what did you do to your motorized bicycle today?

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mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

The car is fine. I have a garage full of parts, not worried about pulling engines and transmissions, swapping, welding stuff together. Silly thing will go forever with enough love.
Nothing like a little TLC to get a car perked up ......huh!

Good to hear you have it all under control chrisme.

Peace

zpt
 

chrisme

New Member
May 30, 2009
423
0
0
Maine
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Fired it up and rode it... Damn this build is reliable. I haven't had one problem with it!! yay
 

treyoh5

New Member
Apr 29, 2011
36
1
0
Miami, Fla.
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

woke up this morning to find fuel all over the floor, couldn't ride her. damn cns carb... :-||
 

5-7HEAVEN

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2008
2,661
240
63
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

On my way to work, the 8mm(T8F) engine drive train jumped off the new 72t chainring sprocket. This happened atop a moderate hillside, the biggest obstacle along my daily route. I pulled over onto the sidewalk, wrapped the chain around the big sprocket and motored off to work. This all took less than a minute. I made a mental note to doublecheck this when I arrived home.

I noticed that this larger sprocket greatly improves acceleration in low, medium and top end. In fact, the first three gears wind out very quickly, allowing me to better use the rest of the cassette's gearing. With this new sprocket, it is much easier to ride up the steep ramp at work.

The 72t sprocket was well worth the $10 I paid for it on ebay.dance1

I pulled into the Chevron station and refueled after work. Gas prices are dropping here. At $3.86/gallon, my bike took about $3.30 to fill the four-liter tank. I've been filling my tank every 8-9 days. That amounts to less than $15 a month to commute to work. Compare that to $500 monthly to operate a third vehicle in our family, plus the cost of buying a car.

Traffic was gridlocked for a few blocks before my biggest hill, so I hopped onto the sidewalk and motored along at jogging speed. After that, it was smooth sailing uphill. Top speed on the hill's plateau exceeded 40 mph for a few seconds. This is in a 35 mph zone, which was still too slow to keep up with the cars. Nevertheless, I still claimed the lane and watched the drivers speed away. I guess they're all trying to make up for lost time, before they hit the next slowdown on their way home.xct2

Upon reaching home, I always park under the cool shade tree. There, I wipe down my bike and check everything. I noticed that the pocket bike freewheel on the engine sprocket was loose and wobbly. This could account for the 8mm engine chain jumping off the new sprocket. I have a spare pocket bike freewheel ($12), which I'll install this weekend. I also inspected the frame's bottom bracket. The left-side adjustment looks flush with the frame, but the right side looks like it's sticking out about .060". The adjustment could be loose there. It could also be the fact that the frame took awful beatings from the chain repeatedly falling off and scraping the carp out of it. This all happened until I finally solved the chain jumping problem late last year. When I replace the freewheel, I'll inspect the bottom bracket.
__________________
Honey, it's just a bicycle. and i REALLY need it to excercise, and to ride it to work.(hehe)
 

treyoh5

New Member
Apr 29, 2011
36
1
0
Miami, Fla.
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

changed my c*appy brake pads, adjusted my chain tension, fixed my fuel leak problem, adjusted my floats, rejetted my carb, replaced all my fuel lines and filters, went to fill up at the gas station ($1.90) and answer about 20 questions about my bike.

seem to have developed a new problem now, my rear wheel looks wobbly when its rollin so it might have a few bent spokes in it, need to find some replacements now...

cheers!
 

5-7HEAVEN

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2008
2,661
240
63
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

I took a nap this afternoon and woke up at 830 pm, feeling regreshed. The loose freewheel on my chainring sprocket was on my mind, so I decided to replace it. That would give me an opportunity to inspect the bottom bracket.
Nothing was loose.The cartridge was installed slightly off in the bottom bracket, towards the chainring. I noticed that the same amount sticking out on the chainring side was sticking in on the left side of the bottom bracket.

No big deal.

After soaking the new pocket bike freewheel in oil, I installed it and reassembled the chainring sprockets. One of the Scooterguy mounting through studs was crossthreaded. This was the stud which pivots and secures the engine plate, so I replaced the stud and nuts.

The sprocket on the pocket bike gear box seemed to have excessive side clearance on its shaft. A mental note was made to find a shim/washer to stabilize the 11t sprocket. Unfortunately, the Tanaka engine's exhaust pipe must be removed to get to that sprocket.

Otherwise, everything is in place, and the bike is ready for today's commute in five hours.

Can't wait for daylight!dance1
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
58
Moosylvania
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

LOL 5-7. If ya have waited for sun rise to ride your bike, ya might be a MBer"

I am curious, do you always soak new parts in oil? I had never thought of that and am wondering.
 

darkhawk22

New Member
Aug 17, 2010
733
8
0
Acworth, GA
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Rode the bike last night, looked it over and inspected to make sure nothing was coming off or loose. Waiting on my spark plug to arrive from SBP as mine is beginning to foul out so I'm losing power.
 

Ernst

New Member
May 28, 2011
363
0
0
Turlock Ca
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Woke up, got out of bed, drug a comb across my head.. Went downstairs and had a cup..

Seriously: I am waiting for the USPS and UPS Santa's to bring me my things.

Lets see, a light is on the way. A SBP exhaust and hardware is on the way. Plus the handle bar accessory extenders ( to lift the lights above the front basket ) and an Air horn.

The turn signal unit horn stopped working so I wonder why..

My last trip was a 40 mile round trip to another town to eat. I thought where do I want to eat tonight and I took a chance a town far would surprise and satisfy and also it was my first night ride ( with a Walmart bike light ) but I made it. I am sure the brake light and blinking turn signals looked good in the dark to other drivers.

The engine mounts loosened on the way and I had my first rear flat with a 2 inch long wood splinter going through the tire and tube.
The Chinese food in that town was excellent and I will go back again!

So in the mode of another Song .. Do Do Do looking out my backdoor..Come on Come on mr. Package delivery person..

:-||
 

chrisme

New Member
May 30, 2009
423
0
0
Maine
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

I hung out with the other alumns at my HS graduation. Toward the end very black clouds came in... So I gave the bike a good run for it's money home!!!

I actually tuned it when it was 65 and dry, riding around today at 90 and really humid I had to re-tune! crazy. I don't usually have to re-tune until I ride it at 0 and below in the winter.
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
58
Moosylvania
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Woke up, got out of bed, drug a comb across my head.. Went downstairs and had a cup..


:-||
LOL Ernst! I used that exact same line, I think in this thread. We musta went to different schools together.

(just cracked me up)
 

5-7HEAVEN

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2008
2,661
240
63
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

LOL 5-7. If ya have waited for sun rise to ride your bike, ya might be a MBer"

I am curious, do you always soak new parts in oil? I had never thought of that and am wondering.
LOL, I only ride during daylight hours. Old eyes and less chance of getting hit by cars.

My friend Hawaii Ed used to commute from Ewa Beach to Pearl Harbor, almost 20 miles, all in traffic. That's a LONG way to dodge cars in Hawaii, and he rode at 230 am!xct2

I don't usually soak parts in oil. However, the pocket bike freewheel is not serviceable. There is maybe a .005" clearance between the OD, which moves with the chainring sprocket and the ID which screws onto the crank arm. When I install the freewheel, most of the oil seeps out, so I try to push some grease through that .005" crack.
 

5-7HEAVEN

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2008
2,661
240
63
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

When I rode up the ramp at work, a bystander thought that a go-kart was screaming up the ramp!xct2

"Is that a motorcycle or bicycle" he asked.

"Bicycle".

"I thought a go-kart was coming up the ramp". he said.

"Excellent observation. My engine came out of a Tanaka Powerkart. Most people would've guessed it was a weedwhacker engine".

It turned out that my new friend used to race twin and three-engine Maico go-karts years ago.
 

treyoh5

New Member
Apr 29, 2011
36
1
0
Miami, Fla.
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Couldn't ride today cause it was pouring outside,sad day. Got bored Swapped my handle bars
 

GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
5,104
11
38
San Diego, Kaliforgnia
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Cleaned up the porting inside the exhaust flange of my homemade exhaust and sanded the whole thing in preparation for the BBQ paint. Also started painting the muffler mounting bracket. Decided to try out Krylon Fusion paint since I have read many good reviews on it. The can says it is good for plastic, metal, wood, wicker and more. No primer needed.
So far I can say that it comes out extremely watery thin, runs easily and has poor coverage. I only spray paint things with many light "dusting" coats. Seems to be more durable that way. I have applied 6 coats and I can still see through it. Maby after the whole can is used up it will cover and color better? I will find out tomorrow!
 

5-7HEAVEN

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2008
2,661
240
63
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Before I left work, I removed the Jump Stop from my bike's bottom bracket. I'd been feeling a slight clunk at low speed while motoring along. The Jump Stop had a gouge in it, and it might've been the cause of the problem. After riding down the block, I still noticed the clunk, so the Jump Plate wasn't the cause of it.

At the traffic light stop, I was the lead vehicle to proceed forward in the correct lane. The lane to my right was merging in front of me 200 yards ahead. When I checked my mirror, no one was behind me. All of the cars had lined up in the merging lane to my right. I guess all ten cars figured they were going to pull ahead of me and merge into the correct lane (mine).

The light changed, I pulled out at full speed, and NO ONE was able to merge into my lane ahead of me. It was a 35 mph speed zone, and I guess we were all traveling at the limit. With the shift kit and 8-speed cassette, 35 mph arrived VERY quickly. At the next light, I pulled away from the stop...

and my bicycle chain broke!:-||

I coasted off the highway and parked behind a huge concrete freeway support. The last thing I need is a soda can OR a car plowing into me while I'm fixing my bike. Praise the Lord, the broken chain was still connected to the rear derailleur. It was a simple fix and I was on my way.

Upon reaching home, I cleaned the bike and inspected the chain. Some of the links were slightly worn from dragging on the road. The chain is now a little shorter from losing two links, but still serviceable. A spare chain is in my backpack, so I'll keep running the old chain.

Why did my bicycle chain break? Probably because I removed the Jump Plate. This allowed the bicycle chain to jump off inward, towards the bottom bracket. The sprockets' mounting nuts snagged the chain, causing it to snap. I'm pretty sure the problem should disappear when I reinstall the Jump Plate today.xct2
 
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