Home built start tips nedeed?

comfortableshoes · #11 (**permalink**) 09-22-2008, 03:52 PM

With you weighing in at 145 you probably don't need much more that 31 cc- I weigh 200 and the 31cc hauls me around pretty easily between 15 and 19 mph on flats, I imagine if I weighed as little as you I'd be reaching 20-25mph on flats with ease.

What kind of bike are you planning on putting this on? IF you're using a fixed speed road bike I'd think you'd cruise like crazy. I keep thinking that a road bike with go almost too fast with a friction drive on it. Those little tires scare the bejesus out of me. I'm getting my speeds on a fixed speed cruiser. I have it geared pretty high so I can help my speed out with pedaling, and for exercise....

I've gotten most of my WW for around $20 to $35, I even scored one for free. You have to be patient though and wait them out. One thing I like to do is email myself the ads, wait a week or two and send them a little note asking if its still for sale and make them a lowball offer and see what you get. You never know.

In terms of balance, you don't notice the difference that much, It's only 4 to 6 pounds hanging off the side- hang something weighted off the side of your bike and take a spin, that little weight you'll barely notice it. IF you chop the housing up and off you'll end up with a half pound or so less.

you can be a lot less concerned with weight with these becuase you've got the motor pushing you. I remember back when i was MTBing regularly and every one was concerned with how much their bike weighed, lighter tires, tubes, alloy water bottle rack, alloy bar ends, ultralight this and that. You can go insane with all that crap until it's past the point of return.

deacon · #12 (**permalink**) 09-22-2008, 05:10 PM

I think if you want more than 31cc or so WW won't do it. You need to look to a chainsaw and that weighs more. Anything heavier than a WW I would put on the back of the bike.

I weight 210 and like shoes says it pushes me around just fine. I don't have a speedometer on the friction bikes but it's plenty fast for me on the flat. I have never opened up the chainsaw 42 on the flats. Heck I haven't even gotten it open going up hill. It begins to skip and race after a while.

All in all the WW is the best small bike helper build. We aren't building motor bikes here as much as motor assisted bicycles. The china kit is closer to a motor bike than the Ones I build.

The instruction thing is like this, I began building WW bikes because I saw a need for simple easy to build motor assisted bikes for us old guys who just need to run to the store or to the bank. Believe it or not I spent about 4oo bucks developing the 31cc motor assisted bike that I now recommend.

The ebay thing is just to get my money back if possible when I do I will give the instructions away on my blog. If the interest dies down on ebay before then I will still give them away. Right now people still have an interest but people from here have access to all that is there just by asking.

When I started working with these bikes I knew from nothing and all the bits and pieces around were just that bits and pieces. You could see a video or see a picture but there was no information on how to do it around.

The WW bikes I saw were chains mostly and not suitable for the average guy to build. I planned for my design to be built without special tools or skills. My first successful design was great except it had no provision for a clutch of any kind. Pedal to start it brake and choke it off to stop it. A seventy year old guy stopped at the foot of even a small hill was going to have a problem with that.

Anyway thats why you can get all the information you need from me if I have it. If not someone here will have it. Most of the old timers remember me with the first few bikes I build with WW. I threw away at least three perfectly good engines because I was ignorant. I learned from those mistakes and now I explain to people who ask how to use the engines. Get Ilikeabike to tell you how many posts there are around here of my failures. Tons believe me.

Anyway we like to help so ask anything

comfortableshoes · #13 (**permalink**) 09-22-2008, 06:13 PM

Yes the great thing about the WW and chainsaw builds is the lack of special tools, a dremel or hack saw, hand drill, some pliers and assorted hand tools area bout all you need for one of these things. I believe that with the tools I've had for years I could have built any of these bikes in any of the apartments I've lived in easily. The best part about them in how darn small they are.

You build a simple frame and hang the motor on it. then you fiddle with it to get it just right. then your a DIY addict and pretty soon your scoping out clist for more engines and more cheap bikes to build with and pretty soon you have too many bikes and your significant other either loves it or leave it..... JUst kidding on that last part... My significant other encourages me to have a hobby.