EZ Motorbike Installation

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silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Here are a couple photos to illustrate the location of the idle adjustment screw (the black one) and the lean/rich adjustment screw (the brass one).
Also pictured are the two fuel lines above, the uppermost one is the fuel overflow and the one directly beneath it receives fuel from the gas tank. A third line is at the very bottom of the fuel bowl and is a drain line... which I discovered I lost on my ride today! I had switched it with a longer line so that I could drain the tank directly into a gas can and I guess I made it too long or did not secure it adequately. I think I'll add a little zip tie or small hose clamp to keep it in place when I attach another.
Time to change the oil for the first time pretty soon... thinking about how best to do that without making a mess.
SB
 

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Hi Silverbear,

Although several have made a drain plug with a hose attached to drain the oil, I just use a scrap piece of carboard about 1 foot long and approx. 6 inches wide. I fold the carboard to create a valley, stick the carboard under the drain plug, remove the plug and the oil travels across the carboard into a tray.

I have used this method appox. 20 times and never spilled drop.

Have fun,
 

jbcruisin

Active Member
Oct 10, 2008
1,118
7
38
Lebanon, Pa.
Hi Silverbear,

Although several have made a drain plug with a hose attached to drain the oil, I just use a scrap piece of cardboard about 1 foot long and approx. 6 inches wide. I fold the cardboard to create a valley, stick the cardboard under the drain plug, remove the plug and the oil travels across the cardboard into a tray.

I have used this method appox. 20 times and never spilled drop.

Have fun,
That's what I do also & it works.
Jay
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Thanks for the tip on just using cardboard slightly folded. I will do it. I don't know that I'm really due for an oil change yet, but I figure I'll take a look at the oil tomorrow and it it is dark then I'll change it. I want for this motor to run for a long time.
In answer to the question about how I like it and an evaluation. I think I'll write more on this tomorrow when I'm less tired and can think more clearly. I don't have all that many miles on it (no speedometer, so I don't really know how far I've gone) and I know the engine is just breaking in. It already feels like it has more power than a few days ago, but maybe that's my imagination. Also any comments I make are really for the whole bike, because that's how I'm experiencing the motor and drive system... on a bike I put together. I have noticed a number of things. One is the lack of vibration coming through the frame and handlebars. If I focus on it I can feel something, but it is nothing like what you experience even with a good, solid install of the China girl. That's a real plus for me since I have nerve damage in my hands from a lightning strike fifteen years ago. I made really comfy grips of foam covered in elk hide, but for this ride I probably didn't need to. With other bikes my hands would tingle at the end of a ride, so I fought back with foam. Ha!.
The engine starts with little resistance to the pull cord, unlike the pull start 2 strokes, so it's very easy to pull and with a cold engine I put the choke on and it starts on the first pull and within just a few seconds I can shut off the choke. I like that for sure. I have always felt a little insecure with operating the choke while starting up a China girl... reaching down blind and fumbling around for it or worse, taking my eyes off the road and looking for the choke lever. I've always thought it would be nice if there was a choke control for those on the handlebar, but there isn't and it is what it is. It is one reason I put pull start kits on my China girl builds, so that I can start the motor and warm it up a bit before riding off.
I'll pick up with this tomorrow, but I will say that I am not down on 2 strokes. I still like things about them and will continue to build with them and have fun riding them. But I built this bike for a reason and that was to be a serious alternative to the truck, something dependable I don't have to tinker with all the time and kind of like the old Whizzers which I always wanted... like a scaled down motorcycle. This motorbike build of mine feels more like what I imagine a Whizzer must be like and less like a bicycle with a motor on it which is what I have experienced so far. I'll pick up with this in the morning. Old guys get tired as soon as it's dark out.
Oh, here are a couple photos from today which I declared to be Huck Finn Day, when truancy from responsible adult activities is encouraged. It is my own holiday which I celebrate whenever I feel like it. Leaf change is already past it's peak here, so each day is a gift to be savored before winter comes. Aaniimoosh the Wonder Dog and I rode a few miles to the culvert which is the outlet from the lake I live on to the next one on the other side of the road in a chain of four lakes. So Moosh and I shared PB& J sandwiches as we listened to "bimidgiiwon" the Ojibwa word for "talking water" as it passed from one lake to the other, watched ducks come in for landings and heard a few motorists slow way down to take a look at the cool motorbike parked at the side of the road. Eat your hearts out... So I had my can of Lost Lake beer and Moosh had a drink of lake with our picnic lunch. Life is good.
Silverbear
 

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azbill

Active Member
May 18, 2008
3,358
5
38
63
Fountain Hills, Arizona
nice write-up :)
the lack of vibration versus a china girl was the biggest surprise/bonus for me as well ;)
your bike is looking very cool and old-schoolish :)
Moosh is a lucky dog (^)
 

scotto-

Custom 4-Stroke Bike Builder
Jun 3, 2010
6,505
24
38
Ridin' inSane Diego, CA.
First I must say your ride is looking very sweet silverbear....honestly. And secondly, I can't believe how much your dog Moosh looks like the dog I grew up with many decades ago....his name was Rags.

And now I'll shed a little light on my oil changing tricks.....got it down to a fine science finally. OK, first warm the engine for about 5mins. with a quick loop around the block. Pull up onto a large piece of cardboard or plywood or a weed patch for that matter. The get a glass jar (or can) and a short length of 1/4" ID clear flexible tubing (2 feet works well), remove the oil filler plug, insert the tubing into the crankcase and siphon the warm oil into the jar. Be carfull not to get a mouthfull of the warm oil cuz it can burn and it tastes terrible. You can get all but about 1-2ozs. out by siphon. This method so far makes it so much easier too NOT create a potential mess....believe me!

Then, instead of cardboard I use a shallow, thin aluminum TV dinner tray and form it to funnel whats left in the crankcase, which is very little. Pull the oil drain-plug with the drip tray underneath to drain remainder of the oil. When finished draining, put the drain-plug back in and tighten it down.

Now the fun part. I use a small (very small) funnel with a clear piece of tubing attatched the the end and insert it into the oil filler hole. I have oil pre-poured into 2, four oz. bottles and pour them slowly into the funnel, one at a time, until the oil reaches the lip of the filler spout (hole). Put the cap (dipstick) back on and hopefully you haven't spilled a drop of any oil....dirty or clean. It took me several oil changes to get it down to where now, I don't spill a drop. Cheers!dance1

Edit: If you're not comfortable siphoning hot liquids......a buddy of mine uses a turkey baster with tubing attached to suck the oil out through the filler spout...works like a gem as well.
 
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silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Glad you guys like the bike. You know, just yesterday I was thinking about a turkey baster with an extension tube... kind of elegant. And a good idea for the oil fill using a small funnel with extension. Keep it a clean machine.
Back to first impressions. I had a two stroke a year ago with a centrifugal clutch and was prepared for this automatic to be slow at the start, which it is. So was the 2 stroke. So it does not have that quick low end torque a manual clutch has which is good and also not good. The slow pick up is gradual, where the manual can be jerky at low speed. One thing a person needs to realize is that a motor and drive can't be all things at once any more than bikes can be all things. The comfort of a heavy cruiser frame is a trade off to a nimble skinny tire bike. You have to make choices. I was prepared for this setup to be appropriate for a heavy cruiser and for this bike it is what I wanted. So it is slow and smooth getting up to speed. Midway the power kicks in, but it remains smooth so you don't get the same kind of kick as from a 2 stroke. The Q matic is a really smooth transmission of power to the real wheel. I keep saying "smooth", but that's what it is, like the difference between driving a compact car with a stick shift and your old man's Cadillac or Olds 98... smmooooth. And just like those automotive cruisers, speed can be deceptive. Several times I caught myself going faster than I realized... noticing the passing forest by the road as a kind of "speedometer". With my China girls they would be wound up tight and complaining about all the hard work they do, vibrating the frame as they push me and the dog down the road at 30 mph. This four stroke is quieter and without the vibration you can find yourself going faster than you really should. I'm tuning myself in to the difference and staying off the throttle a bit. So which is better? It depends I guess on what you're looking for. In a way the 2 stroke is more "thrilling" and is a fun thing to ride. But for a long ride, say to town (12 miles each way) I want the smoothy that starts with one easy pull and is dependable. I rebuilt the original 50 Schwinn seat that was on it and gave it some extra padding of carpet foam. A gel seat cover under the leather upholstery would be even better, but it is a comfortable seat. I have a suspension front fork I got from forum member Patrick which comes from a newish Whizzer and it is both very heavy duty and a dream come true for taking the bumps out of the road. A down side to using it was that I had intended to employ a center stand I had which worked great before adding the front suspension fork. With the new fork the stand no longer reached the ground, so I made up a rear drop stand out of copper pipe. So as I said, I'm experiencing the motor and drive system through my build and I'm sure the EZM could feel quite different on another bike. This one has a heavy frame, heavy wheels, heavy front fork, stainless steel tank, pulls a trailer and eventually will have a sidecar, so all together it is a tank, a heavy cruiser and a kind of modern day "Whizzer" which is exactly what I wanted. So I think you have to ask yourself what your bike is for; an occasional outing around the neighborhood and the China girl is great. If you need serious transportation to get to and from work and your bike is a fair weather replacement to your car or truck, then a four stroke with a sound transmission system is a good choice. As much fun as a compact car can be on a twisting mountain road, what would you rather drive 3000 miles from coast to coast... the compact or the old man's heavy Thunderbird?
Me, too.
SB
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
I noticed a good bit of slack in the drive chain today so shortened it up by a full link. I rode a good many miles today, guessing thirty for forty and can feel the engine breaking in and gaining power. Nice. I notice it mostly now at the low end and accelerating up to mid speed. Much better and really no complaints. I got the upgrade flexible exhaust pipe and that definitely gave it more power than the stock pipe.. I'm also getting accustomed to the way the bike handles as it is so different from a bike with no suspension and a China girl. I like it a lot and am happy with the acceleration. I went for a ride without the dog & trailer for a fast run and that was a rush. Must get a speedometer. When I take this to town I do not need a speeding ticket. It is hard for me to know how fast I'm going. Sometimes, too fast, I know that much. I'm currently running 2.125 tires on it and today ordered cream colored Fat Franks at 2.350 width. There's room, so why not? It should make for an even better ride and will look even more vintage. I have to get going with the build thread on the four stroke build off. Having fun!
SB
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
I picked up a stainless steel turkey baster today for $7.50. No doubt a plastic one would be a cheaper, but I like that this one is going to last a long time and that it had a small tip which screws into the end. Nice. So the photos below show the oil being removed from the oil fill hole. I intended to remove the drain plug after getting all I could with the turkey baster and direct the last of the oil onto the folded cardboard and into the little can. However, the wrench was not exactly right, the plug was very tight and I could not find the right sized socket, so rather than chance rounding the drain plug bolt I left it alone until the next oil change when I have the right socket for removing it. What might have remained in the engine was very little and with the new oil it is nicely freshened up until the next oil change. I added new oil using the same method as removing it, sucking it up from the new oil poured into another little can and squirting it into the fill opening until the oil was level with the fill hole. I did flush the baster with clean oil before using it to refill. It is a nice tool for the job.
SB
 

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silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
I like you built, looks comfortable. Like esp front shock.
Thank you. It is comfortable from the vintage springer seat with extra padding to the foam hand grips, the Fat Frank extra wide tires I have on it now and mostly that oil filled suspension front fork. I got the fork used from a forum member here and it came originally from a pretty new Whizzer motor bike. It's like riding a Cadillac. The bumps in the road just disappear. The only problem with that is that everything is so smooth you forget how fast you're going.
SB