The book update

deacon · #1 08-27-2008, 07:09 AM

Well I put the how to book I wrote up on ebay and sold the first copy in a few hours. I hope we get some new converts from it.

Of course by the time ebay-pay pal-usps-are paid it really isn't worth it except as a hobby.

build your own motor motorized bicycle booklet on CD - eBay (item 230285447242 end time Sep-02-08 22:39:14 PDT)

**Bikeguy Joe** · #2 08-27-2008, 07:26 AM

That is awesome deacon, you are the man!

**Ilikeabikea** · #3 08-27-2008, 08:34 AM

Yeah, what Joe said...................

deacon · #4 08-27-2008, 08:51 AM

Not that so much as trying to get more weed whacker's rescued from the junk man. May have to start a movement, "Save the gasoline Weed Whackers". The slogan will be "Save a weed whacker and build a motor bike." or "Have you hugged your weed whacker bike today?" or "Let a weed whacker bike take you fishing."

If I can get them declared an endangered species, I could probably get a grant. You know something like that.

lennyharp · #5 08-27-2008, 08:54 AM

Teaching a man to fish they say is a valuable lesson. Beats a couple of fish right?

**Ilikeabikea** · #6 08-27-2008, 08:55 AM

You REALLY are da man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

deacon · #7 08-27-2008, 10:44 AM

Well I would like to take a minute to explain a couple of things....

Some of you will remember me struggling to make the weed whacker bike work at all. Then I went through a lot of used motors to get the design simple enough for anyone to do. I even ruined a brand new one along the way.

My concept from the beginning was to create a cheap motorized bicycle that even a senior could build and ride comfortably and safely. Not a speed demon bike, but one a guy or gal could hop on and run to the bank or out to breakfast. Actually not a commuter bike but an urban bike was what I had in mind.

This kind of bike might not be up to replacing the commercial commuter bikes but it can easily do what I envisioned. Plus it will work for that man or woman who needs an inexpensive way to make that five mile across town ride to work. Even for an employee or student to ride his bike to the bus pick up point, then from the drop off point to the campus or to work

Most people my age aren't up to riding a pedal bike five miles up and own the hills, but with a weed whacker engine of at least 25cc most anyone can ride it for a few miles. Even if some of those miles are up long hills.

Even better it is a chance to enjoy some time out doors on a cool bike.

Okay so why if I did this to help old guys like me am I charging for the instructions. Believe it or not I put a lot of my money into the testing and retesting of materials. I have bought at least half a dozen weed whackers one new even. I have bought three used bikes pretty much just for this purpose. All in all I have probably four hundred dollars or more in this project.

At four bucks a pop after fees, it will only take me a hundred sales to break even, which I most likely will never do. If and when I do, I will give the instructions away on my blog. If I never reach it or there is no interest in the instructions, I will just post it on the blog anyway.

No I'm not a philanthropist I just wanted to do a little something for people who can't do it for themselves. Thats why I am charging for the instruction booklet.

lennyharp · #8 08-27-2008, 01:38 PM

I love it, that you are using your work and investment in learning to share with others. If more people understood that it is not how you get over on someone but how you help each other that matters we would have a more lovely place. deacon, it is people like you that are making it a pleasure to work around here. By the way can you fix my carburetor?

I have one on order just to see what it is you did do. By the way instead of mailing it You can just send me a zipped file and I can work with that. Then you can make 5 bucks.

deacon · #9 08-27-2008, 02:58 PM

You should have it by now and let me know what you think of it. I don't remember doing anything to your carb. Sure that wasn't norman lol...

MrLarkins · #10 08-27-2008, 04:23 PM

Deacon, if you'd like, I can host that zip file in a protected folder on my server for free... and you could give the password to whomever paid for it...and we could change the password every week, day, hour, or sale. You'd save a lot in shipping costs. Let me know if you want to. I've got a terrabyte of server space and tons of bandwidth I don't even use.