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Fabian

Member
Sep 9, 2009
168
0
16
Australia - Melbourne
Nope, you do not need anything ultra fancy.

Just a bike with a good quality frame from a reputable manufacturer and preferably having front suspension with a good 3 inches of travel to take out the worst of the road shocks that would normally be transfered to your hands.

SickBikeParts has all the parts required for your conversion.
You remove the parts from your bottom bracket and install the replacement shift kit parts - it's that easy.

My bike was a $700 Learsport 3240 that was on special for $400.
It suited my 2 main criteria - 1) having disk brakes and 2) having a conventional frame with round frame tubes and front suspension.

Fabian
 

BigJohn

New Member
Apr 11, 2010
32
0
0
Savannah, GA
Fabian,

I think I will start shopping for a new bike next month.

Thanks for all the good advice. I took your brake advice to heart and should get my new
disc brakes in the mail this week.

BigJohn
 

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
21
0
Maine
One of the reasons people haven't been quick to recommend a frame is it's mostly a personal preference thing, so long as it's of acceptable quality and has enough room to fit the engine w/a shiftkit - it's mostly a matter of taste *shrug* There's little that can't be adapted so long as there's room.

A few tips though, the shift kit relies on two pipe clamps (exhaust style) for it's rear mount and another for the tensioning method, I would heartily recommend this simple modification to help diffuse the crimping force applied by the clamp, it's just a cut up pipe that had the same inner diameter as my seat post tube's outer diameter, the pipe halves were ground slightly to match then welded to the clamps;

(click to view any lil pic)


I also made beveled aluminum shims to go between the clamp's flat backing and the steel plate that is the now the main motor mount in order to level my carburetor as much as possible - my seat post having not quite enough of an angle (I also modded the intake manifold to level the carb), the spacing of the jackshaft and the seat post is somewhat limited but there was enough to do this with my build (bottommost shim not beveled as it's just the tensioning clamp);



The only other thing is many cruiser style frames have a little too much room, there's a plethora of solutions ofc but bear in mind that both the front and rear mounts need to be able to be adjusted to take up the slack of the secondary drive chain so a welded, permanent mount won't work for this application - here's what I did anyway (just a chunk of angle steel and 'nother bit of pipe welded together);



The lil brass doohickey was just to hide the 1/2 round hole... a slave to fashion I be heh
 
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BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
21
0
Maine
Oh right, I almost forgot lol

In the instructions is says that grinding the clutch cover's mounting tabs and reversing the fasteners so the nuts are accessible from the outside is optional... I don't think it is as removing the clutch cover for routine maintenance is somewhat important and if you don't do this small modification you'll find it necessary to remove the engine and disassemble the shiftkit every time you wish to add a little grease to the gears under the cover or w/e... I also think that bit in the instructions is left over from an earlier shiftkit design as there's now an additional small bracket & fastener that gets in the way with the unmodified method;



It's easy enough to do this beforehand... but I missed the importance at first and had to take it all back apart to redo it properly - I figured I'd save you that particular lil mistake o'mine :p
 

BigJohn

New Member
Apr 11, 2010
32
0
0
Savannah, GA
That's a very elegant solution.
I like Cruiser frames, but I havent seen one with the better hardware, brakes and duerreilers needed.
I guess I could buy a steel Scwinn and trick it out anyway I want.

It might be better to start with a mountain bike frame and put new handlebars and seat on it to cruiserize it. I really need to visit a bike shop this week. Quality bike parts are expensive. (unless you compare them to car parts, of course.)

And to think, before I spotted my kit I nearly bought a Honda scooter!

BigJohn
 

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
21
0
Maine
I'm not particularly recommending a cruiser frame BTW, it just happens to be the bike I've the shiftkit on. I like mountain bikes but I had a heck of a time fitting just an engine in mine, it's somewhat difficult to find a new mountain bike with a "traditional" style frame - aluminum & unusually shaped D tubes are the norm these days.

It's also not uncommon to end up replacing/upgrading just about everything on the bike - double wall rims, brakes, crankset (included w/shiftkit), seat, handlebars, forks/shocks... the list is pretty short and it's often cheaper to upgrade than to buy it that way. If you see a sweet older style mountain bike like the GT LTS frame from the late 90's (full suspension) don't discount it as a possibility if the rims are tweaked, you'd prolly want better than it had on it anyway ;)

Check out Ghost0's sweet build if ya want;
http://motorbicycling.com/f15/ghosts-full-suspension-build-8970.html
 

Fabian

Member
Sep 9, 2009
168
0
16
Australia - Melbourne
Have to agree with setting up the shift kit to the engine using the method that allows easy removal of the clutch cover.
I've found that the clutch gears need lubrication approx every 60 miles.

Fabian
 

BigJohn

New Member
Apr 11, 2010
32
0
0
Savannah, GA
Guys,

The strangest thing happened this afternoon. I was buzzing home from work on my bike and suddenly the sound changed and it seemed to pick up power. It used to make a kind of flappy noise at WOT like it was losing compression or something and suddenly, it doesn't anymore. It seems to run stronger and faster than it did. I think it picked up 5MPH top speed and a little more power in the lower range. The change was fairly sudden and happened over about a mile or so.

I checked all the bolts and everything is tight. I even greased the gears which really weren't that dry yet. Aside from the chain needing a little tightening and a minor choke cable adjustment, there seems to be nothing wrong with it. I can't figure it out. What happened?

Also,
I think I just found my Jackshaft project bike. It may take more work, but I fell in love with it.
I got an old German "Fischer city line" in mint condition. It's a huge touring bike with 28 inch wheels (I think). It's got front shocks and a 3 piece crank. This thing is a 3 speed with a huge rear hub and coaster brakes. It appears to be made of high quality material, but it's an internal 3 speed. Everything on it looks expensive except the brakes (which will have to be replaced anyway...thanks Fabian). Can you mount a jackshaft kit on a 3 speed? What about coaster brakes? Are they bad?
Did I totally waste my money?

BigJohn
 

Fabian

Member
Sep 9, 2009
168
0
16
Australia - Melbourne
I never tried going with the concept of an internal hub, so i can't give an opinion based on personal results, but i've heard reports that the internal mechanism fails with the extra power being passed through the system.

I just wanted to stay on the safe side and went with a traditional cassette and derailleur setup.
I have heard that the Nuvinci Hub seems to be holding up quite well under motored power.

Fabian
 

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
21
0
Maine
Near as I could determine when I was lookin' into it, the reported failures of internally geared hubs were all old, used & prolly neglected stock 3 speeds - there were some reports of new ones having problems, even the nuvinci, but those weren't on the SBP system with the lil 66cc china engine - they were on DIY jackshafts with much higher power engines... the lifans I think... I'd PM Pablo or Ghost0 to see what they recommend for an internally geared hub, they've been at it a while lol

As the chainrings are freewheeled on the pedal crank, a coaster brake won't work so with that in mind I purchased a Sturmey Archer S30 X-RD3 3-Speed Drum Brake Hub (bout $80) and had it laced to my original rim (heavier gauge spokes as well), it seems to be doing just fine ;) A disk brake in the front would be ideal, but fashion slave that I am I went with the Sturmey Archer X-FDD Dynamo Drum Brake Front hub, w/the built-in genny lights aren't a problem ('nother $80ish).

The Nuvinci is a sweet way to go and I may get one if the Sturmey eventually fails me, but at $250-300, I've also looked into the Shimano Nexus Inter-8 Premium Hub SG-8R36 as an alternate for $100 less, both would need brakes ofc.

As for "the sound changed and it seemed to pick up power" I bet yer engine is finally broken in, what you described is pretty common and much sought after by new engine owners lol - I'd just check the plug's color and if all's well - ride on :D


Can ya post a pic of yer new project bike? We'd love to see it!
 
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BigJohn

New Member
Apr 11, 2010
32
0
0
Savannah, GA
My rear hub looks like a strong one and it rides like a dream right now. I hate to change much about it. I may try converting it as-is. I can always try to convert over to a regular Cassette/derailleur system later if it proves to be a problem. It looks like I have enough space in the frame to do just about anything I want with it.

Can I just ignore the coaster brake with a Jack Shaft kit?...I mean, the rear hub is never going to move in reverse is it?

I will try to post a photo, but the bike is not really much to look at. It's the feel that hooks you. Posting a photo may take a while, I am technically challenged.

BigJohn
 

BigJohn

New Member
Apr 11, 2010
32
0
0
Savannah, GA
I would like to thank you all for your warm welcome and all the help.
I am already planning my next project and have already mentally spent about $900 bucks on it. I know that building a second bike is almost a certainty and it WILL be a Jack-shaft. This is just too cool not to give it a try. I can't help thinking of things I could do better and as I read through the "high performance" sections of this Blog, I want to try some of that stuff.

Good or bad, skilled or not, building motorbikes is a fun hobby. Building and tinkering with them seems to be most of the fun. Of course riding them is a blast too, but there is something about having everything just right when you take off that really feels good. This is a feeling of power that I have never really experienced before with anything more complex than scissors. Unlike a car, I can comprehend all the moving parts and I know I can fix anything that breaks on my bike and that's a good feeling.

I have to tell you, I had fun riding to work today! Who can say that?
My current bike is an absolute demon. I have no doubt that most of you would consider it a complete dog, with all stock parts and poorly put together, but It far exceeds my expectations. It may be a dog, it's a scalded dog! People who have never moved 30ish on a beach cruiser down a winding road have no idea what they are missing!

Thanks Again,
BigJohn
 

exavid

New Member
Dec 12, 2009
163
0
0
Medford, OR
Yes indeed these things are fun. I've got a Honda 1500 Goldwing, a 600cc Honda scooter but still feel the need to ride my 2 stroke motorbike pretty much every day. It doesn't matter whether it's just a jaunt around the neighborhood or a longer ride I just need that 'fix'. So far my bike's logged 210 miles and is still running trouble free (after eliminating the idler roller). One thing I'd recommend to anyone is to lubricate the reduction gears with Moly Paste. Honda 60 moly paste or Loctite. The moly grease at auto parts stores isn't sufficient and has only about 2-3% molybdenum. Moly Paste is 60-65% moly. The thing about MP is that once the grease carrier has been thrown off the gears a coating of molybdenum remains to protect the gears. Honda has required moly paste on their shaft drive bikes for years now, before the stuff became available drive shaft spline wear was a serious problem. With MP no more wear. When I got my Grubee 49cc kit I lubed it with MP before I even ran it the first time. So far I haven't added any more and am checking the gears often for wear to see how often I should be re-lubing. So far no apparent wear at 200 miles. The stuff isn't cheap but sure works on Goldwing drive lines which are under a lot of stress spinning at high speed and hauling a 1200lb.+ load with two riders.usflg

Amazon.com: Loctite 51084 8oz Moly-Paste Low Friction Lube in Brush Top Can: Industrial & Scientific

Directline Product Page
 

exavid

New Member
Dec 12, 2009
163
0
0
Medford, OR
Lookin' good! Be sure to secure that front fender, they've been known to have the mounting tab break from vibration and lock up the front wheel. A 25 mph face plant can really ruin a nice morning. On my motor bike I drilled a couple holes through the fender on either side of the fork tube on each side and installed two zip ties on each side through the holes and around the fork tube. With the original mount and the ties on both sides it's not likely all those would fail at once. One should still check the front fender mount before each ride. Also keep an eye on the idler roller bracket if you're using an idler to make sure it doesn't get loose and twist inward and hit the spokes. My original installation did just that and locked up my rear wheel. Luckily I was going slowly turning into my driveway so when I got dumped on the ground it didn't cause any injuries other than a couple bruises. I was able to re-rig my bike to eliminate the roller which does make the system cleaner, reduces noise and makes the bike easier to pedal. The clamp on idler brackets that use two straps and four bolts to hold onto the chainstay seem a lot stronger and safer to me. One other thing, I twisted the idler mount (not on the bike) so that when bolted to the bike the idler roller would be in line with the chain and not on an angle.
 
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Randog707

New Member
Oct 18, 2009
177
2
0
Fairfield,ca
BigJohn I notice you got your kit from daemon bikes,How do you like it? I bought a kit from them 6months ago and its still running strong so far so good.
 

BigJohn

New Member
Apr 11, 2010
32
0
0
Savannah, GA
Randog707,

I have nothing to compare it to, but mine is working great. It was easy to build and other than the cables, all the parts seemed to be pretty durable. I have replaced the cables and it runs like a champ.
My carb had to be modified by filing the throttle slider to move freely, but everything else was pretty straightforward.

I will probably order my next engine from Daemonbikes too. If it works, don't fix it.
BigJohn
 

shearbf

New Member
May 8, 2009
77
0
0
Muskegon,MI USA
FABIAN; Your discription of rideing w/ the shift kit has captivated me! I will look strongly into one for my next build. It's on a '61 Schwinn frame, frame off build. Is there even any old American bike iron around where you live?
 

BigJohn

New Member
Apr 11, 2010
32
0
0
Savannah, GA
Exavid

I think your advice about the fender coming loose just saved me from a spill.
I checked it and the nut holding the fender had rattled loose (It was GONE) and the arms were showing signs of fatigue already. A few more hours of abuse and I think they would have broken.

I took the front fender off completely and used some cable ties on the back one.

I have been dirt-biking a little bit on some dirt roads and non-trails. Since I am running a stock (44 tooth?) sprocket, I have to keep my speed a little fast for the trails. In fact, I think I may be going too fast for the bike frame. I really need to wait until I can build a jack-shaft, but I am just having too much fun. I probably need to slow down and be more adult, but heck, I am 50 years old. Being irresponsible is part of growing older.

Thanks dude. Good eye.
BigJohn