WOW ! I thought I was on my own...
- Thread starter dougy
- Start date
I never done a rundown on this one but the basics where,
Electric motor kit £100 + £15 post
2 X 14 AH bike battery's £60
I got the bikes out the skip for nothing an already had the paint so even with the little things you forget about It cost no more the £180.
Actually it sounds a lot now.......I'm not totting it up again lol.
New year new project, Its a motorbike proper this one an I know its a motorised bicycle forum so if its not what you want here moderators just say, I wont be offended.
here goes...
My mate found this old bike frame dumped in the back of a local scrap yard in France a few years ago an bought it for 20 euros, being the nice guy he is he originally bought it for someone else who wanted it for the girder forks but a few years went by an he never turned up for it and so to cut a short story short, I've ended up with her, I know for sure its not everyones cup of tea because after putting up a pic of her on Facebook the general feedback was..... bar a few exeptions, well not very good !
Anyway... I like it, Its make is Automoto and probley dates from the 30's, its got a bit of surface rust here an there but seems fairly solid in general, one way or another I'm going to get her fixed up an on the road
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At first it looked straight ish but on closer examination the frame is as bent as a French 9 bob note and possibly the girders are a bit on the wonky side (but may just be twisted) infact an at some stage it looks like the Germans during the occupation have tried an failed to destroy her with dynamight, iether that or on its last journey someone hit a brick wall, the main spine looks to be cast in one piece and incorporates the headstock and looks to be REALLY strong, well thats proper bent an will take some straightening !
My plans for it keep changing but thats the good bit for me, an I'll see how it evolves in the weeks to come...But GOD I think its a really cool little bike
My kids keep asking whos getting this one an I,m saying I havent decided yet, that will ensure good behaviour for a while.
On this pic you can really see how bad the frame is bent.
In this pic you can see the bolt on hardtail is also a bit bent out of true.
here goes...
My mate found this old bike frame dumped in the back of a local scrap yard in France a few years ago an bought it for 20 euros, being the nice guy he is he originally bought it for someone else who wanted it for the girder forks but a few years went by an he never turned up for it and so to cut a short story short, I've ended up with her, I know for sure its not everyones cup of tea because after putting up a pic of her on Facebook the general feedback was..... bar a few exeptions, well not very good !
Anyway... I like it, Its make is Automoto and probley dates from the 30's, its got a bit of surface rust here an there but seems fairly solid in general, one way or another I'm going to get her fixed up an on the road
.At first it looked straight ish but on closer examination the frame is as bent as a French 9 bob note and possibly the girders are a bit on the wonky side (but may just be twisted) infact an at some stage it looks like the Germans during the occupation have tried an failed to destroy her with dynamight, iether that or on its last journey someone hit a brick wall, the main spine looks to be cast in one piece and incorporates the headstock and looks to be REALLY strong, well thats proper bent an will take some straightening !
My plans for it keep changing but thats the good bit for me, an I'll see how it evolves in the weeks to come...But GOD I think its a really cool little bike
My kids keep asking whos getting this one an I,m saying I havent decided yet, that will ensure good behaviour for a while.
On this pic you can really see how bad the frame is bent.
In this pic you can see the bolt on hardtail is also a bit bent out of true.
Soak that skeleton in a vat of Evapo-Rust and have a rattle can or two of primer ready.
It may be a little bent, but it is far from garbage. There are plenty of folks who specialize in frame straightening. It does not cost as much as you might think.
I hope that you enjoy this new project!
It may be a little bent, but it is far from garbage. There are plenty of folks who specialize in frame straightening. It does not cost as much as you might think.
I hope that you enjoy this new project!
Cheers Gearnut,I got already one of them frame straightener kits in me shed mate...it's a big lump hammer an a blowtorch
Lol can't do it mate, I live with the Mrs an two kids in THE smallest two bedroom house you can imagine ! I've only got a tiny yard which is accessed by a narrow entry I already have a lil Suzuki 1300cc carry van, a pug 2 litre, a HD 300cc diesel bike, a Kawasaki W650 bike an sidecar, Bicycle engined 50cc moped and I'm currently adding a sidecar an engine to the electric bike an now I've decided to get this 1930's Automoto with no running gear on the road, If I put a trike outside there won't be anywhere for the neighbours to park an they will form a posse an come after me with torch's lol.
http://www.vespafanclub.ch/gallery/albums/userpics/REYONNAH.JPG
http://www.vespafanclub.ch/gallery/albums/userpics/REYONNAH_1.JPG
Reyonnah, French, 1950s. Easy!
http://www.vespafanclub.ch/gallery/albums/userpics/REYONNAH_1.JPG
Reyonnah, French, 1950s. Easy!
I think it's a lovely little bike but it is little and not wanting to butcher it to make something bigger fit in which would reck the lines anyway,I've decided fit in a small Honda CG 125.
I've been out today an bought a early 81 6volt model that's been stood rotting for the last 15 years, it's a non runner an have been looking for its spark all day but its not playing despite freeing the rings off with plusgas and buying it a new condenser an spark plug ! Tomorrow I'm going to TRY buy a new ignition switch as it ain't got one an I may have the wires all the wrong way around, I'm also going to buy some new points an re-learn how to fit em, as it must be getting on for 15 years since I last had to fettle with em .
I raced a CG125, if you fit a cheap pit bike CDI it will give you a spark big enough to stun a buffalo. The taper will probably need fettling to fit though, and you'd need to sort out a generator (car alternator off a belt?).
I had a less mild cam for it as well, but those cost £££. If it has that useless accelerator carb, fling it into the nethermost reach of Hades and get a 22mm Mikuni copy, and be prepared to jet up a little bit. You will have the old pattern pushrods, which means they won't bend like spaggy if you rev too much. Having said that, there is no point on looking for top end with that cam because it's not there. Hooligan takeoffs are done at 7,000 with a feathered clutch and rapid fire into 3rd.
I had a less mild cam for it as well, but those cost £££. If it has that useless accelerator carb, fling it into the nethermost reach of Hades and get a 22mm Mikuni copy, and be prepared to jet up a little bit. You will have the old pattern pushrods, which means they won't bend like spaggy if you rev too much. Having said that, there is no point on looking for top end with that cam because it's not there. Hooligan takeoffs are done at 7,000 with a feathered clutch and rapid fire into 3rd.
I never thought of tuning it up but seems like there's a lot of stuff out there which is cool
I'll just be happy to get the thing running, no luck yet but I may have just found a problem with the points.....
I'll just be happy to get the thing running, no luck yet but I may have just found a problem with the points.....
The trick to tuning is NOT to open out the inlet, it's too big as it is. Using standard Honda bits, just find the piston with the greatest deck height and compression. Leave the cam, get a carb that breathes enough juice (they like being slightly rich). Shortish header, about 22" from the valve head itself. There's no top end go, but it will shove off the line at a thoroughly silly rate of knots.
Been working on this CG for a few days now an it's been proper doing my head with a lack of spark but at last it looks like I'm getting there.
The guy I bought it off reckons It's been stood for 15 years, it looks like most of em where outside ! It never came with a gear lever so bought one from Hills breakers for £10. The gears are a bit stiff but work, I'm guessing the clutch plates may be stuck together an need a good clean, I also got a new condenser and a ignition switch from Hawkshaw motorbike spares.
I checked and double checked every electrical system cleaned an set the points an everything looked ok but it just refused to spark.....till I sprayed it with WD40 !!! So maybe it was just a dry joint or something I'll never know, but I'll spray it first next time :roll:
After eventually getting the spark it ran after about the 10 kick which I think is pretty bloody good after being laid up for so long I took the cam cover off an the oil presure is good but there's no valve clearances at all so it needs a good service.
Only bought it for £150 so all things considerd its turned out not bad I reckon .
The guy I bought it off reckons It's been stood for 15 years, it looks like most of em where outside ! It never came with a gear lever so bought one from Hills breakers for £10. The gears are a bit stiff but work, I'm guessing the clutch plates may be stuck together an need a good clean, I also got a new condenser and a ignition switch from Hawkshaw motorbike spares.
I checked and double checked every electrical system cleaned an set the points an everything looked ok but it just refused to spark.....till I sprayed it with WD40 !!! So maybe it was just a dry joint or something I'll never know, but I'll spray it first next time :roll:
After eventually getting the spark it ran after about the 10 kick which I think is pretty bloody good after being laid up for so long
I took the cam cover off an the oil presure is good but there's no valve clearances at all so it needs a good service.Only bought it for £150 so all things considerd its turned out not bad I reckon
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You have the bonus of it being Japanese metal. Provided you do nothing silly like clog dance clutchless on max revs up and down the box or stick a valve through the piston, it will sit there tick tocking away for years.
One interesting thing, there's a little spring that goes with the pin and bush to locate the cam and gear. I don't know long term, but short term, it plays a real mean samba rhythm as the pin and the bush jiggle about. But it's not immediately harmless, just rattly.
One interesting thing, there's a little spring that goes with the pin and bush to locate the cam and gear. I don't know long term, but short term, it plays a real mean samba rhythm as the pin and the bush jiggle about. But it's not immediately harmless, just rattly.
I've just found this thread and must say Dougy that you are the leading candidate for the cool Dad award. It's been fascinating reading my way through this thread and seeing the way you can shape and weld metal. That diesel HD is just sooooooo cool, - your daughter is a very lucky girl. My doctor won't let me ride motorcycles anymore, but if I still could I think I'd be looking at building myself a diesel bike too.
It was very interesting to see just how much paperwork, inspecting and rubber stamping was involved in getting your son's bike on the road. Here in New Zealand it's still relatively painless to register a motorised bicycle. IC engined machines have to be registered as a moped which is not complicated at all and only involves filling out a form with all the right details on it, paying fee and being given your numberplate. So far electric powered machines don't seem to need registration. I've been riding my old Hercules trike that I converted to electric propulsion around town here for a few years now and the local Police guys and girls just smile and wave whenever I go past. I do have a totally out of date brown and white motorcycle plate from the 1930s on the back of my Hercules though which often raises a smile as well.
That CG Honda engine should work out well for you. I rode the CB version as my going to work bike for some years when I was in my 20s and it was totally reliable.
i love the old French motorcycle frame and forks, it should clean and straighten up into a really nice looking bike.
It was very interesting to see just how much paperwork, inspecting and rubber stamping was involved in getting your son's bike on the road. Here in New Zealand it's still relatively painless to register a motorised bicycle. IC engined machines have to be registered as a moped which is not complicated at all and only involves filling out a form with all the right details on it, paying fee and being given your numberplate. So far electric powered machines don't seem to need registration. I've been riding my old Hercules trike that I converted to electric propulsion around town here for a few years now and the local Police guys and girls just smile and wave whenever I go past. I do have a totally out of date brown and white motorcycle plate from the 1930s on the back of my Hercules though which often raises a smile as well.
That CG Honda engine should work out well for you. I rode the CB version as my going to work bike for some years when I was in my 20s and it was totally reliable.
i love the old French motorcycle frame and forks, it should clean and straighten up into a really nice looking bike.
Thank you for the kind words Miss they actually mean a lot !
On my little electric bike here the main problem is the range, I'm sure it must affect you Hercules bike too, (an post a pic here please cos I don't know what they look like ?) I've orded a 24 volt alternator an plan to fit a separate engine to the electric bike with a petrol engine constantly charging up the battery's, I don't know if it'll work like but I'm gonna try an if it works range won't be a problem for em any more
An if your passing Burt Monroes old place see if ya get get me a old piston from the god of speeds shelf
On my little electric bike here the main problem is the range, I'm sure it must affect you Hercules bike too, (an post a pic here please cos I don't know what they look like ?) I've orded a 24 volt alternator an plan to fit a separate engine to the electric bike with a petrol engine constantly charging up the battery's, I don't know if it'll work like but I'm gonna try an if it works range won't be a problem for em any more
An if your passing Burt Monroes old place see if ya get get me a old piston from the god of speeds shelf
This is a picture of my Hercules tricycle I took not long after I first put it together. I'm busy with overhauling and rebuilding it at the moment as it sat unloved and got rusty while I was not very well over the past few months. Don't worry it shall look lovely again, I like it too much to let it rust away.
Range is a problem with my tricycle, but it mainly gets used for local journeys so i can generally work around battery charge times and the trips out that I have to make. It's a workhouse though and has been used to haul sacks of compost and potting mix, fence posts, bicycle frames and spares away from the council recycling depot & etc etc......
The hub motor is 24volt 250watt and has been totally reliable. Some folk might say that my tricycle is underpowered, but I built it that way so I have to help out with pedaling which keeps my doctor happy because I'm supposed to get regular exercise. The pedal powered rear wheel has a two speed Duomatic hub with coaster brake, but I would like to change it for a 3 speed Sturmery Archer coaster hub during this present overhaul.
I want to experiment with fitting up an IC engine on my tricycle, but I hadn't considered the possibility of running a generator to charge the batteries. Something to think about I suppose.
Ha ha, I think I'd be arrested on the spot for trying to steal national treasures if I tried to take one of Burt's old pistons. I still enjoy watching the movie on DVD even though I've seen it dozens of times.
Range is a problem with my tricycle, but it mainly gets used for local journeys so i can generally work around battery charge times and the trips out that I have to make. It's a workhouse though and has been used to haul sacks of compost and potting mix, fence posts, bicycle frames and spares away from the council recycling depot & etc etc......
The hub motor is 24volt 250watt and has been totally reliable. Some folk might say that my tricycle is underpowered, but I built it that way so I have to help out with pedaling which keeps my doctor happy because I'm supposed to get regular exercise. The pedal powered rear wheel has a two speed Duomatic hub with coaster brake, but I would like to change it for a 3 speed Sturmery Archer coaster hub during this present overhaul.
I want to experiment with fitting up an IC engine on my tricycle, but I hadn't considered the possibility of running a generator to charge the batteries. Something to think about I suppose.
Ha ha, I think I'd be arrested on the spot for trying to steal national treasures if I tried to take one of Burt's old pistons. I still enjoy watching the movie on DVD even though I've seen it dozens of times.
Burts awesome all right, I know someone who went to Bonneville to get a speed record on his own Indian, he done really well but only got 80 odd mile an hour out of his, Burt averaged over 180mph an on one run they reckon he went more than 200mph, one clever guy !
Your trike awesome mate, one thing for you to think about is maybe to pull the engine an altinator unit on a lil trailer for longer journeys. Oh I think there's an avatar that had that covered..
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Your trike awesome mate, one thing for you to think about is maybe to pull the engine an altinator unit on a lil trailer for longer journeys. Oh I think there's an avatar that had that covered..
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Thinking it through, so long as the generator wasn't running at the time, a trailer would just be a trailer. Would there be problems with the engine mounted on the trike and with it running? And how big does it need to be? I'm bit by bit building a 12v battery charger with a Ryobi 30cc engine and an alternator so I can charge my camper battery with something lightweight, rather than the 18kg of 240v Chinese genny I have now.