! PFFST ! Phoenix Felt Four Stroke Twin :)

[Velodrome]

Though. I must say; Im ashamed of myself... I broke my own law. Installed the new spedo today and excitement got the better of me. I exceeded 29.999 MPH tonight. Can I still be in the 20 MPH Club? I saw 34 MPH on a slight ( very slight) downhill grade.

 

[Velodrome]

I have discovered a flaw... I assembed this motor with no peremeter shroud around the flywheel fan. Only cover as you can see in the pics is the pull starter assembly itself. WELL... Yesterday, after a nice trip to the local coffee shop, I started and mounted my bike only to have it die. I dismounted and restarted ran for a second and died! (pissed now) I checked fuel on spark plug cap on tight gave it a little throttle and pulled ZOOM off goes the moter as usual. However; the pull handle came to rest near the spinning blades of the fan. I did'nt like this so I reached down to fix it and ( wait for it) Yup! R index finger went right into the fan and was pinned aganst the top most support of the pullstart assembly. Ever hear one of those smaller size wood chippers choking on something a little too big till it stalls??? I yanked my hand out after; im guessing; bout 1 1/2 revolutions and started bouncing up and down and trying hard no to scream. My finger had killed the motor. One of the lookers-on is a paramedic I know and he asked "is it still their" I looked down an was supprized to see that; YES! Yes it was!! Only modified... I called back "! MOSTLY !" I then told him the old addage that a motorized bicycle build didnt belong to you till it has your blood on it. I think Im safe on that point... The finger lost a good bit of skin on the pad ( most sensitive part of the body ) and from where the finger was hamered aganst the support stud. Oh! and a good chunk of nail is missing too. I need to wash my bike; their is blood all over the place. My course is clear. I will barrow a friends drill press and make a perforated brass shroud to keep this from happening again. I knew when building this bike it could happen but as I had contemplated the results just KNEW I'd never stick my finger in their while it was running. Theory FAILED!! I also had'nt contemplated the senerio where said finger gets traped between starter support shaft and spinning blades. Lesson learned... TAKE HEED

 

[chainmaker]

C'mon Velo, you cant make a post like that without posting a picture. Gotta see it!!

 

[truckd]

Yah! but hows the bike ?(lol) hope you heal fast and it's not to much of an inconvenience when visiting the lou ( you know #2) don't throttle to hard, you might pull the skin loose.
Hey! velo did you see the new build on my post Blood Thursty ? I'll get the Red Man done first but just get all the stuff together for the next one tell me what you think?, If you can still type?

 

[Velodrome]

Ny tiyping has syffered as a resu;t of my injyry. Kind of umfortumate as I work witj conputers almosy exclusiv;y... EDIT : I sound like a tard typest!

 

[azbill]

I hope you heal quickly Dan
good to hear it coulda been a lot worse
and I was thinking about all those little nooks n crannies to clean

 

[truckd]

I mope yui r peelin betta, howda pinger duing?(LOL!)

 

[killercanuck]

Dayam! Now you know, eh. That was a high "pucker factor" post, ouch! Pressure washer with bleach instead of soap in the can. Yeap, blood, sweat, and tears, 'n break out the beers.

Heal fast!

 

[Velodrome]

Fanks Liller!

 

[Velodrome]

Ok... Lesson learned bout unshrouded fan blades. And sticking my finger where it doesnt belong ( gigity...) So I THINK I have a solution to help keep more of my body parts for a longer time. Heres a simulation of the problemm, this time with the motor off

 

[Velodrome]

As you can see; first stop if finger is inserted while motor is turning is the ripcord stantion / support bar, which very nicely acts as a anvile for the pounding of said finger by fan blades and magnito magnets.

 

[Velodrome]

SOOO! Lets cut some paper. I started with some manella colored office folder paper and after some measuring ( and then more measuring) I cut out a series of templates for something I could easly attach to the motor AND keep mister wandering finger, safe. After a few revisions and test fits I came up with this.

 

[Velodrome]

What to do? What to dooo... I know! When in doubt USE BRASS! Went to ACE HW and got some rather heavy guage brass plate. Then I whipped it out! YA! Grabbed that big Dremmel tool with my bare hand! Err. and saftey goggles. I used a new cutoff wheel and a vice padded with a washcloth to help keep the brass from harm . Didnt work. I garfed up the brass, but I think it will eventually pollish out. Hand bent the piece to fit and drilled holes. Few test fits and additional bendings later we have liftoff! I added some more of my auto body panel trim for the sharp edges. We'll see how it holds up under use and vibration. Frankly I have my doubts but who knows. If it lasts a year or two thats fine. Im keeping the final template incase I have to make another.

 

[truckd]

OK! so that looks good and functional but one more thing to do for safety sake, take the rubber trim off, go to the 99c store and get some CHEAP! silicone gasket sealer and put it into the groove then let it dry over night that way it won't vibrate off and go curpluey! we don't need you loosing any other body parts.

 

[Velodrome]

That was done for me. What I left out is that trim has a hard glue built into it from the factory. Heat up the part and the trim with a heat gun, or in my case a very fast blast with a mapp gas torch, and the glue goes all melty. shove it into place and let it cool. It aint coming off. It looks and acts like the same kind of thing you find used in hot glue sticks. What worries me is the bends in the metal whrere the part attaches to the motor. I think they will stress crack eventually. Its Ok if they do, as I have plan B in the back of my little mind.

 

[Velodrome]

I... Have... Discovered... Another... Flaw...

 

[Velodrome]

No fingers, parts of fingers or other body parts were harmed in the discovery of; or correction of; this flaw. Atende! The failure of an Adel clamp restraining the torque arm of a Sturmy-Archer front drum brake.

 

[Velodrome]

This happened as I was riding home from the coffee shop a while back. I was brakeing for a stop sign ( wont do that again ) and was ALMOST to a stop when it let loose at about 10 MPH. All I knew was I was getting a LOT more braking action than comand input would allow for. Also an odd juddering from the front end along with a low grindey sort of sound. Getting off the bike I found the front end completly locked up by the brake AND the front fender which had been pulled HARD into the tire. Got it off the road and under the shade and cussed and lookd at it for a long time. Then I got a large, long, hard, stick! Rejecting the impulse to punish the bike for almost domping me on my head; I used the tree branch to bend the fender support enough that the wheel would turn. I then secured the break arm as best I could and CAREFULLY and VERY SLOWLY rode the bike home. I was only bout 3 miles away which was lucky. Once safely home I studyed the situation and came up with a much better solution. Unfortunatly I dont have a Bridgport mill. So I wont be persuing that option... HOWEVER! I am back up and riding with: for the time being . THIS

 

[Velodrome]

I figure if one was almost but not quite up to the job 2 aughtta doo it. I was quite conflicted about this. I really didnt want to go back to the Adel clamps but I also wanted to ride. And having a machine shop make the kind of clamp I want could take weeks and cost $$$$$$ SO... I'll give this a try. Just as a lark I fitted two togather and thought. HEY!??! Wonder if a single rubber will fit two of em at the same time ( no gigity on that one dudes. ) and gosh ! It did! So on it went. I have another 60 or so miles on the new set up. No problems ( yet )

 

[jowens]

You know Velo,

Ive actually never had the first problem from my adel clamp. Mine is the weak alum type too.......Ive used smaller ones for my far rear exhaust mount and those have crapped out on me, even the steel ones. Yssou did put a new thought in my mind for them tho, suggesting doubling them up is GENIUS!