Very New Newbie from Phoenix

TikiHead said:
Hi everybody! I ran into Dick from Helmutt Cycles at a convenience store a few weeks. He wanted to know about my electric bike, and he introduced me to the idea of gas powered bicycles. Now I am hooked! Have not bought one yet, still researching. I would really like to drive my truck less, and do more with a bike. The e-bike is fine, but range is very limited -- and it's purely pedal assist, so that can get old over long distance..
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Hey Tikihead great to see ya here.. and just for the record. here's My first build it was a whizzer powered bike hand made in 2005 for the whizzer motor bike Co. I built two for them One was displayed at the Indy world trade expo. So for the None believers.. "KC Vale" Elite Member??? Hmm?
Helmutt
 
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azbill said:
helmutt, hope the indy rally went well for you and Quenton :)
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Thanks Bill, WE had a Blast!!! Sold all Bikes we brought.took orders for kits and Now we have two new dealers too
Met Quenton In person for the first time. What a firecracker,as He introduced us to the heavy weights of whizzer. Lee is great guy, and we meet hundreds Of other fine Gentlemen,from all over this country.. the Black Whizzer powered Helmutt Bike was always being ridden by someone.. in the end there were a hand full of guys wanting it.. we sold it to a retired GM designer engineer from Indiana..
the Red EZ Bike. even though damaged in shipping went home with a Guy from Washington state.
Bottom Line It was just off the scales Good JuJu.. almost 40,000 were there for a week of fun an riding and showing off there bikes.. Quenton won best of show for a Whizzer..
 
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Hi Helmutt! You do beautiful work. I just got my kit today from Staton, the rack mount Subaru motor. It certainly is not aesthetically as awesome as your Whizzer bikes, but I hope it does the job for me. This may be the first of many bikes.
 
TikiHead said:
Hi Helmutt! You do beautiful work. I just got my kit today from Staton, the rack mount Subaru motor. It certainly is not aesthetically as awesome as your Whizzer bikes, but I hope it does the job for me. This may be the first of many bikes.
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Thanks Tiki..I do think if its made by Subaru. it's bullet proof dependable.. Curious Is it a 2,or 4 stroke??
hey this next fall we should get a ride group up, and maybe from The Chuy's Mesquite broiler,"on Cave Creek RD.and Cactus Rd" to the town Of Cave Creek.. there's great bike lanes all the way there.. just thinking it would be cool beans
 
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Helmutt Cycles said:
...hey this next fall we should get a ride group up, and maybe from The Chuy's Mesquite broiler,"on Cave Creek RD.and Cactus Rd" to the town Of Cave Creek.. there's great bike lanes all the way there.. just thinking it would be cool beans
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I agree!
Is the Horny Toad still in Cave Creek? If not how about the Satisfied Frog? Been awhile since I ventured that way but once it cools off some, mid October maybe, I am certainly game for a ride that way.

Chuy's to a Toad and back would be a nice ride, other than getting around the 'Spandex Riders' on the sweet bike friendly lane the city added for all bike riders without too many sneers on that beautiful stretch of road, it would be a wonderful stretch of road for a 'get together' ride.

I couldn't keep up with the likes of a Whizzer MB, my 3-speed 48cc shifter ride can keep a pretty good pace, especially when it comes to hills ;-}
 
Helmutt Cycles said:
Thanks Tiki..I do think if its made by Subaru. it's bullet proof dependable.. Curious Is it a 2,or 4 stroke??
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It's a 4 stroke.


Helmutt Cycles said:
hey this next fall we should get a ride group up, and maybe from The Chuy's Mesquite broiler,"on Cave Creek RD.and Cactus Rd" to the town Of Cave Creek.. there's great bike lanes all the way there.. just thinking it would be cool beans
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Cool, sounds fun! Let me know. Chuy's is very close to my house, and I love their food.
 
KCvale said:
Chuy's to a Toad and back would be a nice ride, other than getting around the 'Spandex Riders' on the sweet bike friendly lane the city added for all bike riders without too many sneers on that beautiful stretch of road, it would be a wonderful stretch of road for a 'get together' ride.
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KC, do you get a lot of attitude from these road bike guys? I have had little problem on the Ebike, though I did get called a 'cheater' by another customer at Jack in the Box. He was really outraged that my bike had a motor! He got even madder when I laughed. It's now a running joke with my friends, and my new nickname is Cheater.
 
if you guys wanna do that cave creek run. lemme know i gotta go to az some time and may try to schedule it then oct is really good for me, would just love to meet yuo guys and take a ride i know the cave creek road yer talking about, also want to come down for the death race sometime . you guys rock! frank
 
most spandexers around here have seen me enough they either give the headnod or ignore me :)

nothing I like better than blowing by a (heavily sweating) dude with more money in his riding clothes than I have in my entire bike ;) laff
 
TikiHead said:
KC, do you get a lot of attitude from these road bike guys? I have had little problem on the Ebike, though I did get called a 'cheater' by another customer at Jack in the Box. He was really outraged that my bike had a motor! He got even madder when I laughed. It's now a running joke with my friends, and my new nickname is Cheater.
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I've encountered the Pourist Spandexers, both on the road and I a couple of bike shops. and it's real they are bothered by the Idea,, In a general sort of way.. Jeesh?
A Bike shop In scottsdale, I chose to inquire about some interanlly shifted rear hubs. when they realized what I was working on any help trying to Buy a very exspensive Bicycle part at this store.. Was flat over. as the so called tec Looked out and asked me if that thing outside in that truck was mine.. when I answered,a proud Yes the dialoge went south!!! .

I also showed up this year at a Green day ride into Scottsdale, Orginized By the City township community activist, I dressed the part with a Bicycle helmet, Nice slacks. Penny Loafers. coat and Tie..and the EPA rated Muffler,, it was I'd say an 80. 20 spilt In my polling from the Looks. Yet the 20% were very much suportive as they came right over to say they did.. yet making light of the 80's disaproval.. guess a 120mpg doesn't rate green enough,as it still burns the evil "Fuel Gasoline",and that was my Whizzer bike that day.. Not my 140mpg version 48cc Honda powered Helmutt.
Bottom line.. I agree. with Bill,and Hold my nose KC.. the Smile and Wave works for me too. "-)
 
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Almost finished building my kit. I NEED HELPP

I got my 66cc black on black skyhawk motor kit christamas of '09. I finally found the perfect bike and have become very excited to get this thing going. It's almost complete just 1 thing.

I'm struggling to get my bike into regular bike mode. I put in the clutch and lock it, but it will not let me pedal and even when it's released it still won't budge. I hear slight compression when trying to pedal, but it won't spin freely. PLZZ someone suggest something
 
azbill said:
most spandexers around here have seen me enough they either give the headnod or ignore me :)
nothing I like better than blowing by a (heavily sweating) dude with more money in his riding clothes than I have in my entire bike
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I do have to grin at that myself ;-}

I make a point of always smiling and waving while I ride, and with my shift kit I can just lay off the throttle and coast up (full speed) at idle almost silently to both bike riders and joggers, especially along the canal banks.

I just idle up to the spandex, nod and smile, say Hi, and then lay on the gas in the appropriate gear to zoom away.
I usually look something like this when riding...

SuedeDoneRightKC.jpg


.. riding responsibly to others and my own safety are by far the most important to me, but a smile and nod for every eye contact you make works wonders, at least it seems to for me.
 
NEAT TIMES said:
Tiki

Hi And Welcome.

Is Your Electric Bike Hub Motor Style Or Cartridge Style Motor?
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Thanks for the welcome, Neat Times!
To answer, no and no. It is kind of unusual. It has a second sprocket freewheel on the right side, driven by a smaller chain. The motor is just in front of the seat tube.



NEAT TIMES said:
Your Electric Looks Expensive.

My Conversion Will Start At 20:1 Final Ratio.

Will Post Pics, In Case You Mite Be Interested Some Time.

Ron .cvlt1
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The bike was $799 -- very cheap for an E-bike. I got it in 2005, and I really liked the bionic aspect of it. It senses your effort and adds a proportional amount of power. The cool thing about the controller is that it works with your own strength, and thus 'sees' what gear you're in (hopefully the optimal one). I am not sure where the company Electroportal.com is going, though I know he's still selling some of these bikes with upgraded batteries for more $.

Always interested to see other Ebikes!
 
Helmutt Cycles said:
I've encountered the Pourist Spandexers, both on the road and I a couple of bike shops. and it's real they are bothered by the Idea,, In a general sort of way.. Jeesh?
A Bike shop In scottsdale, I chose to inquire about some interanlly shifted rear hubs. when they realized what I was working on any help trying to Buy a very exspensive Bicycle part at this store.. Was flat over. as the so called tec Looked out and asked me if that thing outside in that truck was mine.. when I answered,a proud Yes the dialoge went south!!! .
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Very unprofessional. A bike shop in Phoenix was really unpleasant to me, and they're the ones who sold me the Charger EBike! There's just this basic misunderstanding that the spandexers have: bikes are exercise machines, not transportation, or heaven forbid, a fun machine.

Helmutt Cycles said:
I also showed up this year at a Green day ride into Scottsdale, Orginized By the City township community activist, I dressed the part with a Bicycle helmet, Nice slacks. Penny Loafers. coat and Tie..and the EPA rated Muffler,, it was I'd say an 80. 20 spilt In my polling from the Looks. Yet the 20% were very much suportive as they came right over to say they did.. yet making light of the 80's disaproval.. guess a 120mpg doesn't rate green enough,as it still burns the evil "Fuel Gasoline",and that was my Whizzer bike that day.. Not my 140mpg version 48cc Honda powered Helmutt.
Bottom line.. I agree. with Bill,and Hold my nose KC.. the Smile and Wave works for me too. "-)
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I've run into that too! Someone who's driving an SUV just won't admit that a small gas bike is a step in the right direction for transportation for most commuters! I would love to have a long-range EBike, they just are not affordable yet (look up Optibikes and faint). So for now, I am gonna try the gas bike idea.

cvlt1
 
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Here's how I am doing the motor mount for the Staton Inside Drive, since it requires some finagling to make it work. I used aluminum angle stock and 12" all-threads.
 

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Some pics of the install... I may have screwed up and mounted the motor too high, and Staton's instructions state you must fit the chain while doing the supports. (missed that!) Oh well. I will figure it out.

I like my mounting bracket made of all thread and aluminum angle stock. It's rock solid, and the flanges will protect motor and gear box in case of a fall. Speaking of that, I really need a chainstay kickstand. It wants to fall over.
 

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