Kulana Moon Dog Cruiser: The Beginning

[fume555]

Today I just bought a Kulana orange Moon Dog cruiser from a guy I met on craigslist for $80.00;mint condition straight outta the box. I already installed my rear sprocket without much hassle but it took about an hour& half to finish. Tomorrow after school I will be mounting my motor and/or throttle grips.

I have a minor problem with my Kulana; it has to do with seat post. It doesn't going in all the way.. like it's jammed or the seat post is too fat. how can I fix this? should I lube it up or file it down so it will fit?

Another question, is it possible to remove the handlebars on my Kulana and replace it with another? The handlebars are a bit awkward and they hit my knees when I turn. The handlebars I have that's on my other bike have a more natural feel to it. is it labor intensive? and also will I have to transfer the gearshifter and all that crap if I'm gonna make this work since my Kulana is a 6-speed? if it's too much trouble I won't even bother, the handlebars ain't that bad.

Thanks for your feedback fellas.

[Bikeguy Joe]

I for one don't care for the MoonDog bars either. You can remove all the stuff (brake levers, ect.) and then just loosen the allen bolt holding them on and change then out with any bicycle bars you wish.

Takes about 15 minutes total.

You won't have to do anything with the gears.

As to the seat post question....after you pull the quick release lever on the post, unscrew it a few turns and see if that helps. Otherwise, sandpapaer is your friend.

[fume555]

Alright, that's good to know that I can switch out my handlebars for a much better one.

Also I have another question. How am I supposed to install a clutch lever on my left grip if I already have a front brake lever that's there? i'm guessing i will just have to make dual levers, one clutch one front brake.

I cannot wait until after school tomorrow.. my goal is to hit a grand slam and finish my motorbicycle at sunset. The motor fits perfect for my mounts on my Kulana with the exception of using a bicycle frame adaptor (i gotta drill a hole thru my frame...crap lol)

thanks for your feedback

[Bikeguy Joe]

DON'T DRILL THE FRAME.
Looky here instead-http://motorbicycling.com/search.php?searchid=65237 for MUCH better ideas.
I have alum. plate for sale in the swap shop.

You can mount both levers on one bar (akward, but not hard to operate after a few tries) or go with a dual brake lever that operates both brakes from one lever.

[fume555]

I finally finished hooking up everything to my bike. I took it for a test ride down the street. The bike took a while to startup but when it came alive, it came alive. the engine immediately roared up to full throttle and instantly I went for the brakes but they went out.. perfect timing..i was already feeling the adrenaline coarsing thru my veins as the situation escalated. The feeling I felt was a mix between panic, fear and thrill. I went about 27mph on a sharp turn and almost crashed but my catlike reflexes saved me from falling. I then remembered reading somewhere that I could put the choke on to kill the engine as an alternative way. The engine came to a sputter and slowed to a stop. so did my racing heart lmao. I started her up again and rode it with half-choke and using it as my throttle cause the throttle isn't functioning properly. So I cruised around the neighborhood for about 20 mins to begin the break-in process at 1 am in the morning.

I got a question. It has to do with my throttle. The instructions that came with the kit weren't very clear (kingsmotorbikes.com). I have a twist grip throttle but the throttle is loose if u know what i mean. like there is no spring in there, it just spins. Also I don't know how to put the end of my throttle cable inside the carborator valve. And what is the other wire for? i'm guessing it's the kill switch but I don't know where to put it. It's shaped like a flat metal circle that looks like it's something electrical.

[Dave31]

Spooky Tooth has a cool video on hooking the kill switch and maintenance and coaster brake over haul. You must register to view.

Spooky Tooth Cycles - Motorized Bicycles: Gas Powered and Electric Bikes - VIDEO: Kill Switch Wiring


Sounds like to me you have to much slack in the throttle cable. You can adjust the throttle slack on top of the carb.



ThatsDax has some pretty good instructions on installing the throttle cable

Page Title

[BlueCollarBike]

I personally like the Mountain bikes But here at Blue-Collar We get allot of Bikes to build and MANY are the Moon Dog.
I agree the moon dog handle bars don't feel right.

But this is my personal opinion,.

Many love them.

Cheers

Bob

BlueCollarBike

[brucemg51]

Originally Posted by fume555

Today I just bought a Kulana orange Moon Dog cruiser from a guy I met on craigslist for $80.00;mint condition straight outta the box. I already installed my rear sprocket without much hassle but it took about an hour& half to finish. Tomorrow after school I will be mounting my motor and/or throttle grips.

I have a minor problem with my Kulana; it has to do with seat post. It doesn't going in all the way.. like it's jammed or the seat post is too fat. how can I fix this? should I lube it up or file it down so it will fit?

Another question, is it possible to remove the handlebars on my Kulana and replace it with another? The handlebars are a bit awkward and they hit my knees when I turn. The handlebars I have that's on my other bike have a more natural feel to it. is it labor intensive? and also will I have to transfer the gearshifter and all that crap if I'm gonna make this work since my Kulana is a 6-speed? if it's too much trouble I won't even bother, the handlebars ain't that bad.

Thanks for your feedback fellas.

Here's mine and I love it, especially the handlebars.

[thatsdax]

Very nice !! Awesome Build !!! Enjoy that ride !!!