first build!

GoldenMotor.com

PhillyJ

New Member
Oct 1, 2012
35
0
0
st george utah
Yep, I finally got my parts in, and have started to organize them, the way ship these things they are all thrown together, but thats just fine because i like to go through every thing myself before starting. So I just got my sprocket put on my rear wheel, but it's really late, so until tommorow thats about it. Any good tips on center mounting, or are the string/hanger the best options? any way, more to come in the future. (I was so anxious after work to get started that i couldnt sleep, so of course I had to start tinkering around with something)
 

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PhillyJ

New Member
Oct 1, 2012
35
0
0
st george utah
, So I still Cant go to bed, and I found a few links to centering the sprocket, but if anyone has some quick advice or tips that may be helpful, I would appreciate all input, But am deffinetly going to do what others have done thus far. thousands have done this, so there are probabally unknown tips out there... thanks in advance, and will keep posting as further devolpments unfold.
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Welcome to the forum. Your bike is coming right along, I see. Some kind of cylindrical tank under the cross bar would look cool. Wait til you ride it for the first time... woohoo!
SB
 

KCvale

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2010
3,966
57
48
Phoenix,AZ
The 2 most important things rookies fail at is is the motor mount and rear sprocket so get them right before anything else.

Once your motor is installed grab your top frame with one and your motor head with the other than yank back and forth as hard as you can, if it moves it will fail.

The rear sprocket can cup in or cup out, you can't tell which lines up best best without the motor in or until you temp fit it on and run the chain across but usually cupped in depending on the back wheel hub diameter.

The rear sprocket also has 3 dimensions of adjustment.

1. Centered. Flip you bike over, put the wheel on, spin it and look from the side.
If the sprocket seems to go up and down (vertical alignment) your chain will get tight in one spot and loose in another, you will never get it tight and throw chain.

I always have to smile at all the ways some guys make clever spring loaded tensioners to try and compensate for this opposed to just putting the rear sprocket on right.

2. Spin the wheel and look from behind, if it wobbles back and forth (horizontal alignment) that will also throw chain, a little is OK so long as vertical alignment is good as it has good tension to help and a little wobble 1/8" is OK.

3. The line between the motor sprocket and rear wheel sprocket (lateral alignment) and if the the sprockets do not line up you will throw chain even if the top two are correct once the chain wears in a bit.
You change this by cupping in or out but again a little is OK if the top are OK.

Another thing I smile at is the guys that think they can compensate for misaligned sprockets with tensioners. Sure you can bend 7-speed chain a little with their spring loaded tensioners but you won't pull that off with 410 or 415 chain and trying to bend a tight chain around a fat tire just won't work.

Get those 2 things as perfect as possible and the rest is a breeze ;-}
 
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TexasDav

New Member
Aug 19, 2008
528
0
0
Houston
Enjoy the build ! Best teacher is experance. Love building! So much rewarding then just buying something, no soul in that:)
 

wheelbender6

Well-Known Member
Sep 4, 2008
4,059
221
63
TX
They called those straight tube framed bikes "Lightweights" when I was kid. It looks good motorized. The skinny wheels should be OK with a stock motor if you maintain them. I ran a 26x1 3/8" wheel on the back of my motorbike for a while. If you hop up the motor, you will probably need a tougher back wheel.
 

PhillyJ

New Member
Oct 1, 2012
35
0
0
st george utah
Hey thanks everyone,

SilverB, I was thinking about a cylindrical tank as well but, for now I'm going to stick to what i got, I really just want to get the bike up and running first before i deal with cosmetics. I saw someone use a pasta tin for one, I'll keep my eyes upen for anything that might work.

KCvale, thanks for the great advice, for now I'm stuck until payday, so I'll be sure to double check my allignment while I'm waiting for that. My drive chain is way too long, so when i get paid Ill have to get a chain breaker or figure something out to shorten it and then double check that as well. I've been reading alot that the 41 chain is better than the stock 415 that I have but I figure use what I got until I need/afford to get another.

TexasDav, It's funny this iy first and it's not even done, but my co-workers, family, and neighbors want me to build them one as well. I just laugh because I get alot of joy out of tinkering with this, that I think they would get to, but if they want to pay me, I'll build it.

Wheel Bender, I think it looks pretty decent as well, but the 26x1 3/8 wheels have been one of my main concerns as well, when I got the bike I just liked the style, and fact that it's American made. For now it will have to work, but in future I know more what I'll want and what I'll need. Live and learn, right?

Here is a picture update:
 
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Nashville Kat

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2009
1,501
55
48
Jacksonville, Florida
Welcome Philly- Looks like it'll be a really nice build.

I see you have the sprocket mounted with the offset "dish" facing outward- This may or may not be the best allignment- you can probably even get a good idea even without the chain on first by just visually scoping it out from behind - maybe a straightedge yardstick would help- you want the wheel sprock on the same line with the motor sprock-

there is generally more frame clearance for the chain when the sprocket dish is turned the other way than how you have it now- but there really is no 'correct" way- it is whichever way it best lines up. Some of us don't use the chain tgensioner- that depends a lot on the individual set-up otherwise


good luck
 

PhillyJ

New Member
Oct 1, 2012
35
0
0
st george utah
Hey Kat, yesterday I took a couple of links out of the chain, and put it on, but like you said there was'nt enough room (the chain was rubbing against the frame) so I flipped the sprocket around (thats probably the most time intensive tast) put the wheel in and of course the two sprockets didnt line up, so today I put it back the way I had it (in the pic) and ended up putting a nut on the inside of the frame as a spacer and everything seems to line up, I was able to pedal it around the block a few times with no pops, or chain fall offs, so I'm pretty sure it's good to go, I just need to get the clutch cable adjusted correctly and tommorow after work I'll try to fire her up.
 

PhillyJ

New Member
Oct 1, 2012
35
0
0
st george utah
I got the clutch adjusted as far as I can tell, the real test will be tommorow, I am able to ride around the neighborhood with the lever pulled in no problem except that I noticed that my chain is hitting/rubbing up against the rear motor mount, I know the picture is poor quality, but any suggestions?
 

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maniac57

Old, Fat, and still faster than you
Oct 8, 2011
4,484
22
0
memphis Tn
I Didnt quite get the paint to match, but for now it will work.
I'd be careful using rubber under the engine mounts...Read the threads on vibration before you stay with your setup. (Looks like rubber sheet under the mounts.) Your bike looks great! It's gonna be a blast, Trust me!xct2
 

PhillyJ

New Member
Oct 1, 2012
35
0
0
st george utah
Hey thanks Maniac, right now I have cut inter-tube wrapped around, but I'll def. look into that, but right now I'm just really bummed out because I went out for the first time to actually try and start the engine, and the first try...nothing, the second time it sounded like it may want to start, the third time sounded closer to starting and fourth time I got up to speed and popped the clutch, whats happens but the clutch lever on my handle bars explode! It just shattered, I suppose thats quality I paid for but how dissapointing, so now I have to wait until tue(when I get paid) in order to fix/replace it.
 

PhillyJ

New Member
Oct 1, 2012
35
0
0
st george utah
the only other bikes in the garage are my brothers (which i currently use to commute to work) and my sister in-laws, whose im afraid to even touch, in fear of what new motherhood rath may inccur! (just kidding) but no, right now unless i start taking apart their bikes there's not much more i can do i suppose.
 

PhillyJ

New Member
Oct 1, 2012
35
0
0
st george utah
so rather than startin a new thread, ill just add on to the same bike thread. Well my bike has been running strong for months now, and i recently changed out all my motor bolts ie. mounts, carb in, exhaust off. the other day i got my monark forks 2 in the mail and put them on, the bike looks great, but about 10 miles into my first ride with the new forks my front hub exploded and destroyed my front wheel, so while I sit and wait for new heavier duty wheels and hubs ive read really good threads by barley awake and norman about engine rebuilds and decided to go ahead and tear my engine down and see whats going on and maybe port the cylinder, well i just gor it a part and found out that since i got engine ive been running without a head gasket or a bottom cylinder gasket and two of the bolts threaded right out so ill go ahead and replace those too. one small upgrade(forks) has turned into an entire rebuild of everything.