Worksman in the works

KilroyCD said:

Silverbear, I have seen some of the guards fitted to men's bikes that were customized, and they imparted a cool, art-deco look to the bike. Also, regarding wheels for this project, you might want to take a look at these: Wheels - Heavy Duty 26 x 2.125 Wheel Set | BikeWorldUSA | Bicycle Parts and Bike Accessories
They come with 12ga spokes, and the price is pretty reasonable. I just don't know what make of coaster brake is on these. I have a set of these with a Shimano coaster that I just put on a 1957 Schwinn Corvette that my brother and I have dropped a 79cc 2.5 hp "Greyhound" engine and EZ "Q-Matic" drive on. We plan to take the first test rides on this at the rally in Lewes Delaware on Saturday.
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z21/KilroyCD/My Bikes/100_2708.jpg

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Your Corvette with the new engine sounds like a winner. Photos, please. Yes, I'm much interested in that transmission system. It will be good when it is available to the rest of us by itself. I recently installed a 2 stroke automatic on one of the Americans and really like how smooth things are. I'm sure it is a big step up to the EZmotor system and much more quietly reliable than the 2 strokes. It's pricey, but no doubt worth it. I hope to find out for myself come spring. Riding will shut down here in the north country within a few weeks unless we get real lucky. Enjoy your ride this weekend and take some pictures! We all like show and tell.
I have two sets of the heavy duty wheels from bikeworldusa and like them very much, especially for the money. It would be nice if the chrome was better, but you can't have everything. For the worksman I'm going to start off with just the rear wheel from bikeworldusa so that i can get the motor set up with an adapter from the manic mechanic. I may go with a drum brake up front, so would look in to the huffy heavy duty one. The motor will have to be a 2 stroke for the Worksman since there is so little room without cutting in to the frame. I don't want to do that. Have a good trip, my friend.
Silverbear

markeatmark said:

this is the coolest no even cooler then that bicycle i have ever seen WOW

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JC Higgins bikes were at one time Elgins also sold by Sears and then Sears changed the name to go with other Sears stuff carrying the JCHiggins name. The main designer for Elgin was incredible. Sometime take a look at the Elgin Bluebird and Robin models... awesome. They had another one that had a tank between the crossbars which opened up to reveal a toolbox... perfect place for a hidden gas tank. Actually there were a number of really interesting and beautiful bikes back in the 30's, 40's and 50's... Schwinns of course and Monarchs, Roadmasters, Elgins, Pope and many more. Just about all of them were heavy duty and would make good motorbicycles. I agree that the JCHiggins in the photos is a real classic. I have a step through 1934 Elgin four star, the first bike I stripped down and painted. I had a 36 volt electric front wheel motor on it, but decided I really don't much like electrics. I prefer a 2 stroke for weight, driving range and just like gas motors. If this 2 stroke works out on the Worksman with the "coat guards", then I may put a 2 stroke on the old 34. Sometime I'll post a photo of it. It has the same fender skirts as the ones going on the Worksman.
Silverbear

I finished stripping the Worksman frame today, primed it and painted it with Dupli-Color high heat engine paint with ceramic in it. Thanks to members here who recommended this paint for it's durability and resistance to gasoline. It covered nicely and doesn't want to instantly run as some spray paints do. The color is not as dark as I had wanted, but is what was available in the small town of Ely twelve miles from my home in the forest. I went online to Dupli-Color's website and see there is an engine enamel which is a darker blue... so I may go with that once I take a look at it. That's if I can find it within fifty miles or so of here. Maybe there's a source online for it. On the other hand, the color I used is nice and I'm getting used to it. It is actually pretty close to a Worksman color.
Big change in plans. No Elgin parts for this Worksman. I was browsing eBay the other day and ran across a 1939 Deluxe step through frame, fork and tank. With my seat, fenders, chain guard and fender skirts it will make a complete 1939 Elgin. I just won the bid this evening... really cheap for what it is... 38.00 for the frame and 41.00 to ship it. It will be worth a good bit as a complete original Elgin. It is in line after the Worksman, probably a winter project unless the weather holds. I also have a 1940 Schwinn DX which needs to be stripped down and will be repainted as a Motorbike model, or something approaching that. I have this evening ordered a Worksman chainguard through Niagra for twenty bucks with shipping, which I though was very reasonable. I have a new set of Wald chrome cruiser fenders which will go on it and I have a black Worksman seat already. So, the big debate over fender skirts for the Worksman is decided. The Worksman will be a Worksman and the Elgin will be an Elgin and never the twain will meet. Less interesting maybe, but a lot more straight forward getting things to fit. New heavy duty wheels from bikeworldusa are on the way for the Worksman, so it should go together pretty quickly. It will then wait for a hub adapter and sprocket from the Manic Mechanic (just ordered a couple days ago) and an engine when funds are available. I'll still post photos of this build. Not counting engine, I'll have a nice Worksman for around $275.00.
The Elgin will be a kind of experimental step through comfort cruiser with a 2 stroke centrifugal cluth and pull start. I want for it to be an elder's bike, classy to look at, easy to mount and easy to ride. ( A rich elder, heh heh heh, as this one will be to sell.) I will still have the challenge of making the left side fender skirt work with the chain drive. There's no doubt a way to do it without wrecking the skirt.
Silverbear

KilroyCD said:

Not wishing to send this thread off-topic, here is a photo of the bike. I'll take more once we get the final "tweaks" taken care of.

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Chris,
That is one serious looking bike! Heavy duty all the way... seat, rear rack, wheels. That's a 50's Schwinn if I remember right what you told me. That Greyhound engine must have plenty of power. How is it matching up with the EZ transmission? I think there's a great future for that transmission, by the way. It will be good when it is available by itself, opening up lots of possibilities for builds with different engines. I appreciate all the experimenting you and your brother are doing. Have you both shared this interest in old bikes with motors for a long time, or was it you first and then he came on board later? Cool, to be working with your brother. Please pass along my greetings to him. By the way, I'm expecting to be in western Maryland north of Frederick sometime in November where I have worked in the past as a caretaker while escaping the frigid cold of northern Minnesota. I'll be transforming part of the main house into a rental apartment for the owners over the course of a few months. So, I am going to make every effort to make it up to your place sometime just to meet in person, talk about bikes and look over your EZMotor setup. Perhaps I can meet your brother at the same time. That would be good.
Please start a thread giving us more detail and photos on your experimental build. So far it looks really good. There are bound to be tweaking problems. That's part of the great satisfaction in this, figuring out what will make it right. What a great feeling that is when it works as you envisioned it. How was the weekend rally?
Silverbear

KilroyCD said:

Silverbear, I'll start a new thread about the bike so I don't end up hijacking your thread. As I'm about to turn in for the evening, I'll probably post that on Saturday evening. On the same vein I'll send you a PM soon about a possible meet-up once you're in Maryland. Maybe we can get a few other local MB riders together as well and make it a bit of a gathering if the weather permits.
Regarding my brother, I got into restoring old bikes first when I restored my first in 2001. That wasn't as much a restoration as it was a customization of a bike to use at WWII living history events. That bike was first known as "Goose" due to the bugle horn I originally fitted to it. Since then, "Goose" lost its horn and had a few other changes made to it. I've posted a pic below. But that got him interested in vintage bikes and then he got me interested in bike motors about six years ago when he gave me a 48cc GruBee kit for my birthday. That one went on the '46 Columbia I was rebuilding at the time (see photo below). So basically, we've been kind of working off each others' interests.

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Chris, your 46 Columbia is a real looker. So you gave your brother the interest in old bikes and he bave you the interest in bike motors. That is very cool. In so many families brothers and sisters bicker or barely talk, rarely share interests and almost never work together. No doubt you have your differences, but you have something every bit as rare and valuable as the treasured bikes you find and rebuild. I'm glad for you both. Yes, I'll look forward to a meeting and will have some kind of ride to bring a long in case weather permits an outing (not the worksman, but whatever I'm working on at the time). I'll very much look forward to that. I will also look forward to the new thread on your EZ/Greyhound/Corvette. What is the first bike poictured, by the way?
Silverbear

The Worksman project is coming along. I no more than wheeled it outside this morning to take a couple pictures than it started raining again. Not having a shop or garage to work in is a hassle. Next summer I will build a shed with a wood stove in it. Silverbear will be in the lap of luxury then! I like the blue. I still have to replace the front tire. It has heavy duty rims and fenders from bikeworldusa and I put a long reach caliper brake up front. I know it isn't as good as a drum brake, but this old boy is on a budget. Coming in the mail soon are a new Worksman chainguard from Niagra and the rear wheel adapter and sprocket from the Manic Mechanic. Headlight is used and reworked inside for LED lights to run off the magneto. I'm priming the gas tank today if the rain ever quits, a cylindrical tank with will go behind the seat. I'd debating about a rear rack. Pedal crank will be from a 20" bike when I find one so that it will clear the engine. It will be a pull start and probably an automatic HT 2 stroke. Tight fit in that frame, it should help to have a slant head. That's my story and I'm sticking to it, too!
Silverbear