And Yet Another 1st Cranny Build - Some Issues

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IreBo

New Member
Jul 22, 2011
156
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Monterey,CA
No. engine should idle . you just need to turn the screw in a few times. try a turn in and start it. pull clutch and adjust in or out to get it whare u want it. be carefull when you start it. it may want to idle way high at first so keep yer finger on the kill s/w.
 
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IreBo

New Member
Jul 22, 2011
156
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Monterey,CA
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donkeyman2341

New Member
Jul 27, 2011
13
0
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Kali
I have ridden my bike every afternoon for the last few days. So happy everything is staying together. My idle seemed to work great once I turned the idle screw. But now I'm noticing that my engine sounds like its about to die if im not giving any throttle, AND i'm in gear. Once I pull the clutch lever, it idles nicely. Is there something I can adjust for this?

And what is the purpose of the choke?

The last issue I am running into is chain clearance, hitting my rear tire. Im gonna have to do some research on this to figure it out. It clears fine in the garage, but I see black marks on the tire after I ride.
 

Sgt. Howard

Active Member
Sep 28, 2010
186
58
28
69
Okanogan, WA
My Cranny uses the Manic Mechanic mount for the sprocket- I did the engineering to mount the HT sprocket as the holes do not match. Better off if you do not have machineshop experiance or gear to purchase one of their sprockets. Soon I will have a HT sprocket mounting device that will solve this issue, but untill then the MM gear out of Piratecycle.com is your best bet. ALSO- I did not see all of this thread, so I don't know if you've painted this thing yet- ACE 'Navaho White' in a rattle can is a close match to the fenders. If you wait two or three weeks after the final coat (during non-riding season- you want four or five light coats with 300 wet/dry sanding in between) the paint will hold up to fuel- the blue Crannies look cool when the gas tank matches the fenders.
The engine sounds like it's trying to die because it cannot just 'lope at idle' at speed. You are first and second gear- the engine is third. Peddle up to there with engine assist and hold the throttle ope enough to stay there.
the Old Sgt.
 

IreBo

New Member
Jul 22, 2011
156
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Monterey,CA
Yo Donkey, sounds like youre bike is doing well.... so about the choke. i rarely use mine. only if its really cold and/ or i havnt ran my motor in a while. if i do use it for a cold start i cloes the choke, bump start the bike ,and as soon as it starts i flip it open. i will also use it as a speed limiter for nwebies or youngsters that want to try out my bike. ill close it a bit while riding full throttle until it just starts to slow down. basiclly a rev limiter. other than that dont pay much attention to it ide say.

so the idle with it in gear thing, well its like driving a stick shift car. you cant just let the clutch out while in first and expect it to drive smoothly. you need to feather the clutch with some throttle and when you are going you can dump the clutch. its not an auto! lol..
dont be afraid to slip the hel out of that clutch. they last a while, have alot of adjustment before they are toast and the pads are cheap and one of the easiest things to service.. you can convert it if you want. they have a kit. looks lame tho.

ok so the tire has some angled black scuffs from the chain?? thats pretty normal imo.. as long as they are just marks and not gouges. that chain moves all over the place and when off throttle in coast with the engine enguaged the loose side of the chain flops all over. its ok if its not wearing into the tire. just marks are ok and you will need special parts to fix that like offset motor mounts. if you just move the rear sprocket you are just puting it out of alignment. you will have to move the motor also. you can tey to tighten the chain a bit with the tensioner. that may help
 
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IreBo

New Member
Jul 22, 2011
156
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Monterey,CA
View attachment 38641

View attachment 38642

View attachment 38643

View attachment 38644 keep about 3/4" or so slack in the chain


And about the chain you will need to get a chain breaker and make sure to leave the two thinner ends on the chain so you can install the master link!
see the marks on mine? id doesnt rub all the time , but the chain flops around some so i think its almost unavoidable in less you run it with a spring tensioner or none at all and run the chain a bit tight but that may not work out that well.

donkey, what part of cali do you live? close to monterey? lets get a ride going!
 
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donkeyman2341

New Member
Jul 27, 2011
13
0
0
Kali
My Cranny uses the Manic Mechanic mount for the sprocket- I did the engineering to mount the HT sprocket as the holes do not match. Better off if you do not have machineshop experiance or gear to purchase one of their sprockets. Soon I will have a HT sprocket mounting device that will solve this issue, but untill then the MM gear out of Piratecycle.com is your best bet. ALSO- I did not see all of this thread, so I don't know if you've painted this thing yet- ACE 'Navaho White' in a rattle can is a close match to the fenders. If you wait two or three weeks after the final coat (during non-riding season- you want four or five light coats with 300 wet/dry sanding in between) the paint will hold up to fuel- the blue Crannies look cool when the gas tank matches the fenders.
The engine sounds like it's trying to die because it cannot just 'lope at idle' at speed. You are first and second gear- the engine is third. Peddle up to there with engine assist and hold the throttle ope enough to stay there.
the Old Sgt.
cool thanks for the info. i took the fenders off of mine and dont plan on putting them back on. there is already too many things i need to worry about on my bike, and i dont want them falling into the wheel. LOL! they felt really really flimsy.

does painting take that long for say the bike frame as well?? becuase I live in socal, so theres not much of a "non riding season" haha

Yo Donkey, sounds like youre bike is doing well.... so about the choke. i rarely use mine. only if its really cold and/ or i havnt ran my motor in a while. if i do use it for a cold start i cloes the choke, bump start the bike ,and as soon as it starts i flip it open. i will also use it as a speed limiter for nwebies or youngsters that want to try out my bike. ill close it a bit while riding full throttle until it just starts to slow down. basiclly a rev limiter. other than that dont pay much attention to it ide say.

so the idle with it in gear thing, well its like driving a stick shift car. you cant just let the clutch out while in first and expect it to drive smoothly. you need to feather the clutch with some throttle and when you are going you can dump the clutch. its not an auto! lol..
dont be afraid to slip the hel out of that clutch. they last a while, have alot of adjustment before they are toast and the pads are cheap and one of the easiest things to service.. you can convert it if you want. they have a kit. looks lame tho.

ok so the tire has some angled black scuffs from the chain?? thats pretty normal imo.. as long as they are just marks and not gouges. that chain moves all over the place and when off throttle in coast with the engine enguaged the loose side of the chain flops all over. its ok if its not wearing into the tire. just marks are ok and you will need special parts to fix that like offset motor mounts. if you just move the rear sprocket you are just puting it out of alignment. you will have to move the motor also. you can tey to tighten the chain a bit with the tensioner. that may help
awesome. sooo i think i was getting confused with the terms of choke being OPEN or CLOSED. becuse on other threads ppl talked about pushing the choke DOWN, which im now thinking meant the lever, not DOWN as in actually closing the choke. I just thought about it differently in my head and thats what got me confused.

SOOOO for one final clarification....

Starting the bike, you want the choke CLOSED (as in lever up?)
THen after it starts, you OPEN the choke (as in lever down) allowing more fuel to the engine?

Haha this just seems counter intuitive to me, cause wouldnt you want as much fuel going to the engine at the startup as possible?? that was my thought process on that. lol. however, it has been starting fine with the choke wide open, so i guess no worries.

the whole idle thing was a result of me riding around with the choke CLOSED, which was messing with my idle, and made me think I had more issues than I actually do. hahah, live and learn.

as for the black scuffs...so glad to know its happening to you too. I was worried about it. altho mine are a little bit bigger and darker than yours, there is definitely no actual dents in the wheel. I can see when im riding, the chain bounces around like crazy. so im sure thats all it is.

I am cruising in San Diego!!! Kinda of a long way from Monterey I believe. ahaha. but i'd be down if youre ever in the area..duh..
 

IreBo

New Member
Jul 22, 2011
156
0
0
Monterey,CA
Well yer right. the choke restricts just airflow allowing their to be more fuel than air...

on thr tire scuffing... is the wheele centered?

ill ride my gasbike down to SD. ill be their in 20 min...lol
 

IreBo

New Member
Jul 22, 2011
156
0
0
Monterey,CA
of course. though a few months back we had like 3 landslides on her. only way to big sur was by bicycle!! many changes including a new bridge and 3 traffic signals.. its only a matter of time before that roadway is totally gone :(

032211-landslide-630.jpg
 

Gary Harris

New Member
Jul 31, 2011
86
0
0
Houston
of course. though a few months back we had like 3 landslides on her. only way to big sur was by bicycle!! many changes including a new bridge and 3 traffic signals.. its only a matter of time before that roadway is totally gone :(

View attachment 39378
I was born and raised in so cal and remember back in the 70s near Point Fermin where you could see old sidewalks down on the beach. Coastal erosion is inevitable.
 

donkeyman2341

New Member
Jul 27, 2011
13
0
0
Kali
Once my engine breaks in a bit more I'm going to crooz PCH all day long. Perfect road to take. haha.

Yes, my tire is pretty center, but I think the actual tire isnt even perfectly round thanks to the cranny engineering. :) but all seems well, minus the scraps.

Noticing a weirdish sound in the motor when I let my friend drive it. There's this high end noise that is consistant the entire time the engine is on. Doesnt seem to be affected by the throttle. Its almost like a squeaking sound. Very strange. Does that sound normal to others, or is it maybe a break in thing??
 

IreBo

New Member
Jul 22, 2011
156
0
0
Monterey,CA
can you tell if the sound changes with clutch modulation? sometimes the pin squeels. take the clutch cover off, pull the pin out in the middle of the sprocket and pack it with greese, and while u r in their put a dab on the inside of the clutch cover whare the cam accuates the clutch pin. i had a squeele and that took care of it. these engines make some scary noises but they keep goin...
 

yodar

New Member
Jul 26, 2010
147
1
0
Orlando Fl
Well yer right. the choke restricts just airflow allowing their to be more fuel than air...

on thr tire scuffing... is the wheele centered?

ill ride my gasbike down to SD. ill be their in 20 min...lol
Many Cranny people I have talked to agree the rear tire is a skosh too fat for chain interference with the wheel and tensioner. It works, but you hafta hold your mouth just right while centering the wheel and it is a PIA if you don't have a helper to work with you centering the wheel..

Mounting the next narrower size tire 1.95 instead of 2.25" (I think ) solves the problem, works fine , rides fine, appears little different

yodar
 

IreBo

New Member
Jul 22, 2011
156
0
0
Monterey,CA
Cranny is a 2.125. The smaller tire will work great prob , but the time u need to worry bout it you need another tire Any ways. They wear the tread verry fast!! I need a new tire after 95 miles and the side wall is fine. Probly do better with a non Kenda tire? And use the front break more than I. But starting takes a toll also...
 

yodar

New Member
Jul 26, 2010
147
1
0
Orlando Fl
Cranny is a 2.125. The smaller tire will work great prob , but the time u need to worry bout it you need another tire Any ways. They wear the tread verry fast!! I need a new tire after 95 miles and the side wall is fine. Probly do better with a non Kenda tire? And use the front break more than I. But starting takes a toll also...
I guess i doan ride mine as hard as you. My treat on the Cranny stock tire was good after a year, it was the sidewall that was boogerred up by the tensioner. The smaller tire is Kevlar-reinfoirced and I am getting excellent service form it. the original stock front tire is still in service

Can someone sell me a large engine mount,everybody's website say out of stock

yodar