Just starting out, but addicted already!

Silverbear,

With a shift kit, my bike can climb the little hills around here effortlessly. I don't think there is a hill in Southern Georgia that could challenge it. I have a big low gear sprocket in the back with a top speed of about 8mph. I think I could pull a trailer easily if I pedal a little to help it get rolling. I want to try the 9 tooth sprocket and see the difference. I haven't built a trailer yet, but I bought an old (kid's) mountain bike for the wheels and I have been thinking about it a lot.

I think I can make something like Fabian's tensioner, of course it won't look as good as his, but maybe I can hammer out something that works.

First, I really need to re-design my front mount. I believe it is causing a lot of un-needed vibration. If I ever get this worked out, I will post a picture to give you all a laugh.

BigJohn

george_n_texas

I have never looked at a Schwinn trailer. The ones I have seen in Walmart and our PX are pretty flimsy looking. The wheels ride on little stump axels and are held on by a clip. I will try to get a look at a good one before I try to build. I only have the vaguest idea what I want to build right now. I just know that I want it to carry about 200 pounds max and be strong enough to take a beating.

I am also concerned about breaking the law. The Blue Bomber is technically illegal in this state because it has gears and moves too fast. I clocked it with a Schwinn speedometer yesterday and without going to high RPMs, it will exceed 30mph by a little. I suspect at WOT in high gear it will top out at maybe 35mph. That's pretty fast on a non-racing bike and technically removes it from the "motorized bicycle" category and into something else. I might get ticketed someday if I meet a cop in a bad mood. In this state, the power sprocket won't make it legal.

The Bomber is scary when it goes that fast. It's too easy to forget that this is still a bicycle. I don't think I will be going over 30mph very much.

The coolest thing though, is the ability to go slow. I can cruise at 5mph under power with the engine just above an idle and it will almost wheelie if you goose it.

Dudes,

Yesterday, I re-built my front engine mount, tightened up the drive chain and repaired my sloppy muffler job. That got rid of a lot of vibration and it shifts much smoother. This thing is turning into a really nice ride. I took it to pick up dinner in town, about 10 miles round trip and it functioned perfectly. The person at the drive-through was very surprised when I ordered two large drinks and proceeded to stuff them into a saddle bag for the ride home.

I am still trying to hold my RPMs down, but my speed averages about 25mph even taking it easy on the engine. Is there any problem with running it at slower RPMs all the time? I like riding it just below the power range at a slower engine speed. If I need a burst of power, I can always downshift. Riding it at about mid-throttle, it's quieter and calmer. Reason says that the engine will last longer if you limit WOT time. Is that true?

BigJohn

I like the looks of that trailer. That's the brand I had my eye on using Amazon. I still kind of like the idea of a DIY trailer, but it probably makes sense to buy one. The trouble is, I don't really have a use for one. I have a basket on one bike and panniers on the other. I haven't run into any situation yet where I would need more cargo space. Grocery shopping on a bike is a little over the top.

Dallas is a traffic zoo. Unless you can manage to find some back roads to work, you are out of luck. I'm almost afraid to drive my truck on those highways. I am lucky to live in a small town with lots of 25mph zones and can easily ride to work without having to get on a sidewalk. I have one 35mph zone between here and there and traffic is never bad. I am pretty sure the Bomber can keep up with traffic here.

One thing I have noticed is that with a shift kit, these things don't seem to use up much gas. I am impatiently trying to go through the "two tanks" to break mine in. The level doesn't seem to drop nearly as fast as it does with my stock HT kit. I am curious about my mileage. As soon as I am on a better mixture, I think I will start keeping mileage records and see just how much I am burning.

So far, I really like having gears, but I can't imagine that they could save enough money or time to justify them. If the sheer fun is not enough, you are probably better off with a single gear. The speed I am experiencing is because of the gear ratio. The engine probably has to pull a little harder at a given speed, just to overcome the slight friction added by the Jack-shaft and the two extra chains. A different size sprocket on a one-gear setup would go just as fast...or slow. The standard 44 tooth sprocket is pretty good for getting around town without a trailer. A shift kit is just a luxury.

If they ban 2 stroke engines, I will switch to a 4 stroke. No problem. It's just like taxes. You can't fight city hall. I am tempted to try one anyway, the price is the only thing stopping me. Until they ban these little engines in Georgia, I intend to ride the wheels off of my bikes.

BigJohn