Me and the china bikes...

GoldenMotor.com

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
0
north carolina
I have been messin' with this bike and with the electrics a while now. Not as long as you guys and not in the same way.

It's time for me to get realistic here. I'm not in good enough shape to stay at this forever. I am probably a menace to everyone around me. But these days I'm a menace at fifteen miles an hour, on a light bike, not at 60 miles and hour in a two ton car. At least thats how I justify staying with it in my mind.

That really isn't the point. I like to think I am a logical man, yes you will get an argument, but I still like to think it. Okay being a logical man there comes a time when things are just more trouble than they are worth. At least that is my opinion.

So here is the question I asked myself this morning how far will I go before I just say to heck with it and buy a new kit. No I don't have any problems with mine at the moment. And if it were a new kit I would do whatever it takes to get it to run. This is about repairs.

So here is the scenario: let's say I have ridden the bike for a year. Let's say that I run errands on it so it has become a part of my life just like a car would be. Okay, I have replaced the chain and that is no big deal, I have replaced the controls and that wasn't much. I think I can adjust the clutch without destroying the bike. If my bike seized again, broken ring this time, cylinder scared, bearing banging any or all of those things would I try to fix it. I doubt it.. most likely I would just buy a new kit and a new bike to put it on. I have always considered the first of anything I do as a learning experience. That's how I feel about this kit. I have learned a lot and enjoyed it immensely.

It's like my cars, I would put an alternator on but I wouldn't do a ring job. I rebuilt a complete air conditioner system, but I wouldn't pull the head on an auto engine. It's like that with the bike engine. I will do somethings and others it goes to scrap for parts.

This is just me but I just want to have fun with it. I want to use it to get around, but I don't want to be a mechanic. I discovered that with the weed wacker engine experience. I leaned somethings from that as well. The friction wheel isn't all that practical as a driver. it works but not a good drive idea in the long run.

One last thought. I have ridden my bike on most of the errands a man in my position needs to do. It has already replaced my car for that kind of thing. I consider a five dollar purchase for it once every week or so minimal expense. the teaspoonful of gas it uses more than pays for any bs I do to the bike.

A complete kit with a reasonably priced bike to put on is much less than replacing the tires on my car. So for me it makes sense on so many levels. So if you don't want to be a small engine mechanic don't worry. You have me saying the same thing. I just wanna ride but I will do minor work on the bike as well. But I just wanna ride it till it falls apart now. Had to have that attitude adjustment this morning.
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
0
north carolina
I decided to actually tighten the motor mounts since I wrote that I would do small routine maintenance. Well I took the bike to a shade tree to work on it. I finally got a good look at my motor mount that never seemed to stay tight. There were just two things wrong with it. The nut was stripped and the stud was working its way out.

Of course I was in a quandary for a couple of minute then I remember how my dad used to do it on his lawn mowers. I went to lows and bought a pack of nuts m6 by the way. I got the ones with the locking device on the rear.

As my dad had done before me I ran two nuts onto the bolt. tightened them on each other in effect making the stud a bolt with the 2 locked nuts as the head. I simply turned on the outside nut and it pressed against he inside nut and that wouldn't move so the stud tightened in the motor. I stopped when it felt like it had bottomed out. I don't know if it did or not but I didn't want to break anything.

since I had to buy four of the locking nuts I ran one down on each of the other nuts to help prevent them from backing out.

So yes I will do somethings just not tear into the engine.