Time to "Go back to the Drawing Board and activate Plan B"
Okay, the little Lifan has had just about every opportunity to strut its stuff, and well, that amounts to 30 mph on the flats. Even with the (MUCH BETTER) carb on it and I even tried a straight-pipe exhaust, it just doesn't have much stink. As a matter of fact, it feels just like my old Cast-Iron B/S 5s felt like when I mounted it on my minibike 40 years ago.
This leads me to believe B/S under-rated their engines*, whereas the Lifan probably just puts out 2.5 to 2.8hp, and not a fraction more. It's only a 98cc flathead, after-all, just like the B/S 5s.
So- lesson learned. It's NOT going to get a person much above 30 mph, and for fat guys like ME, well......
So now it's gonna be the Predator 212. I'm waiting for the disk brakes, mag wheels, etc... The bike is already butchered ans scarred from putting the Lifan in it, so the 212 really won't mess things up (much) further. I even lucked out in that my saw-blade rear sprocket is already drilled to fit the mag-wheels when they show up.
So without any un-needed drama, the 212 will get me exactly what I want with power to spare. I think the Predator 212/ TAV2 Thing has been done many times before, so this thread can serve as a warning to anyone eyeballing their old DoodleBug engine for a project.
*...as an aside, back in The Old Dark Days of My Youth, my first engine was a rope-start B/S 6B, which now I'm learning put out a rated 2hp. It worked, and most other engines I came across were also 60000 series (6ci B/S) motors. Then through dumb luck, I became the owner of an 80000 series engine, and as they say, you never want to go back. The B/S 8ci engines were like night and day to the 60000 series engines.... 33% more cubes, larger inrtake valve... wow. All in a package the exact same size as my old 6B.
...THEN there is the 9ci 3.5 hp 90000 series B/S. God I love those motors! They are definitely on my Holy Grail wish list!
Okay, sorry about the blathering.
Okay, the little Lifan has had just about every opportunity to strut its stuff, and well, that amounts to 30 mph on the flats. Even with the (MUCH BETTER) carb on it and I even tried a straight-pipe exhaust, it just doesn't have much stink. As a matter of fact, it feels just like my old Cast-Iron B/S 5s felt like when I mounted it on my minibike 40 years ago.
This leads me to believe B/S under-rated their engines*, whereas the Lifan probably just puts out 2.5 to 2.8hp, and not a fraction more. It's only a 98cc flathead, after-all, just like the B/S 5s.
So- lesson learned. It's NOT going to get a person much above 30 mph, and for fat guys like ME, well......
So now it's gonna be the Predator 212. I'm waiting for the disk brakes, mag wheels, etc... The bike is already butchered ans scarred from putting the Lifan in it, so the 212 really won't mess things up (much) further. I even lucked out in that my saw-blade rear sprocket is already drilled to fit the mag-wheels when they show up.
So without any un-needed drama, the 212 will get me exactly what I want with power to spare. I think the Predator 212/ TAV2 Thing has been done many times before, so this thread can serve as a warning to anyone eyeballing their old DoodleBug engine for a project.
*...as an aside, back in The Old Dark Days of My Youth, my first engine was a rope-start B/S 6B, which now I'm learning put out a rated 2hp. It worked, and most other engines I came across were also 60000 series (6ci B/S) motors. Then through dumb luck, I became the owner of an 80000 series engine, and as they say, you never want to go back. The B/S 8ci engines were like night and day to the 60000 series engines.... 33% more cubes, larger inrtake valve... wow. All in a package the exact same size as my old 6B.
...THEN there is the 9ci 3.5 hp 90000 series B/S. God I love those motors! They are definitely on my Holy Grail wish list!
Okay, sorry about the blathering.
