larry harding
New Member
hello! i just stumbled onto this site while doing some research on a project i am working on. i just turned 65 and have been riding and tinkering with motor cycles since my teens. have sort of restored (at least to my taste and desire) several scooters and motorcycles, from a whizzer, four cushman eagles, simplexs, a 42 knuc bobber, a 47 indian cheif, and so on. here is my story..........
a few years ago a friend of mind tried to build a simplex replica using briggs engines, worksman wheels and a comet drive. after spending a bunch of money and building several bikes he was never able to bring them to market due to product liability and legal hassels. the bikes he built were really beautiful. i recently traded him out of a couple of the frames he had built along with one set of worksman wheels, two comet drives.(they are out of business now i beleave) and all the brackets and hardware to go with them including a custom made chrome exhaust pipe to fit the briggs engine.
problem #1now here is what i am up against.... briggs no longer offers the 5 hp electric start engine he used (industrial plus) the newer engines i am finding are mostly of the slanted cylinder style and dont offer electric start. the slanted cylinder sticks too far back in the frame, right into the fender area so i need a verticle cylinder engine. i need the charging system for the lights too. i have an electric start engine that came off a go cart afew years ago, it is locked up but maybe the starter and charging system could be used on a later 5hp???
problem#2 the worksman wheels i got with the bike have lever actuated drum brakes. the rear wheel has a threaded hub that sticks out opposite the brake side. these are supposedly heavy duty mountain bike wheels, but i can't identify them on the worksman web site. some help along those line would be of greatly appreciated. researching worksman wheels is what brought me to this site. thanks ahead of time for any help or suggestions.
a few years ago a friend of mind tried to build a simplex replica using briggs engines, worksman wheels and a comet drive. after spending a bunch of money and building several bikes he was never able to bring them to market due to product liability and legal hassels. the bikes he built were really beautiful. i recently traded him out of a couple of the frames he had built along with one set of worksman wheels, two comet drives.(they are out of business now i beleave) and all the brackets and hardware to go with them including a custom made chrome exhaust pipe to fit the briggs engine.
problem #1now here is what i am up against.... briggs no longer offers the 5 hp electric start engine he used (industrial plus) the newer engines i am finding are mostly of the slanted cylinder style and dont offer electric start. the slanted cylinder sticks too far back in the frame, right into the fender area so i need a verticle cylinder engine. i need the charging system for the lights too. i have an electric start engine that came off a go cart afew years ago, it is locked up but maybe the starter and charging system could be used on a later 5hp???
problem#2 the worksman wheels i got with the bike have lever actuated drum brakes. the rear wheel has a threaded hub that sticks out opposite the brake side. these are supposedly heavy duty mountain bike wheels, but i can't identify them on the worksman web site. some help along those line would be of greatly appreciated. researching worksman wheels is what brought me to this site. thanks ahead of time for any help or suggestions.
