My Ultimate Motorized Bicycle Wheel Cost $689.00
I don't post often but I am a long time lurker! After building a number of the El-cheapo China Girl Bikes with used bikes, wheels, rag joints etc...I decided to build my ultimate motorized bike. The Ultimate MB needs The Ultimate MB Wheel, right? So I decided to sell a few other "toys" and fund this build properly. Sold some computers, shotguns and the wife's dog. (that ran away)
The Hub, Adapter and Sprocket
I watch Pat Dolan's Sportsman Flyer Blog pretty closely and ever since he first posted about his Heavy Duty Hub I wanted one with the cool billet adapter and split sprocket. Pat's hubs are pretty awesome with 80mm drum brakes and threads for a pedal side freewheel. They're modified Moped Hubs so I know they'll brake pretty good. It has a 14mm axle with sealed bearings. The rear dropout width is 135mm and the over all axle length is 175mm. Pat had one so I ordered it with an adapter, 58 tooth split sprocket and Shimano MX30 BMX 18 tooth pedal side free wheel. Total cost with CA Tax and Shipping was $225.00.
The Rim, Spokes and Build
My goal is to build something a little different and even a little exotic. After a lot of research I decided to go with an Excel Takasago 21 X 1.60 motorcycle rim. These are very high quality rims used by a lot of Japanese motorcycle builders and actually come stock on some motorcycles.
If you aren't aware, bicycle tires are measured in overall diameter and motorcycle tires are measured in bead diameter like a car. This means a modern 26 inch bicycle tire is actually 26 inches from outside tread to outside tread with the standard 26 inch ISO 559 rim actually being 22 inches in diameter.
I'm putting an Avon Venom 80/90-21 which ends up with an overall diameter of 27.1 inches and 3.2 inches wide. When placed side by side next to my China Girl with 26 X 2.25 Kenda Flames they are almost identical in size with the Avon being an inch wider.
I called The Wheel Master (the real one) in Auburn, WA and it turns out he is an Excel distributor. He had an Excel 21 X 1.60 Model ICS408 in stock. For $350.00 he would build it with 36 stainless steel motorcycle spokes and nipples, supply the Excel rim, life time warranty and ship it back. I boxed up the hub, sent it off and got it back in a week! His reputation is well earned as this wheel is simply awesome.
The Tire
Avon Venom AM41 80/90-21
H Rated (125 MPH)
Cost $104.00 shipped
Total cost for the complete wheel was $689.00. It might seem a little crazy but I'm planning on keeping this bike for a while and riding it on a daily basis to work. In San Francisco you can ride a bike year round and the cops are really cool with MB's as long as they are plated and you wear a DOT helmet.
The Overall Plan
The front wheel is a NOS Honda CB110 hub with an Excel 21 X 1.20 I special ordered from Excel mounted with a matching Avon 60/90-21 H rated tire up front. The Wheel Master will build this one too. The CB110 hub has massive 100mm brakes and the stopping power is phenomenal. A friend has one of these and it stops better than any disc brake bicycle setup I've seen.
The frame is an actual 1937 Autocycle being modified with widened rear drop outs and a drop down tube for a killer Board Tracker look by an air craft shop at SFO. They are also building a custom contoured in-frame tank. I wanted one of the Sportsman Flyer Frames but Pat said he is almost a year out on builds. Bummer
The engine is a Honda GX160 with electric start and a 50W electric charging coil. It's out being blue printed, balanced, ported/polished, mild performance mods and dyno'd. I will strip off all the shrouding and mount it so the cylinder is vertical. A 24mm Mikuni with a custom made billet intake will do the trick. I want it to run silk smooth and be reliable. BTW that same friend has run a GX160 with literally thousands of miles under abusive conditions here in San Francisco with no shrouding and has had zero problems. Never over heats.
I haven't decided if I will go with a jack shaft or a torque converter. Either way, the 58 tooth sprocket will work great.
I've included some pics and I'll update this as I progress.
Dan
**I have no affiliation whatsoever with Sportsman Flyer or The Wheel Master, just a happy customer of both. I have never met either but Pat Dolan has offered to let me test drive a Sportsman 200 as I only live about 30 miles away. Will ride my build down there when I get it finished.
Wheel with adapter/split sprocket
Without Adapter or Sprocket, ruler is 6 inches
Cross Section
Spokes are massive bigger than any bicycle spokes
Sprocket
I don't post often but I am a long time lurker! After building a number of the El-cheapo China Girl Bikes with used bikes, wheels, rag joints etc...I decided to build my ultimate motorized bike. The Ultimate MB needs The Ultimate MB Wheel, right? So I decided to sell a few other "toys" and fund this build properly. Sold some computers, shotguns and the wife's dog. (that ran away)
The Hub, Adapter and Sprocket
I watch Pat Dolan's Sportsman Flyer Blog pretty closely and ever since he first posted about his Heavy Duty Hub I wanted one with the cool billet adapter and split sprocket. Pat's hubs are pretty awesome with 80mm drum brakes and threads for a pedal side freewheel. They're modified Moped Hubs so I know they'll brake pretty good. It has a 14mm axle with sealed bearings. The rear dropout width is 135mm and the over all axle length is 175mm. Pat had one so I ordered it with an adapter, 58 tooth split sprocket and Shimano MX30 BMX 18 tooth pedal side free wheel. Total cost with CA Tax and Shipping was $225.00.
The Rim, Spokes and Build
My goal is to build something a little different and even a little exotic. After a lot of research I decided to go with an Excel Takasago 21 X 1.60 motorcycle rim. These are very high quality rims used by a lot of Japanese motorcycle builders and actually come stock on some motorcycles.
If you aren't aware, bicycle tires are measured in overall diameter and motorcycle tires are measured in bead diameter like a car. This means a modern 26 inch bicycle tire is actually 26 inches from outside tread to outside tread with the standard 26 inch ISO 559 rim actually being 22 inches in diameter.
I'm putting an Avon Venom 80/90-21 which ends up with an overall diameter of 27.1 inches and 3.2 inches wide. When placed side by side next to my China Girl with 26 X 2.25 Kenda Flames they are almost identical in size with the Avon being an inch wider.
I called The Wheel Master (the real one) in Auburn, WA and it turns out he is an Excel distributor. He had an Excel 21 X 1.60 Model ICS408 in stock. For $350.00 he would build it with 36 stainless steel motorcycle spokes and nipples, supply the Excel rim, life time warranty and ship it back. I boxed up the hub, sent it off and got it back in a week! His reputation is well earned as this wheel is simply awesome.
The Tire
Avon Venom AM41 80/90-21
H Rated (125 MPH)
Cost $104.00 shipped
Total cost for the complete wheel was $689.00. It might seem a little crazy but I'm planning on keeping this bike for a while and riding it on a daily basis to work. In San Francisco you can ride a bike year round and the cops are really cool with MB's as long as they are plated and you wear a DOT helmet.
The Overall Plan
The front wheel is a NOS Honda CB110 hub with an Excel 21 X 1.20 I special ordered from Excel mounted with a matching Avon 60/90-21 H rated tire up front. The Wheel Master will build this one too. The CB110 hub has massive 100mm brakes and the stopping power is phenomenal. A friend has one of these and it stops better than any disc brake bicycle setup I've seen.
The frame is an actual 1937 Autocycle being modified with widened rear drop outs and a drop down tube for a killer Board Tracker look by an air craft shop at SFO. They are also building a custom contoured in-frame tank. I wanted one of the Sportsman Flyer Frames but Pat said he is almost a year out on builds. Bummer
The engine is a Honda GX160 with electric start and a 50W electric charging coil. It's out being blue printed, balanced, ported/polished, mild performance mods and dyno'd. I will strip off all the shrouding and mount it so the cylinder is vertical. A 24mm Mikuni with a custom made billet intake will do the trick. I want it to run silk smooth and be reliable. BTW that same friend has run a GX160 with literally thousands of miles under abusive conditions here in San Francisco with no shrouding and has had zero problems. Never over heats.
I haven't decided if I will go with a jack shaft or a torque converter. Either way, the 58 tooth sprocket will work great.
I've included some pics and I'll update this as I progress.
Dan
**I have no affiliation whatsoever with Sportsman Flyer or The Wheel Master, just a happy customer of both. I have never met either but Pat Dolan has offered to let me test drive a Sportsman 200 as I only live about 30 miles away. Will ride my build down there when I get it finished.
Wheel with adapter/split sprocket
Without Adapter or Sprocket, ruler is 6 inches
Cross Section
Spokes are massive bigger than any bicycle spokes
Sprocket
