Bike builders that have machine tools/shops
- Thread starter Tom from Rubicon
- Start date
Well, I caught a image posting on motorbicycling that showed a fella using camping fuel bottles for fuel tanks. the same
bottles could be used as a backup fuel reserve. I ran a search on the bottles and came up with this link which would be
the way to go since they are made for white gas.
https://www.rei.com/product/783963/msr-fuel-bottle-30-fl-oz
Dennis
Goo
Bloomington, Illinois and he worked in the radiator department working with the same chemicals. He new that it wasn't
healthy so after a few months he transferred to their other plant assembling heating and cooling units which was not around
those chemicals. His decision was a wise one since the first plant was closed down because of the work conditions. That's
why the EPA and OSHA got involved which in a lot of ways a good thing for workers but in other ways they have gotten
too restrictive and carried away with bad legislation.
Good thing that you got out of there and went to another job area. I've got a friend that worked for Modine Manufacturing in
Bloomington, Illinois and he worked in the radiator department working with the same chemicals. He new that it wasn't
healthy so after a few months he transferred to their other plant assembling heating and cooling units which was not around
those chemicals. His decision was a wise one since the first plant was closed down because of the work conditions. That's
why the EPA and OSHA got involved which in a lot of ways a good thing for workers but in other ways they have gotten
too restrictive and carried away with bad legislation.
I did a search on Amazon and there are better prices and other manufacturers that make a comparable product.
Take your pick: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=MSR+Liquid+Fuel+Bottle&i=sporting&ref=nb_sb_nossLOL! Got me thinking! White gas is nothing more then unleaded fuel and can burn it in a engine. But now can go just about any were and get a can of no-oxygenated fuel for small engines, then save the can. Even seen it pre-mixed for 2 stroke( already labeled )............Curt
Looks like you found what you need Dennis. Years ago I won a bid on a box at an auction, in it I found a old school 1qt camping fuel flask, nickle plated with a brass cap.I did a search on Amazon and there are better prices and other manufacturers that make a comparable product.
Tom
Great find!
These fuel tanks sent with the kits aren't really big enough for a 212cc they are ok for a 49cc but afella should carry a spare tank just in case. The tank that came in the 212cc kit was ok for a 2-stroke or better for the
49cc. A 1 gallon tank should have been sent in the 212cc kit. There's not much in that kit I used. The 1" adapter for
the sprocket was not going to work very long on that engine with the dinky bearings on the hub. The mag wheels
already have outlived the small bearings on the original hub in mileage. The sealed bearings are the only way to go
with that engine and mag wheels. I am thinking that dirt can get in the standard hubs with their bearings. A fella
should stay away from dirt and gravel roads with the standard rims because of contamination.
Dennis
First thing I did on my Huffy build Dennis, was order that gallon tank from bike berry. 49cc ain't hard on gas but if you want any kind of range. For me, anywhere but East could run you dry before the next fuel stop. Your 212cc you need a tank like my Flyer has.
I pulled my chains out of the crockpot when we got home from last breakfast and that new speed wax is slippery.
Getting the chains out of that hot wax was like herding spaghetti with chop sticks.
Tom
I pulled my chains out of the crockpot when we got home from last breakfast and that new speed wax is slippery.
Getting the chains out of that hot wax was like herding spaghetti with chop sticks.
Tom
That wax should work pretty good on the chains and I need to get some on order. We got another rain lastnight and it won't
be long before the snow will be flying.
I've got so much outside work to get done before the decline in weather. The otherday I pulled out the window air conditioners and maybe this week or next week I'll put the storm windows back in.
Dennis
Tom,
I really don't know where our Summer went I think I spent most of mine working outside and mowing I wanted to take time
to go fishing but never did that this year. We have these darn wind generators going in and most of the farmers are showing
their greed for the subsidies concerning them. My Landlord has refused to put any in and his Son has one about 30 miles
south of me and it's a smaller one than the ones going in, in this area. They are a pain to farm around and when they have
to be worked on the ground gets tore up to get the heavy crane in.
I bought a set of rims last year for the 49cc bike since a bearing hub went bad on the front of the bike from an old fella that
builds 2-stroke bikes in Bloomington. Both rims new cost me just $45 and once in awhile the ole guy puts a new build for
sale on Craigs list. I think I came across a add on one that a person got from him;
https://bn.craigslist.org/bik/d/bloomington-motor-bicycle-mountain-bike/6990177885.html
https://bn.craigslist.org/d/bicycles/search/bia
Once in awhile some good deals pop up on that listing out of Bloomington and Peoria area. The latest adds have some
real old restored antique bikes listed and some that need restoration. Like usual, some prices are out-of-sight and some
are real good. I've never seen anyone riding a motorized bike in that area yet but there is one fella that has a motorized
bike in Pontiac that runs around town and sometimes you will see him pulling a trailer with his 2-stroke. This area is just
full of HDs running around and most of them are running straight-pipes on them. The cops don't bother them which is a
wonder since they make more noise than a car with straight-pipes.
Once in awhile I'll have fellas ask me when I stop at a Casey's store in my area and they will ask me where I bought my
bike. I tell them I built the motorized bike from a kit and most of them get interested in asking more questions like mileage
and speed of course. We have a lot of people in the area that run around in golf carts and the city requirements is
age a limit and no driving on country roads or highways. A motorized trike would be interesting to put together as long
as it's done right. I'd bet that would stimulate interest in motorized bikes for the area. A 79cc on a stretched frame, wide
wheel base with 20" rims on a trike would be nice to putt around on. Gasbike and Kings Motorized bikes have that
Schwinn bicycle for sale with the 26" rims. That bike needs 20" tires on it to lower the center of gravity with a smaller
engine like the 79cc and the wheelbase is also too narrow. Sure would be fun to have a nice shop and a good mig
welder with extra hardware to work with no telling what a fella could cobble together!
Dennis
I really don't know where our Summer went I think I spent most of mine working outside and mowing I wanted to take time
to go fishing but never did that this year. We have these darn wind generators going in and most of the farmers are showing
their greed for the subsidies concerning them. My Landlord has refused to put any in and his Son has one about 30 miles
south of me and it's a smaller one than the ones going in, in this area. They are a pain to farm around and when they have
to be worked on the ground gets tore up to get the heavy crane in.
I bought a set of rims last year for the 49cc bike since a bearing hub went bad on the front of the bike from an old fella that
builds 2-stroke bikes in Bloomington. Both rims new cost me just $45 and once in awhile the ole guy puts a new build for
sale on Craigs list. I think I came across a add on one that a person got from him;
https://bn.craigslist.org/bik/d/bloomington-motor-bicycle-mountain-bike/6990177885.html
https://bn.craigslist.org/d/bicycles/search/bia
Once in awhile some good deals pop up on that listing out of Bloomington and Peoria area. The latest adds have some
real old restored antique bikes listed and some that need restoration. Like usual, some prices are out-of-sight and some
are real good. I've never seen anyone riding a motorized bike in that area yet but there is one fella that has a motorized
bike in Pontiac that runs around town and sometimes you will see him pulling a trailer with his 2-stroke. This area is just
full of HDs running around and most of them are running straight-pipes on them. The cops don't bother them which is a
wonder since they make more noise than a car with straight-pipes.
Once in awhile I'll have fellas ask me when I stop at a Casey's store in my area and they will ask me where I bought my
bike. I tell them I built the motorized bike from a kit and most of them get interested in asking more questions like mileage
and speed of course.
We have a lot of people in the area that run around in golf carts and the city requirements isage a limit and no driving on country roads or highways. A motorized trike would be interesting to put together as long
as it's done right. I'd bet that would stimulate interest in motorized bikes for the area. A 79cc on a stretched frame, wide
wheel base with 20" rims on a trike would be nice to putt around on. Gasbike and Kings Motorized bikes have that
Schwinn bicycle for sale with the 26" rims. That bike needs 20" tires on it to lower the center of gravity with a smaller
engine like the 79cc and the wheelbase is also too narrow. Sure would be fun to have a nice shop and a good mig
welder with extra hardware to work with no telling what a fella could cobble together!
Dennis
.I was back in the shop briefly to correct the front fender strut mounting screws catching on the tire tread. I turned the 10-32 button heads to the inside of the fender and using acorn nuts with Loctite blue and shakeproof washers on top side. Photos to follow when my new camera comes on line.
Tom
Tom
Some of them ole timers have warned about fenders coming loose on the motorized bike which results in injuries.
There's a lot of vibration down there and LocTite should help keep things from coming loose. So far those mag
rims are holding up on that thing and the GPS speedometer is working pretty good. Got to check into a suspension
fork for the bike then disk brakes. I've got to change that carburetor with a Mikuni in the future and a oil catch tank
needs to be ordered soon.
Dennis
Yes Dennis I'm one of those old guys that often warn others about the dangers fenders present, but and notice I say but, because it's important; when fenders are well designed and use really good materials and are fitted and installed with care, they are great! They should always be inspected pre-ride for continued integrity. This is the owners responsibility.
Tom is taking his time and doing it right. He recently posted about clearance issues and was making changes to address fitting issues. Tom is a tool and die guy who works daily in .001" increments, so I give him credit for handling fractional problems with ease...on a fender. Old guy warnings are primarily intended for newbs to moto bike building as a heads up to use fenders with great caution or not at all in their builds. I'm capable of building a safe fender but choose not to, but I really like the look and utility of fenders when done properly.
I'm a believer in disk brakes on classic or any other style bike that will be ridden in traffic. I've only one bike without at least a front disk brake and I seldom ride it because of this fact. Two is much better. I feel an old guys daily rider deserves a suspension fork and saddle as a gift to his health, welfare and riding pleasure. Your bikes frame will also hold up much better with a suspension fork, the 212 is heavy and places strain on the frame from weight as well as the large torque. When a bike is ridden a lot good brakes and suspension are really important, plus you can work on these things over the winter.
Rick C.
Tom is taking his time and doing it right. He recently posted about clearance issues and was making changes to address fitting issues. Tom is a tool and die guy who works daily in .001" increments, so I give him credit for handling fractional problems with ease...on a fender. Old guy warnings are primarily intended for newbs to moto bike building as a heads up to use fenders with great caution or not at all in their builds. I'm capable of building a safe fender but choose not to, but I really like the look and utility of fenders when done properly.
I'm a believer in disk brakes on classic or any other style bike that will be ridden in traffic. I've only one bike without at least a front disk brake and I seldom ride it because of this fact. Two is much better. I feel an old guys daily rider deserves a suspension fork and saddle as a gift to his health, welfare and riding pleasure. Your bikes frame will also hold up much better with a suspension fork, the 212 is heavy and places strain on the frame from weight as well as the large torque. When a bike is ridden a lot good brakes and suspension are really important, plus you can work on these things over the winter.
Rick C.
Yeah, I don't ride this thing in any heavy traffic but this Winter the disk brakes and suspension forks are going on it. I still
will work on the engine mount on this bike and I don't like how the kit mount is made. I need to weld a steel plate in and
gusset it to the frame. I don't know about mounting the engine vertical with that GasBike aluminum mount and whether
it is worth using? The bike is holding up fairly good so far but time will tell whether the frame will last. I am watching for
old motorcycle frames on Craigs lists and that engine probably belongs in one of them. This is another option I was looking
at a few years back I think the engine would fit this bike and I haven't seen any weights on the engine it looks like it might
be lighter than the 212cc? You might know something on this setup?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lifan-125C...1be9c5c&pid=100005&rk=1&rkt=3&sd=371348936648
Dennis
Dennis proper gusseting will really help protect your frame as will a well designed engine mount.
I've used the 4 speed and auto 125cc Lifan horizontal engines in the past and they work well, though they require extensive frame alteration to work in most non-stretch bicycle based builds. Stock power of the Lifan is about the same as the 212 but less torque, however the 4 speed transmission and clutch more than make up for lower torque in the Lifan engine. Sixty mph in a hurry. Weight between the two engines is pretty similar. The Predator can easily be & greatly powered up with readily available performance parts however, the Lifan is pretty much what it is, power wise.
Rick C.
I've used the 4 speed and auto 125cc Lifan horizontal engines in the past and they work well, though they require extensive frame alteration to work in most non-stretch bicycle based builds. Stock power of the Lifan is about the same as the 212 but less torque, however the 4 speed transmission and clutch more than make up for lower torque in the Lifan engine. Sixty mph in a hurry. Weight between the two engines is pretty similar. The Predator can easily be & greatly powered up with readily available performance parts however, the Lifan is pretty much what it is, power wise.
Rick C.
Rick, I might consider going with the Lifan 125cc and since you have quite a bit of experience with them I'll probably be keeping
in touch with you on one of them. No one in the area has one and buying site-unseen is fairly risky. I am assuming the engine
would have less exhaust noise so a fella wouldn't be drawing attention to one self. The stretched frame on my bike should
be enough I am hoping. The idea of a transmission is another plus and I suspect that the width is narrower than the CVT
and the 212cc specs:
Height 14"
Width 14.5"
Length 12.5"
Weight 38.72 Lb.
CVT 14.1+ Lbs.
CVT + Engine 52.82 Lbs
I doubt if the Lifan plus transmission weighs this? The CVT + Engine width is 15" with the cover on the CVT. Shedding
some of the weight would help the bike's longevity. Like we all know, the 212cc in a torque monster and likes to break
things!
When I tried that 20-tooth sprocket and put more than average power to it, the belt on the CVT slipped whichI have noticed before using a lot of power on the 40-tooth sprocket the affect is quite pronounced since the teeth in the
belt slip on the cranks bronze bushing. The engine does not bog down since it wants to keep revving. The 212cc is a
smooth running engine and is quite a bit different from a 49cc engine which has more vibration which might be caused
by it's transmission and low torque. I do know a fella wouldn't want to go full power from a standstill even with the 32-tooth
sprocket. A 40 or 44-tooth sprocket would make the bike climb and throw you off if it hooks up. I had a 750 Kawasaki triple
that would throw you off immediately if it hooked up. A fella was showing off in a town 5 miles from us and found out what
a 750 Kawasaki would do if it hooks up. Anyway, he was thrown off the new bike and it went clear over. He totaled the
bike and really got skinned up I suppose his ego was hurt worse.
I sold mine and went boating with the girls which wasa lot of fun and that was years ago.
Dennsi
Dennis the Lifan 4 speed manual clutch, kick start engine weighs 45 lbs/21 kilos. and measures18.5"x11"x11" approximate inches as I converted from metric to fractions rounded up slightly.
Electric start is heavier not sure on the automatic as to exact weight & size.
Rick C.
Electric start is heavier not sure on the automatic as to exact weight & size.
Rick C.
Rick, looks like the height and width are good the length might work if the engine can be tilted a little for the head to clear.
I suspect the weight is mostly from the transmission. A kick start wouldn't be all that bad. I sure that a electric starter
will fit on the bike with the 212cc and then you have the extra weight of the starter and battery.
The Lifan might besomething to look into this Winter as a project even on a custom bike frame? Thanks Rick for looking up those dimensions
for me. There's a fella on YouTube that has built a custom frame for a 212cc and I need to see what he came up with he
wasn't using the CVT on his just a clutch on it. His bike was a trail bike and the frame was heavy square tubing.
Dennis
-
Rick, looks like the height and width are good the length might work if the engine can be tilted a little for the head to clear.
I suspect the weight is mostly from the transmission. A kick start wouldn't be all that bad. I sure that a electric starter
will fit on the bike with the 212cc and then you have the extra weight of the starter and battery. The Lifan might be
something to look into this Winter as a project even on a custom bike frame? Thanks Rick for looking up those dimensions
for me. There's a fella on YouTube that has built a custom frame for a 212cc and I need to see what he came up with he
wasn't using the CVT on his just a clutch on it. His bike was a trail bike and the frame was heavy square tubing.
Dennis
Rick C.
Rick, check this chain tensioner out I've been looking for one of these and it seems the fellas that have it want to keep it a secret?
Well, you won't find it on Ebay, Amazon or any of the other bike dealers. I forgot about the fella that has all of the sprockets
available and never really searched through his CNC stuff. I finally went full-circle and caught it on this site and I'm sure you
have been on this site along with Tom.
https://www.mmbikeparts.com/Manic-Mechanic-Rigid-Chain-Tensioner-p/mm-r-ch-tensioner.htm
https://www.mmbikeparts.com/Manic-Mechanic-Rigid-Chain-Tensioner-p/mm-r-ch-tensioner.htm
I'm also sure that it could have a spring adapted to it for a spring-loaded tensioner. This unit is pricey but takes a lot of the clutter
out of the picture. One plus, it won't come loose like the ones in the engine kits which are dangerous to use. Also, thanks for the
information on the Lifans! I wonder where Tom is this PM, he is usually in here? I took a break from watching a Netflix video and
did a search for that tensioner and I hope it is some use?
Dennis