Indian Hiawatha

[fasteddy]

Yes the knob. You just sand the square parts off until it's round. Slowly cleaning the wood working shop up and I'll try and get at it tomorrow.

Rob the knob off the front end loader and replace it with duct tape. Look innocent when they say who did it.

Steve.

 

[killercanuck]

Hockey tape'll be better than duct

 

[leaded50]

Nice!! Silverbear, its gonna look great!!

 

[Whozawhat]

Silverbear your bike looks great, I love the copper work.

For those looking for a wooden knob try large macrame beads.

 

[monark]

allways admire good craftmanship and must say the bike turned out really nice, myself having plans to pickup a albion 2 speed gearbox for a future btr build.is it working well riding with a shifter?

 

[silverbear]

Thanks for the nice comments, guys.

Monark, I have yet to fire the engine so can't say much about the shifter, etc. This engine and transmission was used on a whole lot of light motorcycles in Germany before and after WWII so I'm guessing that it is going to work very well. I sure do hope so. The Albion two speed gearbox you intend to use is, as I understand it, a very good one.There are a number of things yet to do and with just having a few hours on Saturdays to work on it, progress is slow. I expect to have it running sometime in March. No rush on this one, as I want for things to be right.

No new photos until next week when there's something new to show. I did test the tank this week with alcohol and it appears to be sound, so it is now mounted and ready to connect the gas line to the engine. There is a slight discrepancy in gas line diameter between the line coming from the carb (metric) and the line coming from the filter bowl (not metric), but it is so close that I'm hoping a compression fitting will make the union a happy one.

Dan is going to finish up the shift lever knob deal this week at work (a little zzzt with the welder) and next Saturday we'll hook up the shift linkage.

I may bring the bike back home with me then so that I can give a little more time to hooking up brake cables and a cable to the compression valve, make up a throttle cable for the carburetor, install the pedal chain and generally check things over, giving lock tite where it is needed and that sort of thing.

Curt is nearly done with the leaf spring fork and will be shipping that off to me pretty soon. I want to pull the wheels and paint the rims to match the frame, but may well just wait on that until I have the new fork and am painting it, too.

I also have copper jewel lights to mount for tail light, brake lights and turn signals, also a harness leather tool box for the rear carrier. Lots of little things which add up to some time and effort, but it is coming close now to being able to give it a first ride. Pretty soon now...
SB

 

[bchowk]

SB

I recall you posted a bit about those copper jewel lights on your harbor freight motor build....I love your build threads by the way.....I was wondering, if you haven't posted it already, could you tell me what you are using as a break light switch and how do your turn signals work? I've rigged a brake light on my own bike using an door alarm switch on the front caliper and some home brew brackets that works pretty well but signal flashers circuits that work are proving ellusive to me.

This indian build you have going is looking GREAT! so many things I'm looking forward to...the front suspention forks, the old engine firing up, the transmission and cool shifter... Thanks for the great threads.

 

[curtisfox]

Another switch would be off a garden tractor. They have a bunch of safty switches some push button and some are like a small limit with a little arm on it.........Curt

 

[silverbear]

bcowk,
Thank you for your kind words; they are much appreciated.

In the first photo below is a micro switch commonly found in microwave ovens. 2door sent me one like it which I have not yet used, but can see that it would be dandy in certain applications. I believe he used his in conjunction with a v brake if I remember right... when the brake moved against it the circuit was completed and would activate his brake light.

On other bikes I have used a brake lever meant for scooters which have a built in switch so that when you depress the lever the circuit is closed and your brake light comes on. These are slick and not very expensive.

My problem with the Hiawatha was in having a need for both a dual brake pull and a built in brake light switch. I finally found one meant for a 4 wheeler which has a dual brake pull (which I need for the front wheel drum brake and for the sidecar drum brake), the brake light switch activated by the lever... plus it has a lock so that it can act as a parking brake very handy for either a trike or bike with sidecar. Although it wasn't something I was looking for, it also has a thumb throttle control which I am going to try since I have some wrist issues with arthritis. My wrist gets sore after ten miles riding or so. I suppose this will leave me with a sore thumb instead. Ha!

The light assembly I'm going to use I made a couple years ago for a 51 Schwinn (the Greyhound build you mentioned) which is pictured below. When I sold the bike I kept the light unit as it had so much money in it just in copper parts and the stained glass ruby jewel lenses. I think the copper will go nicely with the copper gas tank and I want for this bike to have everything a light motorcycle would have including a tail light, brake light, turn signals and horn.

The center light will be the tail light and the outside lights will activate as turn signals or as dual brake lights. The brake light circuit is simple enough, but I will need to give some thought to the turn signals which will require a 6 volt flasher unit. I have a shop manual for a Tomos moped, so thought I would study that when the time comes to hook everything up. I'm no electrician, so will do what they did on the Tomos. It can't be too difficult (he says). When the time comes, I'll share my success or failure.

This system will be six volt as that is what the magneto produces. The LED units were designed to run off of 4.5 volts, but I have used them with China girl motors and with 6 volt sidewall generators with no problem. They appear to operate well within a certain voltage range which includes 5 volts.

I cannibalize my light units from small flashlights, so they are not expensive and can be easily replaced should one ever burn out. If there's any interest I would be happy sometime to do a little tutorial on how so make a copper jewel light.
SB

 

[curtisfox]

AWESOME I for one would love to learn something new if you do post the light build. The small garden tractor switch looks a lot like the microwave switch..........Curt

 

[bchowk]

Thanks for the repy SB, have to admit I really like those jeweled light lenses will be a really nice touch to the turn of the century look of this build.

Well, I bought a 6v moped flasher but did not succeed in getting it to work. I guess I did not try VERY hard before I chose to just RIDE my bike instead. I have a few theories to test out, like I wonder if the moped flasher is looking for 6v AC and I am trying to get to work off a battery, hmmmm. Perhaps I just need to get motivated and try again......I will let you know if I figure anything out that could help you when the time comes.

Cheers
B.C.

 

[silverbear]

Thanks for the repy SB, have to admit I really like those jeweled light lenses will be a really nice touch to the turn of the century look of this build.

Well, I bought a 6v moped flasher but did not succeed in getting it to work. I guess I did not try VERY hard before I chose to just RIDE my bike instead. I have a few theories to test out, like I wonder if the moped flasher is looking for 6v AC and I am trying to get to work off a battery, hmmmm. Perhaps I just need to get motivated and try again......I will let you know if I figure anything out that could help you when the time comes.

Cheers
B.C.

Yes, I'd appreciate it if you find a way to make yours work. I'm trying to remember an experiment with this some years ago. Seems to me that somehow when the flasher went off it affected the head and tail light, too, so that they also flashed. Not good! Like I said, I'm not an electrician! We'll figure it out.
SB
SB

 

[silverbear]

Dan asked his welder friend at work, Whitey, for a little help with the shift lever, welding the uppermost part to the flat lever part I had cut out. He used a tig welder and did a beautiful job of it.

We mounted it on the gas tank and everything looks like a go. I brought it home with me today to paint black.

I also started on the clutch cable, cutting it to length and began on the brake and throttle cables. I need to locate cable stops for the clutch and drum brake. Next weekend should see the cables all done, including the compression valve cable.

During the week I'm also picking up some 1/4" copper tubing and a compression fitting to hook up the gas line.

The last photo shows the handlebar lever for dual pull locking brakes and thumb throttle. The lever also controls a brake light switch. Someone asked about this so I thought I'd show a photo. The thumb throttle is a departure from the vintage light motorcycle look,but I think my arthritic wrist will appreciate the compromise. I want to ride this machine; not just look at it.

Fasteddy tells me he is at work on the curved plywood backing for the tri-car seats for my Hiawatha and his camel back Indian. And Curtis Fox is finishing up the leaf spring fork. Lots of irons in the fire.

I've been thinking about a kill switch and am wondering if I even need one. Wouldn't opening the compression valve kill the engine?
SB

 

[charliechaindrive.]

most likely that would act as a kill, or the choke would do the job just as doog

 

[charliechaindrive.]

*good

Can't seen to spell today

 

[harry76]

I didnt end up needing a kill switch for the Villiers, i just use the "strangler" on the carb and that kills the engine. Im not sure about your Sachs but when you do your Villiers you wont need one. The strangler works perfectly. Not sure thats any help to you on this engine but may be important when you do your Villiers.

Bike looks great by the way Silverbear, i love your shifter.... when do we get to hear this engine start up? You must be getting very close

 

[cobrafreak]

If you have wrist trouble you will dig the thumb throttle. If it doesn't work out for you they have a version that works like pulling a trigger on a gun too with one or two fingers.

 

[silverbear]

Thanks, good to know about the finger pull throttle. I think I'm going to like the thumb throttle.

A couple of Saturday mornings should get me to a point of giving it a run. Finish all cable controls, install pedal chain, make a drive chain guard, Lock tite a number of fittings, run copper gas line. I am anxious to hear what it sounds like, hoping it isn't too loud as the exhaust is just an experiment. The muffler may not do enough "muffling" as it is a china girl muffler which I took apart, removed the catalytic crap and left the baffle, packed around the baffle with stainless steel wool and put it back together. I guess I''ll find out how it works soon enough.
SB

 

[harry76]

I cant wait to hear this baby, and see you ride it, do you have something to record your maiden voyage?

This is a gorgeous bike and all the detaills are spot on, nothing has been rushed, everything is well thought out. I hope you get a lot of trouble free riding out of it. Thanks for sharing, you are truly one of the builders here that i look up to. Keep up the fine work.

You Fasteddy, Tinsmith and Curtisfox all seem to be a cool group of guys just tinkering and having a great time, i wish i was local and could ride on over to join you guys in the fun. I really do. You guys are what this site is all about IMO

 

[silverbear]

Harry,
Nothing would please me more than to share a nice bike ride and to see your Villiars build live. If you ever do come to the states you'll have a lot of people to ride with all over this country.

And I agree that as cool as these bikes are the real treasure is the biking community we have on this forum. It isn't that long ago that I was having trouble with my first china girl build and I have the people here to thank for guiding me along the way. The forum has been like going to school with some great teachers and classmates. And I will be forever grateful to the moderators here who keep this forum a good place to be. Thanks for your kind words, Bud.
SB