Ludwig wouldn't that be heck to travel afar and find treasures of value and rarity only to find that shipping would be far more than it's worth...perhaps small items, but maybe not with duties added. One of my friends married a lady from the U.K. and they spend a couple of months each year in the London area he's a rider and keeps an eye on the cycles yet I've never known him or her to bring any U. K. swag back stateside. I buy some cycling items from your vendors on Ebay and haven't found the shipping or delivery time to be objectionable. The very thought of searching a "jumble" is quite appealing to me! Rick C.
Old Guys Simplex moto-peddle bike
- Thread starter indian22
- Start date
Rick, you might want to drop in on the First Monday's Trade Days at Canton Texas. http://www.firstmondaycanton.com/
Take a pickup with a trailer hitch. Also a good heavy wheeled wagon, like the garden type. You will need the pickup to haul your stuff home, and the trailer hitch for a U-Haul rental if you buy too much. A good wheel wagon to carry stuff around until you go back and load it up on your pickup. It has been a long time since we last went, but there were old bicycles, motorcycles, small engines of every kind imaginable. Useless tools that you cannot live without, are all over the place.
It is about a 100 acres, so wear good comfortable shoes, don't go in the heat of the summer. The wagon helps to carry drinks and water, experience the food trucks, better than carrying your own.
Never go by yourself, you need at east one person that knows how to tell you NO.
Take a pickup with a trailer hitch. Also a good heavy wheeled wagon, like the garden type. You will need the pickup to haul your stuff home, and the trailer hitch for a U-Haul rental if you buy too much. A good wheel wagon to carry stuff around until you go back and load it up on your pickup. It has been a long time since we last went, but there were old bicycles, motorcycles, small engines of every kind imaginable. Useless tools that you cannot live without, are all over the place.
It is about a 100 acres, so wear good comfortable shoes, don't go in the heat of the summer. The wagon helps to carry drinks and water, experience the food trucks, better than carrying your own.
Never go by yourself, you need at east one person that knows how to tell you NO.
Excellent advise about taking a second person Dogcatcher. My money says that they would keep speaking into the ear with the selective hearing. That would be the one their using.
Steve.
Steve.
Back home from the Houston trip to visit my Son's family and deliver a bike for his wife. Good trip but glad I'm back home and out of the traffic.
Been to Canton and it is amazing Dogcatcher. I should actually take a trailer load to sell, but you guys are probably right I'd end up bringing back more than I took down to sell.
Rashed I just build what I like and it's great if others incorporate my ideas or style in their own bike builds...diversity is good. Rick C.
Been to Canton and it is amazing Dogcatcher. I should actually take a trailer load to sell, but you guys are probably right I'd end up bringing back more than I took down to sell.
Rashed I just build what I like and it's great if others incorporate my ideas or style in their own bike builds...diversity is good. Rick C.
One of the things I discovered while finishing the bike for my daughter in law was how many small improvements I was able to make in a bike that I'd initially "completed" for myself. I've subsequently turned my attention to The Simplex Copper gator and two other "completed" bikes and found numerous details that now require change/improvement. I've a few parts on order and some I'll machine in the shop...I'm not adverse to using my lathes, mills & benders to fabricate when needed, it's just that I've really enjoyed the totally relaxed atmosphere of building at home while using basic tools & off the shelf vendor parts on the Harley build. Eventually this could be the norm for me and it's fun!
Rick C.
Rick C.
I'm quite certain some are aware that I've been casting about in an attempt to hook up my next projects. The Kayak based side car for the Simplex Copper Gator seems an aquatic natural to be continued in this thread, but I've mentioned and vacillated on other bike builds. Leaf spring Indian with a Predator/manual clutch, Schwinn Panther with a 2 stroke or the elusive V twin I'd certainly like... all good candidates for the new thread...but as I turned attention to my existing 2 stroke China builts for basic Spring maintenance and modest updates/modifications; it occurred to me that a KTM 50 in the Schwinn straight bar would be a swell ride if properly fitted with correct kit. Light and lively as well as powerful. I purchased one of the little green 'sakis some months back that had been set up for motocross and all of us had a blast riding it around the shop: quite wicked I'm afraid, though a young man bought it shortly thereafter. Plenty available used and new clones out there as well. So when you see the Old Guys new thread it will feature 2 strokes in general and KTM in particular, but mounted in some sort of classic styles.
Kayaks and 2 strokes it will be! Rick C.
Kayaks and 2 strokes it will be! Rick C.
Probably not green Ludwig my best guess.
Steve the start date on new builds...side car and straight bar bike will depend on how quickly I complete the Harley and make the mods on the two doublestrokers. I received a new 2.135" chrome, disk brake wheel Friday and mounted with 2.35" brick pattern tires on the black bike. These are 26" wheels and are fitted with 12 gauge stainless spokes. I had a spare coaster wheel already. These replaced the 14 g. painted 24" x 2" wide rims and 3" tires. I like the narrow tires on wider rims and less issue with chain adjustment and with chrome just wipe the oil film off periodically which lessens the 2 stroke cleaning chore. My major concern was the flimsy hub and spokes, which I shold have eliminated to begin with...I now feel a bit more confident riding at a faster pace.
I also replaced plugs with new NGK's and then regapped at .022" which completely eliminated the irritating 4 stroking under load at precisely the speed I like to travel in town. Lovely performance now. I'd been at .032 with stock heads but when I went to the higher compression after market heads I'd neglected to narrow the gap to offset the change..my oversight, but now it's fun to ride and I am!
Like I said adjust and change, small stuff neglected and ignored that once corrected makes me want to ride a bike rather than just look at it and then select another mount. Oh yeah double the gas cap gasket and that peanut tank behind the seat won't leak. Rick C.
Steve the start date on new builds...side car and straight bar bike will depend on how quickly I complete the Harley and make the mods on the two doublestrokers. I received a new 2.135" chrome, disk brake wheel Friday and mounted with 2.35" brick pattern tires on the black bike. These are 26" wheels and are fitted with 12 gauge stainless spokes. I had a spare coaster wheel already. These replaced the 14 g. painted 24" x 2" wide rims and 3" tires. I like the narrow tires on wider rims and less issue with chain adjustment and with chrome just wipe the oil film off periodically which lessens the 2 stroke cleaning chore. My major concern was the flimsy hub and spokes, which I shold have eliminated to begin with...I now feel a bit more confident riding at a faster pace.
I also replaced plugs with new NGK's and then regapped at .022" which completely eliminated the irritating 4 stroking under load at precisely the speed I like to travel in town. Lovely performance now. I'd been at .032 with stock heads but when I went to the higher compression after market heads I'd neglected to narrow the gap to offset the change..my oversight, but now it's fun to ride and I am!
Like I said adjust and change, small stuff neglected and ignored that once corrected makes me want to ride a bike rather than just look at it and then select another mount. Oh yeah double the gas cap gasket and that peanut tank behind the seat won't leak. Rick C.
You have to clean up the old before you start the new but you can plan ahead. When it gets here we'll be waiting.
Steve.
Steve.
Re: Old Guthe good news is I've gone over the Simplex wys Simplex moto-peddle bike
Steve I've ignored some things that have needed correction for some time now and the list grew as well. I'm quickly catching up as I wait on parts, 160 mm rotor on it's way for one of the 2 stroke bikes etc.
Good news is the Simplex Copper gator passed a careful and quite severe checkout after one full year of riding and was solid, tight and received only an N G K Iridium plug as it's single upgrade. This solidifies my opinion that it is a worthy candidate for a side car option, not just a package cart, but capable of safely hauling a full grown passenger. If the Simplex were to remain just a solo cycle I'd make one other change that being a final drive sprocket adjustment from the 56 tooth to a 44 t, but I think with the car and load attached the 56 t will be about right.
One other thing about the Simplex and my selecting to use a 5 speed Honda clone engine. It's performed flawlessly to this point and I'm glad I chose the same engine to power my Harley Peashooter with. That said the use of the larger motorcycle engines on bicycle frames is problematical when compared to building CG 2 cycle and Honda Clone single speeds. Wret's bike and my pair are testament that the larger motors (including modern twins) can be successfully employed to power "bicycle based" frames...the complexity is raised in the process and was worth it to me; especially to have a base now with which to build a side car attachment on the Simplex. Now that a dependable manual clutch is available for the Honda and clone single speed engines I doubt the cost benefit ratio of using a multi-speed power plant setup is worthwhile to most builders, save a few quirky fabricators like myself.
I'm satisfied with my choices however just saying they might not be for most?
Have fun building each to his own design! Rick C.
Steve I've ignored some things that have needed correction for some time now and the list grew as well. I'm quickly catching up as I wait on parts, 160 mm rotor on it's way for one of the 2 stroke bikes etc.
Good news is the Simplex Copper gator passed a careful and quite severe checkout after one full year of riding and was solid, tight and received only an N G K Iridium plug as it's single upgrade. This solidifies my opinion that it is a worthy candidate for a side car option, not just a package cart, but capable of safely hauling a full grown passenger. If the Simplex were to remain just a solo cycle I'd make one other change that being a final drive sprocket adjustment from the 56 tooth to a 44 t, but I think with the car and load attached the 56 t will be about right.
One other thing about the Simplex and my selecting to use a 5 speed Honda clone engine. It's performed flawlessly to this point and I'm glad I chose the same engine to power my Harley Peashooter with. That said the use of the larger motorcycle engines on bicycle frames is problematical when compared to building CG 2 cycle and Honda Clone single speeds. Wret's bike and my pair are testament that the larger motors (including modern twins) can be successfully employed to power "bicycle based" frames...the complexity is raised in the process and was worth it to me; especially to have a base now with which to build a side car attachment on the Simplex. Now that a dependable manual clutch is available for the Honda and clone single speed engines I doubt the cost benefit ratio of using a multi-speed power plant setup is worthwhile to most builders, save a few quirky fabricators like myself.
I'm satisfied with my choices however just saying they might not be for most?
Have fun building each to his own design! Rick C.
Curtis thanks for the complement. The fenders and frame are Fito brand found on Ebay, I think the rear skirt was what clinched the deal. This was meant to be a quick & easy build & was, but now I'm going back and replacing and changing here and there to better suit my taste and ensuring it's safer, requires less maintenance and just making it a more enjoyable ride. I'm thinking maybe a change of forks (girder or a quality single spring Schwinn) is also a possibility. It's by far the easiest pedaling of all my motorized bikes so I get a little exercise as well without bringing out one of my mountain bikes. I rode it to a diner for early lunch today and drew a small crowd as I was leaving. They seemed to like it and gave a little cheer as I pedal started and pulled away. Gladdens an Old guys spirits it does.... Rick C.
Hi Rick,
I was wondering why you changed out the keg tank. Great looking bike and you deserved the cheer.
Steve.
I was wondering why you changed out the keg tank. Great looking bike and you deserved the cheer.
Steve.
Thanks Steve. Why? I'm not sure this will answer your question but it tells a chain of events leading to the current fuel tank. I'd originally planned to use the frame tube of the bike as a small tank, but when I saw how small it actually was I opted to mount a peanut kit tank on the rear, but the peanut tank I had in hand was the smallest size, and I had the aluminum go cart tank so I built an aluminum frame for it, it held more fuel and looked pretty good as well. Unfortunately the frame I'd constructed, using aluminum scraps of an unknown alloy, started cracking...not on the welds, but here then there and the tank was listing here, then there as well. I'd collected some more peanut tanks of the larger variety by the time I finished my Daughter in laws bike (using one of the large peanuts for her bike) and by then I was starting my Spring bicycle fix and change so instead of using the spun aluminum tank on a new tank frame I fixed a 1" D O M tube to a couple of Harley Davidson tube clamps & the other peanut tank to the tube and called it good. Absolutely no reason 'cept I needed a fuel tank that wasn't going to fall off. I also really liked the "keg" look, but my choice of mounting materials sucked. That is the short version lol, but the keg look had some admirers as well, including me.
I'll use the keg and another very special rear mount fuel tank in the future, probably as aux fuel reservoirs...stay tuned.
I put the Simplex on the scales & it's 20 lbs. heavier than I'd thought at 150 lbs. wet. My Grubee was also heavier than expected at 70 lbs. fueled up Rick C.
I'll use the keg and another very special rear mount fuel tank in the future, probably as aux fuel reservoirs...stay tuned.
I put the Simplex on the scales & it's 20 lbs. heavier than I'd thought at 150 lbs. wet. My Grubee was also heavier than expected at 70 lbs. fueled up Rick C.