Removing pedals off motorised bike and adding pull start

GoldenMotor.com
Mar 5, 2014
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Eastwood
Tomorrow I will be going up to my friends place to work on my bicycle.

So I have trashed the pull start idea, but the last time I was up there, I found a way to start it, and that was to lift the rear wheel up, by holding the seat, holding in the clutch and then kicking the pedal, like kick starting a motorbike, the reason I had to do this is because my bike only has one crank as I lost the other crank.

After a while of doing this, my rear derailleur came lose and I couldn't be bothered fixing it, so I am going to do it tomorrow, do you think this can buckle or damage the wheel, because this method is quite effective, before it failed.

I am also going to try the idea someone else had where I let the clutch out half way, yes I know this would prolong the life of the clutch pads, but I can always buy some new pads.

Doing this will get rid of the need to add a pull start or add a shifting kit to start the bike and get the bike up to speed without pedalling.

Not meaning to sound rude, but please don't tell me to fix my other crank, unless the kick starting method is damaging the wheel, because I can happily ride with one crank and rest my other foot somewhere else.

Thank you in advance,
Lachiepower0402
 

P_Wheeler

New Member
Sep 16, 2014
7
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Sydney, Australia
It probably wont damage the wheel, but remember these engines are only 66/80 cc and are NOT very powerful. You may very probably damage the engine and/or clutch with this method, as these are cheap, badly made engines not designed very well, and not designed for this stress. I would get another crank, for a start, because having one looks stupid and is dangerous and unbalanced. Having two cranks would let you put the clutch in, pedal fast and dump the clutch, the way these are designed for.
 
Mar 5, 2014
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Eastwood
Thanks for the advice, I actually didn't realise that kicking starting it like that would damage the engine, but you learn something new every day.

So I wanted to remove the cranks off of another bike, what crank remover tool would I use for a crank that you remove a 14mm nut before you remove the crank. Or could I try and do it without a crank remover tool, or would this damage the crank to much.
 

P_Wheeler

New Member
Sep 16, 2014
7
0
0
Sydney, Australia
Its not so much the kickstarting thats damaging, its the going from a stop using the engines limited power without pedalling. Any generic crankpuller will do, try going into a bike shop and asking them for one, they are invaluable. Dont try to remive the crank any other way, that will be difficult and most likely damage stuff. With the crankpuller make sure to screw the base in all the way, so you dont strip the threads (this will make sense once you have a crankpuller).
 
Mar 5, 2014
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Eastwood
As I said before, I am working on the bike tomorrow and I will be going early, so I cannot get a crank puller tomorrow, would it be alright to kick start the bike and then push the bike up to speed and jump on the bike and then engage the clutch while the bike is still moving?

Thank you in advance,
Lachiepower0402
 
Mar 5, 2014
114
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Eastwood
So it works now, yay.

I removed the rear deraileur as I could not be f****d to fix it up. Then I just ran down the road and jumped on it and it started.

Some day I will have to fix the cranks and chain so like other people said before, if I run out of petrol I'm pushing it.

I am considering converting it to a single speed, it is currently a nothing speed, LOL. But it has three cogs in the front and 6 in the back, making it a 18 speed if the derailleur was attached.

I will have to shorten my chain as well, but for now I just cut the chain in half with a angle grinder, because I didn't have a chain link remover tool.

Does anyone know what I can do to convert it to single speed and can I use the existing cogs.
 
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motorized kodiak

New Member
Aug 3, 2013
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australia
Lachie being from Au aswell I can tell you the minute you take the peddles off you will get done by the police ,remembering that you still need to register a dirt bike for rec and if you get caught riding anywhere else you will get stung ,here in melbourne I've had no issue with reg and actually have the paperwork from vic roads stating they will not register the bike ,any time I've been pulled over they look at the bike ,ask the cc's and speed and let me go without charge

Besides that if you run out of fuel or have issues with the engine it's a long push home without peddles JMHO

REGARDS HEN
hey what suburb are you from? im also in melb
 
Mar 5, 2014
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Eastwood
About converting the bike to single speed, wouldn't it be safer to remove all the gears on both rings, except the ones I am using and line those two gears up with each other, then put a chain on.

Because I am worried about the chain slipping between gears with the method listed before.
 

Theon

New Member
Jan 20, 2014
1,440
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FNQ Australia
If the chain is in alignment and properly tensioned it will not move.
I do remove 7 speed and use BMX freewheel. 26" wheel with BMX 16t? and middle chain wheel on front gives fairly tall gearing though, and 28t on front gives rather low gearing.
It may also require recentering of the rear rim to hub to get chain alignment?
Or you can leave an old derailleur on there locked in position and that will save a few hassles.
 
Mar 5, 2014
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Eastwood
First I'll have to have to buy a chain breaker tool and a new chain because mine is rusted, does any normal bicycle chain work or are their different types of chains.

I would rather leave the rear gears and rim alone, as I would probably screw it up and the rim is new and cost me $80.

Like I said before I don't want to mess around with a derailleur because they are too fiddly. So I will have to adjust the chain tension with the wheel position in the dropouts.
 
Mar 5, 2014
114
0
16
Eastwood
Lachie being from Au aswell I can tell you the minute you take the peddles off you will get done by the police ,remembering that you still need to register a dirt bike for rec and if you get caught riding anywhere else you will get stung ,here in melbourne I've had no issue with reg and actually have the paperwork from vic roads stating they will not register the bike ,any time I've been pulled over they look at the bike ,ask the cc's and speed and let me go without charge

Besides that if you run out of fuel or have issues with the engine it's a long push home without peddles JMHO

REGARDS HEN
I just realised that petrol powered bikes in NSW have been banned

http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/banning-petrol-powered-bikes-save-young-lives

So basically if I ride my bike anywhere but my private property and the police find out, I'm buggered.
 

Henshooter

New Member
Feb 10, 2014
275
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Melbourne au
I just realised that petrol powered bikes in NSW have been banned

http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/banning-petrol-powered-bikes-save-young-lives

So basically if I ride my bike anywhere but my private property and the police find out, I'm buggered.
That sux dude ,so three people get killed and they totally ban them but hundreds get killed in dangerous rail crossings and bad streets and they do nothing ,why because the latter would cost them money besides that a 14 yr old shouldn't be riding one of these on the roads ,for Christ sake lets just ban anything with wheels shall we .xx.
 
Mar 5, 2014
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Eastwood
What the government needs to do is spend the money on something useful, like a facility where people who own motorised bicycle's can go to and ride their bikes e.g. a large national park area. Like the park in WA which allows unregistered dirt bikes and quad bikes. To get kids off the roads and to stop them from getting killed!

Like come on, how hard is it!
 
Mar 5, 2014
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Eastwood
Thanks for that info, but what I meant is that their are places like this in Western Australia but not in NSW (where I am), which their should be.

But if I was in Western Australia, I would be at these parks every weekend.