man i'm running rag joints on both of my bikes (a 20" schwinn stingray and an occ chopper) with chain tensioners that I made.
going on 4 years on the same rag joints and tesioners without any problems.
I guess if you know what you're doing, you can make stuff work and last. but if you don't know what you're doing, the only alternative is to buy better parts & there's nothing wrong with that at all.
I just prefer to fabricate and build my own parts whenever I can.
And in a way you're right drag. If you know what yer doin, keep a constant eye on things, maintain, oil, lube and adjust as necessary, you can make almost anything work. I'll still use a china tensioner sometimes, but usually mount it better. I will NEVER use a rag joint on one of my personal bikes again. I'm just tired of, if only occasional, busted spokes. Not to mention the mount bolts that sometimes break, and the fact that it IS mounted on RUBBER. Even if it's miniscule, the thing does flex and move some. And from an engineering point of veiw, If driving the wheel from the spokes was a good idea, don't ya think Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki, Not to mention Harley, would be doing it this way too.
I am glad you've had good luck with the rag joint, Adapters aren't cheap and you seem to be doing OK without them. Most people don't experience this kind of luck.
fatdaddy.
P.S. Pics of some of the OCC's (about 10 of them,) I've built. The trike used mostly OCC parts.
:I uploaded 4 pics, don't know what happend (OK, just not a thumbnail.)
