what did you do to your motorized bicycle today?

GoldenMotor.com

CTripps

Active Member
Aug 22, 2011
1,310
1
38
Vancouver, B.C.
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Well, it's been a while since I posted but I haven't been neglecting the beast.

Today it was an adjustment of the clutch plate/flower nut assembly and replcement of the clutch cable. The engine wasn't engaging when the lever was released, now it is. The old cable (brake cable salvaged from a kid's bike) was probably mostly to blame.

In the last few months though, I've been through a number of inner tubes, replaced both tires, replaced the rear rim (6 broken spokes, boy was that a mushy-feeling wheel), tinkered, tuned, and tinkered more. Overall keeping busy, just been having some rough times and haven't been feeling social enough to post about it.
 

GearNut

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

I test rode my bike to test the tensioner I made. 6.5 miles and the only problem was the pedal side chain locked up. It jammed up between the smallest cog and the drop out, an easy fix. The tensioner and engine drive chain worked flawlessly (knock on wood).
 

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
2,784
26
36
Indianapolis
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Well, tonight wasn't so hot, and I needed more razor cartridges. (But who needs a rationale; I would have rode anyway.) It wasn't such a bad ride. But it could have been a whole lot better.
For some reason Murphy's Law feels it has to establish its reality. Now, I ride with my headlight on in the daytime. I ride with it on at night. So, when does the bulb blow out? You all know the answer. (Oh I carry a spare headlight bulb. But the one thing I didn't have in my trunk was a flashlight. Why? No clue at present.) I somehow managed to fix it in the dark without loosing anything (that I know of) and moved on.
Now, I also just cleaned my bike after the previous ride. So tonight some rustic, rural Philistine in the car ahead of me tosses a fast-food sack full of mayonnaise packets out the window into the path of yours truly! Just got in from cleaning her again. And I just learned that I've tracked in mayonnaise! Sheesh!
Ah well, I still have to say: even a lousy night of riding is better than no riding at all (provided there's no accident involved.)
 

fatdaddy

New Member
May 4, 2011
1,516
4
0
San Jose, Ca.
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Sometimes ya just gotta break down without the tool ya need to find out what tool ya need. Took me a while to put together a decent tool bag. Now I gotta put a small flashlight in it too.
fatdaddy:-||
 

paul

Well-Known Member
Dec 23, 2007
5,547
44
48
66
Kalamazoo, MI
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

i rode mine like everyday. so far almost 400 miles on it and haven't had to do any work to it beside a flat tire after i put my bell no flat tube in it lol. really enjoying it to ride from the north shore to the south shore over the mountains to work. sounds like a long ride but only 10 miles lol. small island
 

fatdaddy

New Member
May 4, 2011
1,516
4
0
San Jose, Ca.
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

i rode mine like everyday. so far almost 400 miles on it and haven't had to do any work to it beside a flat tire after i put my bell no flat tube in it lol. really enjoying it to ride from the north shore to the south shore over the mountains to work. sounds like a long ride but only 10 miles lol. small island
Only a long ride if it's raining.
fatdaddy.
 

fatdaddy

New Member
May 4, 2011
1,516
4
0
San Jose, Ca.
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Looks good Griz. I did notice ya got a quick release on yer seat. I've lost a couple seats that way. Ya can't watch em every second. Came out from Wally World one day to a NO SEAT situation cause of a quick release. The bike itself was locked up tight. The seat, not so much.
fatdaddy.
P.S. They'll take the wheels too.
 
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happycheapskate

New Member
Nov 26, 2009
1,989
3
0
Rockwall TX
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

You can get a battery cable and 2 "star nuts" for headsets, run a length of cable through each and tack-weld them or epoxy them, and jam the star nuts into the seat tube and seat post. Jerks can still steal your seat though. If you fill your bolt heads with solder or wax, it makes it harder to use, but takes longer for thieves to take them. I think some people steal the seats or s.p. and seat just to take out their road rage on bicyclists.
 
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d_gizzle

Active Member
May 29, 2012
1,102
0
36
43
ARDMORE,OK
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Took a chance and made a new rear drive sprocket for my top hat adaptor. It WAS the chainring from an early 80's Team Murray bicycle I found in a trashpile. Haven't put it on yet but everything matches up!
 

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fatdaddy

New Member
May 4, 2011
1,516
4
0
San Jose, Ca.
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Took a chance and made a new rear drive sprocket for my top hat adaptor. It WAS the chainring from an early 80's Team Murray bicycle I found in a trashpile. Haven't put it on yet but everything matches up!
Not a bad job at all. But can't ya just buy a 44 tooth 9 hole sprocket? Then again, I guess there's something to say for recycling.
fatdaddy.
 

d_gizzle

Active Member
May 29, 2012
1,102
0
36
43
ARDMORE,OK
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

In the middle if moving so no funds for the bike fund. :(

I drilled a bunch of little holes,beat the center out,and then hand filed it the rest of the way. Don't have any "big boy" tools. Don't even have a proper socket set!
 

xenodius

New Member
May 23, 2012
150
0
0
Spokane, WA
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

So, when I pedaled off from a stop today I bent the crank arm about 15 degrees. =O I'm going to replace it with the arms from my wife's long-dead mountain bike.

After replacing the crankset, the only original "bike" part on my bike will be the front forks. I've replaced the fuel petcock, fuel line, clutch assembly, clutch arm retaining screw, magneto/CDI, both wheels, rear sprocket and mounting hardware, chains, handlebars, throttle, brake levers/cables and clutch lever... pretty soon it'll be reliable. At least I have a really good and solid steel frame! =)

I'd definitely have liked to start off with a good bike first, though. Let that be a message to prebuilders...
 
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cmanns

New Member
Jul 1, 2012
132
0
0
Santa Cruz, California
Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Today I tore apart the carb after a small ride. Now I'll be rebuilding it soon. Still not sure if that'll solve my issues but possibly.

and discovered my home made sandwhiching is coming loose on the rear sprocket, oh well just 1 bolt, maybe I should've not skipped the last one (wasnt going to touch any spokes)
 

MEASURE TWICE

Well-Known Member
Jul 13, 2010
2,741
1,211
113
CA
Re: Installed Goat Herder style gas tank

This is What I did today...Wanted to put it in the same location as goat herder but the brake cable is in the way.
I like it! Is there a thread of how it is done. Atleast I was wondering about the three screws, do they just go to nuts glued to the nylon gas tank container, or go through with nuts inside and you seal the holes?

MT