When are you riding for too long?

GoldenMotor.com

bitsnpieces

New Member
Dec 9, 2010
195
0
0
36
Melbourne, AUS
I'm interested in knowing how long we should only be riding for before we stop to let the engine rest and cool down.

I mainly ask for cases of taking long rides of probably 30-60 minutes and want to know if it would be safe to do so, or if it will wear out the engine quicker.
 

wayne z

Active Member
Dec 5, 2010
1,743
5
38
louisiana
After break in of about 50 miles or so, and if the jetting is right, They don't need a cool down period.
In fact, the longer the run periods are on any normal engine, under normal usage(like cruising)the longer the useful life in hours of run time.

Engines wear the most upon startup and warmup, plus the effects of heating and cooling cycles .

There's no reason you couldn't run one 24/7
 

bitsnpieces

New Member
Dec 9, 2010
195
0
0
36
Melbourne, AUS
Sounds great! Still in my break in period, so any tips on a more efficient way of doing the break in? Safe to run it for long a long time?

Oh and, what do you mean by 'if the jetting is right'? What is the jetting?

Also, when you say cruising, do you mean medium throttle or so?

So then is it okay to run it for long periods of time on full throttle, or only medium throttle or so?
 
Last edited:

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
Sounds great! Still in my break in period, so any tips on a more efficient way of doing the break in? Safe to run it for long a long time?
What fuel to oil mix are you using? We recommend starting at about 24:1 then after a gallon or so, some will say 2 gallons, move to a 32:1 fuel to oil mix. Many instructions supplied with the engines will tell you to use a 16:1 mix which in most cases has been found to be too much oil.
Most have found it is better not to 'baby' these little engines. In fact some of the most successful builders will tell you to run them hard from the start. I fall somewhere in the middle with some wide open throttle fast runs broken up with cruising at reasonable speeds then back to some WOT.
Good luck, ride safe.
Tom
 
Last edited:

mp43sniper

New Member
Jan 6, 2011
15
0
0
PA
Jetting is tuning the air fuel mixture by changing the slow and main jets and the needle position in the carburetor. Any time a change is made that can affect jetting (different air filter, different exhaust, elevation change, etc) you should "re-jet" the carb.

On a two stroke street bike, they tell you to run wide open at top speed and then at the very same instant pull in the clutch and hit the kill switch. You coast to a stop and pull the spark plug and see what it looks like (called "reading the plug"). If it's black you're too rich (jet too big or needle clip too high), brown it's close or ok, and white or gray it's too lean (jet too small or needle clip too low). You do NOT want to be too lean or the engine can be damaged or seize up. Too rich will just waste oil and make everything all gooey in the exhaust. My engine isn't here yet so I don't know how many adjustments are possible with the common chinese two stroke bicycle engine most of us are using. The needle may not be adjustable. Heck, there may not even be any aftermarket jets either. There is a possibility that all the adjustments are made with the mixture screw, I'm just not sure.

I agree with the statements that you should be able to run an engine 24/7. However with an air cooled engine, remember they should be moving for proper temperature regulation. So as long as you're riding, not idling, keep on truckin.

Craig
 
Last edited:

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
i ride my bike full throttle for as long as it takes me to get where i'm going, or as long as i want it to take to get there.

meaning, besides stopping for a smoke now and then, i'll punish it all day long. my main rider has a little over a year and well over 5000 miles on it, and it still loves to take a beating.

my reasoning is this. since the motor's are so cheap, who cares if i blow it up? i could cut back on smokes and beers for a few weeks and buy another one.

that being said, none of mine have blown up yet.
 

wayne z

Active Member
Dec 5, 2010
1,743
5
38
louisiana
Jetting is tuning the air fuel mixture by changing the slow and main jets and the needle position in the carburetor. Any time a change is made that can affect jetting (different air filter, different exhaust, elevation change, etc) you should "re-jet" the carb.

On a two stroke street bike, they tell you to run wide open at top speed and then at the very same instant pull in the clutch and hit the kill switch. You coast to a stop and pull the spark plug and see what it looks like (called "reading the plug"). If it's black you're too rich (jet too big or needle clip too high), brown it's close or ok, and white or gray it's too lean (jet too small or needle clip too low). You do NOT want to be too lean or the engine can be damaged or seize up. Too rich will just waste oil and make everything all gooey in the exhaust. My engine isn't here yet so I don't know how many adjustments are possible with the common chinese two stroke bicycle engine most of us are using. The needle may not be adjustable. Heck, there may not even be any aftermarket jets either. There is a possibility that all the adjustments are made with the mixture screw, I'm just not sure.

I agree with the statements that you should be able to run an engine 24/7. However with an air cooled engine, remember they should be moving for proper temperature regulation. So as long as you're riding, not idling, keep on truckin.

Craig
oops you got it backwards on the needle clips, lowering the clip raises the needle and richens the mixture. Vice versa

On my first build, it was WAY rich and 4 cycling at highest clip positon.
I soldered up the main jet and drilled it out in steps with torch cleaning bits from NAPA. Started with .018, but the next size, .023" was perfect ,after moving the clip around some.
 

bitsnpieces

New Member
Dec 9, 2010
195
0
0
36
Melbourne, AUS
My oil mix is currently about 24:1 or so, can't remember exactly what measurement I did; it was estimate either way also.

I currently ride it at about medium throttle with a few open ones here and there.

Reason why I ask is the previous seller I purchased from does the stress testing and break in period before shipping so we don't have to, and mentioned not to rev too high initial for the first few runs as it will also struggle a bit as it sets in.
On this new engine, I'm doing medium with a few full open ones no problem, which makes me think back what the other seller was on about, which I realise that they also stress test it at extreme speeds, so it should have been good to go ground up...

Anyways, thanks for the explanation of jetting mp43sniper.
The only thing on my carburetor is the idle screw, so I guess I just need to be weary of my mixture and also how much I burn during idle.

Can't wait to ride this to work; just waiting for my rear basket to arrive so I can carry my lunch box on it.
Hate the fact of going through all the morning traffic though...
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
your seller was probably just covering his a**.

it's like anything else you buy, the seller's not gonna tell you, "it'll be fine, go beat the heck outta it" because he doesn't want to deal with warranties and other problems.
 

bitsnpieces

New Member
Dec 9, 2010
195
0
0
36
Melbourne, AUS
Well... I still gotta figure out what to do with the current broken engine; I'm hoping to send it back for a partial refund (since I've kept everything else to use with my current engine).
If he won't refund and only exchange, I'll probably hand it to my friend who's gaining interested in motorising his bike; will just need to get the other parts separately; easy.
 
Sep 20, 2008
1,668
12
0
Clearwater, FL
web.tampabay.rr.com
i ride my bike full throttle for as long as it takes me to get where i'm going, or as long as i want it to take to get there.

meaning, besides stopping for a smoke now and then, i'll punish it all day long. my main rider has a little over a year and well over 5000 miles on it, and it still loves to take a beating.

my reasoning is this. since the motor's are so cheap, who cares if i blow it up? i could cut back on smokes and beers for a few weeks and buy another one.

that being said, none of mine have blown up yet.
Yes Mr. Baird,

but you are making "light" the fact that you have...experience & intuition...And, I'd be willing to bet you rarely scrap an engine.

Jim
 

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
2,784
26
36
Indianapolis
You've been riding for too long when your butt stops hurting and goes numb. Or when you've run out of gas 30 miles from the last blink-and-you-miss-it podunk village and have to beg gas off a farmer another 2 miles up the road.
 

bitsnpieces

New Member
Dec 9, 2010
195
0
0
36
Melbourne, AUS
Yeah... That happened to me... Ran out of gas... But luckily there was a petrol station across the street from me when it happened. :)

But then my engine broke and I had to pedal the rest of the way.

Bum didn't go numb, just hurt like heck and I wasn't able to sit properly for a few days...