientific instruments for people who study plants and food. High tech electrical gear. I know nothing about airplanes and almost as little about engines. I’m posting to learn.

I am dead set on flying a kitfox that I build myself. I love the experimental aircraft concept. In-line with this, I want to experiment.

I understand motorcycle engines have been used (and abused) in airplanes already. I am an avid motorcycle rider. Motorcycle engine tech is advancing very quickly. A 2020 engine is much better than a 1996 engine. Like iPhones and other things, I think quantity/market demand is driving them to innovate faster than say ... LSA engine manufacturers.

I’ve been watching tons of videos on rotax engines and planes flying with them. Maybe we just have different ideas of what reliable is, but they don’t seem reliable.

With motorcycles the best bikes don’t usually have the most reliable engines. E.g. a Super Duke 1290 is a great bike, but KTM pushes their engines. Japanese bikes, Honda specifically, had a reputation for building extremely reliable gear. And it’s more true now than ever before. My current bike is a Yamaha, similar story there.

So with this in mind, I’m playing with the idea of a CBR 1000 engine...

Weight: ~150lbs before mounts and accessories.

Power: ~110hp and 75lbs torque @ 6000RPM
...My plan is to run the engine at low RPM. It’s 140HP at 8k RPMs, which I suspect to wear the engine out.

Liquid cooled, electric fuel and air intake, etc. Modern gear.

Help me understand (with reasoned arguments) why this is a bad idea?