Sound Familiar???

Greetings from Perth, Western Austraila. I'm Hicksy and have just built my first MB. I bought the kit online a few weeks ago and I'm still mucking around with it to get it right for actually going somewhere other than up and down my road.

I bought 2 bikes from the tip for $10 and put one good bike together from them. Put the motor in very carefully, making sure I followed all the instructions (what there were of them that I could identify as english), took me a couple of days to whack together.

The toughest part was the back cog, bloody ****, you need fingers shaped like tweezers with the strength of a vice to get that in place. I'm now getting really good at installing this bit as I've done this several times.

The first time I tried to start the engine, the clutch fell apart. Next try I lost the master link off the chain and had it wrap itself around the rear wheel causing a major unexpected stop. I found the link but lost the clip and cover. Found out the it's a 415 chain and got a 420 master link that fits. The only difference between these is the length of the posts. (ie width of the chain)

After fixing that and feeling pretty good about it, I tried again to get it started. After pedalling 4.5km up and down the road, all I could get were a few splutters. I looked at the motor and there was fuel coming out of the gasket area under the barrel. Further investigation revealed that the quality control in China was not up to standard. Someone, late on a Friday afternoon put the gasket on 90 degrees clockwise to the usual install. I made a gasket up and fixed that.

Finally got it going only to have the clutch fall apart again. Then I broke my pedalling chain. This clutch is never coming apart again, Locktited everything in place now.

The bike runs well but after about 15-20 minutes of use it loses all power and dies. Choking it, even while hot gets it going again but its a pain.

Last night I checked and adjusted the carbie, the c clip was underneath the circlip so I fixed that and put it in No 2 position. Made sure the idle screw was out 4.5 turns. Got it going but it lacked power and smooth idling. Took it out the back yard and gave it a rev. The carby was vibrating away with the rest of the bike and then it blew off. I've now put gasket goo on the bit the carby fits over.

I would like to thank you all for the information I've sponged off this site and look forward to chatting with you sometime.

to be continued

thank you for the info Hicksy
I'm still hoping my motor will get shipped this week, those are good things for me to know ahead of time and I'd like to thank you for sharing your 'adventures' with us
I'm sure some more experienced motor bike builders will be along shortly and give you some good tips
and good luck I hope you're soon

Welcome Hicksy to the forum, glad you joined us

Sound's like you are doing a good job correcting any problems you come across. Almost all of us have had the same problem's, but once you get the bug's worked out, it's going to be alot of fun. Keep us posted and if you need any help just ask, alway's someone here willing to help out.

About the needle settings...

Is it top notch = leaner
Bottom notch = richer

I was running mine in pos 1 on top of the C clip so it would have been higher/richer.

Now that I've fixed that it now needs the choke to start...

And the Idle screw, why would it have little effect when turned either way?

cheers

Hicksy

The needle clip moves down for richer guys....if you move it down a notch, it raises the needle out of the jet more. With the taper of the needle and the opening in the jet, the area of where the fuel can flow through becomes larger.

I do agree that the engine seems lean.

Put the needle in the second groove down and look for the dreaded air leak.

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If it ain't broke, and you mess with it long enough, it will be.

My apologize Hicksy, got the needle clip backwards That's why BGJ is GodFather, thank's joe for the correct info...

Thanks guys, sealed everything I thought would leak air. Used the choke to get it going then choke off, she kicked off perfectly. Still need to get some more troubleshooting done over the next few days but I'm happier about it now.

BTW how do you know if you've fried your motor????

Well first you'll have to heat up some oil in a pan on the stove, then.....

Seriuously, what do you mean? You can hole the piston...obvious. Scuff the piston- not so obvious, but easy to find. Break a ring? Worn out? No compression?

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If it ain't broke, and you mess with it long enough, it will be.

When you see flame shooting out all over the engine I'd say its in the frying process.
When you see a puddle of aluminum where the engine used to be it is fried!
Sorry I had to do that.
Norman

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norms-iron-works.tripod.com

Here's my little beast....



Found out why the motor kept dying after 20 mins or so...

Turned the fuel off the last time it happened and got it into some light, turned it back on and undid the fuel cap, bingo, the fuel started flowing... A hammer an nail soon fixed that problem...

I've got heaps of room under the cross bar, has anyone seen a long tank that would fit like an old Indian style tank, squarish...