1st Kit

[Joe McPlumber]

I bought a "Black Stallion" kit from GasBike.net and mounted it to my 26" mountain bike frame. She ain't custom or fancified, just a bike.

I had no troubles except with the front engine mount and the rear sprocket. On the front of the motor i just isolated it with a bit of tire tube and went to the hardware store for some longer bolts. It still doesn't fit around the tube so i think i might fill in the gap with epoxy putty, for the look of it.

The rear sprocket was a PITA because it *just barely almost* fit around the hub. I called a couple machine shops and they wanted $40+ minimum to even look at it. I understand why, but it's still upsetting because that's like, 30% of what the whole kit costs. So i carefully filed around the aluminum on the wheel, then took the sprocket and twisted it back and forth (for like, an hour; anything to save forty bucks) until it seated flush to the spokes.

I've got two other frames here and four other rear wheels and this kit wouldn't have fit any of them without modifications.

As noted on another thread, i lost the push rod and the ball bearing for the clutch release so i used a bolt. *eek*

The motor doesn't want to start rght off without some fiddling with the choke, then some more fiddling to keep it running until it gets warmed up, but once it gets going it runs pretty smooth. It must be pretty loud though, cause people keep looking to see what's going by.

The assembled bike is bits of my bicycle and bits of my brother-in-law's. My brother-in-law was recently riding his bicycle along just like he always does, when he fell over and died. The water bottle strapped to the rear rack was the last one he bought on this Earth, and it's there to remind me why i do stuff like buy bicycle motors.

Hopefully i'll make it to the hardware store to buy a better clutch pin before she breaks, and to the second hand store to buy a helmet before i get busted.

Cheers,
- Joe -

[crzyolphart]

SEWEEeeeT!! Sprocket hole too small?
$40.00 JUST TO LOOK at it?
Go to the hardware. Buy a "dremel" type tool
& a BUNCH of "Barrel" sanding tubes.
Start with SUPER coarse. Use a twirling
motion OPPOSITE the direction the barrel
turns. (you are not as likely to lose the
original center point.)
Get it to within a few thousandths;
Go to the FINE barrels. You'll have it done
in NO TIME!! I had to open mine up .150"
It took me 20 minutes and ten barrels!
PLUS!!! I've got a new tool!!

[2door]

Joe,
Sorry to hear about your brother-in-law. That's unfortunate.
For a clutch pin replacement you might want to explore using a 5/16" drill bit instead of a bolt. The steel will much harder and resist wear better. The length is critical however so some experimentation is required to get it just right.
Tom

[Venice Motor Bikes]

I had to make the sproket hole bigger on the Venice Switchblade... (almost to the bolt holes)
I used a cutting torch & a big "rat tail" file. It came out pretty clean.

[city of angels]

if you go to sickbikeparts.com they just added a front motor mount that it will fit your frame so you dont have a tire tube