So i am thinking about building one.

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transam8405

New Member
Jul 6, 2011
22
0
0
Illinois
I am new to these and here. I am thinking about picking up this early 70's Ted Williams bike that a guy here is locally selling. I am wanting to make it into a motor bike. I am thinking about going with these guys. bikemotorkit.com Has anybody used them? Are they any good? Also the bike is equiped with a coaster brake (pedal Brake) and a front brake. I am not sure how well this will work having the coaster brake. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Kevin
 

rustycase

Gutter Rider
May 26, 2011
2,746
5
0
Left coast
Like seinfeld said in that movie, "Do It!" :)

Leave the coaster brake on for starters. Just be aware it's not effective at the speeds a MAB is capable of. ...but you were going to start out slow, right? :)

After you get it running you can then make plans for additional braking after reviewing the brake threads here on the board. There's SO MUCH good information!

Have fun!
rc
 

transam8405

New Member
Jul 6, 2011
22
0
0
Illinois
ok, I will keep it on then. I just went and picked up the bike last night. Now I need to order the kit up. Hopefully can do that soon. I think it will be alot of fun and something different to do.
 

rustycase

Gutter Rider
May 26, 2011
2,746
5
0
Left coast
Good Good !

Lot's of fun to work on, even more to ride, and I can almost guarantee cheaper to mess around with than doing performance work on a TA !
All the parts are handy little things and come with a raft of frustration due to quality issues that can all be conquered. LoL
Best
rc
 

transam8405

New Member
Jul 6, 2011
22
0
0
Illinois
looking forward to it, I think my fiancee is too, she thought it was dumb at first, but she is coming around to it now. She thought the same thing about the Trans Am but now she loves to ride around in that.
 

Al.Fisherman

New Member
Sep 9, 2009
1,966
5
0
Calera, Alabama
I started off considering using my coaster brake. After a few rids I nix it and went with pads. I built a bike for a friend and used coaster brakes, he liked then. To each his own, you can start out with them and go from there.

I don't like the idea of cutting the dust cover.
YouTube - ‪Bearing cap mod‬‏

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abg0mXx8CXg keep in mind he omitted the rag joint. I think for a shorter vid.
 
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mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
I like my coaster brakes on the bike that has steel rims because the side pull brakes just dont seem to grip the painted steel wheels that good even with the high dollar heavy duty pads I have.

Now if the bike has Alum. rims and it has V brakes that is a very good set up but since the bike you mentioned is from the 70's this wont apply.

A good coatser hub with the best front side pull will do ya pretty good for the braking in my experience and my bike will do between 38 & 41MPH depending on weather and road conditions.

Build it right, all things aligned properly, upgrade fasteners, good solid mounting to the frame with NO rubber or anything else between mounts and frame, good inline fuel filter, better NGK B6HS spark plug and better plug boot & wire and as you go ask plenty of questions here if need be and search the topics in question on the great search tool we have here, there will be some other things like getting the carb tuned properly after you get the bike running and all the mounting and alignment correct, many of us here can walk you through getting the carb. tuned or again all you will ever need to know about this can be found by searching the forum.

best wishes on the build I say do it and have lots of fun and remember patience.....is a huge benefit when doing this project, it atkes a little time & energy to get it all right but it is well worth it in the end IMHO....

Peace
 

biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,631
409
83
Dallas
I have one with, and one without a coaster. I've never had any problems using the coaster, but my newest bike has a disk up front, and a v brake in the rear.

I'm a very experienced rider, think old geezer. I could probably ride with no brakes, and be alright, but between my 2 bikes, the one with the best brakes is more fun to ride.
 

transam8405

New Member
Jul 6, 2011
22
0
0
Illinois
Ya I am not sure what I am going to do with the brakes for now I think I am going to keep the coasters on there. I am a little nervous about the build but once I get everything here and get going forward I think it will all fall in line. I am a diesel mechanic so I think that might help me out a little bit. Its not a diesel but a engine is a engine. I plan on building it slowly, not getting in a hurry and doing everyhting right. Thanks for all the advice. I will pick up those better parts that you mentioned. I would have never thought to change all that so thank you again.
 

dmb

Active Member
Dec 4, 2010
1,354
3
36
lakewood ca
use two brakes front and rear some coasters work good some dont, dont ride faster than your able to stop unless your a ex speedway racer [no brakes allowed] then your need a steel shoe.
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Yes, I was going to say that not all coaster brakes are equal. Some are good and some are junk. I don't know what is on the bike you're building. If you're a mechanic of any kind then you should be in good shape with this. Your experience turning wrenches will translate nicely to the much simpler motorbicycle. Keep it safe and have fun. Fair warning, though. As others will tell you, this is addictive and one build leads to another...
SB
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
58
Moosylvania
I've not had coaster brakes since I was a kid but was riding with RusticoRay and asked him about his. He told me his worked great and then kept locking up his back wheel to show me every time we stopped. Was pretty amazing.

We switched bikes and had no problem stopping at all. The one thing I did not like about em was you could not spin the cranks to help with taking off. But Ray would stop with them in the rite position. Not a huge deal but do personally enjoy freewheeling cranks more.
 

transam8405

New Member
Jul 6, 2011
22
0
0
Illinois
Ya i was thinking that my experience as a mechanic would help ou alot.

I also figured this would be addicting, I have not even built one yet but I am always on the interent looking uo better ways of doing it. I am fine with making multiple builds and doing them more and more different everytime.

i am going to keep the coaster brakes for now and if later I decide I don't like them I can take them off then.
 

MarkSumpter

New Member
Nov 27, 2010
474
0
0
Ohio
I am a diesel mechanic so I think that might help me out a little bit. Its not a diesel but a engine is a engine
HAHAHA Boy are you in for a shock and surprise. I spent well over 30 years as a small engine mechanic and have a Briggs Master Service Tech badge as well as am a Journeyman machinist that has built cars and scooters galore over the years as well as hundreds of 2 cycle Target and Stihl saws.

These little china girls are their own kind of animal and while they do operate on the same principals of all engines it seems that no 2 are the same and they each have their own quirks and personalities that will either make you smile or want to down a 12 pack and pull your hair out or sometimes both at the same time.

I have 2 engines ordered the same day with the same date stamp on similar bikes with the same sprockets and carbs that I have cussed every since the day I put them together. One runs fine except when it rains and then it is hard to start and the other is just a lazy dog that refuses to operate like its sister but starts in the rain.

I have been through both backwards and forwards and have no clue to why.

Good Luck man and don't take my rant the wrong way. you might have the right touch for the china girls or maybe just get lucky. I still love the darn things though.
 

transam8405

New Member
Jul 6, 2011
22
0
0
Illinois
Ya i know what you mean. I am not saying I am going to have all the answers or even know what I am doing. I am not saying that it will be easy for me. I am just saying I hope it is a little easier for me rather than somebody that has never picked up a wrench. I am looking forward to the job and think it will be a fun/complicated build.

On the other hand it sounds like to me you dont have much of a problem, you have one that wants to operate in the rain and one that wants to operate when its dry, so know matter what you always have one that wants to operate. lol.