Electra Cruiser Build

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JimSbike

New Member
Oct 11, 2012
24
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Nor Cal
I bought an Electra cruiser off of Craigslist with the intention of just adding a 4 stroke motor kit and new handlebars. after I got the bike home I realized it would need a little more than that. Following is the list of new parts that I bought and integrated onto the bike:

Handlebars
brakes
brake levers
all new brake lines
shimano derailleur
shimano 7 speed cassette
thumb shifter
tires
wheels
tire liners
4 stroke motor
Stage 3 kit
Sick Bike Parts shift kit
Rear mount gas tank

The build took about 8 weeks. I ended up stripping the bike down completely and repainting it. I also designed and fabbed (with the help of the guys at work) the rear tank mount. With the 7 speed cassette this bike will go faster than I care to on a bicycle. It may be worth taking it out to the track just to see what it will do! Overall I am really happy with the way it came out.

Jim
 

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GearNut

GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
5,104
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38
San Diego, Kaliforgnia
Very, very nice build! I appreciate your attention to detail, it really shows.
Some day down the road (pun intended) I plan on building an Electra Townie with a Magic Pie electric hub. I really like the way the Townies look, and they are touted to fit the magic Pie perfectly.
 
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JimSbike

New Member
Oct 11, 2012
24
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0
Nor Cal
Thanks for the kind words. I really wanted a rear tank setup that was functional and looked cool and that I had not seen done before! I have a few tweeks to add on the next revision though I am really happy with the results.

GearNut - I agree about the Townie. That would be a cool build.

Jim
 
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JimSbike

New Member
Oct 11, 2012
24
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Nor Cal
The drive train is a Sick Bike Parts shift kit. I have also changed the transmission from the 3g gear drive to a 4g belt driven transmission. It is much smoother and quieter with the 4g. I will post pictures later.

Jim
 
J

JimSbike

New Member
Oct 11, 2012
24
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0
Nor Cal
RangeFinder,

The pipe is a PooPoo pipe. I bought it from Bicycle-Engines.com. Yes, it is quieter than the short pipe that comes with these kits.

I have currently tore the bike completely down and have repainted it and am going to reassemble it without the shift kit. I was having to many chain issues. The significant issue was due to the length of the frame and the fact that the engine sat so low in the triangle. It did not allow for a chain tensioner to be installed, which in turn caused other issues. After a month of making constant adjustments I finally decided to go with the standard setup with the gear to the rear wheel. I did order a Pirate Cycles Adaptor and am anxious to put it on. If all goes well I will have the bike together this next weekend and will post pictures.

Jim
 
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rangefinder

New Member
Oct 18, 2012
118
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Des Plaines, IL
Thank you for the info Jim, I am new to this and appreciate your reply. I have not seen a lot of Electra bikes with the kits on the Forum here.

The bike I am going to put a 4 Stroke on is an Electra Coaster 1.
I know what you mean about it being a long frame.

Does the 4-Stroke engine mounting plate fit right in without modification?
Is your bike the Coaster 7 (Aluminum) or the Cruiser 7 (Steel)?
I am curious because mine is the Coaster 1 (Aluminum).

Are your chain tension issues solely from the Jack-Shift Kit?
I know that VMB sells shims so you don't need the tensioner.
I am not 100% sure they are for 4-Stroke engines though.

I totally dig the job you have done on the gas tank there.
Very stealth. I am looking forward to seeing your build completed.

Lee
 
J

JimSbike

New Member
Oct 11, 2012
24
0
0
Nor Cal
Lee,

Thanks for the compliments. I too like the way the gas tank came out. It does not detract from the lines of the frame, which is why I did the build with this frame.

The bike itself is a couple of years old. I found it for $200 on CraigsList. It is the steel framed bike and has a seven speed freewheel.

I believe that the issues with the chain were that they were sooooooo short that there was no room for error. I guess I could have made a custom mounting plate to mount the engine higher, even though I had mounted the engine with 1" tall spacers, between the engine and the engine mounting plate that came with the shift kit. Overall I loved the concept and idea of the shift kit. I will find a bike that is a better fit and try it on that.

I have ordered a new engine mounting plate from Kings Motor Bikes and will report how it works after I get the bike together this next weekend.

Jim
 
J

JimSbike

New Member
Oct 11, 2012
24
0
0
Nor Cal
Over the past few weeks I have made some changes to the bike. I abandoned the jack shaft due to a number of issues that I could not sort out. I went from a 3G drive to a belt drive 4G transmission along with a Pirate Cycles hub adapter. I also changed out the handle bars and put a standard cruiser style bar. I did cut 4" off of the ends before putting them on. As part of the process I completely tore the bike down and repainted it. I took the bike for a 10 mile shake down cruise and the bike is incredibly smooth and tops out at 30 mph. Overall I am really happy with the way the bike looks and rides.

The first picture is the original build and the last three are the newly configured bike.

Jim
 

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Davidoh

New Member
Jun 4, 2013
1
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0
sacramento, ca
Hey there Jim,
Awesome Electra...
I have a cruiser 1, with a 4stroke kit from Bikeberry. I'm struggling with the standard engine mount. I'm on a tight budget and this is my main mode of transportation, so that being said, could you please post some close-ups of the motor mount front and rear? :-||
Thanks,
David
 
J

JimSbike

New Member
Oct 11, 2012
24
0
0
Nor Cal
David,

I believe this is considered the "heavy duty" mount. It appears to be cast aluminum and can be purchased from most of the resellers advertising here. I believe I got this one from BicycleEngines.com. I really like this mount. It is very versatile.
 

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Robby

Robby

New Member
May 18, 2012
41
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0
Melbourne, Australia
Hi Jim,

Top quality build. I've been googling builds and yours keeps coming up as it is a very similar setup as to what I would like.
The Electra bikes here in Oz seem to be one of the best cruiser bikes locally for the money. An Electra Cruiser 1 retails hear for around $360, about $100 less than a Skullxbones/Nirve/Felt single speed. The cheap Chinese bike are avaible but...
Thanks for sharing the info about the motor plate.
I'm curious as to your thoughts about performance without the shift kit, as I was thinking of going direct drive for the sake of keeping things simple. I'm contemplating using the EZM kit with the HS motor and using the same rear sprocket kit.

Rob
 
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