judge me if you like....

[deacon]

I lost my first post of this project so here is my second try probably a bit shorter. My building moto is I build them to ride not dress them for the prom. So let us begin.

The bike began life as a thrift store three speed. $8 (couldn't give 3speeds away at the time.

I had to remove the wheels it was just to unstable for me. I had the wheels from other junker so I think a fair market value would be $2 @ $4
bought a kids bike for the crank to go in this bike so another $4
I had brake levers from both the 3speed and the kids bike so $0
Cable again a mix of junk and new so $4
Motor a sweetheart purchase from my son in law $10
The clutch rod was the down shaft of the week whacker so N/C
The drive wheel I wound up with which also works best of all that I tried is a scrap of 2x2 $.25


total build cost.....about @30.25 Plus half of a $3 can of paint. and half of a $1 can of paint or total under $35


The skinny on performance. They say I should get almost 200 mph.

It does about 15 to 20 mph on the flats... slows down considerably on the hills and i have to pedal assist to keep it from stalling out but it didn't leave me stranded. I never had to get off and push it.


Photo gallery.

 

[deacon]

here are the rest of the images

 

[Ilikeabikea]

Deacon, I like it. You da man..............................

 

[deacon]

Well that's my ientry for the contest I don't know about da man.

Did anyone ever have a weedeater over heat on them. I think I might be about to blow this one lol.

 

[Autocycler]

I love your "gravity-sprung" clutch mechanism. Nice build, Deacon.

 

[paul]

55555555555555555555 high five deacon. that is awesome. your persistence and ingenuity and designs are very impressive. nice job!

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Deacon you STILL continue to amaze me. Nice build. This in NOT a smart a**
remark, does it go faster down hill, or reach top end and hold it?

 

[Walter F.]

Decon, you have done so much with so little for so long that you are now able to do anything with nothing! Now we ain't gonna list all we spend on the summer build are we cause I just spent more on a new helmet than you spent on your whole bike - I say we go ahead and give you the trophy for "Thrifty-est Build" cause ain't nobody gonna beat $35 and the bike go. ( What does Nancy think of what you did to her bike) I like the bike but I like your "accounting" ,1/2 a can of paint, did you weigh it??? Walter F.

 

[deacon]

thanks guys... It ain't purdy but I ain't takin' it to the prom either. On the same note someone here said, "Chrome don't get you home." Then again neither will this one.

The Nancy tag was on the bike when I bought it. I liked it, kind of gave it character for me.

I tell my wife anytime the can sprays at all, there is about half a can left lol.




Going downhill it is a suicide machine. That is till it got hot. I'm hopin' that don't happen again. You know all those guys on utube who ran weed wacker that went like heck, They had to be in southern California where it is flat. It won't climb from crap.

Since the pictures and the last test ride, I added a 45 degree brace to square it up some. It was made from one of the finder struts from the bike before I pulled the fender so it doesn't count either.

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

Deacon blogger- astounding and confounding since 2007!

 

[Saddletramp1200]

I have been watchin' him from my underground bunker in S. Texas. I installed Google Earth and modifed some. His latest project has something to do with a lawn chair, chicken blood & corn kernels Good job again Tramp
P.S. just how DID you measure the paint?

 

[deacon]

Had to do with a weight thing then entered that into the swag system of reasoning.

 

[Pablo]

100% love it.......line up 10 random bikes from this site with this one.....I'm gonna want to ride yours first!

Consider yourself well judged.

 

[deacon]

I haven't taken it far yet, I have a long bolt coming so that I can use a metal drive wheel with this thing. The wooden one worked and was cute for the photos but I don't trust it. I had hoped that with a little bit of human power I could go anywhere I wanted. I kind of feel like I can't count on this one alone. I need something with a little more hill pull. Even the china bike has to strain on some hills. This one strains on even small hills at the moment. If I can't get some improvement I will be looking at a bigger engine.

If I had some of that fiber washer material in a china bike kit I could put a chain ring on the other side of the rear wheel and have a mini china bike kit.

 

[UncleKudzu]

Well that's my ientry for the contest I don't know about da man.

i think you've already won the contest. who could possibly top that wood-driven ride?

we might as well starting thinking about the Autumn Contest...

 

[deacon]

I told joe I couldn't rest till I tried it with a chain drive on a scooter wheel as the friction drive so here it is. You don't need a kill switch, there is enough friction so that if you stop the bike the engine dies.

But 25cc is not enough power for this area. The hills eat me up. It would be great for the beach or somewhere very flat like the great plains though,

 

[deacon]

I just got back from my two mile test track on the weed eater bike.

The good:
The bike can be managed better than I thought. Though the throttle is useless climbing hills it will set me up for the next hill. On the flat between hills if I wind it out a little the next hill is almost done before I can pedal fast enough to catch up to the motor. I get a little exercise (which I don't with the china girl) and I get a lot of rest between bursts of exercise. Much better the second test ride. The chainsaw motor should really make a bike rock. Now I'm wondering if I need one after all. I still have to give it the ultimate test. I have to take it downhill to the shopping center then back up that long long hill. I'm not sure I'm ready for that.

The other thing that is great about the weed eater bike is that it is just a helper. It kicks in at about three or four miles per hour and shuts down when I brake to that same speed. I don't need a kill switch but I am going to install a set of front caliper brakes. That old safety factor. Plus I have a spare brake handle already in place. I didn't need the clutch with this need setup.

It also starts to pedal easier since the weight is down some. Probably will get a little better gas milage but it has one of those see through tanks so I also know how much gas I have.


The bad: It can't pull a hill by itself. I'm not quite sure I'm up to the long hills. The short steep ones weren't too much problem tonight but I fear the long ones will knock me on my butt.

Acceleration is a joke, but I'm just guessing at the gear ratios so I think it does pretty darn well. It goes fast enough on the flat to scare **** out of me.

Since I passed a cop last night and stopped while we both sat at a corner. He tried to motion me across but I refused. He rolled down his window and I knew I was in for some crap about the motor and no helmet and being on a sidewalk.

I asked him if there was a problem he said no you are good to go lol. I waited for him to leave anyway.

The Ugly: The bike itself.

 

[Egor]

Deacon - I love the ingenuity, you get my vote. One thing I see is that the air direction shroud is missing off the engine. The fins on the weed whackers were made to be force fed, they need the fan to keep the engine cool. Also if you can, try and find a smaller wheel, that will give you a lower gear for climbing. Or I wonder how it would be to remove the tire and run just the bare rim on the rear wheel, that would give you a lower gear, the chain wheel would just run next to the tire. Good job . Have fun, Dave

 

[deacon]

That could be why the weed whacker over heated last time. If it isn't ruined I will give it another shot with the shroud on. I think it was probably just too much hill climb for the lil devil but who knows.